This is the ninth volume of Opera Rara’s Il Salotto, an excursion into the realm of the parlor, or salon. Some of the earlier releases have been devoted almost exclusively to the music of one composer, such as Rossini or Mercadante, and even one to the Cinderella story; this one however, sticks to the assembly of lesser known, yet fully worthy compositions that came from the hand of many composers trying to make their names by assigning dedications to the singers that were only now beginning to become respectable and marketable entities in their own rights—the age of the “Diva” at gestation.
The composers were all fairly successful in their day, and with the exception of someone like Offenbach, pretty much forgotten in ours. This release tries to bring back some of the ghosts and shed new light on what were some pretty popular, and deservingly so, pieces that graced the homes of the well-to-do and even the emerging cultured middle class.
There are solos, duos, trios, you name it, all of music you have probably never heard before, and will find vastly entertaining, at last once in a while. Opera Rara does this sort of thing better than anyone, and the production includes a 71-page booklet replete with texts, translations, and color photographs of those involved. But—you do pay for it, as they don’t come cheap, but you will not be disappointed. Great sound—no one records the human voice better, either—and a sparkling program will have you breaking out the tea and crumpets and maybe singing along yourself.
— Steven Ritter
