Critically Acclaimed 2015 Opera 'Guglielmo Ratcliff' in Association with Wexford Festival Opera Released on CD

The critically-acclaimed 2015 Wexford Festival Opera production of Pietro Mascagni's Guglielmo Ratcliff is now available on CD on the RTÉ lyric fm label in association with Wexford Festival Opera. This joint project between the two organisations originated through RTÉ lyric fm's live broadcast of the opera nationally and to public service radio stations internationally via the European Broadcasting Union during the 2015 Festival. Now the recording of Guglielmo Ratcliff, nominated for 'Best Re-discovered Work' at the 2016 International Opera Awards, has been remixed and released as a lavish double CD set with accompanying programme notes, libretto in Italian/English, and selected production photographs by Clive Barda.

Guglielmo Ratcliff is based on a tale of unrequited love by Heinrich Heine, which struck a particular chord with the 19 year-old Mascagni. Although he started work on his version of the Ratcliff story while studying at the Milan Conservatory, it was more than ten years later before the composer would conduct Guglielmo Ratcliff from the podium of La Scala. The complexities of staging and challenges facing singers in the title roles meant that the opera has rarely been performed or recorded.

Commenting on the release, Wexford Festival Opera Artistic Director David Agler said, 'We are delighted to launch this CD of Mascagni's Guglielmo Ratcliff on the RTÉ lyric fm label and are grateful to them for bringing this to fruition. Here at Wexford Festival Opera we specialise in staging operas that have been languishing, neglected and unperformed, and to have the opportunity to bring these forgotten works to a wider audience is something we have been eager to achieve. Guglielmo Ratcliff was the composer's own favourite work and also an opera very close to the heart of the conductor Francesco Cilluffo, who first discovered it as a 13-year old student. Francesco, and an outstanding cast who sing some of the most extraordinarily difficult, but thrilling music, have brought this gothic tale to life and it is now preserved on cd for future generations to enjoy.'

Aodán Ó Dubhghaill, Head of RTÉ lyric fm said, 'We are delighted to be part of this exciting collaboration with Wexford Festival Opera with whom we have had a longstanding relationship. We are proud to be able to bring their wonderful productions to a wider audience at home via RTÉ lyric fm's broadcast platforms and to a world-wide audience through our collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union. By releasing 2015's production of Mascagni's opera on the RTÉ lyric fm CD label we hope to open up Wexford to an even wider audience.'

The CD is available online through http://www.rte.ie/lyricfm/articles/releases/ , from the box-office at the National Opera House or on download from iTunes and Spotify.

The 65th Wexford Festival Opera runs from 26 October to 6 November and is supported by grants from the Arts Council, Fáilte Ireland, and Wexford County Council.

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