# Baroque & Early Classical Opera



## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Any fans or any haters  of Baroque and early Classical operas here? Which ones are amongst your favourites? By early Classical, I mean pre-mature Mozart, say. As far as opera is concerned, I think this period that I'm refering to has enjoyed an immense resurgence and rediscovery over the last few decades, especially with the historically informed performance movement; from Monteverdi's _L'Orfeo_ to seldom heard operas by Mozart, with eveything in between - Vivaldi operas, Handel operas, you name it!

Some that I have recently been listening to over the last month, with much delight are: _Edimione_ by Johann Christian Bach, _Mitridate_ by Mozart, _Orlando Furioso_ by Vivaldi and _Teseo_ by Handel.

You?


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I think you will find that there are some devoted fans of Baroque opera on the Opera on DVD thread.

My favourites are:

Monteverdi - anything, the man's a genius. My dream is that one day somone will discover a previously lost opera by him.

Purcell - Dido & Aeneas

Rameau - Les Indes Galantes but planning to hear more when I can spare time from my present Wagner journey.

Handel - Giulio Cesare, Hercules, Serse, Athalia, Solomon...

Plenty more on the DVD shelf waiting to be explored.

I haven't started on Vivaldi yet but I have a couple on my MP3 player waiting to be heard.


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

Yes, there are a few of us around. Here's the opera on dvd thread to which Natalie refers, in case you haven't found it yet.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks!

Ah yes, Handel's _Serse, Solomon, Hercules, Athalia_ - I have on recording. Superb works. _Hercules_ was effectively an English opera, although Handel was very careful not to present it as an opera.


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## Elgarian (Jul 30, 2008)

_Ariodante_ is one of my favourites, partly because it contains two of the greatest arias ever written - though there's a certain disadvantage in that, because I tend to spend most of the first part of the opera anticipating 'Scherza infida'; and then, when that's gone by, I switch into "anticipation of 'Dopo notte' mode".

_Alcina_ is another one of Handel's very best operas, I think - again, teeming with fine things. I've yet to hear one, actually, that I _didn't_ enjoy!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> _Hercules_ was effectively an English opera, although Handel was very careful not to present it as an opera.


I've seen it fully staged on DVD and it works fine as an opera.

I always wonder if you could stage some of the oratorios - I'd love to see Solomon but I suspect it wouldn't work as there are two completely different sections (the "divided" baby and then the Queen of Sheba), so no clear development, whereas Hercules has a clear storyline from beginning to end.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

_Semele_ has been staged many times; again, effectively an English opera. _Theodora_ was staged, available on DVD (Peter Sellars/William Christie).

With _Ariodante_ and _Alcina_ (composed consecutively), Handel was again rising to a new peak since his _Royal Academy_ opera days (1720 to 1728). Both masterpieces, on par with _Giulio Cesare, Tamerlano_ and _ Rodelinda_ (all three also composed consecutively).


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I guess it is safe to hijack this thread as it has been inactive for nearly 7 years. So,

I am starting to get into Baroque opera. I have four that I came to for various singers:

Handel Julius Caesar with Sills
Vivaldi Ottone in villa bought on a whim this one with Nancy Argenta
Handel Ariodante with DiDonato
Handel Tolomeo with Bonitatibus

So I am thinking to get more Baroque opera but am cautiously moving forward and one criteria is that I don't want counter tenors (or male soprano etc), but don't mind women singing male roles.

The other thing is that I am listening to Ottone in Villa right now. It has one tenor and four sopranos. Do they have one with a ton of contralto and/or mezzos? Soprano is nice but sometimes one gets tired of bubbly champaign and wants a nice dry red wine.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I just added Handel's Deidamia to my list.

If Baroque is 1600-1750 then is my Pergolesi "La Serva Padrona" Baroque?

Otherwise I seem to be stuck in a rut of Handel and it seems I should be experiencing some other Baroque composers' operas. Here is one that I keep thinking about (a bit pricey right now though):


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Monteverdi's Crypt, Basilica dei Frari, Venice*



mamascarlatti said:


> I think you will find that there are some devoted fans of Baroque opera on the Opera on DVD thread.
> 
> My favourites are:
> 
> ...


I suppose this is as good a place as any to post my all-time favorite image from my two-week concert tour-vacay in Italy this past summer. Ending up in Venice, I went upon the recommendation of a fellow singer who now lives there to the famous cathedral known as the Frari (or Chiesa dei Frari), so named after the Franciscan friars. It is a wonderful, glorious large cathedral for many reasons (not the least of which is its 15th century inlaid-wood choir [the choir 'loft' in the middle of the ground floor of the sanctuary] which seats about 80 singers), but wandering around the church and examining its many treasures, I discovered this, the burial crypt of Claudio Monteverdi. The hair on my arms stood straight on end. In the presence of genius, as mamascarlatti says.






​
:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Florestan said:


> I just added Handel's Deidamia to my list.
> 
> If Baroque is 1600-1750 then is my Pergolesi "La Serva Padrona" Baroque?


Baroque is a style (or a range of styles), not an era. The Wikipedia article on the opera says "La serva padrona is often seen as the quintessential piece that bridges the gap from the Baroque to the Classical period," for what that's worth. I expect if he had lived past 26 and kept composing, no one would really thinking of him as a Baroque composer.

If you're looking for Baroque opera beyond Handel to explore, it seems like Vivaldi is a good choice. Monteverdi and Purcell are also masters, though neither had many operas.

Personally, I have slowly been getting to know more Handel operas, but it makes sense that I should make sure to cast my net wider so as to not get sick of him or to think of him as the only Baroque opera composer. I think I'm going to try and shift towards Lully and Cavalli.

It's more late Baroque, but I have a ticket to see _Le temple de la Gloire_ by Jean-Philippe Rameau in April.


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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Florestan said:


> I just *added Handel's Deidamia *to my list.
> 
> If Baroque is 1600-1750 then is my Pergolesi "La Serva Padrona" Baroque?
> 
> Otherwise I seem to be stuck in a rut of Handel and it seems I should be experiencing some other Baroque composers' operas. Here is one that I keep thinking about (a bit pricey right now though):


This will kill many birds with one stone, Italian Handel operas all conducted by Alan Curtis in this Virgin label boxset










OMG that price on Amazon is insane, oop now I think I paid $39 new 5-6 years ago


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Florestan said:


> I just added Handel's Deidamia to my list.
> 
> If Baroque is 1600-1750 then is my Pergolesi "La Serva Padrona" Baroque?
> 
> Otherwise I seem to be stuck in a rut of Handel and it seems I should be experiencing some other Baroque composers' operas. Here is one that I keep thinking about (a bit pricey right now though):


Mama Mia! Deidamia!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Florestan said:


> I just added Handel's Deidamia to my list.
> 
> If Baroque is 1600-1750 then is my Pergolesi "La Serva Padrona" Baroque?
> 
> Otherwise I seem to be stuck in a rut of Handel and it seems I should be experiencing some other Baroque composers' operas. Here is one that I keep thinking about (a bit pricey right now though):


Like to see you on fire!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

This looks good too, and would expand my Baroque opera horizons:


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

My Baroque opera collection expanded considerably after seeing a live performance of Handel's Ariodante last month with Joyce Didonato and Sonia Prina. Those purchased since the Ariodante concert are bold. Here is what I currently have on CD:

Handel: Ariodante, Deidamia, *Tamerlano*, Tolomeo, Julius Caeser

Monteverdi: L'Orfeo, Poppea, Ulisse

Gluck: Orhpee et Eurydice (Larmore set and *Horne set*)

Vivaldi: Ottone in Villa

Vinci: *Partenope*

On DVD I have Handel's Julius Caeser, *Ariodante*, and *Ariodante sung in English*; Gluck's *Orphee et Eurydice,* Monteverdi's *Ulisse*, and Vinci's *Partenope*.

I have not watched any of the DVDs yet, but plan to start with the Gluck Orphee (staring Kasarova) next.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Updating my Baroque opera CD collection listing:

Handel: Alcina, Amadigi, Ariodante, Caesar (5 sets) Deidamia, Tamerlano, Tolomeo, 

Monteverdi: L'Orfeo (2 sets), Ulisse (2 sets)

Gluck: Orhpee et Eurydice (3 sets, one is Orfeo)

Pergolesi: La Serva Padrona (8 sets)

A Scarlatti: La Santissima Trinita

Vivaldi: Ercole, Farnace, Ottone in Villa

Vinci: Partenope

______________________________________

Now, can anyone tell me of mezzo/alto heavy Baroque Operas I can consider adding to my collection.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

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## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

I am happy to find a thread like this. There are so many opera baroque composers that I don't know where to start. The first thought is the big problematic concerning the lack of recordings and sometimes even live concerts of the great baroque composers.

I want to dedicate some time and this space to all those baroque composers of italian baroque operas and particularly those that I have a deep respect and admiration: Nicola Porpora (1686-1768), Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), G.F. Handel (1685-1759), Antonio Caldara (1670-1736), Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730), G.B. Pergolesi (1710-1736), Leonardo Leo (1694-1744), F.M. Veracini (1690-1768), J.A. Hasse (1699-1783), C.H. Graun (1704-1759), Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725).

*Nicola Porpora* (1686-1768) is among my favourite composers, not only concerning operas but also my admiration for his cantatas and oratorios. He hold an outstanding record of more than 50 operas composed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_operas_by_Porpora

Unfortunately, nowadays, his surviving opera works came to us mainly in terms of isolated arias recorded and also as a part of live concerts across Europe. Luckily, so recently the first complete opera by Nicola Porpora have been recorded and also recently released (12.01.2018): *Germanico in Germania* (1732) with an outstanding and estellar vocal cast, hardly ever seen before:










Cencic, Lezhneva, Sancho, Nesi, Idrisova, Bennani. Jan Tomasz Adamus, Capella Cracovensis (period instruments).

I ordered it an hour ago and also researching through internet, I came across a previous live performance by Marchi conducting Academia Montis Regalis. I do not have much information but seems to had been quite interesting not only for the HIP performance but also for the period costumes and scenario (as shown in the pictures of this event).

Germanico: Patricia Bardon
Arminio: David Hansen
Rosmonda: Klara Ek
Cecina: Hagen Matzeit
Segeste: Carlo Vincenzo Alemanno
Ersinda: Emilie Renard
orchestra: Academia Montis Regalis (period instruments)
conductor: Alessandro de Marchi
live recording 2015, festival di Innsbruck

Atto I:






Atto II:






Atto III:






Germanico in Germania is an opera in three acts composed by Nicola Porpora to an Italian-language libretto by Nicola Coluzzi. It premiered in February 1732 at the Teatro Capranica in Rome with an all-male cast. The leading male roles were taken by two of the most prominent castrato singers of the 18th century-Domenico Annibali as Germanico and Caffarelli as his nemesis Arminio. The female roles were portrayed by castrati en travesti. The opera's story is a fictionalised account of the Roman general Germanicus and is set in Germania Inferior during 14 AD. Germanico in Germania was very popular in its day but fell into obscurity until it was revived in 2015 at the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music.

I started listening the first act and I will continue at night. I really love such hard italian baroque operas with castrati roles and full of memorable arias. I hope I will continue posting in this thread, keeping it alive and giving the space and time that the great opera baroque composers deserve.


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## Nonchalant (Jan 13, 2018)

I don’t see enough French opera in here. For anyone interested in it, here are a few of my absolute favorites:

Clérambault:Triomphe d’Iris (weak libretto, astonishing music)
Marais: Alcyone (in my opinion this is the best tragédie en musique)
Boismortier: Daphnis et Chloé (same style as contemporary Rameau, equally as effective composer)
Charpentier: La couronne des fleurs (very short chamber opera, a near perfect composition)


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## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

Nonchalant said:


> I don't see enough French opera in here. For anyone interested in it, here are a few of my absolute favorites:
> 
> Clérambault:Triomphe d'Iris (weak libretto, astonishing music)
> Marais: Alcyone (in my opinion this is the best tragédie en musique)
> ...


Thank you for your suggestions. I have several recordings of french baroque opera comprising Lully, Rameau, Mondonville, Leclair, Marais, Charpentier (despite I rather prefer his sacred works). Later on, I hope I can comment at least some of them.


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## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

Let's continue with *Nicola Porpora* (1686-1768)










As I previously said, Porpora is among my favourite composers, neglected today and the author of at least 50 operas. The second and perhaps the last complete opera ever recorded in a live concert is *Semiramide riconosciuta*.

*Semiramide riconosciuta* is a dramma per music composed to a libretto by Pietro Metastasio. Metastasio was the premier poet of the XVIII century, and his libretto texts were often set dozens of times by various composers. Porpora's setting of this Metastasio libretto was one of the very first. Leonardo Vinci's Semiramide riconosciuta, also of 1729, is considered to be the original, and authentic version of the libretto, for the production was overseen by Metastasio himself. Anyway, there are several classical sources for Metastasio's story, which tells of Semiramide.

Synopsis: The Egyptian princess Semiramide rules Assyria disguised as a man. Princess Tamiri prepares to choose a husband from three candidates, setting in motion a series of events that lead to Semiramide being reunited with her lover Scitalce, and the exposure of the villainy of his rival Sibari.

The premiere of Porpora's Semiramide riconosciuta took place at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo of Venice during the Carnival celebrations of 1729. The opera was written for some of the best contemporary singers, and includes a series of technically demanding da capo arias. Porpora's production featured the finest castrato singer of the era, Carlo Broschi, also known as Farinelli, in the one of the lead roles. The rest of the cast was also exceptional, and Porpora could afford to compose virtuosic music to showcase the vocal talents at his disposal.

The live concert recording: From the Festival de Beaune, performed at the Cour des Hospices de Beaune on July 8th 2011 and broadcast by France Musique.

Dramma per musica in 3 acts. Semiramide: Delphine Galou, contralto Mirteo: Teodora Gheorghiu, soprano Ircano: Juan Sancho, tenor Scitalce: Blandine Staskiewicz, mezzo-soprano Sibari: Mary-Ellen Nesi, mezzo-soprano Tamiri: Maria Grazia Schiavo, soprano

Accademia Bizantina, conducted by Stefano Montanari (on period instruments)


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Nonchalant said:


> I don't see enough French opera in here.


Additionally, I understand there was Baroque opera in Russia that was sung in Italian. Anybody know of any of these? I only know of the arias from that era that are on Cecilia Bartoli's St. Petersburg set. Here is the track listing (one minute video trailer):


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## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

Fritz Kobus said:


> Additionally, I understand there was Baroque opera in Russia that was sung in Italian. Anybody know of any of these? I only know of the arias from that era that are on Cecilia Bartoli's St. Petersburg set. Here is the track listing (one minute video trailer):


Honestly, I didn't know about this recording but I Barocchisti/Fasolis + Bartoli is an excellent combination. I am interested to know further about it. I've never listened to Manfredini (son), hopefully his Carlo Magno opera will be recorded one day...


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## JSBach85 (Feb 18, 2017)

*Attilio Ariosti* (1666-1729)










Attilio Ariosti was a Servite Friar and Italian composer in the Baroque style, born in Bologna. He produced more than 30 works among them operas and oratorios, numerous cantatas and instrumental works. His first opera was performed in Venice in 1697. From 1703 to 1709 he was the General Austrian Agent for Italy, during the reign of Joseph I. After 1716 he achieved enormous success in Paris and London. In London, he shared with Georg Frideric Handel and Giovanni Bononcini the directorship of the Royal Academy of Music, and he played the viola d'amore in an entr'acte in Handel's Amadigi di Gaula. In 1724 he published a Collection of Cantatas, and Lessons for the Viola d'Amour, which he sold by subscription. This publication may have been the most successful sale of music by subscription in the 18th century.

Operas
Composed around 23 operas, among them:

"La festa di Imeneo" - (Berlin) balletto.
"Atys" - (Berlin).
"La fede nei tradimenti" - (Berlin, 1701).
"Marte e Irene" - (Berlin, 1703).
"I gloriosi presagi del Scipione Africano" - (Vienna, 1704).
"La profezia d'Eliseo nell'assedio di Samaria" - (Vienna, 1705).
"Marte placato" - (Vienna, 1707).
"La gara delle antiche eroine ne' campi elisi" - (Vienna, 1707).
"Amor tra nemici" - (Vienna, 1708).
"La Placidia" - (Vienna, 1709).
"Coriolano" - (London, 1723).
"Lucio Vero" - (London, 1726).
"Vespasiano e Artaserse" - (London, 1724).
"Dario" - (London, 1725).

La Fede ne' Tradimenti: This opera is from 1701 and was written for court, not a public theater. There are arias, a lot of them, and some of them feature the kind of coloratura fireworks and cantilena you get from Handel. But many don't, and nearly all are smaller in scale. There are some longer solo scenes, but they consist of multiple arias connected by bits of recitative. There are a few beautiful duets, but the only other ensemble is the short choral finale (chorus consisting of the soloists). There's a lot of recitative relative to aria, and while it's good recitative, its volume means you're going to be spending a fair amount of the time thinking about the dramatic action. La fede ne' tradimenti's 1689 libretto, by Girolamo Gigli, is a gleeful affair that was set by a number of other composers before Ariosti. Expanding fantastically on a minor subplot in the fight between King Fernando of Castille and King Sancio of Navarre, it, in the words of Sabine Rademacher's ace program notes, "trivializes the medieval figures and events, as well as their heroic ideals." Briefly, the plot involves Fernando, engaged to Anagilda, though he killed her father. Anagilda's brother is not happy about this and interferes. Anagilda, proving that ladies of Spain are just made for liberating their wrongfully imprisoned husbands, rescues Fernando. Elvira, Fernando's sister, is also involved, and improbably ends up falling for Garzia.

There is a live recording concerning this opera available:

Attilio Ariosti. «La Fede ne' Tradimenti»
Dramma per musica in 3 acts 
Libretto: Girolamo Gigli
Berlin, 1701

ELVIRA - Lucia Cirillo [soprano]
ANAGILDA - Roberta Invernizzi [soprano]
FERNANDO - Marianne Beate Kielland [mezzo-soprano]
GARZIA - Håvard Stensvold [bass]

Europa Galante (on period instruments)
Fabio Biondi [direction]
Wiener Konzerthaus, 1/23/2011






For further information and review of the event, please consult: http://likelyimpossibilities.com/2011/01/ariostis-la-fede-ne-tradimenti-a.html


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