In his 52 years, eighteenth century Italian composer Domenico Cimarosa left behind an astounding 65 operas and that was not through sheer industriousness but to meet demand; in terms of Italian opera, Cimarosa was the biggest fish in the pond -- even bigger than Mozart was. Only one of his operas has gained a foothold in the repertory, Il matrimonio segreto; perhaps a half-dozen others have been recorded in some way or another. A good way to connect with an opera that you cannot otherwise hear is through listening to its ...
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In his 52 years, eighteenth century Italian composer Domenico Cimarosa left behind an astounding 65 operas and that was not through sheer industriousness but to meet demand; in terms of Italian opera, Cimarosa was the biggest fish in the pond -- even bigger than Mozart was. Only one of his operas has gained a foothold in the repertory, Il matrimonio segreto; perhaps a half-dozen others have been recorded in some way or another. A good way to connect with an opera that you cannot otherwise hear is through listening to its overture, and Naxos' Domenico Cimarosa: Overtures I presents 12 of them in freshly scrubbed editions prepared by Artaria Editions performed by the Hungarian Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia under the direction of Alessandro Amoretti. The Esterházy Sinfonia founded as a recording orchestra for Naxos; past issues has turned in performances of Haydn, Beethoven, and Vanhal that range from good to great. This disc is more toward the "good" side of the dial as they are serviceable performances...
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