‘Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra is a fascinating opera and a key work by Gioachino Rossini. It marks the young composer’s first creation in 1815 for Naples, the then-opera capital of Italy, making its success crucial for him. And succeed he did! Rossini became the principal composer in Naples for seven fruitful years.
Our success with this recording is rooted in the singers’ deep understanding of the required style, particularly the remarkable skills of lead singer Serena Farnocchia, who portrayed the dramatic recitatives of the lonely queen as powerfully as Isabella Colbran in the first Naples production.’
– Antonino Fogliani, music director,
Rossini in Wildbad Festival
![ROSSINI, G.: Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra [Opera]](../../../sharedfiles/images/cds/hires/8.660538-39.jpg "ROSSINI, G.: Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra [Opera]")
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868)
Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra
(Elizabeth, Queen of England)
Dramma per musica in two acts (1815)
Libretto by Giovanni Schmidt (c. 1773–1849)
Sung in Italian
Serena Farnocchia, Veronica Marini, SopranosMara Gaudenzi, Mezzo-soprano
Luis Aguilar, Patrick Mubenga, Mert Süngü, Tenors
Kraków Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra
Antonino Fogliani
Rossini’s rarely performed Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra was his first opera for the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. With the composer showcasing and indeed recycling some of his best music, it was an enormous success and allowed him to become established as the leading opera composer in Italy. The story revolves around Queen Elizabeth I (Elisabetta), whose romantic attachments expose her to murderous intrigues, and ends with her renouncement of love itself. This fast-moving production under the baton of Antonino Fogliani was described as ‘a colourful, sparkling festival of music’ in Die Deutsche Bühne.
Pensa che sol per poco (Elisabetta, Matilde)
Antonino Fogliani’s debut at the Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival in 2001 was followed by engagements in major Italian opera houses and international engagements that took him to Monte Carlo, Moscow, Houston and Barcelona. He has since conducted countless performances for Deutsche Oper am Rhein and at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. Most recently, he led a production of Turandot at the Grand Théâtre in Geneva. He was appointed music director at Rossini in Wildbad in 2011.
The Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra was established in February 1945. From 1988 to 1990 Krzysztof Penderecki held the position of artistic director. The orchestra has appeared with leading soloists and with distinguished guest conductors. It has also performed in major international concert venues; it has a wide repertoire, including important works by contemporary Polish composers; and has already made a number of successful recordings.
The award-winning Kraków Philharmonic Chorus achieved professional status in 1950 and now performs a rich repertoire that includes oratorios, opera and a cappella pieces ranging in style from 17th-century to contemporary music. The chorus has toured extensively and participated in numerous international festivals, as well as appearing alongside many prestigious European orchestras.
Tebaldo e Isolina
Polverelli • Pastrana • Giustiniani • Baglietto
Vlad • D’Agosto
Camerata Bach Choir, Poznań • Virtuosi Brunensi
Fogliani
– MusicWeb International
Bianca e Falliero
Cinzia Forte • Victoria Yarovaya
Tarver • Anderzhanov
Camerata Bach Choir, Poznań • Virtuosi Brunensis
Fogliani
– Gramophone
Maometto II
Palazzi • Balbo • Süngü • Yarovaya • Mubenga
Camerata Bach Choir, Poznań • Virtuosi Brunensis
Fogliani
– Fanfare