Puccini's La rondine (1919 version) Act I Duet 'T'amo! Menti!' | Mattia Olivieri and Ellie Neate

Support Opera Rara's work in rediscovering and sharing rare operatic repertoire: https://opera-rara.com/support Purchase the recording: https://opera-rara.com/shopcatalogue Recorded live in the BBC Maida Vale Studios, 25 November 2025. The sentimental duet ‘T’amo! / Menti!’ is a playful, teasing exchange between the maid Lisette and the poet Prunier, here extended compared to the 1917 version. It reflects the unique operetta-like character of La rondine, which combines the lightness of Viennese operetta with the melodic richness of Italian verismo. Opera Rara teams up with the BBC Symphony Orchestra to present the final 1921 version of Puccini’s La rondine . This marks the first time the complete, final version of La rondine – the one which Puccini was most committed to but never heard in his lifetime – has been presented in nearly a century. It includes an ending which is completely different from the first version of 1917 (the one known and performed today). Our Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers with Opera Rara's Artist Ambassador Ermonela Jaho in one of her signature roles as Magda de Civry. Iván Ayón-Rivas, Nicola Alaimo, Joanna Harries, David Shipley and William Thomas return to Opera Rara, whilst Juan Francisco Gatell, Ellie Neate, Jessica Robinson, Julieth Lozano Rolong and Robert Lewis make their Opera Rara main-stage debuts. #ErmonelaJaho #Puccini #Opera #Operaarias #Soprano