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CMYK

NAXOS
NAXOS
Little is known about the life of Francisco António de Almeida, but he occupied a central position in
Portuguese life in the first half of the 18th century and was able to learn the Italian style in Rome thanks
to the ambitions of King João V. The rarely recorded La Spinalba ovvero Il vecchio matto (Spinalba, or the
Mad Old Man) is a comic opera which follows the buffa tradition of intrigue and romantic complexities,
and is filled with superb cantabile arias as well as a rich variety of original and dramatic orchestral effects.
The cast is led by Ana Quintans, a much-in-demand soloist on the early music scene, and the highly
regarded Portuguese ensemble Os Músicos do Tejo is directed by its co-founder Marcos Magalhães.
DDD
DE ALMEIDA: La Spinalba ovvero Il vecchio matto

8.660319-21
Francisco António
DE ALMEIDA Playing Time

Quintans • Madeira • Seara • Moreso • Fernandes • Rodrigues

Alves • Guimarães • Os Músicos do Tejo • Marcos Magalhães
(c.1702-c.1755) 3:26:51
La Spinalba ovvero Il vecchio matto
Dramma comico in Three Acts • Libretto by an unknown author
FIRST COMPLETE RECORDING
ON PERIOD INSTRUMENTS

Arsenio, a merchant, Spinalba’s father . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Luís Rodrigues, Bass

Dianora, Spinalba’s step-mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cátia Moreso, Mezzo-soprano
Spinalba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ana Quintans, Soprano
Ippolito, Spinalba’s faithless lover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fernando Guimarães, Tenor

www.naxos.com

Made in Germany
Booklet notes and synopsis in English
 & 훿 2012 Naxos Rights International Ltd.
Elisa, Arsenio’s niece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inês Madeira, Mezzo-soprano
Vespina, a servant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joana Seara, Soprano
Leandro, Elisa’s lover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mário Alves, Tenor
Togno, a servant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . João Fernandes, Bass

Os Músicos do Tejo (on period instruments)

Harpsichord: Marta Araújo (orchestra) and Marcos Magalhães (recitatives)
Marcos Magalhães
CD 1 CD 2 CD 3
1-¶ Act I 65:00 1-£ Act II 66:08 1-¡ Act III 75:43
Recorded at Salão Nobre of the Instituto Superior

8.660319-21
8.660319-21

de Economia e Gestão, Lisbon, Portugal, 15th-23rd November 2011

Producer: Pierre Lavoix • Production Manager: Marta Araújo • Engineer and Editor: Jean Gauthier
Booklet Notes: Marcos Magalhães • Cover collage: Paolo Zeccara
Performing edition by Pierre Salzmann (Portugaliae Musica, Volume XII, 1969 – Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian)
The Italian libretto may be accessed at www.naxos.com/libretti/660319.htm