Andrea Chudak, the soprano on this album, has won many prizes in national and international competitions and is notably involved in the rediscovery of Giacomo Meyerbeer's works.
Interpretation
The Prélude, discovered by Dario Salvi, is performed as a world premiere on this recording using an organ, though Meyerbeer composed it for harmonium.
Historical Context
Meyerbeer's works fell out of favour and some were burned even before the National Socialist period, partly because he remained Jewish and did not convert to Christianity, unlike other notable Jewish artists.
Composition History
The Prélude to the Cantique, composed by Meyerbeer in 1863, was assumed lost until Dario Salvi discovered it in the Bodleian Library in Oxford in an incorrectly labelled folder.
Composer Biography
Giacomo Meyerbeer, a German-Jewish composer, was a successful general music director of the Berlin Opera but became an object of hatred in parts of the artistic world during his lifetime.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Meyerbeer's religious texts ranged from psalms to Catholic mystical works and explicitly Christian scripts, reflecting his universalistic worldview as a believing Jew and free spirit.
Recording & Production
This album features several religious compositions by Meyerbeer, including some presumed lost until their recent discovery, presented in arrangements by Dario Salvi for soprano, piano or organ, and string ensemble.
