Set in Edinburgh against the backdrop of Oliver Cromwell’s rule, Il proscritto saw a marked return to melody by Mercadante who retained the orchestral richness of his “reform” operas but restored aspects of bel canto lyricism.
With Ramón Vargas, Iván Ayón-Rivas, Irene Roberts, Elizabeth DeShong, Sally Matthews, Goderdzi Janelidze, Susana Gaspar, Carlo Rizzi (conductor) and Britten Sinfonia.
"Mercadante cocks an intelligent ear in the direction of a young Verdi. However, Mercadante is no faithful follower of fashion, as Carlo Rizzi, who rediscovered the opera in the Naples Conservatory archives, demonstrates in a vivid performance...Mercadante wrote for a stellar cast, and Opera Rara field fine singers too." - BBC Music Magazine, July 2023
