Saverio Mercadante’s Virginia (1860)  was not performed until 1866 because the composer simply refused to make alterations; it was only after a regime change in 1860–1 that he premiered his score at Naples. Virginia is set in ancient Rome, where the heroine (sung by Susan Patterson), daughter of the soldier Virginio (Stefano Antonucci), is assailed by the corrupt and powerful Appio (Paul Charles Clarke). Opera Rara revived Virginia in concert back in 1976, and now presents the work’s 2CD debut as part of an ongoing commitment to one of 19th century’s most fascinating figures.