The music in this recital embraces Italian, German and French repertoire, offering a wealth of melodic material. Naturally, several of the arias on this album exploit repertoire in which Bruce Ford shines. The popular Una furtiva lagrima (how wonderful to hear this well-known aria in English - it’s like hearing it for the first time!), the Rossini arias and duets (including a popular Barber of Seville aria and a rarity from Armida) and an aria from Die Entführung, all show his prowess in the bel canto repertoire. It will come as no surprise to admirers of this singer that he is equally at home in the French repertoire (he received great accalim for a recording of Auber’s Le domino noir): the inclusion of the "Aubade" from Lalo’s The King of Ys, and the Serenade from The Fair Maid of Perth are both unexpected highlights. Lionel’s charming aria from Martha and the exotic Song of the Hindu merchant, both make for additional delightful surprises, whilst Verdi is represented by Fenton’s love aria Dal labbro il canto estasiato (From these true lover’s lips ...) from his supreme comic masterpiece, Flastaff.
