Domenico Cimarosa, one of the last great exponents of the Neapolitan School, was also one of the most-performed opera composers before the arrival of Rossini. He composed over 60 such works and was esteemed from Venice to St Petersburg where he was appointed to the Russian Court. L’Italiana in Londra (‘The Italian Girl in London’) is a charming and sophisticated intermezzo that displays an incredible understanding of comic situations and characters, satirising different cultural stereotypes that are as identifiable today as they were in the 18th century. Humour and wit abound in this acclaimed production.

This was first available on a Naxos 2110739 (DVD) and NBD0155V (Blu-ray).

‘The glamorous (visually and vocally) Angela Vallone, as Livia, excels both in amorous longing and fiery indignation. Her fellow soprano, the bright-toned Bianca Tognocchi, brings comic panache to the role of the knowing, seen-it-all Brillante’, wrote Gramophone. Fanfare wrote of it that ‘Vallone is a fine jilted lover, with good expressions and a kaleidoscopic change of mood… [Iurii] Samoilov’s resonant voice has a great deal of depth and good inflection that brings out his vacillating character…a great show, with excellent singing, a fine orchestra in the pit, and lively staging, all of which are sure to entertain’.

During the 2025/26 season, conductor Leo Hussain’s engagements have included Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Saul for the Semperoper Dresden, Mitridate, re di Ponto and Weinberg’s The Passenger for the Oper Frankfurt, and concerts with the Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier and George Enescu Philharmonic. Previous opera highlights include Die Zauberflöte at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Eugene Onegin for the Bayerische Staatsoper, Capriccio for the Santa Fe Opera, Tosca for the San Francisco Opera and The Rape of Lucretia for the Glyndebourne Festival. He has also appeared with the Hamburgische Staatsoper, and at the Theater an der Wien and Staatstheater Hannover, as well as with the English, Welsh, Gothenburg, Norwegian and Royal Swedish national operas.

Cast:
- Livia: Angela Vallone (soprano)
- Madama Brillante: Bianca Tognocchi (soprano)
- Sumers: Theo Lebow (tenor)
- Milord Arespingh: Iurii Samoilov (baritone)
- Don Polidoro: Gordon Bintner (bass-baritone)