Although he was born in Germany, Simon Mayr lived his entire adult life in Italy and it was in this country that he established himself as a superb composer. He has composed around sixty operas which have all been performed in the most prestigious transalpine theatres in Milan, Rome, Venice, Naples, Turin, and later in cities across Europe, from Vienna, Prague and Dresden to Munich and London. I Cherusci from 1808 tells the timeless story of the bond between father and daughter, of sacred duty and of sacrifice in a plot that is set in Germany in the era of ancient Rome, the Cherusci being a proud and belligerent Germanic nation from what is now Lower Saxony. There is a Prince Treuta, a Tamaro (sung by a soprano who is also the bard), a great druid Zarasto (no, not ZarastRo, but Zarasto) and a Tusnelda, all of whom are Germans singing as you would expect…in Italian! The music foreshadows the rise of Rossini with its sophisticated harmony and meticulous orchestration, and is far from early Bel Canto. This is a world premiere recording featuring brilliant vocals from Markus Schäfer and the ethereal voice of soprano Yvonne Prentki. Frankly, it makes you wonder why on earth Simon Mayr’s works aren’t performed more often on the world’s greatest stages as he is a truly fantastic composer from this era and is just as comfortable in the lyrical drama as he is in mischievous musical comedy. © SM/Qobuz