# Harnoncourt-Ponnelle Monteverdi



## Notung (Jun 12, 2013)

Hey everyone,

I've been hearing Harnoncourt's Orfeo for the Ponnelle film. I was comparing it to the Alessandrini recording and found HUGE instrumentation differences.

Could anyone tell me who is more faithful to what could have been the "original" intent?

I would also appreciate it if anyone told me if the rest of Harnoncourt/Ponnelle Monteverdi cycle is generally "faithful".

Thanks!


----------



## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Dear Neidliches Schwert...I wish I could...but on this topic (& many others...) I am totally ignorant.


----------



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Monteverdi scores are registration specific as to groups by type, but not at all indicating numbers. It is clear within the musical directives when an aria is accompanied by a smaller chamber like group, but these are not like modern scores where exactly how many players are required, when and where, is written directly in the score.

This allows for multiple registrations, mostly variations of numbers of instruments of type, which was the practice of the day.

There will never be, then, one 'official' registration of those works... all that can be hoped for is some intelligent decisions, general adhering to what is known of the performance practice of the time.

This detail from the Wikipedia article on this opera states there were specific groups of instruments by type, but no numbers specified. The number of musicians available (probably at slave wages) could equal the number of audience members! Some productions are quite luxurious as to have, say, a dozen harps, and other multiple numbers of instruments by type.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Orfeo#Instrumentation

For a third take, check this performance (on period instruments) as conducted by Maestro Jordi Savall:





The convention of the day did not really change through Monteverdi's career: you will find the same variance from performance to performance of the later / last of his operas, _Poppea_ and _Ulysses._

P.s. Terrific music, but I am a big fan of it.


----------



## Notung (Jun 12, 2013)

I knew about the numbers being different, but do the notes themselves change from performance to performance? or is that constant? I'm trying to figure out if what I'm hearing should be attributed to the composer or performers.


----------

