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

This week, audiences will be able to listen to the world premiere of a new work, a DVD of Weinberg’s opera from Salzburg, and a rarely performed opera by Giacomelli.

Adoration

Bright Shiny Things releases “Adoration,” the world premiere live recording of an electroacoustic chamber opera by first-generation Armenian-American composer Mary Kouyoumdjian. Adapted from the film of the same name by Armenian-Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, Royce Vavrek wrote the libretto, and Beth Morrison Projects produced the work. “Adoration” follows a high school student whose fictional story about a terrorist plot goes viral, unpacking how grief, racism, and media distortion collide to obscure the truth. Conducted by Alan Pierson, the cast features Miriam Khalil, Omar Najmi, David Adam Moore, and Grammy Award winner Karim Sulayman, alongside Naomi Louisa O’Connell, Marc Kudisch, and Sammy Ivany. They are joined by the Grammy-nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street under Thomas McCargar, the Silvana Quartet, and sound designer Daniel Neumann, with electronics by Kouyoumdjian.

Florence Price: Choral Works

Naxos releases “Florence Beatrice Price: Choral Works” featuring world premiere recordings of her largest work in the genre, “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight,” and of the spiritual-inspired “Song of Hope,” set to the composer’s text. The album also includes a series of shorter works, including the world premiere of “The Witch of the Meadow.” Conductor John Jeter leads the Malmö Opera Chorus and Orchestra along with soprano Sara Swietlicki, mezzo-soprano Lindsay Grace Johnson, and baritone Jonas Samuelsson.

advena: liturgies for a broken world

“Advena: liturgies for a broken world” features the world premieres of choral music from composer Mark Buller performed by choir Conspirare and Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson. Divine Art Records releases the recording.

Doppo notte

South African mezzo-soprano Megan Kahts dedicates her new CD to one of the most famous castrati of the 18th century, Giovanni Carestini, and to a woman who could be considered the first diva in opera history: Faustina Bordoni. The album includes Arias by Handel and Hasse. The Orchester Wiener Akademie is conducted by Jeremy Joseph, and Solo Musica distributes.

The Idiot 

Unitel releases Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s “The Idiot” from the Salzburger Festspiele. The cast includes Bogdan Volkov, Ausrine Stundyte, Vladislav Sulimsky, Iurii Samoilov, and Xenia Puskarz Thomas. The Wiener Staatsopernchor and Wiener Philharmoniker are conducted by Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. Krzysztof Warlikowski directs the production.

Giacomelli: Cesare in Egitto

Alpha Classics releases Giacomelli’s opera featuring Arianna Vendittelli, Emőke Baráth, Filippo Mineccia, Margherita Maria Sala, Valerio Contaldo, and Federico Fiorio. The Accademia Bizantina is conducted by Ottavio Dantone.

Sparks from Ashes – Czech Songs

Nicky Spence and Dylan Perez release their latest album on Chnados. The album presents Czech and Slovak art songs featuring music by Béla Bartók, Jaroslav Křička, Vítězslava Kaprálová, and Dvořák.