Placido Domingo stars in this 2-CD world-premiere studio recording of Isaac Albeniz"s lyric-comic opera. Pepita Jimenez tells the story of an Andalusian widow who falls in love with a young seminarian. The work, which had its premiere in 1896, marks an important step in the development of Spanish national opera. Yet, despite its significance, this recording with Jane Henschel and Carol Vaness, conducted by Jose de Eusebio, is the opera"s first. As opera company director and as conductor, Domingo is constantly occupying himself with neglected works in the repertoire. "It"s a tragedy that most opera houses concentrate on barely 100 pieces. There"s so much that we haven"t heard yet." This work has long been forgotten, but thanks to historically minded musicians like Domingo, Albeniz is now enjoying a renaissance. CAST LIST Don Luis de Vargas PLÃCIDO DOMINGO, Pepita Jimenez CAROL VANESS, Antonona JANE HENSCHEL, Don Pedro de Vargas ENRIQUE BAQUERIZO, Vicar CARLOS CHAUSSON, Count Genazahar JOSE ANTONIO LOPEZ, 1st Officer FEDERICO GALLAR, 2nd Officer ANGEL RODRIGUEZ, Coro de Ninos de la Comunidad de Madrid, Orquesta y Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid, JOSE DE EUSEBIO.