Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world.

This week, audiences will get to hear the latest from four of the world’s great divas in very different works. There are two rare bel canto works worth checking out as well.

Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben/Gustav Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and Rafael Payare record Richard Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben” and Gustav Mahler’s “Rückert-Lieder” with star soprano Sonya Yoncheva.

In a statement, Payare stated, “It has been a fascinating experience to explore this repertoire with the OSM. Reconnecting with Mahler while immersing ourselves in the sound world of Strauss marks an important milestone in our musical trajectory together and continues our shared journey through the German and Austrian repertoire. It is also our first collaboration with Sonya Yoncheva, whose extraordinary voice is blessed with an endless palette of expressive nuances and colors. We are very pleased to share with you the poetic and musical world of these two towering composers.”

Vaughan Williams: A Birthday Garland

Somm Recordings releases Vaughan Williams – A Birthday Garland. The new recording by baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Susie Allan’s pays tribute to Ralph Vaughan Williams’ 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

The 30-song recital includes songs by RVW’s teachers (Stanford, Parry, Wood, Bruch, Ravel), friends (Holst, Gurney, Howells, Butterworth, Finzi and others), and pupils (Grace Williams, Ina Boyle, Ruth Gipps, Elizabeth Maconchy and Madeleine Dring). Vaughan Williams’ biographer Simon Heffer provides authoritative booklet notes.

HENLEY HEYN VOL. 1

Henley Heyn’s self-titled HENLEY HEYN VOL. 1 was born from two important aspirations of her early career: to be seen and to be heard. Raw authenticity and artistic freedom drive this operatic multimedia release, performed by Heyn herself and the Slovak National Opera Orchestra.

A Breath of Air

Navona Records releases Monica Houghton’s “A Breath of Air.” The composer sets music not only to lyrical giants such as Whitman and Dickinson, but also contemporary poets. The album features performances by Andrew White, Andrea Chenoweth Wells, Albert Rudolph Lee, John Etsell, Eric Charnofsky, and John Benjamin.

Franck La Rocca: Requiem for the Forgotten; Messe des Malades

Cappella Records releases Frank La Rocca’s “Requiem for the Forgotten – Messe des Malades,” performed by Benedict XVI Choir and Orchestra, directed by conductor Richard Sparks.

“Requiem for the Forgotten” commemorates the displaced and the homeless, constructing a musical sanctuary for the soul while championing the inherent dignity of every person, particularly those who have been forsaken.

When Night Falls

Deutsche Grammophon releases Elīna Garanča’s new album “When Night Falls” which includes traditional songs as well as vocal nocturnes by Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Humperdinck, and several composers from Spain and her beloved Latvian homeland.

The new recording will also include first ever recordings of music from her homeland of Latvia.

The album showcases Garanča alongside the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, conducted by Karel Mark Chichon, the Berlin Music Ensemble, oboist Albrecht Mayer, pianist Malcolm Martineau, Raphaël Feuillâtre, and José María Gallardo del Rey.

Rossini: Le Siège de Corinthe

Recorded at the Adriatic Arena, Pesaro in 2017, this rare Rossini work will get a DVD release by C Major. The cast includes Luca Pisaroni, John Irvin, Nino Machaidze, and Sergey Romanovsky. Roberto Abbado conducts.

Dalinda

Donizetti’s “Dalinda” will get a world premiere recording in a critical Ricordi edition by Eleonora Di Cintio. This album is the world premiere recording of Donizetti’s opera which was a significant transformation of “Lucrezia Borgia” not only the setting and characters but also the score. The recording includes Lidia Fridman, Paolo Bordogna, and Luciano Ganci, tenor. Felix Krieger conducts. Regarding the OperaWire said, “Berlin Opera Company Delights with World Premiere of Long-Lost Donizetti Opera.”