ANTONIO CAGNONI (1828-1896): Re Lear.

Description: The second Cagnoni release from this label in seven months is his last completed opera from the year of his death and never performed. "...music that has its starting point in the past, the 1840s, with the dramatic elegance of Donizetti and the strong dramatic accents of Verdi, linked to present-day Wagnerian chromaticism, a blend of the subtle French harmonic of a Gounod and a Massenet and dashes of verismo and Pucciman sentiment. In its own right, Re Lear thus becomes the swan-song of Italian 19th century opera!" - Anders Wiklund, Donizetti Society newsletter. 2 CDs. Libretto and translation available on-line. Costantino Finucci (baritone), Danilo Formaggia (tenor), Serena Daolio (soprano), Eufemia Tufano (mezzo), Slovak Chamber Choir, Orchestra Internazional d'Italia; Massimiliano Caldi.