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| Opera Rara | |
|---|---|
| Name | Opera Rara |
| Formation | 1970 |
| Founder | Patric Schmid, Don White |
| Type | Non-profit, Record label, Opera company |
| Headquarters | London |
| Focus | Rare 19th-century operatic repertoire, Recordings, Concert performances |
Opera Rara Founded in 1970, the company and record label specializes in reviving neglected 19th-century Italian and French operas and producing critical performing editions, combining scholarship and performance practice. Its activities span concert presentations, studio recordings, critical editions, and collaborations with orchestras, conservatoires, and broadcasters across Europe and North America. The organization has worked with leading singers, conductors, musicologists, and institutions to mount premieres, restored recordings, and modern first performances of works by composers whose names range from obscure to celebrated.
The ensemble was established in London during a period when interest in bel canto techniques and historical performance grew, influenced by movements surrounding Rossini revivals, the rediscovery of Donizetti works, and the early music revival associated with figures like Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt. Founders brought together expertise from institutions such as the Royal Opera House, the British Library, and the Royal College of Music, drawing on source material from archives including the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze and the Conservatorio di Milano. Early productions and recordings intersected with the careers of singers who performed at venues like La Scala, Teatro La Fenice, and the Vienna State Opera, situating the organization within a network that included managers from Deutsche Grammophon, executives from BBC Radio 3, and scholars affiliated with Oxford University and Cambridge University. Over successive decades its catalogue and performance projects reflected broader trends seen at festivals such as Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Rossini Opera Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The stated mission emphasizes restoration and dissemination of neglected operatic works, producing critical performing editions for use by companies such as English National Opera, Scottish Opera, and orchestras like the Philharmonia Orchestra. Activities combine musicological research, manuscript collation from collections at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, staging in concert form at halls including Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall, and studio recordings engineered in collaboration with labels and facilities historically linked to Decca Records and the SWR Symphony Orchestra. The organization also engages with conservatoires including the Royal Academy of Music and participates in educational outreach alongside broadcasters like BBC Television and Arte. Partnerships have involved conductors associated with Teatro Real, directors known from Covent Garden, and soloists who have sung at Metropolitan Opera and Opéra National de Paris.
Their discography comprises studio recordings, live concert captures, and premiere recordings of operas by composers such as Bellini, Mercadante, Verdi, Meyerbeer, Auber, Pacini, Donizetti, Rossini, Cilea, and Halévy. Recordings often feature singers who also appear at institutions including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Opéra-Comique, and Bayerische Staatsoper; conductors from the London Symphony Orchestra and orchestras like the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have led sessions. The label’s releases are distributed through classical channels used by Sony Classical and collectors cite sound engineers who have worked in studios linked to Air Studios and facilities used by BBC Proms recordings. Critical reception in journals and newspapers associated with The Times, The Guardian, and Gramophone (magazine) has established many releases as reference editions for performers and scholars.
Notable projects include modern firsts and world premiere recordings of operas by composers revived from manuscripts such as rediscoveries staged in partnership with festivals like the Rossini Opera Festival and venues like Salle Pleyel. Premiere performances and critical editions have enabled revivals at houses including Teatro alla Scala, Garsington Opera, and concert series at Carnegie Hall. Projects often required collaboration with archives such as the Archivio Storico Ricordi and musicologists from King’s College London and Università di Bologna, resulting in staged or concert premieres that drew soloists active at Opéra National de Lyon and conductors connected to the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
The enterprise has engaged singers who also appear with Royal Opera House, Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, and Opéra Bastille; conductors linked to Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Munich Philharmonic; and directors whose work has been seen at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and English National Opera. Musicologists and editors have come from institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Royal College of Music, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Collaborations have included orchestras like the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and ensembles associated with Historische Aufführungspraxis practitioners who perform at venues across Europe and North America.
Recordings and projects have received awards and commendations from organizations and publications including Gramophone (magazine), the International Classical Music Awards, critics at The Guardian, and prizes presented at events associated with BBC Music Magazine. Individual projects have been shortlisted by juries that include representatives from Decca Records, Sony Classical, and panels convened by institutions such as Royal Philharmonic Society.
The organization operates as a registered non-profit supported by grants, private patrons, and partnerships with cultural bodies such as Arts Council England, foundations affiliated with the Heritage Lottery Fund, and sponsors from the private sector with links to philanthropies active in London and Milan. Governance includes a board with members drawn from institutions like Royal Academy of Music, corporations with ties to Deutsche Bank philanthropy programs, and advisors from archives such as the British Library and Archivio Ricordi. Funding for editions and recordings has combined earned income from sales, donations from trusts including those related to the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, and project-based support from broadcasters such as BBC Radio 3.
Category:Classical music record labels Category:Opera companies in the United Kingdom