# Vivaldi's Orlando Furioso



## kevharris

Hi,
I am very confused right now. I have been a huge fan of Vivaldi for years and have this old recording of his Orlando Furioso RV 728 in my collection. Now I recently got a newer recording of the same exact opera (at least the RV catalog number is the same) and you know what...the operas are COMPLETELY different. Now I am aware of an earlier Orlando by Vivaldi, from 1714 (RV 727), but that is not it. So now I am left to wonder...will the real Orlando Furioso please stand up!

The recordings I have are:

Orlando Furioso, CD Label: Erato - Claudio Scimone, I Solisti Veneti; M. Horne, et al.
Orlando Furioso, CD Label: naïve - Jean-Christophe Spinosi & Ensemble Matheus

These two recordings are completely different, track for track. The overtures are different, the recitatives are different, the arias are different, the whole libretto is different. Additionally, comparing it to the earlier Orlando came up with nothing - it was different as well.

If anyone can shed some light on this, I'd appreciate it. Someone is performing something incorrectly here.

Kevin


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## HarpsichordConcerto

Interesting. Confusing, indeed. There are two Vivaldi operas with the name _Orlando_ as part of the title, which you already mentioned.

(A) _Orlando Finto Pazzo_ (1714), apparently his second opera; in any case, an early one.

(B) _Orlando Furioso_ (1727).

I have (A) on the Naive label and I have (B) on the CPO label. Now, there is only one recording of (A) available and three recordings of (B) available. You have two of the three recordings of (B), which you claim are largely different music, while I have the third recording of (B). My bet is your Naive recording of (B) is the same as my CPO recording of (B); both are newer recordings, which would have reflected developments on Vivaldian musicology, while the Claudio Scimone version is the "strange one".

Question - do you have (A)? I presume you do, and that it is totally different music to Claudio Scimone's (B). If so, then Claudio Scimone's (B) may well be some early version of _Orlando Furioso_? I'm just guessing.

I don't intend to buy Claudio Scimone's version because it's played on modern instruments, which I generally dislike on Baroque music.

P.S.
Handel also wrote an opera called _Orlando_, which I must say Handel's version trumps it all.


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## HarpsichordConcerto

I just did some digging around.

Giovanni Alberto Ristori (1692-1753) apparently wrote an opera also by the title _Orlando Furioso_ (1713), which Vivaldi adapted it with music of his own in 1714! This would be a _pasticcio_ opera, which was a common practice those days when a composer put on another composer's work with some new music by himself. Could this Ristori _pasticcio_ be the Claudio Scimone version, I wonder? The fact that Scimone's version is labelled as RV728 means nothing, as record companies are not scholars and they do get things wrong.

So, to sum up, the correct _Orlando Furioso_ RV728 is available in two recordings: Naive label (yours) and CPO label (mine), while the Scimone recording is either _Orlando Finto Pazzo_ or the Ristori _pasticcio_. If you have _Orlando Finto Pazzo_ on the Naive label (relatively new recording), then it's obvious what the Scimone recording most likely is.


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## kevharris

Okay, a breakthrough!!

Upon further listening and examination - I have come to find that the naïve recording is apparently a COMPLETE version of RV728. I have deduced that the Claudio Scimone recording, while taking up 3 CDs, is lacking several recitatives and arias. As I was listening through the naïve recording, in Act I, Scene 5 I hear the opening aria that is found in Act I, Scene I on the Scimone recording. So I think Erato took liberties and chopped out unwanted parts or something. Either that or it is a different version of the opera altogether, the overtures are completely different. Either this is conductor's choice or there is a difference in the versions.

If you listen to track 13 of 27 on the naïve recording, you will hear the aria which opens the Scimone recording and things seem to be mostly the same after that between the two recordings (except that the naïve recording is vastly superior - I never liked Marilyn Horne *cough*).

Lastly, yes Handel is a better composer - I agree with you there. Listen to Vivaldi long enough and it all blurs together.


Kevin


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## kevharris

Oh and one last thing - if you listen to track 17 of 27 on the naïve recording of RV728 "Orlando Furioso" it is the same as the aria in the middle of track 4 on the Scimone recording - HOWEVER...the tempos are VASTLY different. On the Scimone recording Horne is singing it at an almost Largo tempo, or a slow Adagio where the naïve recording is more like a Moderato to an Allegro moderato in tempo.

Ugh, this is so annoying.


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## HarpsichordConcerto

Vivaldi opera recordings are, sadly to say, not on the level of standard that one would expect. Several recordings have been mercilessly cut - arias and recitatives - in order for the greedy record companies to fit the music to maximise sales.

The different overtures are not that surprising. Perhaps the original was lost and the directors have decided to do what fits. This has happened with a few other Vivaldi operas I have.

The tempos can differ quite a lot especially with HIP versus non-HIP (Scimone).

Reading your response, I now think the Scimone version is the cut down version of the complete _Orlando Furioso_.

Here's my CPO version (released 2008), on period instruments. 3CDs.


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## kevharris

I am going to agree with you on your assessment that the Scimone recording is a cut down version. The only vocalist on the recording of any standing was Marilyn Horne, they probably put her on there to push sales. Yuck!

Anyway, I am glad I have a better version of it now. Thanks for your insight!

Kevin


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