Search - Franck Ferrari, Domenico Alaleona, Juraj Valcuha :: Alaleona: Mirra

A Novelty for the Opera World Worthy of Attention!

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 07/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Domenico Alaleona (1881 - 1928) may not be a name familiar to contemporary audiences, but in his time he was highly regarded as a composer, musicologist, and choral conductor by the likes of Puccini and Toscanni. MIRRA is his only opera, composed 1908 - 1912, and was premiered in 1920, and then lay dormant until 2002: this recording captures a concert performance in 2003 by the chorus and orchestra of Radio France conducted by Juraj Valcuha. It bears hearing and demands attention!



The story is adapted from Vittorio Alfieri's Greek-based tragedy in which Myrrha refuses to marry Prince Pereo, confessing that her secret passion is for her father Cinyras! Yes, a remodeled Electra story with all the requisite confrontations between father/daughter, suicides, and scandal. The music shows influence of Strauss, Debussy, Wagner, Puccini, Mascagni and other lusty sources.



The singers are first rate: Mirra (Myrrha) is sung with dramatic erotic intensity by soprano Denia Mazzola-Gavazzeni, Prince Pereo by tenor Mario Malagnini, and Ciniro (Cinyras) by impressive baritone Franck Ferrari. The orchestral colors are enhanced by poignant silences and by the use of the celeste (a contemporary substitute for Alaleona's invented 'pentatonic harmonium'. The opera is in two acts (75 minutes) separated by an unearthly beautiful Intermezzo. For an exhumed opera this little delicacy is well worth the attention of the opera audiences and opera companies. It SOUNDS as though it would be a cracklingly fine theatrical piece! Grady Harp, July 05"

Well deserving of a place in the repertoire

R. Rockwell | Brooklyn, NY USA | 05/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must thank the people at Opera Nights web site for recommending this opera atherwise I qwould never have heard of the composer. This is a live recording by radio France which contains all of the positives of some live performance spirited singing and conducting and no of the negatives like noise.

Mira's libretto is adapted by a play by Alfieri who adapted the story from Ovid about a princess's love for her own father.

What a great subject for an opera written in Italy by someone who lived at the same time as Puccini. The music is less lush and melodious than Puccini without his typical arias. The score is made haunting by the use of a celesta.

If opera houses do not rush o take up Mira after this recording which is perfectly conducted and performed, I hope that people will get to listen to the instrumental and worldess chorus intemezzo which is nine minutes of the some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard.

Please excuse typos I have a neurologic dsease.

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