Geoffrey Mallinson

Focus Features

Le Postillon de Lonjumeau

The history of opera is littered with shipwrecks which sail with great success when first launched only to sink into oblivion for one reason or another. Some are lost forever and some are re-floated only to sail out briefly before returning to dry-dock. It seems that ‘Le Postillon de Lonjumeau’ has become something of a pleasure boat which is only given the odd cruise in its home waters of France, kept afloat almost solely by its famous tenor aria of the same title. It is an aria full of verve, humour, melody requiring great vocal skill.

Reviews

Bellini, Norma and Bartoli

Bellini’s musical training was first within the family then continued under Nicola Zingarelli at the Naples Conservatory when he became thoroughly familiar wwith the works of Haydn, Mozart and…