Semiramide - La Signora Regale. Arias & Scenes from Porpora to Rossini Anna Bonitatibus

• Antonio Caldara (1670-1736): Semiramide in Ascalona
• 1 Semiramide in Ascalona: Introduzione 04:20
• 2 Semiramide in Ascalona: Povera navicella (Aria) 04:06
• Nicola Antonio Porpora (1686-1768): Semiramide regina dell'Assiri
• 3 Semiramide regina dell'Assiria: Vanne fido, e al mesto regno 02:20
• Niccolò Jommelli (1714-1774): Semiramide riconosciuta
• 4 Semiramide riconosciuta: Barbaro... Tradita, sprezzata (Recitativo & Aria) 05:51
• Andrea Bernasconi (1706-1784): Semiramide
• 5 Semiramide: Ah non è vano il pianto (Aria) 11:04
• Tommaso Traetta (1727-1779): Semiramide
• 6 Semiramide: Il pastor se torna aprile (Aria) 09:38
• Giovanni Paisiello (1740–1816): La Semiramide in villa
• 7 La Semiramide in villa: Serbo in seno il cor piagato (Aria) 06:51
• Francesco Bianchi (1752-1810): La vendetta di Nino
• 8 La vendetta di Nino: Sinfonia 04:35
• Giovanni Battista Borghi (1738-1796): La morte di Semiramide
• 9 La morte di Semiramide: Figlio diletto e caro (Aria) 05:07
• Sebastiano Nasolini (1768-1798): La morte di Semiramide
• 10 La morte di Semiramide: Fermati! Il ciel minaccia... Deh sospedi ai pianti miei... Serbo ancora un'alma altera (Recitativo & Aria con Coro) 09:41
• Charles-Simon Catel (1773-1830): Semiramis
• 11 Semiramis: Dance No. 2 03:28
• Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791–1864): Semiramide
• 12 Semiramide: Più non si tardi... Il piacer, la gioia scenda (Recitativo & Canzonetta con Coro) 06:30
• Gioacchino Rossini (1792–1868): Semiramide
• 13 Semiramide: Serena i vaghi rai... Bel raggio lusinghier (Coro & Cavatina) 07:56
• Manuel del Populo Vicente García (1775-1832): Semiramis
• 14 Semiramis: Già il perfido discese... Al mio pregar t'arrendi (Recitativo & Aria) 04:18
• Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730): Semiramide riconosciuta
• 15 Semiramide riconosciuta: Fuggi dagl'occhi miei (Aria) 04:14
• Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787): Semiramide riconosciuta
• 16 Semiramide riconosciuta: Fuggi dagl'occhi miei (Aria) 03:10
• Antonio Salieri (1750–1825): Semiramide riconosciuta
• 17 Semiramide riconosciuta: Sinfonia 04:17
• Total Runtime 01:37:26

Info for Semiramide - La Signora Regale. Arias & Scenes from Porpora to Rossini

Mezzo-soprano Anna Bonitatibus has been fascinated with Semiramis, the legendary warrior, ‘Venus’ of Mesopotamia, wife and queen. Especially intriguing was the fact that while there was little tangible evidence relating to her life, over one hundred compositions were inspired by her. This two disc set comprises fifteen rare opera arias and scenes from 18th- and early 19th-century works, totalling 90 minutes of music.

Most of the tracks are premiere recordings, and while some of the composers are household names (Rossini, Meyerbeer) many are less familiar or, like Nasolini and Borghi, virtually unknown. The arias reflect a mixture of emotions and are universally graceful and tuneful.

A bonus is the impressively substantial set of booklet essays exploring the legend, the myth and the music of Semiramide. The performances are delightful, and include an aria by Garcia that Bonitatibus herself discovered and edited. Highly recommended!

“Most of the arias are bravura numbers, and all are stylishly done, but as a whole it's a bit breathless. Technically, Bonitatibus is superb, her phrasing immaculate, her articulation crisp, but her fast, tight vibrato is an acquired taste.” (The Guardian)

“With her pearly tone and easy coloratura, Bonitatibus sails through this demanding music.” (Sunday Times)

“There is much coloratura and here, as elsewhere, Anna Bonitatibus is spot-on...This set, sumptuously illustrated, is an absolute must-have.” (Gramophone Magazine)

Anna Bonitatibus, mezzo-soprano
Accademia degli Astrusi
Federico Ferri, conductor

Anna Bonitatibus
works actively in the concert field, where her repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to Pergolesi and Handel, from Beethoven and Berlioz to Prokofiev. The conductors she has worked with include Ivor Bolton, Sir Charles Mackerras, Daniele Callegari, Bruno Campanella, Myung-Whun Chung, Alan Curtis, Ottavio Dantone, Rene Jacobs, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Marc Minkowski, Gianandrea Noseda, Marcello Viotti, Jordi Savall, Jeffery Tate, Alberto Zedda and with stage directors Dario Fo, Roberto De Simone, Beni Montresor, Jonathan Miller, Daniele Abbado, Jerome Savary, Luca Ronconi and Emilio Sagi.

Her recent performances include Scarlatti's La Vergine dei dolori in Salzburg (with Muti), Handel's Orlando at Covent Garden, and Giulio Cesare at the Theatre Royale de la Monnaie in Brussels and at the Netherlands Opera in Amsterdam. She also made her successful debut as Charlotte in Werther in Jesi. She recently performed Cherubino at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, under Sir Charles Mackerras, to critical acclaim. Anna's forthcoming engagements include Handel's Tolomeo and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in Paris, Mozart's Requiem at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome (with Langree), Le nozze di Figaro in Munich and at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris, Il barbiere di Siviglia in Baden-Baden, Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno at the Teatro Real, Madrid, and Tancredi at the Teatro Regio di Torino.

Her recordings include Vivaldi's Griselda and Beatus Vir, Verdi's Falstaff (Naxos), Donizetti's Adelia, Handel's Tamerlano, Tolomeo and Deidamia, Scarlatti's Le lettere amorose (Deutsche Grammophon and Virgin), Gluck's Opera Arias (Amadeus), Haydn's Requiem and Mozart's Davide penitente. Her first solo album of Haydn arias conducted by Alan Curtis with Il Complesso Barocco has recently been released by Sony to critical acclaim.

Booklet for Semiramide - La Signora Regale. Arias & Scenes from Porpora to Rossini