De Almeida: La Spinalba (Ana Quintans/ Luís Rodrigues/ Cátia Moreso/ Fernando Guimarães/ Mário Alves/ Os Músicos do Tejo/ Marcos Magalhães ) (Naxos: 8.660319-21)

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First Complete Recording on Period Instruments

Little is known about the life of Francisco António de Almeida, but he occupied a central position in Portuguese life in the first half of the 18th century and was able to learn the Italian style in Rome thanks to the ambitions of King João V. The rarely recorded La Spinalba ovvero Il vecchio matto (Spinalba, or the Mad Old Man) is a comic opera which follows the buffa tradition of intrigue and romantic complexities, and is filled with superb cantabile arias as well as a rich variety of original and dramatic orchestral effects. The cast is led by Ana Quintans, a much-in-demand soloist on the early music scene, and the highly regarded Portuguese ensemble Os Músicos do Tejo is directed by its co-founder Marcos Magalhães.