Disc: 1
  1. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Preludio ed Introduzione. O sospirata Gione
  2. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Moviamo fra le tenebre
  3. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. In terra solitaria
  4. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Ah! No non so più reggere
  5. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Almen di vaghe
  6. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Immenso nel silenzio
  7. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Alla gioia or t'abbandona
  8. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Bianca, de' nostri voti
  9. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Tu tremi, ah si tu tremi
  10. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 1. Abdel viva!
  11. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 2. Che rechi? / Uno stranier chiede parlarti
  12. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 2. Ei gra gli estremi aneliti
  13. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 2. Deh! Ti mova questo pianto
  14. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 2. Ebben! Può ancor rivivere
  15. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 2. Asan... / Partì
  16. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 2. Non sai che Bianca all'Arabo
  17. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 2. Già mano d'Iberi tra l'ombre raccolti

Disc: 2
  1. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Fummo noi i primi
  2. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Un battello
  3. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Io non avea più lagrime
  4. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Pelagio! / Che rechi?
  5. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Ch'ella non osi offrirsi
  6. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Di sue pietose lagrime
  7. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Signor! / Che rechi?
  8. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Chi sei disvelati...
  9. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Sì Pelagio / Padre!
  10. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 3. Che avvenne?
  11. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 4. Ah! Più ferve la pugna
  12. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 4. D'un infelice oh ciel
  13. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 4. Preghi / Ah! Sì
  14. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 4. Nel sangue arrivi
  15. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 4. Provocato il ciel istesso
  16. Pelagio, opera in 4 acts: Act 4. Padre al tuo seno
 
Pelagio - Costantino Finucci (Baritone)
Bianca - Clara Polito (Soprano)
Abdel-Aor - Danilo Formaggia (Tenor)
Aliatar - Giovanni Coletta (Tenor)
Asan – Vladimer Mebonia (Bass)
Giralda – Paola Francesca Natale (Soprano)

Bratislava Chamber Chorus
Italian International Orchestra
Mariano Rivas - Conductor

Mercadante’s last-written opera enjoyed a successful premiere at Naples in 1857, but the chances of its remaining in favour at that time were as small as those of a traditional “well-made” play making headlines a hundred years later in an age which had fixed its sights on Beckett and Pinter. Let another half-century roll and the relative merits might begin to rearrange themselves. And that is what has been happening for several years now. Posterity tends to be less passionate and partisan about progressive movements in the past.

Pelagio tells the familiar story of lovers from opposing sides, here Moors and Spaniards. The unfortunate heroine in the middle is wrongly blamed in turn by both father and husband. In the course of her troubles she has a dramatic intervention moment, a prayer and a death-scene. Everybody has an aria and each aria has its cabaletta. Duets take a similar form, and the grand ensemble is in place too. It is a well tried formula and to us a matter of relative indifference whether it was written in the 1850s or the 1830s. It works. Mercadante, moreover, brings his own distinctive touch: melody, orchestration and construction are never simply predictable, and they are never shoddy. There are limitations also, even within the conventional forms, the most serious being the composer’s apparent inability to seize, define, hold and exploit the emotional-dramatic moment.

There is fine singing by the soprano Clara Polito and baritone Costantino Finucci. The tenor Danilo Formaggia does sterling work but as recorded has an unpleasantly raw edge to his tone at a forte. The chorus sings lustily, the orchestra sounds thin. All, however, take second place to pride in this as a first-ever recording. The performance is recorded live at the Martina Franca Festival in Puglia where, in the words of the artistic director, they “rewrite History and reawaken a collective memory”. ---John Steane, gramophone.co.uk

The Festival della Valle D'Itria, held every summer in Martina Franca, Italy, is one of the most valuable artistic ventures of our time. I say this, because to my knowledge, this small-scale festival (generally three operas per year) has never lost track of their mission: to research hidden corners of the operatic repertoire and bring long forgotten works (or alternate versions of familiar works) to the stage for reexamination. Founded in 1975, the festival has produced an ever-fascinating list of titles from composers both obscure (last year, they gave Antonio Cagnoni's Re Lear) and familiar (Mozart's Idomeneo in the re-worked version by Richard Strauss or the baritone 'Battistini version' of Massenet's Werther, for example).

The current artistic director, Sergio Segalini, has continued to uphold this lofty artistic mission since he was appointed in 1994. In addition to the explorations of unusual repertoire, the festival has also sought to hire aspiring young singers, and many now-famous names had significant international exposure through their work in Martina Franca. Fortunately, opera fans around the world have been able to enjoy the works staged at the festival through live recordings, many of which have been issued commercially over the last decade by the enterprising Italian recording label 'Dynamic'. The present recording, of Mercadante's Pelagio, was recorded at the festival in 2008.

The Italian composer Saverio Mercadante was born in Altamura in 1795 and made his operatic debut at the illustrious Teatro San Carlo in Naples in 1819. Rossini was at the height of his fame during this period, and was by several accounts, very encouraging to Mercadante, urging him complete his first opera, L'apoteosi d'Ercole. Although he traveled as far abroad as Spain, Portugal, and Austria, Mercadante was thoroughly immersed in the Italian bel canto tradition, and over a long career, premiered most of his approximately sixty operas at Italian theaters. While he didn't achieve the same sort of lasting fame as the three bel canto masters – Bellini, Rossini, and Donizetti – Mercadante was widely celebrated in his day, and many of his operas scored major financial successes.

Along with Giovanni Pacini, Mercadante helped the evolution of Italian opera from an art form dominated by bel canto conventions into a strikingly less regimented form – one we might now recognize as 'proto-Verdian'. In fact, Mercadante – like Gluck – went through a 'reform' period in which he sought to dispense with traditional closed, 'set-piece' forms in favor of a more 'through-composed' style. Several of his most important works were composed during this period in the late 1830's, including Il giuramento, Elisa e Claudio, and La vestale. These operas show the composer moving away from intricate vocal acrobatics, excising repeated statements of melodic material, and dispensing with cabalettas almost entirely. Despite the public success of these operas however, Mercadante did not permanently adhere to his own reforms, and gradually reverted back to the more traditional conventions over the succeeding years. As he aged, his compositional style moved backward, while his contemporaries – especially the younger Giuseppe Verdi – continued to innovate, causing Mercadante's works to fall out of public favor.

Pelagio was the last opera Mercadante completed and was premiered in Naples in 1857. Despite its roots in the bel canto tradition, its forward-looking structural layout clearly shows the influence of Verdi – particularly in the orchestrations and the demanding vocal parts, which require both agility and power. The story concerns the Spanish military leader Pelagio (baritone) and his attempts to thwart the political marriage of his daughter Bianca (soprano) to his Arab enemy, Abdel-Aor (tenor). Though Bianca and Abdel-Aor are sincerely in love, Pelagio cannot tolerate his daughter's racial and religious betrayal. Eventually, Abdel-Aor is convinced that Bianca is secretly betraying him, and he stabs her, leaving her to beg for her father's forgiveness as she dies. The plot themes are strikingly similar to those of Bellini's Zaira and even Rossini's Maometto Secondo. Marco d'Arienzo's utilitarian poetry serves the rather all-purpose story effectively enough and sets up all the confrontations and emotional turmoil Mercadante could possibly want in order to compose exciting, crowd-pleasing arias and ensembles.

If you enjoy early and middle period Verdi, then you will love Pelagio. I won't argue that it's a lost masterpiece, but there is plenty of excellent music here, and the opera easily outclasses some of Verdi's more routine scores like Alzira or Il corsaro. The soprano role is very difficult: it's long and requires agility, a two octave range and vivid acting ability. Soprano Clara Polito gives her all, and succeeds in convincing the listener that Bianca is a cousin to both Bellini's Zaira and Verdi's Elvira. She has a good thrust to her voice – a bit overly darkened at times – and her agility and high register are above average. Best of all, she seems to understand the style, including the need for an extroverted approach to her role. She's a committed artist and her sheer involvement will win you over, despite some occasional, minor lapses in intonation and some smudged passagework.

Baritone Costantino Finucci offers true Verdian amplitude in his assumption of the title role, yet he is able to scale back as necessary, showing off both fine flexibility and attention to phrasing. Tenor Danilo Formaggia has an occasionally grainy tone, but otherwise fills out his vocal lines impressively with admirable technique and the same persuasively energetic approach as his soprano and baritone co-stars. His aria and cabaletta at the end of Act 2 are very well done, and he truly shines in his heartfelt rendition of the Act 3 scene in which he laments Bianca's (supposed) betrayal. The remaining roles are all adequately taken, and both choir and orchestra offer solid, no-frills support to the soloists.

Conductor Mariano Rivas gets credit not only for leading the forces with a steady, well-informed baton, but also for much of the research that went into finalizing the textual edition used for these performances. He has done a great service to the legacy of Mercadante by promoting this excellent score and catalyzing its first modern performances. And he has given us a chance to hear another valuable link in the development of ottocento opera. Hopefully, the strength of this recording, together with the well-received concert performance in Gijon, Spain will encourage other festivals to mount this worthy opera. It would be an ideal score for the Chelsea Opera Group, the Washington Concert Opera, or the Opera Orchestra of New York. I hope to have the chance to hear it again soon. ---David Laviska, musicalcriticism.com

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Disc: 1
1. Emma d' Antiochia, opera: Sinfonia
2. Act 1. Introduzione. Coro. Della Sidonia porpora
3. Act 1. Introduzione. Duetto. I tuoi sospetti, Adelia
4. Act 1. Introduzione. Coro. Quai lieti suoni?
5. Act 1. Introduzione. Stretta. Vieni e per noi cominciano
6. Act 1. Introduzione. Recitative. Son ne' miei Lari!... ch'io t'abbracci ancora
7. Act 1. Introduzione. Cavatina. Il mio cuore, il cor paterno
8. Act 1. Introduzione. Cabaletta. Se una madre io diedi a voi
9. Act 1. Scena. Or che di tanto evento
10. Act 1. Scena e Cavatina. Aria. Ah! se commossa io sono
11. Act 1. Scena e Cavatina. Cabaletta. Nobil signor perdonami
12. Act 1. Scena ed aria. Scena. Nel mio cuore lacerato
13. Act 1. Scena ed aria. Aria. Io soffrir: mortale in terra
14. Act 1. Scena e duetto. Scena. Sola son'io
15. Act 1. Scena e duetto. Duetto. Amai quell'alma ingenua
16. Act 1. Scena e duetto. Andante. Emma!... Ruggier!
17. Act 1. Finale Primo. Scena. Ciel! qual suon? Ah!
18. Act 1. Finale Primo. Quartetto. Ei qui dianzi... a me... l'amante
19. Act 1. Finale Primo. Coro. Al tempio!
20. Act 1. Finale Primo. Stretta. Ah! nel tuo volto splendere

Disc: 2
1. Act 2. Introduzione. Introduzione. Banda sul palco
2. Act 2. Introduzione. Recitative. Oh! qual disegno in mente
3. Act 2. Introduzione. Coro. Addio!... Le stelle ascondono
4. Act 2. Introduzione. Scena. Sei tu? Son io
5. Act 2. Finale Secondo. Duetto. Fuggi meco
6. Act 2. Finale Secondo. Trio. Cielo! sei tu che il vindice
7. Act 2. Finale Secondo. Stretta. La vittima vostra

Disc: 3
1. Act 3. Introduzione. Ella a ciascuno involasi...
2. Act 3. Scena ed aria. Recitative. A me Ruggiero
3. Act 3. Scena ed aria. Aria. Non sai tu che il mondo intero
4. Act 3. Scena ed aria. Cabaletta. Ah! non fia che maledetto
5. Act 3. Scena e duetto. Duetto. Emma! Tu qui?
6. Act 3. Scena e duetto. Andante. Il cor, il cor che svegliasi
7. Act 3. Scena e duetto. Scena. Or va: - comincia a sorgere
8. Act 3. Scena e duetto. Cabaletta. Se mai piangente e supplice
9. Act 3. Finale Ultimo. Scena. Emma... t'affretta
10. Act 3. Finale Ultimo. Aria. In quest'ora fatale e temuta
11. Act 3. Finale Ultimo. Cabaletta. Parta, parta. - Ed io pure, ed io pure
12. Act 3. Finale Ultimo. Duetto. Mi lasciate!... Empia donna!
13. Act 3. Finale Ultimo. Lento. Ah! perdona al duol estremo

Emma - Nelly Miricioiu
Corrardo di Monferrato - Roberto Servile
Ruggiero - Bruce Ford
Adelia - Maria Costanza Nocentini
Aladino - Colin Lee
Odetta - Rebecca von Lipinski

Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
London Philharmonic Orchestra
David Parry – conductor

Thirty years ago, Mercadante's name was found only in history books. The past 20 years has seen increased interest, and now there are more than 90 CDs available featuring at least an aria or two or an instrumental piece. He composed more than 60 operas and by 1840 was more respected in Italy than Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. As Verdi became more popular, Mercadante turned more and more to instrumental music; contemporary reports suggest he was jealous of the younger composer.

His early works were very Rossinian, filled with showy vocal lines, crescendos, and so forth. In the early 1830s he began to "revolutionize" his style, paying more attention to the orchestra, "banishing" trivial cabalettas, turning large ensembles into true ensembles, with no extended solos. This CD presents three of his songs--a light Tyrolean sweetly sung by William Matteuzzi, a dark, dramatic moment from a dying man sung with rich tone and feeling by Bruce Ford, and a coy, flirtatious ditty enchantingly embraced by soprano Yvonne Kenny, all with David Harper on piano--as well as excerpts from five operas.

The grandest is from the early Gabriella di Vergy, a sextet with a lovely slow start, a bridge, and then an exciting six-voiced, complex cabaletta; this last is then repeated with wild embellishments from all six singers. A trio for tenor, baritone, and bass (with chorus) from Orazi e Curiazi is a dark oath, with noodling clarinet figures to set the mood. A somber prayer from Emma d'Antiochia could be by Bellini and is nicely etched by Nelly Miricioiu; a big aria for tenor (with bass and chorus) from Virginia, Mercadante's last opera, begins in a distinctly Verdian, dramatically exclaimed fashion but ends in a jolly-jaunty cabaletta, seemingly just the type the composer was supposed to have eschewed. There's a trio and a duet from Zaire, both beautiful and both featuring the lovely Majella Cullagh and heroic, stylish Bruce Ford (with Alastair Miles). Miricioiu and baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore end the CD with a rousing, highly dramatic confrontational duet and lento aria finale with chorus from Orazi e Curiazi.

As suggested, this CD is filled with wonderful singing of music by a fascinating and undeservedly overlooked composer. The accompaniments are superb, the sonics are ideal. Precisely why Opera Rara chose to leave out texts and translations for such rare material is a mystery (although as always they include intelligent notes and synopses)--but there's no mystery about the fact that this is a terrific CD. --Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

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Disc 1

Flute Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 49- 	00:21:25
1 	I. Allegro maestoso 		00:10:48
2 	II. Largo 		00:04:42
3 	III. Polacca brillante 		00:05:55

Flute Concerto No. 2 in E minor, Op. 57- 	00:20:31
4 	I. Allegro maestoso 		00:09:36
5 	II. Adagio 		00:04:13
6 	III. Rondo: Allegro giusto 		00:06:42

Flute Concerto No. 4 in G major- 		00:18:07
7 	I. Allegro maestoso 		00:08:41
8 	II. Largo espressivo 		00:04:29
9 	III. Polacca brillante 		00:04:57


Disc 2

Flute Concerto in F major- 		00:07:45
1 	I. Allegro 		00:01:49
2 	II. Andante con variazioni 		00:04:23
3 	III. Coda: Allegro 		00:01:33

Flute Concerto No. 6 in D major- 		00:19:36
4 	I. Allegro maestoso 		00:10:04
5 	II. Andante alla siciliana 		00:04:01
6 	III. Polacca: Allegro brillante 		00:05:31

Theme and Variations in A major- 		00:19:45
7 	Theme: Andante 		00:01:30
8 	Variation 1 		00:01:10
9 	Variation 2 		00:01:40
10 	Variation 3 		00:01:27
11 	Variation 4 		00:01:11
12 	Variation 5 		00:01:17
13 	Variation 6 		00:01:22
14 	Variation 7 		00:01:17
15 	Variation 8 		00:01:44
16 	Variation 9 		00:01:23
17 	Variation 10 		00:01:29
18 	Variation 11 		00:01:59
19 	Variation 12 		00:01:24
20 	Coda 	

Mario Carbotta – Flute
Angelo Teora - Clarinet
Marco Piazzai - Trombone
I Solisti Aquilani (Ensemble)
Vittorio Parisi - Conductor

The concertos for flute and orchestra by Giuseppe Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870), are undoubtedly a type of repertoire which interpreters like to perform and audiences enjoy to listen to, being among the few examples of authentically Italian 19th-century instrumental music written by a composer who was mainly renowned in the operatic field. The writing is virtuosic, aimed at impressing the listener with the performer’s skill, and keeps to belcanto stylistic models, though not without more slowly-paced and melodic passages. The form is mainly in three movements and follows the Italian fast-slow-fast scheme. This recording edition differs from the other existing ones in that it is based on the manuscript sources, some of them autograph, as well as on a 19th-century printed copy. --- prestoclassical.co.uk

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CD1
01. Atto 1 - Steso ha gia propizia note
02. Atto 1 - Della vita nel sentier					play
03. Atto 1 - A te mio suolo ligure
04. Atto 1 - Ancor giovane e proscritto
05. Atto 1 - Viva il Doge

CD2
01. Atto 2 - Tu Che D'Un Guardo Penetri
02. Atto 2 - Dal Di Che Sei Fuggita
03. Atto 2 - Ei Torna- Ebben Ritratti
04. Atto 2 - Finale 2- Viva, Viva La Fata, L' Armida

CD3
01. Atto 3 - Nel'orror trascinata
02. Atto 3 - Se fede vuoi richiedere				play
03. Atto 3 - Segreti, quai spettri tacenti

Il Bravo - Dino Di Domenico
Teodora - Adelisa Tabiadon
Violetta - Janet Perry
Pisani - Sergio Bertocchi
Foscari - Stefano Antonucci
Cappelio - Leonardo de Lisi
Marco - Ambrogio Riva
Luigi - Giuseppe de Matteis
Michelina - Maria Cristina Zanni

Coro Filarmonico di Bratislava
Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia
Bruno Aprea - conductor, 1991

This recording has appeared in various incarnations as both 2 and 3 disc sets, but invariably with an Italian libretto and an English synopsis - which is welcome but to some degree irrelevant as the plot is so absurdly convoluted and cliché-ridden that it makes "Il Trovatore" (which Mercadante tried to suppress!) appear a model of clarity and restraint. It has a number of narrative similarities to "Simon Boccanegra", relying upon knowledge of events preceding curtain-up and the customary forbidden loves and paternity revelations. It is nonetheless a curiosity of considerable interest to a moderately curious and experienced opera-lover without really being the masterpiece that some previous reviewers claim.

Its first appearance in 1839 created quite a stir; Mercadante was not to know that his long decline in popularity would simultaneously date from about this time, especially as he continued to enjoy success with much later works such as "Virginia". Verdi was in the ascendant, and although Mercadante pressed on with the new realism of his "reform" operas, his style still appears retrospective and retrograde compared with the younger composer's innovations - more akin to Donizetti than Verdi. Not that there's anything wrong with good Donizetti...but Mercadante never quite got over being yesterday's man.

Verdi nonetheless esteemed him and even put him top of the list to contribute to the original Rossini Requiem that never materialised. There is much of considerable drama and beauty in this carefully crafted score, not least a lovely, plangent, extended duet for mother and daughter at the start of Act 3. I was first drawn to this recording by noticing in the cast Stefano Antonucci, whose neat, vibrant baritone contributes so pleasingly to another Nuova Era live rarity in my possession, Puccini's "Le Villi" (see my review). There are other good singers in the cast, too, particularly Dino Di Domenico, whose sappy lyric tenor makes light of a high tessitura and is able to summon up a bit of steel when required. He contrasts well with another tenor, one Sergio Bertocchi, who is a good musician but whose tenor is too cloudy and occluded to be leading man. He also has tendency to under-the-note intonation which I suspect is the product of imperfect voice production. A certain flatness and some erratic control above the stave afflicts soprano Adelina Tabaldon, too, though she is very committed, even if the role really needs a fuller, beefier sound. Her daughter Violetta is well sung by one-time Karajan favourite Janet Perry, who uses her light lyric soprano sensitively, deploying a fine trill and serving as a foil to her stage-mother.

There aren't many solo arias in this piece but plenty of duets and ensembles; in addition to the soprano duet I mentioned previously I would draw your attention to a the tenor duet in Act 1, which first exploits a cantilena melody Verdi might have been proud of and then moves into a dramatic confrontation. Mercadante was a gifted melodist and a scrupulous composer who insisted that his performers adhere closely to his score in order to ensure that the pacing and effects he had devised came off; he was a real craftsman even if he hadn't Verdi's dramatic instincts.

Bruno Aprea secures good ensemble for a live performance and the Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia is a very able band, used to performing a diverse repertoire in festivals. The sound is surprisingly good for a live recording; some fading in and out but not too much stage noise such that one is rarely distracted or irritated. --- Ralph Moore "Ralph operaphile" (Bishop's Stortford, UK), amazon.com

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CD1
1. Act One: Coro	2:22
2. Act One: Rec. e Aria	4:24	
3. Act One: Scena	2:03
4. Act One: Aria	2:55
5. Act One: Rec. e Quartetto	6:29
6. Act One: Rec. e Aria	7:35
7. Act One: Scena	4:50
8. Act One: Coro	4:22
9. Act One: Rec. Aria e Cabaletta	8:26
10. Act One: Scena	2:32
11. Act One: Rec. e Duetto	6:57	
12. Act One: Rec. e Duetto	8:49
13. Act One: Finale	3:01
14. Act One: Manfredo	5:28		           play
15. Act One: Questo fatal mistero	1:34
16. Act One: Manfredo eccoci a te	2:38

CD2
1. Act Two: Coro	2:10
2. Act Two: Rec. Aria e Cabaletta	7:49	
3. Act Two: Interludio	4:42
4. Act Two: Rec. Aria e Cabaletta	9:54
5. Act Two: Scena	4:22
6. Act Two: Duetto	9:53
7. Act Two: Finale	2:05
8. Act Two: A te veleno	2:20	
9. Act Three: Rec. e aria	7:53
10. Act Three: Rec. e Duetto	5:45		play
11. Act Three: Finale	5:17
12. Act Three: Viscardo	3:28

Elaisa - Giovanna de Liso
Viscardo - Giuseppe Morino
Bianca - Martine Olmeda
Manfredo - Marc Barrard
Isaura - Elizabeth Procuronoff
Brunoro - Pascal Aubert

Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de la Loire
Choeurs de l'Opéra de Nantes
Giuliano Carella - director, 1994

Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (September 16, 1795 – December 17, 1870), was an Italian composer, particularly of operas as well as a teacher and orchestrator. Known as a most important composer of Italian opera in the mid-nineteenth century, Mercadante introduced a new element of drama into operatic forms to create more realistic situations for the audience. In bringing forth realism about life, Mercadante hoped to initiate a transformation towards one's own personal and spiritual existence, a change for the betterment of oneself and the well-being of others.

Born in Altamura, near Bari (Apulia), Mercadante studied music in Naples and at first showed an interest in instrumental composition. The encouragement of Rossini led him to compose for the opera, where he won considerable success with his seventh such work (Elisa e Claudio), in 1821. He worked for a time in Vienna, in Madrid, in Cadiz, and in Lisbon, but re-established himself in Italy in 1831. He was invited by Rossini to Paris in 1836, where he composed I Briganti for Grisi, Rubini, Tamburini, and Lablache. While there, he had the opportunity to hear operas by Meyerbeer and Halevy which imparted a strong influence on him, especially the latter's La Juive. This influence took the form of greater stress on the dramatic side.

After he returned to Italy in 1837, he composed some of his most important works, including Il Giuramento which was premiered at La Scala in 1837. These temporarily put him in the forefront of composers then active in Italy, although he was soon passed by Giovanni Pacini with Saffo and Giuseppe Verdi with several operas, especially Ernani. Some of his later works, especially Orazi e Curiazi, were also quite successful. He was made the director of the Naples conservatory in 1840. His sight failed during his sixties, and from 1863 he was almost totally blind. In the decades after his death in Naples in 1870, his output was largely forgotten, but it has been occasionally revived and recorded since World War II, although it has yet to achieve anything like the present-day popularity of the most famous compositions by his slightly younger contemporaries Donizetti and Bellini.

Il giuramentoè unanimemente considerato, oltre che una delle maggiori opere di Mercadante, il lavoro che segna una svolta decisiva nella sua carriera teatrale. Era questa la valutazione del compositore stesso, che in una celebre lettera inviata a Francesco Florimo nel 1838, durante la stesura diElena da Feltre(Napoli 1838), descriveva così la sua ‘riforma’: «Ho continuata la rivoluzione principata nelGiuramento: variate le forme, bando alle cabalette triviali, esilio ai crescendo, tessitura corta [ossia ‘semplificazione delle linee melodiche’], meno repliche [ripetizioni], qualche novità nelle cadenze, curata la parte drammatica, l’orchestra ricca senza coprire il canto; tolti i lunghi assoli nei pezzi concertati che obbligavano le altre parti ad essere fredde a danno dell’azione; poca gran cassa, pochissima banda». L’attacco è chiaramente rivolto al melodramma di Gioachino Rossini, o meglio al ‘rossinismo’ che dominava le scene operistiche italiane. Il soggetto è tratto dal medesimo lavoro di Victor Hugo che poco meno di quarant’anni dopo sarebbe stato utilizzato da Arrigo Boito come base per il libretto deLa Giocondadi Ponchielli, ambientandolo in questo caso in Sicilia.

A Siracusa nel XIV secolo. Bianca, sposa contro la sua volontà del conte Manfredo, è segretamente innamorata di uno sconosciuto cavaliere scomparso dalla città da più di cinque anni. Nella città giunge una bella dama straniera, Elaisa, in cerca di una sua benefattrice, la figlia di un capitano aragonese che aveva risparmiato la vita di suo padre. È accompagnata da Viscardo, un giovane cavaliere che l’ha salvata da un assalto di banditi durante il viaggio e del quale la giovane si è innamorata. Brunoro, già segretario del conte, scacciato dalla corte per i suoi tentativi di insidiare Bianca, scopre che Viscardo altri non è se non il cavaliere amato da Bianca, che era stato esiliato da Siracusa per motivi politici. Brunoro cerca la sua vendetta svelando a Elaisa il luogo di un incontro segreto tra Bianca e Viscardo: ma la gelosia di Elaisa si placa quando scopre che Bianca è proprio l’ignota benefattrice da lei ricercata e decide quindi di proteggere i due amanti dall’ira di Manfredo. Il conte, convinto dell’infedeltà della moglie, la fa rinchiudere nella tomba di famiglia, con l’intento di ucciderla, e ne annuncia pubblicamente la morte. Ma Elaisa, della quale il conte è invaghito, riesce a sostituire il veleno con un potente narcotico. Viscardo, che è certo della morte di Bianca e ne ritiene Elaisa responsabile, la minaccia; la giovane, che ha già deciso di porre fine ai suoi giorni, rinuncia a offrire spiegazioni. Ma proprio quando Viscardo trafigge Elaisa, Bianca esce da una camera segreta.

ConIl giuramentoMercadante si distacca nettamente dalle consuetudini operistiche di quegli anni e dalla sua pur ricca produzione precedente. Se è vero che molti spunti possono essergli derivati dal contatto diretto con Meyerbeer –Les Huguenotsavevano avuto la loro prima rappresentazione a Parigi nel febbraio del 1836, proprio mentre Mercadante si trovava nella capitale francese per seguire l’allestimento dei suoiBriganti– non si può parlare di vera e propria influenza. Le novità di quest’opera, esaurientemente descritte nella lettera citata in precedenza, creano una drammaturgia musicale di forte originalità, che per certi versi costituisce un decisivo anello di congiunzione tra il melodramma del primo Ottocento e i successivi sviluppi dell’opera italiana, a cominciare da Giuseppe Verdi. --- Dizionario dell'Opera Baldini&Castoldi

Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (ur. 16 września 1795 w Altamura koło Bari, zm. 17 grudnia 1870 w Neapolu) – włoski kompozytor epoki klasycyzmu i wczesnego romantyzmu.

Od 1808 studiował muzykę ( wiolonczela, teoria i kompozycja) w Konserwatorium w Neapolu. Po skomponowaniu dwóch symfonii wysoko ocenionych przez Rossiniego oraz trzech baletów dla Teatro San Carlo, w 1819 zadebiutował operą Apoteoza Herkulesa, po której wystawił kilkanaście następnych w Rzymie, Bolonii, Mediolanie, Turynie oraz Madrycie, Lizbonie i Wiedniu.

W sumie wystawił ok. 60 oper , które stanowią fundament jego dorobku. Od 1830 do 1840 był koncermistrzem katedry w Nowarze, a od 1840 aż do śmierci dyrektorem konserwatorium w Neapolu.

Stosunkowo słabo dziś znana twórczość operowa Mercadantego jest ważnym ogniwem w łańcuchu transformacji opery włoskiej między Rossinim a Verdim, natomiast twórczość operowa Verdiego, a potem Pucciniego, całkowicie usunęła w cień jego opery.

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	Concerto for clarinet & orchestra in B flat major, Op 101
1 	Allegro maestoso 	9:04 	
2 	Adagio		1:54 	
3 	Andante con variazioni	10:15

	Clarinet Concerto in E flat major, Op. 76
4 	Maestoso	10:08 	
5 	Largo	3:48 	
6 	Polacca brillante	5:02 	

7	Concertino for clarinet & orchestra in C minor, ohne Op.	9:50 	
8 	Sinfonia concertante no. 3 in F major for flute, 2 clarinets, horn & strings	13:19

Dieter Klöcker – clarinet
Václav Kunt – flute
Giuseppe Porgo – clarinet
Jan Schroeder – horn
Prague Chamber Orchestra
Milan Jajcik - Concert Master, Orchestra Leader

Mercadante may not have been as famous and well-known as some of his contemporaries (Hummel, Beethoven, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Donizetti, etc.), but his music was (and still is) every bit as entertaining, lighthearted and melodic as their's. Indeed, much of his musical style and structure can be seen in the works of the likes as Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi, both in their compositional and orchestral adaptations. As a matter of fact, it was on one such visit to Naples that Rossini went to hear one of the young composer's work and remarked to the director of the Conservatory, "... your young pupil, Mercadante, begins where we finish."

Listening to his music, be them for violin, flute, clarinet (etc.), you will be happily taken by some of its echos from the likes as Mozart and Hummel, and every bit as rambunctious as the energized Beethoven. They are lively and very pleasant to listen to. Even his Largo is gently soothing; not dragging.

You will not be bored!! If you were not a fan of his before, after listening to these concertos, you will become one. They are simply beautiful and captivating. Enjoy!! ---doer, amazom.com

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CD1
1. La vestale: Act I: Prelude and Morning Prayer - Salve O Dea protettrice di Roma (Chorus of the Vestals, Vestals, Emilia, Giunia)4:36	play
2. La vestale: Act I: Recitative after the Prayer - Si, ministre dell'ara (Vestals, Emilia, Giunia)	2:08
3. La vestale: Act I; Scene and Duet - Ingiusto ciel...Di conforto un raggio solo (Emilia, Giunia, Chorus of the Vestals)	10:05	
4. La vestale: Act I: Triumphal Chorus - Plauso al Duce vincitore (Chorus)	3:40
5. La vestale: Act I: Scene and Largo of the Pezzo Concertato - Padre! - Decio, m'abbraccia...(Decio, Licinio, Metello, Publio...)	6:33
6. La vestale: Act I: Continuation and Stretta of the Pezzo Concertato - Si compia il rito (Licinio, Metello, Giunia, Emilia, Decio...)	4:40
7. La vestale: Act I: Scene and Duet, Finale I - Publio, mi sei tu vero amico?...E la patria, e Roma insano! (Decio, Publio)	6:35

CD2
1. La vestale: Act II: Introduction and Prayer - Se fino al cielo ascendere (Giunia)	4:00
2. La vestale: Act II: Scene and Duet - A te commetto la sacra face...No, l'acciar non fu spietato (Vestals, Emilia, Decio)	9:05
3. La vestale: Act II: Scene and Aria - Ah, il foco - E spento...Versate amare lagrime (Emilia, Decio, Publio, Giunia...)	7:31	
4. La vestale: Act II: Scene before the Act II Finale - Sull'attonita fronte (Licinio, Lucio, Metello, Giunia, Emilia...)	5:46
5. La vestale: Act II: Continuation and Largo of Finale II - Consoli, piu s'aspetta? (Metello, Licinio, Lucio, Decio, Emilia...)	4:42
6. La vestale: Act II: Continuation and Stretta of Finale II - Padre! - Di Roma un Console figli non ha (Decio, Licinio, Metello, Publio, Giunia...)	3:50
7. La vestale: Act III: Chorus, Scene and Aria - Il Console ci ascolti...Se non potra la vittima (Chorus of Centurions, Publio, Licinio)	8:11
8. La vestale: Act III: Chorus before the Duet - Ah, questa vittima (Chorus of Vestals, Chorus of Flamini, Popolo)	4:14		play
9. La vestale: Act III: Scene and Duet, Finale III - Ove tratta son'io...Ah! mira gl'incensi (Emilia, Chorus of Vestals, Giunia, Metello, Lucio...)	11:21

Emilia - Doriana Milazzo
Decio - Dante Alcalá
Giunia - Agata Bienkowska
Publio - Davide Damiani
La Gran Vestale - Danna Glaser
Metello Pio - Andrea Patucelli
Licinio Murena - Ladislav Elgr
Lucio Silano - Mattia Denti

Wexford Festival Opera Chorus
Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra
Paolo Arrivabeni - director, 2004

La vestale (The Vestal Virgin) is an opera by the Italian composer Saverio Mercadante. It takes the form of a tragedia lirica in three acts. The libretto, by Salvadore Cammarano, is heavily influenced by Spontini's more famous opera on the same theme, La vestale (1807). Mercadante's opera was first performed at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples on 10 March 1840. Sensing that the florid early 19th-century style had outlived its usefulness, Mercadante tried to redefine the rules: simpler singing lines, no cabalettas, a narrower tessitura. Much of this anticipates what Verdi did three decades later in Aida. But where Mercadante tried gently to untie the thong of bel canto convention, Verdi ripped it off. Mercadante also made the mistake of not giving his vestal virgin enough solos. That's why his version of La vestale never enjoyed the success of Spontini's version, written 30 years earlier. But without Mercadante's reforming ideas, Verdi would not have been Verdi.

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