ANTON SCHWEITZER (1735-1787): Alceste.

Description: In 1773, this work,the first of its genre, established at a stroke the viability of seria-style opera in German in Germany. Blending seria style with German harmonic-contrapuntal complexity and expressively rich, it was vastly different from anything previously heard on a German stage. 2 CDs. German libretto. Simone Schneider, Cyndia Sieden (sopranos), Christoph Genz (tenor), Josef Wagner (bass), Concerto Köln; Michael Hofstetter.