A similar disc, but with different contents and spotlighting Alessandro Amoretti and the Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia, was released on Marco Polo, later deleted and reissued as Naxos 8.570508. This disc from December of last year with Kevin Mallon and his Toronto compatriots is the second in the projected cycle, and holds rewarding interpretations that summon respect for the composer as well as admiration for the performers. With Mallon in charge, the music exudes a freshness that is a welcome surprise and that further commends these poised and erudite readings. Vigor, affection, and commitment abound here, and the music-lover unfamiliar with Cimarosa's music should take the first opportunity to pounce on this release!

"The recording is almost uniformly excellent....Admirably recorded in an ambience to die for, these are spirited performances."

Five of these are single movement overtures with fast opening and closing sections that surround a slower one. The Imaginary Armida (1777) sounds like it could be the beginning of an as yet undiscovered W.A. Mozart symphony. There's a ceremonious stateliness about Orestes (1783) that harkens back to Lully's more serious stage works. Artaxerxes (1784) may sound familiar in places, because Cimarosa lifted parts of it for the overture to his most famous opera, The Secret Marriage (1792, see the newsletter of 30 August 2007). Women Should Be Taken at Their Worst (1785) is a lighthearted offering very much in keeping with the opera's humorous title and plot. When you hear the outstanding opener for Giannina and Bernardone (1781), you'll understand why it was an international hit in the 1780s. There’s a gorgeously scored passage for the oboe that’s one of the highpoints on this disc.

The remaining four selections are tripartite sinfonias with alternating fast-slow-fast movements. The Italian Girl in London (1778) was the composer's first big success, and hearing this extract from it one can see why audiences of the day were wowed by it. While it would appear that Alexander in India (1781) and Circe (1783) were among Cimarosa's less well-received operas, you'd never know it from the inventively colorful music presented here. Despite its oddball title, The Fanatic for Ancient Romans (1777) was apparently a successful comedy that was still being produced as late as the 1800s. This skillfully written sinfonia would seem to bear out its popularity.

All of the performances by the Toronto Chamber Orchestra under conductor Kevin Mallon are superb. The precision, sense of dynamics, and boundless energy he brings to these classical miniatures is exceptional.

The recordings are resplendent and present an ideally focused soundstage with just the right amount of depth and reverberation -- audiophiles should take note!