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Reviewer:
Bertil van Boer
The first question one has to ask is: When does a composer write an opera but not compose it? This is not as much a riddle as one might expect, but rather is of particular importance to this interesting pastiche. In 1711, Agostino Piovenne wrote a text called Il Bajazet for Francesco Gasparini, Vivaldi’s superior at the Ospedale della Pietà, which soon became such a success that even George Frédéric Handel had to reset it a bit more than a decade later, albeit for London. What is more, the libretto seems to have had wide circulation as it was composed by several others in the decades that followed its premiere in Venice. In 1735, Vivaldi was in search of a couple of new texts for the Carnival opera season in nearby Verona, and his roving eye fell upon Piovenne’s popular text. In order to distinguish his work from his contemporaries, Vivaldi changed the title to Il Tamerlano, but did little to revise the text itself. Since his role was mainly as an impresario, he created a pastiche, possibly because he had so little time to compose it himself, as he was also working on a second opera to be premiered, Adelaïde. He therefore began to cobble together this work from bits and pieces by other composers, including Nicola Porpora, Riccardo Broschi, and Johann Adolph Hasse, all of whom were well known in Italy. He thus did a great deal of arranging, wrote a few of the pieces, and linked them with the simplest of compositional tasks, the recitatives. Of course, in his own personal score he neglected to attribute his insertions properly. The work is a typical opera seria of the time. The Persian sultan Bajazet (baritone), released by Greek prince Andronico (soprano, originally a castrato), tries to matchmake with his daughter Asteria (contralto). This suggestion is opposed by Idaspe (soprano), but Tamerlano (soprano, originally castrato) offers Andronico back his throne if he agrees that Tamerlano will marry Asteria, while Andronico is to marry Irene, Tamerlano’s former fiancée. This offends everyone, and the act ends with accusations of betrayal. In act II Tamerlano notes that Asteria has accepted his proposal, and Andronico is accused by Asteria of throwing her over for Irene. Bajazet is furious with the prince. As the forces of the Sultan and Tamerlano meet on the battlefield, both he and Asteria mock Bajazet, but when the latter threatens suicide, Asteria confesses that her acceptance of marriage was only to assassinate Tamerlano. He finds out and sends them to be executed. In act III, both Bajazet and Asteria wish to take poison, while Andronico declares his love for Asteria to Tamerlano. Asteria is then humiliated by being ordered to act as a servant, while Idaspe thinks losing a kingdom for love is silly. As Tamerlano is being served dinner, Irene notices that his drink is poisoned, tells him, and in a fit he tries to make both Bajazet and Asteria drink it instead. After Andronico knocks the cup away, saving both of them, Tamerlano agrees to marry Irene, and a messenger arrives to tell them that Bajazet has poisoned himself. Tamerlano sees a distraught Asteria, and under the ministrations of Irene and Andronico, pardons her. Actually, as opera seria goes, this is not too wild of a story. It doesn’t have the unbelievability of sudden unprepared and awkward twists and non-sequiturs, but rather proceeds in a smooth if somewhat convoluted manner. This certainly must have appealed to audiences of the time, and Vivaldi knew a winner when he saw one. Of course, the main appeal as always lay in the arias, no matter who the actual composer was. Given the rather substantial length of this opera, a few examples will suffice to give a brief introduction. First, the Sinfonia is actually quite complex, with swirling horns and textural variations that sometimes lead the orchestra to be reduced to a bare minimum of strings and at others to a powerful statement. The third movement is only a few chords, so that the opera can begin. Of course, Vivaldi may well have been pressed for time, but it is a marvel of compactness. The aria of Idaspe “Nasce Rosa” begins with a sustained note for the soprano, but soon the marching theme is a support for some nice, if light vocalises, performed easily by Arianna Vendittelli, whose voice has a rich and deep timbre. Tamerlano’s “Vedeste mai” has an arrogant minuet style line, with a vocal pomposity that is effectively spun out by countertenor Filippo Mineccia. As everyone accuses the other of infidelity, Irene’s martial furore “Qual guerriero” rushes about with excursions into the minor key, a line that soars with leaps and bounds, and punctuating hammer strokes. Here soprano Sophie Rennert can be a bit wobbly in her coloratura, but her tone is always full and she has the fantastic range required. In the second act Asteria’s “La cervetta timidetta,” which speaks of a flitting doe seeking her lover, has a hesitant, yet swiftly flighty line that has some interesting chromaticism and sudden turns to the minor mode, but in form and structure could have been composed much later than this opera. Here soprano Delphine Galou has a light but definitive interpretation, with each ornament and scale precisely delineated. Bajazet’s aria “Dov’é la figlia?” swirls about with Stentorian calls and rushing strings, as Bajazet desperately seeks his daughter in a blind fury, amply depicted by baritone Bruno Tadia. In act III, Andronico’s “Spesso tra vaghe rose” is a bravura aria filled with registral changes, challenging coloratura, and considerable musical energy, here sung with power and feeling by soprano Marina de Liso. Vivaldi’s ensemble numbers appear, as one might expect, at the conclusions of the acts, and the final ultimate chorus is meant to provide the moral (“peace is to reign”) and here “Coronata di gigli” fulfills the function with a joyous and powerful moment, punctuated by trumpets and timpani. This gives a brief overview of an opera filled with voluptuous display, good, solid orchestral writing, and arias that provide back-to-back moods. The orchestra, ably led by Ottavio Dantone, makes this music come alive, and almost all of the voices are eminently suitable for the challenges put upon them. This is another fine recording from the Vivaldi Edition, well performed with enthusiasm, accuracy, and energy, a fine example of the talent of Antonio Vivaldi. Well-recommended. |
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