Operas that have been lost, suppressed or forgotten before their fair hearing have a special mystique, and Mercadante’s I due Figaro qualifies on a number of levels. The Naples-trained composer (1795-1870) arrived in Madrid in 1826 with a cushy contract to write two operas a year, though running afoul of diva Letizia Cortesi left I due Figaro cancelled and the composer leaving for home. The Beaumarchais characters make the opera all the more intriguing: Figaro is a scoundrel here, scheming to get dowry money through a trick marriage involving the Countess’s daughter Inez. Cherubino disguises himself as another Figaro (hence the title), causing many plot complications. The Countess gets a bit crowded out in this one.

On first listen, though, one’s heart sinks a bit. Even with this smart, accomplished cast under Riccardo Muti, the opera seems like counterfeit Rossini – odd, since Mercadante’s place in history lies in his anti-Rossini reforms. That came later, represented on recordings by Virginia, which feels nondescript, no matter how much the Opera Rara forces bellow out the choral scenes (6/09), and Il giuramento (heard on an out-of-print Rodolphe LP from Radio France), which has more personality but is still the work of a composer who has purged much from his compositional manner but added little. Influences from Meyerbeer did not make Mercadante more interesting.

But once you’re accustomed to the Rossini-isms in I due Figaro, Mercadante emerges, however intermittently, as his own man during the many ensembles. Distinct from Rossini, whose ensembles are built on a dominating idea, Mercadante builds his almost orchestrally with layers of contrasting contrapuntal melodies. Arias have sophisticated orchestral tuttis. Spanish influences aren’t just on the surface but embedded in the opera’s best moment – the sublimely lyrical Act 3 Susanna/Figaro duet ‘Brutta cosa e l’esser moglie’.

Muti casts smaller voices than what’s typical in Mozart and Rossini but often with dark colouring – understandable with Eleonora Buratto’s Susanna (since she’s older than in Mozart) but less so with young Inez, though Rosa Feola is a wonderfully stylish singer. Mario Cassi’s Figaro needs more solid low notes. Antonio Poli’s Count has an extremely attractive tenor. Too bad Muti keeps everybody on a tight rein: this opera’s lesser moments could use more electricity.