John Corigliano's 'The Ghosts of Versailles' Premiere Audio Recording Now Available from Pentatone
11th April 2016
The long-awaited recording of John Corigliano’s opera The Ghosts of Versailles is now available as a two-CD album and digital download from Pentatone in their new American Opera Series. Previously released only as a video from its premiere production, this album is a live audio recording of the LA Opera's acclaimed 2015 production directed by Darko Tresnjak. Conducted by James Conlon, this performance marked the opera’s west coast premiere and featured soprano Patricia Racette as Marie Antoinette, baritone Christopher Maltman as Beaumarchais, baritone Lucas Meachem as Figaro, and Patti LuPone as Samira. The recording was made possible through the underwriting support of the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. "To have [the LA Opera] performance preserved in a recording of this quality is, for this composer," Corigliano said, "a dream come true."
The Metropolitan Opera commissioned The Ghosts of Versailles to celebrate its 100th anniversary and debuted it in 1991 to ecstatic reviews and a sold-out run. This grand opera buffa, with a libretto by William Hoffman, has continued to win over audiences and critics alike with many performances and new productions throughout its 25-year history.
For live performances, The Ghosts of Versailles is available in full and reduced orchestrations. In both, the stage musicians (required in the premiere production), have been incorporated into the pit orchestra parts, eliminating the space requirements of the Metropolitan Opera House stage. (Score and parts from the original Metropolitan Opera production are no longer available.)
Most major productions to date, including the premiere, have cast more singers than are required for the major and supporting roles. The opera requires a minimum of twenty-eight singers to fulfill its casting requirements.
Preview and order the recording
Browse the full score online
Buy the vocal score and libretto
