Domenico Barbaja (1777–1841) was the legendary impresario who dominated European operatic stages for thirty years. The ruthless mogul was at the very heart of the bel canto era in which beautiful singing, allied to flawless technique, was brought to perfection. This release celebrates his legacy in exploring how Barbaja influenced the way opera was written and performed, by commissioning a series of masterpieces from the greatest composers of the time, such as Rossini, Donizetti and Weber, and staging them in his magnificent opera houses, performed by the most glamorous singers of the age. Artists Ugo Mahieux (harpsichord), Jessica Pratt (mezzo-soprano), Filippo Adami (tenor), Giorgio Trucco (tenor), Lorenzo Regazzo (bass), Akie Amou (soprano), Karen Bandelow (mezzo-soprano), Sonia Ganassi (mezzo-soprano), Maxim Mironov (tenor), Ewa Podles (contralto), Marcello Giordani (tenor), Giovanni Guagliardo (baritone), Dimitra Theodossiou (soprano), Monica Colonna (soprano) Czech Chamber Soloists, Brno, Virtuosi Brunensis, Wurttemberg Philharmonic Orchestra, Stadtkapelle Bad Wildbad, Naples San Pietro a Majella Conservatory Chorus, South West German Radio Kaiserslautern Orchestra, Prague Chamber Chorus, Tubingen Festival Band, Hungarian State Opera, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Catania Teatro Massimo Bellini Chorus, Catania Teatro Massimo Bellini Orchestra, Bergamo Musica Festival Orchestra, Bergamo Musica Festival Chorus, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Franklin, Antonino Fogliani, Alberto Zedda, Pier Giorgio Morandi, Alfred Walter, Steven Mercurio, Marcello Rota, Maurizio Benini