Victorian Opera Northwest promotes the excellent forgotten music of 19th century operas by British and Irish composers. Their music used to be extremely popular yet has been unjustly neglected since.

We research contemporary sources, typeset fresh band parts taken from original manuscripts, and print facsimile vocal scores to enable us to provide première recordings for the collector. We also supply vocal scores and librettos, and hire out full scores and band parts for performances.

 

 

NEWS

 

Victorian Opera Northwest's recording of Macfarren's Robin Hood has been released on Naxos 8.660306-07. John France in a MusicWeb International review wrote "This is a CD that all opera fans ought to have. Some people will ignore it simply because it was written by an Englishman during Queen Victoria’s reign. They would be utterly misguided to do so. This is a great work; possibly the composer’s masterpiece and is a light opera (not operetta) that can hold its best up against anything offered by the Italians and the French and the Germans from the same period."   Further details on the recording may be found here.

  

Guild (www.guildmusic.com)  have released a CD of Balfe songs on GMCD 7359 entitled Michael William Balfe 1808-1870 - Songs and Ballads Rediscovered.  They are sung by Sally Silver with Richard Bonynge on the piano. An excerpt from "The green trees whispered", one of seven Longfellow poems that Balfe set, can be found here. Except for one song, they are a different selection from that recorded by Victorian Opera Northwest on WRW 204-2.  

 

Our most recent recording in July 2011 is of opera overtures by British and Irish composers and is conducted by Richard Bonynge. The recording reflects the development of English opera over the century from its beginning with John Barnett's The Mountain Sylph in 1834. Details of the works can be found here. The recording is planned for release in 2012.

 

Opera South will be staging Edward German's Merrie England, February 22, 24 & 25, 2012 at the Haslemere Hall, Haslemere, Surrey.

 

 

Victorian Opera Northwest are grateful for and rely on the contributions from sponsors who make these ventures possible. A tremendous amount of work is necessary to resurrect these works from oblivion and to create fresh scores and parts and sponsors and subscribers are needed to help meet all the costs.   Sponsors' details will be printed within the CD booklet and they will receive advance complimentary copies.  Please contact us if you are interested in contributing.  

We are very happy to welcome soloists and conductors interested in this genre to join us and take part in the recordings.

 

© Victorian Opera Northwest, 2005 - 2011.

 

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