The third opera by the twenty-seven-year-old Sicilian Vincenzo Bellini, Il Pirata marked an important step forward in his career. His first score written for the brand leader of Italian opera houses, La Scala, Milan, it also represented his first collaboration with Felice Romani, the leading librettist of the day - who would become his regular artistic partner. Il Pirata was also the first of Bellini's works to reach an international audience. After it's premiere in 1827, it soon went on to win acclaim in Vienna, Dresden, Paris, London and New York. It's comparative neglect in our day is inexplicable, but Opera Rara rectifies this situation with this all-star cast. David Parry conducts this exceptional example of early romantic opera at it's most dramatically potent. The 3 CD set, a studio recording, comes with a lavishly illustrated book including a complete libretto with an English translation by Jeremy Commons and a comprehensive article and synopsis by Dr. Benjamin Walton.