Cappella Mediteranea
French / English

Draghi, El Prometeo

The myth of Prometheus is a universal symbol of artistic creation and human intelligence. Draghi’s score is ravishing. The opera opens with a brief orchestral ritornello and the music constantly lilts, in keeping with the Spanish style. A continuous melody runs through the work, offering a more expressive, Iberian variant of the Florentine recitar cantandodes.

“The shading of the soloists is perfect, from the sensuality of Thetis (Marianna Flores) to the colourfulness of Satyr (Borja Quiza), the modesty of Nisée (Giuseppina Bridelli), the temperament of Minerva (Ana Quintans) and the flightiness of Prometheus (Fabio Trümpy). The rest is taken care of by the Chœur de chambre de Namur and the dynamic energy of Leonardo García Alarcón.”

Gérard Pangon for Musikzen

A reconstructed score

The original score of El Prometeo can be found in Vienna’s Leopoldina Library. This first opera by Antonio Draghi (a composer and singer who notably starred in Cavalli’s operas) dates from 1669. It was the first time in history that an Italian composed with a Spanish text. The last act of El Prometeo is missing, but since the libretto of this act has been preserved, Leonardo García Alarcón decided to rewrite the music: “I immersed myself in Draghi’s music to understand his style, the intervals he preferred, the kinds of melodies he wrote and the type of basso continuo he used to try and create a score that is worthy of him. My hope is that this third act will live up to his music, his intentions and his work!”. He leads a brilliant cast (Fabio Trümpy, Mariana Florès, Giuseppina Bridelli, Scott Conner, Borja Quiza, Zachary Wilder, Ana Quintans) that bring this Spanish baroque opera to life. It is an opportunity for the conductor and composer to show his love for his native language and prove that it is “an absolutely musical language”!

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Released on 6 March 2020 by Alpha – 128 minutes

Purchase the album from d’Outhere Music
Draghi, El Prometeo, Cappella Mediterranea

What the critics are saying

“Alarcon has created this fresco in the most improbable way. Although it may be artificially constructed, it is painted with undeniable splendour.”
Denis Morrier for Diapason

“No lover of Baroque opera should miss out on this rare album that is of such high quality.”
Philippe Gelinaud for Diapason

“If Mariana Flores stands out as Tetis for the colours she brings to her declamation, the most beautiful singing comes from the mezzos, Giuseppina Bridelli and Ana Quintans, not to mention Zachary Wilder’s lovely Mercurio.”
Pierre Degott for ResMusica

“A magnificent revelation, embodied by an impeccable cast that is dominated by the female trio of Florès, Bridelli and Quintans, and the superb Fabio Trümpy. As usual, Alarcón’s direction is by turns theatrical, lively, voluptuous, sensitive and colourful.”
Charles Sigel for ForumOpera

“An irreproachable supporting cast and a fantastic Chœur de Namur.”
Jérémie Bigorie for Classica

“The release of “El Prometeo” is another masterful stroke. The exotic splendour of the orchestration and the Spanish sounds (served up by the conductor’s usual accomplices, Cappella Mediterranea and the Chœur de Chambre de Namur) are bound to delight and provide a change of scene.”
Lise Bloch-Morhange for Les soirées de Paris

“A true lyrical miracle. Cappella Mediterranea transcends the orchestration, which combines shimmering colours with Iberian sonorities, under the exalted direction of Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, who is at the height of his powers and his art.”
Marie-Aude Roux for Le Monde

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