Niccolò Piccinni’s Roland is mentioned in every history of opera‚ but few will have heard any of its music. This very welcome release helps fill a gap in our understanding of opera and its development. It also makes quite rewarding listening. Roland had its first performance in January 1778 (a fact you will seek in vain in the grossly inadequate booklet with this set); it is the first opera Piccinni composed for Paris when he was invited there as the Italian rival to Gluck. Gluck was in fact commissioned to set the same text‚ but had no wish to stoke the fires of controversy and sensibly withdrew when he heard that Piccinni was engaged on it. Roland is based (again the booklet is silent here) on Ariosto’s Orlando furioso‚ via Quinault’s libretto for Lully. It is a rather static piece: its first two acts are essentially a study of the emotional struggles of Angélique‚ who loves Médor but has an obligation to marry Roland‚ while the third focuses on Roland‚ his bewitched love for Angélique‚ his discovery that she has left him for Médor and his restoration as a warrior knight. Piccinni‚ faced with a challenge – writing in a language he didn’t know‚ in a foreign idiom‚ for the critical and unfamiliar Parisian audience‚ with an untidily compiled libretto – came up with a remarkably interesting score. Angélique has several arresting things‚ notably her extended‚ double monologue in Act 1 with its central outburst of grief‚ and her beautiful air with flute and softly moving strings at the centre of Act 2; Roland’s great moment is his scene in the last act where he awaits Angélique in the darkening forest‚ then learns through a written inscription of her love for Médor (much as in Handel’s Orlando) and later gives way to rage‚ violence and madness. The style is not‚ as is often suggested‚ that of Italian opera seria; rather‚ it is a modern fusion of the new international idiom‚ which means a basically Italianate one‚ with the traditions of the tragédie lyrique. It isn’t wholly successful here; the airs in Roland are often overlong‚ and at times one senses a mismatch of words and style. Nevertheless it is a work of stature and expressive intensity‚ boldly composed. The orchestration is rich and functional‚ and the dances have elegance‚ spirit and atmosphere. The three main roles are cast for a soprano‚ a high tenor (perhaps an haute­contre) and a baritone. It was a terrible mistake in the present recording‚ made at a live performance last year‚ to use a soprano for Médor (the excuses offered in the booklet do not bear examination): it removes the contrast of female and male voices that are essential to French opera and of course wrecks the duets. Still‚ this is better than nothing. Angélique is sung by Alla Simoni‚ who has a full and substantial voice‚ capable of dramatic colouring‚ and some grandeur of manner. She conveys the agonies of indecision that beset the character. Stefania Donzelli‚ as Médor‚ is fairly light of voice‚ smooth‚ well controlled; her Act 1 air is touchingly done. To Roland’s music Luca Grassi brings a firm‚ strongly focused‚ slightly nasal voice‚ very even across his compass and of no great warmth‚ but he sings commandingly and the intensity of the monologue comes over strongly. There are capable contributions in the lesser roles from Sara Allegretta (Thémire)‚ Kim Hyun­Dong (Astolfe) and Elena López (Bélise). The conductor‚ the late David Golub‚ shows a good understanding of the idiom and deals convincingly with the problematic timing of French recitative. There is a strong choir from Bratislava and a good orchestra‚ although they use modern instruments. The stage movement is often very noisy and involves some disconcerting changes in volume and perspective as the characters move around‚ but here the gain of a live performance exceeds any loss.