# Favorite Vivaldi Opera



## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

I see a few on Amazon and not one seems to be the clear cut pick. I'm not an opera fan usually but considering Vivaldi is my favorite composer, this would be a good place to start.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

No one can help me?


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

What you need to recognize is that Vivaldi's operas are at the state at which Handel's operas were 30 years ago... in that many have just been "discovered" and are just now being given their first recordings. If I were going to choose one opera, I might go with:










or this:










or this:










Honestly, I can say whether my choices are driven by the specific opera... or the performance... (or both)... or the fact that I'd be hard-pressed to admit to having heard enough of a variety of Vivaldi's complete operas more than one time in order to make a really informed comparison. These three all really struck me... the last ( Ercole sul Termodonte ) especially.

I started to explore Vivaldi's operas through the various collections of arias... as well as this collection of highlights:


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

I'd agree with Juditha triumphans as a good start although I only know about five of his operas. It is in fact an oratorio and not an opera but the difference is minimal as all his operas sound quite static. Juditha has beautiful singing but that release is an all female cast so it may sound a bit samey.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> What you need to recognize is that Vivaldi's operas are at the state at which Handel's operas were 30 years ago... in that many have just been "discovered" and are just now being given their first recordings. If I were going to choose one opera, I might go with:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I decided to get the collection of highlights. Seems like the best deal.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I love Ercole sul termodonte and Orlando Furioso.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> What you need to recognize is that Vivaldi's operas are at the state at which Handel's operas were 30 years ago... in that many have just been "discovered" and are just now being given their first recordings. If I were going to choose one opera, I might go with:


I'll check this one out next.


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## FleshRobot (Jan 27, 2014)

Does anyone know why the above recording of _la fida ninfa_ has the _L'Olimpiade_ overture?


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I think it was just because the overture of "La fida ninfa" was missing from the Turin autograph.

On the question raised by the OP, my favorite Vivaldi is "L'incoronazione di Dario". There is also a Naïve recording available:


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## FleshRobot (Jan 27, 2014)

schigolch said:


> I think it was just because the overture of "La fida ninfa" was missing from the Turin autograph.
> 
> On the question raised by the OP, my favorite Vivaldi is "L'incoronazione di Dario". There is also a Naïve recording available:


Thank you for the response. But is the overture in the following video the original La fida ninfa overture or is it from another opera too?


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I don't know my friend. By the text it seems this is a sinfonia coming not from any overture, but from Act 3. However, I listened recently to a performance of "La fida ninfa" in Madrid, the past month of April, with La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, and while there were indeed some instrumental passages played towards the end of the opera, I don't remember this particular one you linked above.

Then again, I'm getting old. 

Maybe you can play Act 3 of the Naïve recording to check.


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## FleshRobot (Jan 27, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestion, but I couldn't find it there. In a video from another channel the same piece is called "La Fida Ninfa Atto Primo Ouverture" and I belive it's from another recording of the opera that is listed on allmusic.


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