Paul Herriott brings us Eileen by Victor Herbert, one of Herbert’s most beloved scores. It was composed late in his career and it captures his romantic soul. Featuring Mary O’Sullivan in the title role alongside Eamonn Mulhall, Andrew Ashwin, Joe Corbett, Karl Harpur, Rachel Kelly, Lynda Lee, Philip O’Reilly and Dean Power with the Orchestra of Ireland conducted by David Brophy.
Our second opera offering this evening is the compact Mala vita (1892) is based on a novella about Neapolitan slum-life, telling the story of a worker who, suffering from tuberculosis, vows to reform a prostitute if he is healed through prayer. The plot proved shocking for Italian audiences of the day in spite of receiving 24 curtain calls from the audience at its 1892 premiere. Francesco Cilluffo conducts the Wexford Festival Opera Orchestra and Chorus in a recording from the 2018 Wexford Festival Opera from the National Opera House.
RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 30th May, 7pm-10pm