Dinorah Deborah Cook

Goatherd Della Jones

Goatgirl Marilyn Hill Smith

Corentin Alexander Oliver

Reaper Ian Caley

Huntsman Roderick Earle

Geoffrey Mitchell Choir; Philharmonia Orchestra James Judd, cond. Opera Rara ORC 5

Dinorah, originally given as Le Pardon de Ploermel is the last of Meyerbeer's operas to be premiered during his lifetime. In its' original version, it was technically an opéra comique, but recitatives and additional music were added for its London premiere, which was in Italian.

It is not really the french equivalent of an Italian opera buffo, as many, but not all, Opéra comiques are. Instead, I would classify it as a pastoral opera. It's plot probably breaks all records for inanity--with a heroine who sings an aria to her pet goat, a tenor buffo, and a baritone hero. The music, especially that of the prima donna, is divine, but the baritone also has two fine arias. Finally, there are several minor characters with first class music. Still, this work has always been regarded as a vehicle for coloratura sopranos of the old ("songbird") school

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