A Gluck Retrospective – Alison Tynan, Sophie Bevan, Anna Stéphany, Classical Opera Company, Ian Page‘A remarkable evening of arias sung with passion, urgency and drama’, writes Gramophone in its September 2010 edition. It finishes by saying that ‘This is a terrific unmissable disc’. Gluck was one of the foremost eighteenth-century opera composers. His innovative music brought new colours to the orchestra – along with a wealth of memorable tunes. This highly varied selection of arias from his operas makes for an ideal introduction to the composer, as well as forming a highly contrasting and often thrilling recital CD, performed by some of the finest artists on the circuit today. A must for all opera fans!
"This exemplary disc offers a program that is long overdue and much needed ... I came away from this album with genuine enthusiasm and excitement ... The recorded sound of the live concert is excellently balanced in the appropriately intimate performance hall ..."
James A Altena - Fanfare - March/April 2011
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David Cairns
Critics Choice
Richard Lawrence
“Gluck’s journey from the formal opera seria to his mature masterworks … is underappreciated … What emerged most strongly from the Classical Opera Company’s showcase was how organic that development actually was." "When Anna Stéphany delivered the furies of ‘Il Ciel mi vuol oppresso’ from La Semiramide riconosciuta, here already was a shot of operatic angst in an age of frothy lattes. That Stéphany has a terrific cutting edge to her voice added to the charge of the moment. "She was in good company, too. Sophie Bevan used her rich and supple soprano with unerring intelligence … Ailish Tynan, a lighter, brighter voice, ploughed sweeter furroughs.”
“...the overwhelming grace and profound simplicity of Gluck’s music was tantamount; one could only recall the composer’s statement that his work was based on ‘the immutable foundations of beauty and truth’, an evaluation that was brought to light repeatedly throughout the course of the evening.”
