I think Vespri is a bit unusual in the 'neglected/rare' Verdi operas as it's the only one post-Rigoletto/Traviata/Trovatore which isn't regularly performed or recorded (I'm excluding Aroldo here, as that's basically a rewrite of Stiffelio). Even Forza, although not staged too often, has a numer of successful recordings. I've seen the Muti La Scala DVD, in which Zancanaro is very much the best thing. It's a traditional staging, but none the worse for that. The ballet's there in full and it's a decent performance. I've also got the Levine, Muti and Rossi recordings - I think the singing is finer on the Levine, although I've never been a great fan of Martina Arroyo and the sound glares fiercely at times. The French version doesn't contain any different music to my ears, but it's interesting to hear.

Of the earlier rare Verdi operas, I have a very soft spot for Attila, I Due Foscari and Giovanna d'Arco - the ROH staged all of these in their aborted attempt at performing all the Verdi operas in the 90s, but only Attila has ever been revived. The plot to Foscari is a bit repetitive, but contains some lovely music which makes use of 'leitmotif' to depict the three main characters. Quite why Giovanna isn't better known is a mystery to me - some very fine arias and duets here and a cracking overture.

The Opera Rara ‘Vêpres’ is a good performance, Ian. I agree, their sets are very expensive, which is partly why I haven’t invested in the ‘Forza’ recording, although I have seen the Kirov perform the original St Petersburg version which I find inferior to the final version Verdi arranged. The singing on the ‘Vêpres’ is fine, particularly the Henri of Jean Bonhomme, tastefully, beautifully phrased, and the Hélène of Jacqualine Brumaire, whose Act IV cavatina and Act V sicilienne are very fine; I’d not heard her before. The baritone of Neilson Taylor is not as fine a voice as Sherrill Milnes or Giorgio Zancanaro, but he presents a noble Montfort; his Act III aria and his duets with Henri are some of the finest things on the set. You can hear the similarities to the French Rodrigue in Don Carlos (Opera Rara’s recording here is required listening, I think). The Procida of Ayhan Baran is a bit wobbly in ‘Et toi, Palerme’, better in the ensembles.

I agree about Un Giorno di Regno - there's a fine Philips' recording and I remember a concert performance by the Royal Opera at the RFH when they were in exilein 1999. The comedy is more Donizettian than the later comic Falstaff, but it fizzes along at times.

# 6       Indeed, opilec, it is also gratifying to see Rosalind Plowright back in the picture again.  A striking presence and a fine singer.

Earlier, Linda Esther Gray abandoned performing just as her career was in the ascendant.  and many of us hoped that she'd manage to overcome her difficulty with stage fright.

A non-Verdi opera which is sadly underperformed/ recorded is Meyerbeer's 'L'Africaine'. I've seen the Domingo/Verrett DVD and recently bought a live performance from Florence 1971, conducted by Muti and sung in Italian - 'L'Africana'; it stars Jessye Norman and Veriano Luchetti, who's in the del Monaco 'can belto' mould, but it makes for a thrilling, over the top 'O paradiso'!

 # 9     Delighted, harpy, to hear the news about Linda Esther Gray.

I'll certainly follow the lead and acquire her biography -in mitigation?

Given the number of operas composed and the expense of staging just one adequately,it's not surprising there is a huge number of neglected or rare ones.

If I had the choice of a mega-grant to stage a festival of neglected operas my choice would fall on the five by Ralph Vaughan Williams :

Hugh the Drover
Sir John in Love
Riders to the sea
The poisoned Kiss
Pilgrim's Progress.

I know they are all now  available on disc  but they are very rarely staged .Many people  who don't know them well consider them hopelessly dated and old-fashioned.Well, The operas of Monteverdi and Handel were considered such in the 19th century and part of the 20th,and look at them now.

All VW's operas need is intelligent and sympathetic staging. 

O  please O please.  I loved Sir John at the ENO last year.  I wept when the ROH did a concert version of Pilgrims Progress at the Barbican about 10 years ago.  I came across Hugh the Drover at an important turning point in my life and it means a lot to me.  Stuff the symphonies, say I, give me an opera.