Almeida: La Spinalba, ovvero Il vecchio matto

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