Thoughts on the marketability of Vivaldi's Opera
I have frequently been asked to recommend good opera recordings of Vivaldi.
What I am surprised at is the suddenness of Vivaldi's operas acceptance and perceived marketability.
Absurdly, recordings of Vivaldi operas had been almost unheard of despite his contemporary's heavyweight reputation as a musical dramatist. (For example, the article on Vivaldi in the 1980 edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians does not even include the operas (over 60 of them) in the incomplete works list)
Yet in the past couple of years they have been coming thick and fast. Even the suddenness of their acceptance and perceived marketability have threatened to make the past two decade's rise of Handel operas seem slow.
There are some reason why Vivaldi's operas had been almost unheard.
The first, I think, is their big recitatives which require more of a listener's concentration. The important thing of Vivaldi's operas is that their big recitatives however are made necessary by the complexities of the plot and their conversational realism allows them to be more than just a functional advancement of the plot. Also the extreme virtuosity is demanded from every one of the singers. (For example, Listen to Bartoli's stunning virtuosity in Aria Agitata da due venti in Vivladi's Opera Griselda.)
Among rapidly increasing recordings of Vivaldi operas in market, operas from the Vivaldi edtion released by French Label Naive, the quixotic project conceived by musicologist Alberto Basso to record the music by Vivaldi found in manuscripts in the Biblioteca Nazionale in Turin, strike me as the most likely recommendable recordings. Among them, Griselda from Spinosi, L'Olympiade from Alessandrini and Tito Manlio from Ottavio Dantone deserve to be appreciated. ( For detail on Vivaldi Edition, http://www.naive.fr/artiste_coll.php?id=250)
So far, to the best of my knowledge, the best achievement in increasing Vivaldi opera recordings is Bajazet from Fabio Biondi and his strong cast and imaginative playing. Also Bajazet provides clues on the circumstance of the contemporary Italy. Bajazet is partly a pasticcio, which is that it borrows and adapts arias from other operas, and in this case, while the arias for ‘conquered’ characters such as Bajazet and Asteria are by Vivaldi, those for the conquerors – Tamerlano, Andronico and Irene – are other men’s work. It means that the old Venetian culture succumbs to an Neapolitan new culture.
It would be too early to judge whether Vivaldi can match up to his contemporary’s heavyweight reputation as a musical dramatist – though in truth it seems unlikely – . But, hey, so what? Lovers of Vivaldi and Baroque opera like me will certainly not be complaining at the appearance on disc of so much ‘new’ music.
Viva! Vivaldi!
p.s: I'll post a Recording review on Griselda from Spinosi in English.
What I am surprised at is the suddenness of Vivaldi's operas acceptance and perceived marketability.
Absurdly, recordings of Vivaldi operas had been almost unheard of despite his contemporary's heavyweight reputation as a musical dramatist. (For example, the article on Vivaldi in the 1980 edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians does not even include the operas (over 60 of them) in the incomplete works list)
Yet in the past couple of years they have been coming thick and fast. Even the suddenness of their acceptance and perceived marketability have threatened to make the past two decade's rise of Handel operas seem slow.
There are some reason why Vivaldi's operas had been almost unheard.
The first, I think, is their big recitatives which require more of a listener's concentration. The important thing of Vivaldi's operas is that their big recitatives however are made necessary by the complexities of the plot and their conversational realism allows them to be more than just a functional advancement of the plot. Also the extreme virtuosity is demanded from every one of the singers. (For example, Listen to Bartoli's stunning virtuosity in Aria Agitata da due venti in Vivladi's Opera Griselda.)
Among rapidly increasing recordings of Vivaldi operas in market, operas from the Vivaldi edtion released by French Label Naive, the quixotic project conceived by musicologist Alberto Basso to record the music by Vivaldi found in manuscripts in the Biblioteca Nazionale in Turin, strike me as the most likely recommendable recordings. Among them, Griselda from Spinosi, L'Olympiade from Alessandrini and Tito Manlio from Ottavio Dantone deserve to be appreciated. ( For detail on Vivaldi Edition, http://www.naive.fr/artiste_coll.php?id=250)
So far, to the best of my knowledge, the best achievement in increasing Vivaldi opera recordings is Bajazet from Fabio Biondi and his strong cast and imaginative playing. Also Bajazet provides clues on the circumstance of the contemporary Italy. Bajazet is partly a pasticcio, which is that it borrows and adapts arias from other operas, and in this case, while the arias for ‘conquered’ characters such as Bajazet and Asteria are by Vivaldi, those for the conquerors – Tamerlano, Andronico and Irene – are other men’s work. It means that the old Venetian culture succumbs to an Neapolitan new culture.
It would be too early to judge whether Vivaldi can match up to his contemporary’s heavyweight reputation as a musical dramatist – though in truth it seems unlikely – . But, hey, so what? Lovers of Vivaldi and Baroque opera like me will certainly not be complaining at the appearance on disc of so much ‘new’ music.
Viva! Vivaldi!
p.s: I'll post a Recording review on Griselda from Spinosi in English.
posted by Armarius at 11:35 AM
5 Comments:
KiHyuk, might you have a recommendation of which in the Vivaldi series to start with? Do you have a favorite of the Vivaldi Edition releases? Many thanks!
Richard,
I, Gounod, Allegri, Chanseok and Paul generally agree that the best releases so far is 2CD Vespri per l'Assunzione from Rinaldo Alessandrini and his beloved Concerto Italiano. The works not obscurities. This recording is truly a vivladi 're-creaton' distinguished by thrilling singing and Alessandirini's energy. I'd like to say this recording finally restores Vivaldi's heavyweight reputation as a Church music composer. (Actually this recording is one of CDs that I have rushed out to buy a one copy or a dozen copies thinking that my present-problem was solved for special occasions like Christmas, Easter, Commencement or Birthday. Of course, I only rush out for those who are able to appreciate church music)
Very good are also Griselda,La Verita' in Cimento, L'Olimpiade (you already learned this work from our course) and Juditha Triumphans (Vivaldi’s only surviving oratorio with its strongly characterised roles and luxuriant orchestration‚ is a true Baroque masterpiece.) Really they are hard to go wrong.
Orlando finto pazzo would draw a classicst's, like you, attention . As you guess from the title, the story of this opera is taken from Boiardo's Orlando innamornato, not the usual source Ariosto's poem Orlando Furioso. On this evidence, Vivaldi's apptempt appears to deploy all the fiery and ebullient energy of his concertos and ally it to vocal music of neck-tingling exitement.
If pressed for the best ones, though, that would be my response.
Thanks a lot, Ki Hyuk!
On 22th, March, you are extraordinarily successful in delivering vivacity and cumulative excitement of Handel and Scarlatti's works what the expert harpsicordist commands with your virtuosity! Admirable is the way the piano is addressed, with the keys touched rather than struck, and a sense conveyed that the music is coming to us through the ips of the fingers rather than the hammers of the instrument.
More your performance of Baroque keyboard works, please.
Richard,
Concerti e cantate da camera III from Laura Povlerelli, L'Astree and Giorgio Tabacco is among the most enjoyable discs. Particularly enjoyable is RV107, where the omission of continuo leaves us with a charming trio of recorder, oboe and bassoon.
Happy to say, Laura Polverelli brings a commanding sense of drama to the recitatives and uncommon dignity and moment to the arias.
A disc principally for Vivaldi specialists like Ki Hyuk, Gounod and Paul, perhaps, but newcomers like you who stumble across it will surely find plenty to entertain them too.
Ki Hyuk,
Might you post your english review on Vivaldi's Chamber Cantatas Discs from L'astree Ensemble and Paura Polverelli?
Chanseok and Richard,
Vivaldi's Chamber cantatas strike me as mischievously tough assignments for signers. :-)
What's striking about the discs of Vivaldi's Chamber Cantatas is Polverelli well projects various aspects of love in these works without resorting to grand operatic excess.
I'll review some discs of Vivaldi's Edition.
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