Lamenti - Emmanuelle Haim, Le Concert d'Astree

 

Release Date: 10/14/2008 Label: Virgin Classics Number of discs: 1 Composers: Various Performer: Emmanuelle Haïm,  Le Concert D'Astrée cd info/ buy

Review:

Lamentation may be the theme of this collection of vocal music from the Italian Baroque, but the line-up of artists gives ample cause for celebration. After her recent all-star Virgin Classics recording of Bach's Magnificat and Handel's Dixit Dominus, Emmanuelle Haïm has chosen an exceptional and diverse array of soloists for this programme of vocal works by Monteverdi, Carissimi, Cavalli, Cesti, Landi and Strozzi. The literary and dramatic form of the lamento reached its musical apogee in the 17th century with Monteverdi's Lamento d'Arianna, a fragment from a lost opera. The abandoned princess is sung here by Véronique Gens, who made such an impression with her Virgin Classics recital Tragédiennes. Another abandoned woman, this time a nymph, is embodied by the sylph-like Natalie Dessay in the same composer's Lamento della ninfa from the Eighth Book of Madrigals, while his song of Orpheus is entrusted to intense Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón, the maybe unexpected hero in Haïm's 2006 Virgin Classics recording of Monteverdi's Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. More Monteverdi comes from Joyce DiDonato, the superb American mezzo who recently signed to EMI/Virgin Classics as an exclusive artist; she dons the mantle of a deposed Empress for Ottavia's farewell to Rome from L'incoronazione di Poppea. More recent royal history is gracefully addressed by Patrizia Ciofi in Carissimi's Lamento di Maria Stuarda, while Philippe Jaroussky brings his brilliant countertenor to Barbara Strozzi's dramatic monologue L'Eraclito amoroso, probably written for the composer to sing herself. The Finn Topi Lehtipuu, described by the Daily Telegraph as "one of the most elegant and musical young lyric tenors to have emerged for a decade" portrays Aeneas in a setting by Cavalli; the British baritone Christopher Purves gives evidence of his stylistic range – he is also an exceptional Wozzeck – in Landi, while France's reigning bass-baritone, Laurent Naouri becomes the Beotian king Atamante in Cesti's Dure noie. Completing the line-up are the lush-voiced Canadian mezzo Marie-Nicole Lemieux and the young British tenor Simon Wall, reaffirming that lovers of fine singing will have nothing to complain about... Composer:  Pier Francesco Cavalli,  Claudio Monteverdi,  Barbara Strozzi,  Giacomo Carissimi,  Stefano Landi, Pietro Antonio Cesti Performer:  Rolando Villazón,  Christopher Purves,  Simon Wall,  Natalie Dessay,  Topi Lehtipuu, Philippe Jaroussky,  Véronique Gens,  Joyce DiDonato,  Patrizia Ciofi, Marie-Nicole Lemieux,  Laurent Naouri

 

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Cavalli - Gli Amori Di Apollo E Di Dafne - Garrido, Ensemble Elyma

 

Release Date: November 4, 2008 Label: K617 Number of discs: 2 Composer: Francesco Cavalli Performer: Gabriel Garrido, Ensemble Elyma cd info/ buy

Review:

Gli amori d'Apollo e di Dafne (The Loves of Apollo and Daphne) is an opera by the Italian composer Francesco Cavalli. It was Cavalli's second operatic work and was premiered at the Teatro San Cassiano, Venice during the Carnival season of 1640. The libretto is by Giovanni Francesco Busenello and is based on the story of the god Apollo's love for the nymph Daphne as told in Ovid's Metamorphoses. At the dawn of opera in Venice, Monteverdi's pupil Cavalli and the poet G.F Busenello, created Gli amori d'Apollo e di Dafne. This fruitful collaboration inaugurated a cycle which, together with L’Incoronazione di Poppea, was to become emblematic of the new Venetian opera. The present recording spares no effort to recreate the magnificence that was to make Italian music the 'mistress’ of the world.

 

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Cavalli - Giasone - Jacobs, Concerto Vocale

 

Release Date: November 14, 2000 Label: Harmonia Mundi Number of discs: 3 Composer: Francesco Cavalli Performer: René Jacobs, Concerto Vocale  cd info/ buy

Review:

The plot revolves around Jason's theft of the Golden Fleece, an undertaking in which he is helped by his lover, the Queen of Corinth (a sorceress) also called Medea. Jason and Medea are totally ruthless and incredibly immoral having conceived ,under the cover of darkness without having seen each other,twins. Mocked by Hercules (an Argonaut) for his (Jasons) effeminacy,Jason is also derided by Besso, the captain of his own guard, who comes across Jason and Medea sleeping nude in the open, sarcastically declares that Jason has :'the ram on his shoulders and the cow in his arms'. (The opera is filled with little comments like this o from various characters, usually at Jason's expense.) Isifil, Jason's deserted wife comes across as the one tragic character in this opera. However,thru a set of circumstances involving many twists and turns in the plot,Jason returns to his wife in the end, having been deserted by Medea, who returns to her husband (Aegeus). "Giasone" is a good example of mid-century Venetian Opera- a powerful brew of the spectacular, the wickedly, and the sometimes deliciously humorous and touchingly pathetic. Rene Jacobs has done a marvelous job pulling this lengthy (3h53'56") opera together, but it's Cavalli's delightful music, along with a simply fabulous cast that keeps it going. To name just a few of them (there are 15 in all)who have the larger parts: Michael Chance (Jason) countertenor; Gloria Banditelli (Medea) Mezzo; and Catherine DuBosc (Isifile) soprano; Harry van der Kamp (Ercole) bass; Michael Schopper (Besso)bass ; Bernard Deletre (Oreste) tenor ; Dominique Visse (Delfa) countertenor; and Guy de May (Egeo) tenor. Vocally and dramatically excellent! A mesmerizing recording and marvelously entertaining!

 

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Cavalli - Xerse - Jacobs, Concerto Vocale

 

Release Date: November 14, 2000 Label: Harmonia Mundi Number of discs: 4 Composer: Pietro Francesco Cavalli Performer: Rene Jacobs, Concerto Vocale cd info/ buy

Review:

Written on the libretto that Handel also used 84 years afterwards, Xerse is a later work of Cavalli's than any of his other operas recorded complete and issued in this country, except for Ercole amante (his only one not composed for an Italian audience). The text adopted here is that of its premiere in Venice in 1654 (or its revival three years later in Bologna), but two numbers have been included from the Paris version of 1660, which failed because of Lully's malicious intrigues and the French courtiers' inability to understand the Italian libretto, which is unusually colloquial and often amusing. The present performance is a spinoff from the presentation at the Bordeaux Festival in May 1985, for which Rene Jacobs felt it necessary to incorporate a few sinfonie from other works and slightly to augment the instrumentation (all scrupulously documented in the notes): this, however, one is relieved to find, is very discreet (only five strings, two recorders and, once or twice, two trumpets are employed, plus a continuo of two harpsichords, theorbo, guitar and organ) and is a world removed from the inflated Leppardizations which have been responsible for giving a false idea of Cavalli. In the absence of the original prologue, Jacobs has also added the delightful and entertaining prologue from Ciro (which was first produced only a fortnight after the premiere of Xerse). Xerse is an astonishingly fine work, on a par with, but more `advanced' than, the operas of his master Monteverdi. It is brimful of melodic invention, harmonic piquancy, stylistic diversity and vitality in the recitatives (which frequently merge into ariosi), and vocal ensembles are unusually numerous. Dramatically it is a most effective high comedy. The plot concerns the distinctly un-regal behaviour of Xerxes, king of Persia, who forsakes his betrothed (Amastre) and becomes enamoured of Romilda, one of the Prince of Abydos's daughters—who however loves, and is loved by, his brother Arsamene, who in turn is loved by Romilda's sister Adelanta. A complicated mix-up ensues, owing to a stupid servant letting a love-letter fall into wrong hands and to misunderstandings arising on all sides. This kind of action demands two qualities above all- -absolutely clear enunciation, and intelligent and varied pacing of recitatives: on both counts Jacobs's stylish direction (which extends to the excellent instrumental playing) is most successful. Literally every word comes through (and for those without Italian there is an English translation, though this is not always quite accurate). This is an undoubted success: a hitherto unheard opera of striking quality, playing and singing that are extremely musicianly and musical (by no means always synonymous!); and impeccably clean recording. L.S.

 

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Cavalli - La Calisto - Bayo, Jacobs, Concerto Vocale

 

 

When this was first released in 1995, I thought it was the finest recording of a Baroque opera I'd ever heard. Since then there have been many others as good, but this one remains positively superb, making the case for an otherwise unknown work, bringing to the fore all of its colors, wit, bawdiness, and complications. Following it with the texts you realize what a fine dramatist the librettist was and how superbly Francesco Cavalli sets his words; indeed, this work, premiered in 1651-52, need not take a back seat to Monteverdi's extant operas. (He was one of Monteverdi's disciples.) There are more overt aria types than in Monteverdi, but still plenty of that arioso-into-aria style that is so engaging. Furthermore, Cavalli's tunes are almost catchy. It's a gem, and this performance is just about perfect.

There's plenty of gender-bending and lots of overt sexual references in this opera. The plot concerns Jove's love for Calisto, who is a follower of Diana, and the former's attempt to seduce Calisto while disguised as the latter, abetted by Mercury. Juno is jealous; Endymion also loves Diana, and so on. Jove-as-Diana manages to seduce Calisto sonically, by singing in falsetto--and in Marcello Lippi we have a bass with a rich sound worthy of the grandest and horniest of gods, but one whose falsetto is developed and expressive enough to convince Calisto while also entertaining us. Calisto is sung by Maria Bayo, and she hasn't impressed so much since this recording was released; her pure, vibrato-free sound is right on the money and she gets inside the innocent but seducible character with great ingenuity.

Countertenor Graham Pushee is a lovesick Endymion who makes us care for this sincere if misdirected character; Alessandra Mantovani's Juno is wildly self-righteous and mellifluous; tenor Barry Banks makes two cameo appearances--one in the prologue and the other as Pan--and is superb as both; and the always-far-out Dominique Visse juices up the proceedings in two roles as well. Simon Keenlyside's Mercury is wise and snide. Since this recording was made he has gone on to become world-famous, and deservedly so. René Jacobs and his band turn this into a great, sharp drama, beautiful to listen to and endlessly appealing. Don't miss it--it's a great work and this is a great performance.--Robert Levine

CD INFO

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Cavalli - L'Orione - Andrea Marcon

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Piero Francesco Cavalli (1602-76)

composed more than 40 operas. Less than a dozen have been recorded. L'Orione an opera in three acts and a prologue is about No. 27 and was first heard in Milan in 1653 to celebrate the election of Ferdinand IV as King of the Romans. This September 27, 1998 performance (in a new critical edition by Andrea Marcon derived from the manuscript in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice) in Venice is the first in the modem era. The plot is derived from the ancient Greek legend of the giant Orion told in Ovid's Fasti, rewritten in Natale Conte's Mythologiae, and finally dramatized in Francesco Meloslo's libretto for Cavalli. The libretto takes the opportunity for humor, using the plight of the blind Orion to make fun of the gods, as was common in so many Venetian librettos of the time. The libretto had originally been written for the Teatro San Moise, Venice in 1642.

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