Wallace: Lurline

Soloists: Keith Lewis, Donald Maxwell, Sally Silver; Victorian Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Conductor: Richard Bonynge Naxos 8.660293-94****

Last year RTÉ Lyric – following a concert performance in the National Concert Hall in the composer's anniversary year – released Falstaff, a forgotten opera by Michael Balfe. Now Naxos has released another forgotten work by an Irish composer, this time William Wallace.This, too, has great charm and contains some fine music. The opera achieved great success at its Covent Garden premiere, becoming a landmark production for that theatre in the 1860 season. It subsequently played in Dublin, Australia and the US, but gradually fell out of the repertoire, disappearing by the end of the 19th century. The music has overtones of Mendelssohn but is a highly melodic score and this spirited revival performance should be welcomed by any lover of Irish opera. See naxos.com