Composer of the Week - Francesco Cavalli - An International Composer

Donald Macleod considers Cavalli's period as a prolific and trendsetting composer of opera, popularising the emerging combination of aria and recitative, as well as the lament. Muzio Scevola (excerpt from Act 1) Glenda Simpson (mezzo-soprano) London Early Music Group James Tyler (director) Hyperion CDA66153 track 6 Gli amori d'Apollo e di Dafne (excerpt from Act 2) Assumpta Mateu, Fabiola Masino (soprano) Luisa Maesso (mezzo-soprano) Mario Zeffiri (tenor) Orquesta Joven de la Sinfonica de Galicia Alberto Zedda (director) Naxos 8.660187 disk 2 tracks 1-2 La Didone (Act 1, Sc 6) Yvonne Kenny (soprano) Hilary Summers (mezzo-soprano) Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble Thomas Hengelbrock (director) Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 05472773542, disk 1 track 8 Egisto (excerpt from Act 2) Glenda Simpson (mezzo-soprano) London Early Music Group James Tyler (director) Hyperion CDA66153, track 8 L'ormindo (excerpt from Act 1) Hugues Cuenod (tenor) Glyndebourne Festival Opera London Philharmonic Orchestra Raymond Leppard (director) Decca 444529-2, disk 1 track 6 Giasone (excerpt from Act 1) Gloria Banditelli (mezzo-soprano) Michael Schopper (bass) Chorus and Concerto Vocale Rene Jacobs (director) Harmonia Mundi HMC 901282.84, disk 1, track 16 La Calisto (excerpt from Act 1) Dominique Visse (countertenor) Gilles Ragon, Barry Banks (tenor) David Pittsinger (bass) Concerto Vocale Rene Jacobs (director) Harmonia Mundi HMC901515.17 diSk 1, tracks 19-22