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Victorian Opera Northwest has been promoting forgotten music of 19th century operas by British and Irish composers in large scale recordings over the last 14 years. Some unjustly neglected popular operas, and concert pieces are now available. 

We uncover the hiding places of the original manuscripts, recreate fresh orchestral parts from them and then print facsimile vocal scores to enable première recordings to be assembled that help restore our musical heritage.

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The Recording of  Alfred Cellier's Dorothy (1886)
       has now been released

This pastoral comic opera was recorded in February 2018 and released in January 2019 on Naxos 8660447. In the release's first week it reached No. 6 in the UK Classical CD Chart. The delightful piece was recorded by students and post-graduates of the Royal Northern College of Music with international soprano, Majella Cullagh, and under the direction of Richard Bonynge. CDs are available post-free from us at £9.40 and a commemorative CD booklet with libretto is available at £2. Please go to Sales.  

The performers are Majella Cullagh (Dorothy), Lucy Vallis (Lydia), Matt Mears (Wilder), John Ieuan Jones (Sherwood), Edward Robinson (Squire Bantam), Stephanie Maitland (Phyllis), Patrick Relph (Tuppitt), Michael Jones (Lurcher), Sebastian Maclaine (Tom Strutt), with chorus directed by Kevin Thraves, under the direction of Richard Bonynge.   See here for more details on Alfred Cellier, here for more details on the opera and here for the recording.

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Backdrop to a Legend

by Raymond Walker & David Skelly

This new hardback large format theatre book (260pp) charts the fascinating scenic designs and changes of the Gilbert & Sullivan operas by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company that took place over 100 years. It was published last year as a Limited Edition. A few copies are still available at £65 + £4.50 UK postage. The book details theatre history, lighting, the scenic artists, their fascinating lives and their working practices. See here for more details. Please contact us for sample pages and any enquiries.  




Michael William Balfe's Satanella

Our recording of the opera Satanella, conducted by Richard Bonynge, has now been released on Naxos 8.660378-79. It stars Sally Silver as Satanella and and Kang Wang as Rupert. Details of the recording can be found here.

The CD set, collectors CD booklet (with full libretto); original libretto facsimile; vocal score and band parts are available from Victorian Opera Northwest. Please contact us for details.

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Sullivan's On Shore & Sea and Kenilworth

The recording  of Arthur Sullivan's forgotten cantata, On Shore & Sea (1871) together with the masque Kenilworth (1864) was released in July 2014 on Dutton CDLX 7310, conducted by Richard Bonynge, AC CBE. Soloists Sally Silver, Nico Darmanin, Louise Winter, Donald Maxwell are joined by the John Powell Singers. See here for details of these works.  

 

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British Opera Overtures

The orchestra of Victorian Opera Northwest under Richard Bonynge have recorded a number of Victorian English opera overtures and they are now available on SOMM CD 0123 : British Opera Overtures. More detail on the content can be found here.

  

 

Victorian Opera Northwest have been grateful for the contributions from sponsors who make these projects possible. Sponsors' details are always printed within the CD booklet. Please contact us for more details.

 

 

  Site donated by English Romantic Opera