Odyssey Opera Releases Recording of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s The Importance of Being Earnest

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: The Importance of Being Earnest

Composer/Librettist: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)
Release Date: January 7, 2020
TRT: Disc 1 51:55, Disc 2 60:46, Disc 3 36:34
Works: The Importance of Being Earnest (1962)
Performers: Neal Ferreira (tenor), Stefan Barner (tenor), Jeni Houser (soprano), Rachele Schmiege (soprano), Claudia Waite (soprano), James Demler (baritone), Christina English (mezzo-soprano), Colin Levin (baritone), Linda Osborn (piano), Esther Ning Yau (piano), Robert Schulz (percussion), Nicholas Tolle (percussion), led by Gil Rose (conductor)

Boston, MA (For Release 1.07.20) — Hailed by The New York Times as “intriguing” and “bold,” one of the nation’s most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, today announced the release of its fourth recording: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: The Importance of Being Earnest. Scored for a cast of eight singers, two pianos, and percussion, this witty, romantic three-act chamber opera brings Oscar Wilde’s most famous play to life with music that pokes as much fun at the opera world as Wilde does at Victorian society. Conductor Gil Rose leads the Odyssey Opera Orchestra and some of today’s top vocalists including tenors Neal Ferreira and Stefan Barner, and sopranos Jeni Houser, Rachele Schmiege and Claudia Waite.

Tedesco’s final opera setting, The Importance of Being Earnest, was completed in 1962. Unpublished until 2018, it fell into relative obscurity. Maintaining its commitment to producing rarely heard operas, Odyssey presented the Boston premiere of The Importance of Being Earnest as part of its 2016-17 season dedicated to operatic works inspired by Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), one of history’s greatest playwrights and authors. Odyssey worked closely with Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s granddaughter to obtain the manuscript from the Library of Congress. The production, according to The Boston Globe was “fervently sung, and stylishly acted.”

A tale of deception, disguise and misadventure, with plot twists and characters that satirize Victorian values, The Importance of Being Earnest is set by one of the 20th Century’s master concert and film composers, Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco. “Set to music in a continually clever fashion by Castelenuevo-Tedesco, Wilde’s greatest comedy takes on a new life,” stated Gil Rose, Artistic and General Director of Odyssey Opera. “Opera buffs will be intrigued with the many opera quotations and references!”

About Odyssey Opera      
Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director/Conductor Gil Rose, Odyssey Opera presents adventurous and eclectic works that affirm opera as a powerful expression of the human experience. Its world-class artists perform the operatic repertoire from its historic beginnings through lesser-known masterpieces to contemporary new works and commissions in a variety of formats and venues. Odyssey Opera sets standards of high musical and theatrical excellence and innovative programming to advance the operatic genre beyond the familiar and into undiscovered territory. Odyssey Opera takes its audience on a journey to places they’ve never been before.

Odyssey Opera debuted in September 2013 to critical acclaim with a six-hour concert production of Wagner’s Rienzi. Subsequent seasons have included fully staged opera festivals, collaborations, boutique opera, and large-scale concert opera. For more information and current season details, visit odysseyopera.org.

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