Great Operatic Arias - Bruce Ford 2
CHAN 3100
Handel
1 Messiah
Recitative & Aria 'Comfort ye my people'
2 'Ev'ry valley shall be exalted'
3 Mozart
3 Cosė fan tutte
Ferrando's Aria 'Her beauty's a wonder'
Mozart
The Clemency of Titus
Titus's Aria 'If this empire..'
5 Mozart
5 Cosė fan tutte
Ferrando's Recitative & Cavatina
'All my thoughts...' - 'Betrayed me... Abused me...'
Mozart
6 The Clemency of Titus
Titus's Aria 'The true sublime enjoyment'
Rossini
7 Armida
Trio of Rinaldo, Carlo & Ubaldo 'I lost the will to action' with Barry Banks (PMF Scholar) & Dennis O'Neill, tenors
Rossini
8 The Barber of Seville
Count's Canzone 'My poor heart is so full of emotion'
Rossini
9 Petite Messe solennelle
Aria 'Lord God almighty'
Rossini
10 Otello
Otello & Iago's Duet 'It is certain. She wrote this letter' with Paul Nilon, tenor
Berlioz
11 Benvenuto Cellini
Cellini's Romance 'One hour to wait now' - 'My life to art I dedicated'
Rossini
12 Zelmira
Antenore's Aria 'What is this, companions?' with Toby Stafford-Allen, baritone (PMF Scholar)
and Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
Meyerbeer
13 The Crusader in Egypt
Adrian's Prayer 'Death's unrelenting call' with Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
Handel
14 Messiah
Aria: 'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.'
Tauber
15 Old Chelsea
'My heart and I' & 'We are in love with you'
Rodgers
16 Oklahoma!
Oh, what a beautiful mornin'

London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by David Parry

Recorded in Blackheath Halls, London - 3-6 March 2003
Producer - Brian Couzens, Sound engineer - Ralph Couzens, Assistant engineer - Matthew Walker
International Record Review

'Collectors of bel canto operas on disc will know that Ford can sail through ornate divisions with seeming ease (or that is the impression conveyed). He does so frequently here, always successfully, pausing in correct places, as a result of which the music gains. Variety of utterance is another quality, so a dark lower register complements a lighter shade in another passage... He has worthy support from the other singers, the orchestra and David Parry.'