Freddie De Tommaso, Lester Lynch, Saioa Hernández, Marek Janowski and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo star in the San Francisco Classical Recording Company’s production of Verdi – Un ballo in maschera, released on Pentatone in June 2023.
A New Take on Verdi’s Tragicomic Masterpiece
Maestro Marek Janowski, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo and the Transylvania State Philharmonic Choir present Giuseppe Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera (1859), together with a stellar cast, headed by Freddie De Tommaso (Riccardo), Lester Lynch (Renato) and Saioa Hernández (Amelia). Un ballo in maschera is Verdi’s tragicomic masterpiece, in which the composer skilfully switches gears between the light and tragic, as well as between his earlier and more mature style. As such, it is both an entertaining and highly sophisticated work. The three main soloists are all seasoned Verdi interpreters, while Janowski approaches this ingenuous score with his eye for symphonic architecture, resulting in a performance that is lively and balanced. The international cast of this recording is completed by Elisabeth Kulman (Ulrica), Annika Gerhards (Oscar), Kevin Short (Samuel), Adam Lau (Tom), Jean-Luc Ballestra (Silvano), and Samy Camps (Giudice/Servo).
Marek Janowski is one of the most celebrated conductors of our time, and has a vast Pentatone discography, mostly consisting of German operas and symphonic works. After Cavalleria rusticana and Il Tabarro (both 2020), this is his third Italian opera recording for the label. Lester Lynch also has a longstanding relationship with Pentatone and starred in many opera recordings, including Otello (2017), Cavalleria rusticana and Il Tabarro (both 2020), as well as La Fanciulla del West, Madama Butterfly (both 2021), and La Traviata (2022). The Transylvania State Philharmonic Choir has featured on several opera recordings, while the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo appeared on Arabella Steinbacher’s Fantasies, Rhapsodies & Daydreams (2016). Freddie De Tommaso and Saioa Hernández make their Pentatone debut.
Digital Release Date: 16 JUNE 2023
Physical Release: JUNE 2023
Released as 1 CD and in digital formats for streaming and high-resolution downloads.
