Opéra Magazine's vocal 'pick of the month' ('coup de coeur') for November 2024.

The November issue of France's Opéra Magazine finally turned up in the post the other day. This month's favourite recording is Carlo Vistoli's Vivaldi album, Sacro furore, featuring the Stabat Mater and other sacred works, interspersed with instrumental numbers, on Harmonia Mundi. Georg Kallweit conducts the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.

The reviewer writes that this album 'confirms the eminent place he occupies, today, in the rich constellation of countertenors.' They give it the first of this month's 'Diamond' awards. I think if you root around you can probably find all of the album on YT.

They give a second 'Diamant' to Bruno de Sá's Mille Affetti: Opera and Sacred Arias, which this time 'confirms he is one of the most exceptional performers of the baroque repertoire of the beginning of this century.' Jaroslaw Thiel conducts the Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra, on Erato, and again, I think you can find it all online.

One 'dazzling' 'Diamond' is also awarded to a DVD this month:  Martinu's The Greek Passion, staged by Simon Stone in Salzburg last year, with Gabor Bretz, Charles Workman, Sara Jakubiak... and the VPO under Maxime Pascal, on Cmajor. 

'Admirably conducted, sung and staged,' the DVD 'confirms' (what else?) that it is 'one of the 20th century's most absolute masterpieces.'