Brilliant has released a 2 cd World Premiere recording of Hummel's 'big' operatic success (comparatively speaking) Mathilde von Guise. No libretto, but great stuff none the less: the 1821 revised Weimar version sung in Italian in a translation commisioned by Hummel. There are some extras: 2 different overtures, the 1810 original and a jolly noisy one Hummel borrowed from the ballet Sappho of Mitilene in 1821. There's also a little duet that somehow never made it into the published vocal scores. I haven't seen this set anywhere but Records International, those champions of the unsung:
http://www.recordsinternational.com/cd.php?cd=07M048 (http://www.recordsinternational.com/cd.php?cd=07M048)
This is a delightful piece. Not very dramatic, maybe, but full of vigorous high spirits. Mozart is the primary influence, but plenty of Haydn, Cherubini and some Beethoven too. There are a surprisingly small number of arias: three, plus an additional Romanza for the soprano. The cast is excellent, without being starry. The period orchestra is Slovakian (fitting for a composer born in present-day Bratislava), as is the chorus: this is a Slovak/ French co-production. All do a fine job, once the horns settle down. The recorded sound is admirably clear.
All this at Brilliant's super-cheap prices!
David