Meyerbeer: L’Africaine / Vasco da Gama (3-CD) – Michael Spyres

Composer: Giacomo Meyerbeer
Artists: Michael Spyres, Claudia Mahnke, Kirsten MacKinnon, Brian Mulligan, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Thomas Faulkner, Bianca Andrew, Michael McCown, Chor der Oper Frankfurt, Frankfurter Opern- und Museumorchester
Conductor: Antonello Manacorda
Number of Discs: 3
Label: Naxos
Release Date: 

At a late stage in its composition, Meyerbeer changed the name of his opera L’Africaine to Vasco da Gama, which concerns the famed Portuguese navigator and his series of love entanglements. Meyerbeer completed it the day before he died in 1864. Changes were then made by the Belgian musicologist and composer François-Joseph Fétis, who prepared a performing version from the extensive score material, retaining the title L’Africaine, before the opera’s premiere in April 1865. 

This production, conducted by Antonello Manacorda and featuring tenor Michael Spyres in the principal role, is based on the critical edition of the full score and reflects Meyerbeer’s original intentions.

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