Quintans:Madeira:Magalhaes - De Almeida: La Spinalba

First Complete Recording on Period InstrumentsLittle is known about the life of Francisco Ant�nio de Almeida, but he occupied a central position in Portuguese life in the first half of the 18th century and was able to learn the Italian style in Rome thanks to the ambitions of King Jo�o V. The rarely recorded La Spinalba ovvero Il vecchio matto (Spinalba, or the Mad Old Man) is a comic opera which follows the buffa tradition of intrigue and romantic complexities, and is filled with superb cantabile arias as well as a rich variety of original and dramatic orchestral effects. The cast is led by Ana Quintans, a much-in-demand soloist on the early music scene, and the highly regarded Portuguese ensemble Os M�sicos do Tejo is directed by its co-founder Marcos Magalh�es.