Johann Adolf Hasse - Requiem in C Major; Miserere in E Minor

"'Few artists enjoyed such success and acquired such a remarkable reputation as Hasse; few have been forgotten more completely than he is now.' These words were written in 1844 by one of the fathers of musicology, François Joseph Fétis, in his monumental 'Biographie universelle des musiciens'. His opinion is, alas, just as valid today: little of Hasse's music is performed and even less is recorded. Yet Hasse's friend and contemporary, the historian Charles Burney (1726-1814) described him as 'the most skillful and elegant of all the composers of his time.'

"On account of his quite exceptional and lengthy career, coupled with the abundance, diversity and quality of his output, Adolf Hasse (1699-1783) was one of the most important influential personalities of the late baroque period. He was born at Bergedorf, near Hamburg, into a family of musicians, and very early in his career he turned to the world of opera, firstly as a singer, then as a composer. He wrote his first 'drama per musica', 'Antioco', at the age of twenty. So-called 'modern' Italian opera was at the time entirely under the sway of Neopolitan ideas; it was therefore entirely natural that Hasse should make his way to this new capital of operatic art in order to study with such prestigious musicians as Antonio Porpora and Alessandro Scarlatti. His first important works date from 1726 and they enjoyed outstanding success. From that time on, Hasse was nickname in the friendliest of fashions 'il caro Sassoni' ('the dear Saxon') and he was known as such until the end of his life. During this period, he divided his time between Naples and Venice, in which latter city he became 'maestro di cappella' of the Ospedale degli Incurabili and married of the most famous sopranos of the day, Faustina Bordoni (1700-1781), more generally known as 'la nuova Sirena'.

"In 1737, he was invited to the Dresden Court. It was there that he wrote one of his most famous 'opera seria' works, 'Cleofide'. The piece enjoyed triumphal success and it led to Hasse's appointment as 'Kapellmeister' to the Prince Elector and King of Poland. He thereupon settled down in the Saxon capital for what turned out to be a fertile creative period of no less than thirty years, interspersed with a great many journeys throughout Europe. Commissions flowed to Hasse continually, including those from royal courts, and many were the invitations he received for periods of residence. He developed a close friendship with Metastasio, the famous 'poeta caesarea' (poet laureate of the Viennese Imperial Court) who was thoroughly imbued with the spirit of classicism. Hasse shared Metastasio's views on the theatre, views inspired by the Age of Enlightenment, and he set to music virtually all of the poet's libretti.

"This memorable period in Hasse's life came to a sudden end with the death of Prince Augustus II on 5 October 1763. Hasse's 'Requiem' in C major for the Prince was performed on 22 November of the same year. The new prince, Friedrich Christian, was confronted with enormous financial problems occasioned by the years of war preceding his accession and by his late father's unlimited generosity to a host of beneficiaries including the 'Kapellmeister' and his wife, who enjoyed unheard-of salaries. Friedrich Christian decided to dismiss the Hasses without even awarding them a pension. The couple made their way to Vienna where they were received with all the honours due to their fame. They eventually lived out their lives peacefully in Venice.

"Hasse's output of religious music was prodigious. His 'Miserere' was hailed as a masterpiece in his time, as was the astonishing 'Requiem' in C major. The latter work, one of a number of Masses for the Dead (including a 'Requiem' in E-flat and another in the same key attributed to Hasse by the musicologist Müller, as well as various fragments of requiem masses) is by far the best known. This is borne out by the fact that throughout Europe, many copies of the work are to be found, including one, carefully preserved, in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris (upon which these notes are based).

"The orchestral forces required for the 'Requiem' in C major are impressive: pairs of flutes, oboes, bassoons, horn and trumpets with tympani. All these wind instruments appear as soloists in brilliant concertante style. Nevertheless, the bulk of the musical discourse is supplied by the strings, reinforced by bass continuo (the organ is specifically mentioned as an essential constituant).

"Much of the music shines out by its sheer originality. It is, for example, highly unusual for a requiem mass to open with a brilliant introit in a major key, heightened by the use of trumpets and drums. The atmosphere is far removed from the traditional picture of death as portrayed by baroque and earlier masters who expressed fear, serene submission, even penitence, and is quite the reverse of the later settings of Mozart and Fauré. The tone adopted by Hasse was in fact perfectly suited to the personality of Augustus II, who generosity and splendour could only be adequately celebrated with a thoroughly triumphant funeral ceremony.

"The verse 'Te decet' provides the first startling contrast: a chorus of male voices in unison sing out the original Gregorian melody, providing a cantus firmus sustained by a lively, flowing basso continuo in the best Italian style. The second verse, 'Exaudi', provides another surprise, since it is a gracious 'air tendre' for alto (this is the voice which is used more than any other throughout the oratorio). The ornamentation is discreet, yet thoroughly 'bel canto', as is the case with much of the writing in this work.

"All these arias are melodious and florid in a pure 'galant', thoroughly Italian style. It has to be said that the boundary between the world of the 'opera seria' and that of religious music is very narrow in Hasse's music, as is indeed the case with Verdi who had the same sort of reproach levelled at him when he composed his own 'Requiem'. Nevertheless, the generally ornate style and impressive virtuosity of 'opera seria' has to be contrasted with the relative economy of style in the solo passages, even though certain arias, such as the jubilant 'Inter oves locum praesta' in the 'Dies Irae' are full of roulades, vocalises and other ornaments taken from operatic style.

"The choruses are essentially declamatory and aim above all at bringing out the meaning of the text. There is a monumental 'Christe eleison', and the strict contrapuntal, 'alla breve' writing of the 'Kyrie' is in the purest 'stilo antico' (Bach himself resorted to this 'early style' in the 'Christe' of his Mass in B minor).

"Finally, the conclusion of the 'Requiem' reveals Hasse as a composer concerned with construction and symmetry. The communion antiphon takes up again the music of the introit, although the sequence is reversed (nos. 20 and 21 are repeated of nos. 2 and 1). The result is an unusual switch of traditional liturgical form. The antiphon proper (no. 20, 'Lux aeterna') is treated as straightforward psalmody whereas its verse (no. 21, 'Requiem aeternam') is set in a brilliant and majestic concertante style; this is in direct contrast with Gregorian tradition in which the antiphon is ornate and the psalm verse is of the utmost simplicity.

"This festive and powerful piece of writing reveals to the full the imposing stature of a composer who is far too little known. Perhaps the most salient feature is that he was quite manifestly a master of a great variety of styles. At the same time, it illustrates the accuracy of the observation made by Charles Burney: 'Hasse was the most skilful and the most elegant of the composers of his time.' And there can be no doubt that his 'Requiem' was one of the greatest masterpieces in his mature output. (Denis Morrier, tr. John Sidgwick. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Il Fondamento, Paul Dombrecht

1. Requiem In C Major, Introitus: Requiem

2. Requiem In C Major, Introitus: Te Decet

3. Requiem In C Major, Introitus: Exaudi

4. Requiem In C Major, Kyrie: Kyrie

5. Requiem In C Major, Kyrie: Christe - Kyrie

6. Requiem In C Major, Sequentia: Dies Irae

7. Requiem In C Major, Sequentia: Tuba Mirum

8. Requiem In C Major, Sequentia: Mors Stupebit

9. Requiem In C Major, Sequentia: Recordare

10. Requiem In C Major, Sequentia: Quaerens Me

11. Requiem In C Major, Sequentia: Juste Judex

12. Requiem In C Major, Sequentia: Inter Over Locum Praesto

13. Requiem In C Major, Sequentia: Lacrimosa

14. Requiem In C Major, Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe

15. Requiem In C Major, Offertorium: Hostias

16. Requiem In C Major, Sanctus: Sanctus

17. Requiem In C Major, Benedictus: Benedictus

18. Requiem In C Major, Benedictus: Osanna

19. Requiem In C Major, Agnus Dei: Agnus Dei

20. Requiem In C Major, Communio: Lux Aeterna

21. Requiem In C Major, Communio: Da Capo Il Primo Requiem

22. Miserere In E Minor: Miserere Mei Deus

23. Miserere In E Minor: Tibi Soli Peccavi

24. Miserere In E Minor: Ecce Enim

25. Miserere In E Minor: Libera Me

26. Miserere In E Minor: Quoniam Si Voluisses

27. Miserere In E Minor: Benigne Fac

28. Miserere In E Minor: Gloria Patri

29. Miserere In E Minor: Sicut Erat

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Johann Adolf Hasse - Cantate per Voce e Strumenti

"The famous composer Johann Adolf Hasse began his career as a tenor in Germany, displaying excellent quality and earning the praise of important musicians of the time, among them Mattheson himself (he sang again in Paris, in 1750, in duets with his wife).

"His deput as an opera composer took place in 1721.

"Hasse had excellent composition teachers, in particular Nicolò Porpora and Alessandro Scarlatti. The influence of the latter is obvious in most of the musical production of the 'dear Saxon' (or 'divine Saxon').

"In 1730 Hasse married Faustina Bordoni (Venice 1693 - Venice 1781), also called 'Faustina' or 'the new Siren', a very famous singer for her extraordinary virtuosity and the quality of her mezzo-soprano voice, appreciated by the major composers of the time, among them Händel himself. After their wedding, the singer became exclusive interpreter of her husband's operas. After numberless successful performances throughout Europe, Hasse was identified as one of the major representatives of 18th century serious Italian opera: a very prolific composers, he left to prosterity more than 50 melodrama, 10 intermezzos, 11 oratorios, a great deal and variety of religious music, cantatas of different kinds, solo instrument music, as well as other chamber and orchestral music. 

"Admired also by famous and powerful people, such as Frederick the Great of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria, the Saxon composer was very succesful in blending some aspects of the German music stylistic rigor with the melodic quality typical of Neapolitan music.

"Hasse's vocal compositions reveal a very close and constant faithfulness to the literary original from which they took inspiration, even when such choice brought remarkable technical and interpretative difficulties to the performers. Already in the years around 1730, the arias by the Saxon author became a sought after means for bel canto virtuosity, launching pad and comparison rule for the skills of singers.

"Johann Adolph had always very friendly relations with the literary representatives of the time, many of them expressing a very high opinion of the composer and not sparing praise for his music. A meaningful example of this may be the following: Charles Burney described Pietro Metastasio and Hasse himself in this way "[...] This poet and this musician are, as in the 'Androgyne' of Plato, the two halves of what was once a single entity; since they possess in equal measure the characteristic mark of true genius, taste and discrimination. In the same way are dignity, coherence, clarity and precision inseparable companions to both. [...] without any slight to his comrades, he [Hasse] may be considered superior to all other lyrical composers, just as Metastasio is above all lyrical poets'.

"The particular vocal production presented in this recording includes an ensemble of four cantatas for soprano, two violin and bass continuos, a selection from a body body of compositions probably written by Hasse between the late twenties and the early thiries of the 18th century. The librettos, displaying the same neoclassical poise we find in the great theatrical works by the Saxon maestro, are the production of poets belonging to the arcadic cultural school, among them P. A. Rolli.

"These cantatas are significant and very important examples of the Italian bel canto style of the pre-classical/late baroque peiod. Voice is forced to unfold all of its potential resources, therefore we are offered passages of 'plain' and natural singing requirements, as well as passages where the vocal chords are subjected to the strain of producing sounds more typical of instrumental music (virtuoso pieces that resemble violin and harpsichord compositions of great breath).

"The technical difficulty of execution we mention, which applies not only to the vocal pieces but also the instrumental scores, is combined to antoher peculiarity of the tuneful arias for soprano: the very stressed syllabication of the lines is almost constant, except for the passages where the singer displays her polished skills performing a diminuendo of the last syllable of an expressively important final.

"It must be underlined that, contrary to what occurs in contemporary productions of the same kind, voice in these cantatas is not the primary and overwhelming element: an analysis of the musical texture reveals how the instruments play a far more than secondary role in these pieces, not just an accompaniment, but rather being conceived as other characters, creating a dialogue in which Hasse integrates the rhetorical and expressive images of the musical piece.

"The composer demonstrates a constan and thorough care in the choice of the harmonic, rhythmic and tune structures: such wealth and abudnance of peculiar and even unusual chords seldom is found in similar compositions by authors of the same period. The rhythmic structure is always very close to the expressive meaning and often surprises with inventions of rare variety, creativity and refinement. The singing chords can be described in the same way, displaying daring solutions of many kinds.

"The technical-compositional construction of the phrases is essential. In general thre real parts are present: singing doubled by violin 1; countersinging, doubled by violin 2 and bass line. The passages where one can hear four different parts are definitely few, and are introduced only at moments of particular intensity from the feeling-dramatic point of view.

"This 'simplicity' in composition is combined, however, to a richness and exuberance of detail that seldom is encountered elsewhere: a great deal of feelings, symbols, suggestive effects occuring one after the other. We witness musical passages of quite modest length, packed with messages. To Hasse's capacity of synthesizing his inspiration in few pages is added his unusual precision, a rare quality in that period, with which he marks expression and tempo directions. The formal structure is always based on alternating arias to recitative pieces, except for the cantata 'E pur odo' ('Yes I hear'), which begins with an instrumental 'overture'. The arias are all but one tripartite in the conventional pattern: A-B-A. The recitative pieces follow two traditional styles: they are sung with the accompaniment of bass continuos only or with full instrumental accompaniment.

"'Adone' ('Adonis') is the title of the cantata, on libretto by Rolli, 'Vaga madre di cari diletti' ('Fair mother of beloved delights'), of eminently mythological content: Adonis sings his praise of Venus.

"The structure consists of an aria (Andante), an instrumental recitative ('Con strumenti') and another aria (Allegro). In this piece Hasse handled voice as he never did. The soprano melody often has violin movement, as we can notice already in the first aria, inspired by Scarlatti's works, not devoid of difficult tune shifts, which however do not affect the musical flow of the piece. The center section of this composition makes an effective contrast with the other parts: minor mode and repeated notes stress the different feeling brought to the expression 'altri langue' ('others complain'). The accompanied recitative, wonderful and very sweet, fits perfectly the description of the Goddess of Love: each word is musically underlined with care and refinement, till it reaches the final virtuoso 'stretch', where the fast notes enhance the verb 'ravviva' ('revives'). The cheerfulness and liveliness, typical of the Italian style, effectively set in the sunny D major tone, bursts into the concluding aria. Here voice is put to the ultimate test, as the pulsating and fast urge of the sixteenths does not allow the singer to lean her voice against the tune line, spiked with difficulties of all kinds.

"The cantata 'Solitudine campestra' ('Country solitude'), also on Rolli's text, includes an aria (Moderato), a recitative and another aria (Allegro). The contemplative mood of the opening tune is well express by the G minor tonality. The style reminds us of A. Corelli's compositions, as well as of the French music of the time. There is quite a wealth of cadenzas in suspension to the dominant and an almost obsessive use of sevenths of sensibile pitch, with a very pre-romantic resonance. Nor are there missing many particular effects, from the echo play between two violins to striking contrasts in the expressive texture. Following the short but intense recitative, an aria of ternary rhythm is introduced, charming and graceful sketch of a bucolic landscape in which the music indulges in the description of birds, breeze, lambs. The pastoral character of the passage works its way up to soft tercets on the F pedal, emerging in the first few bars of the central portion of the aria.

"'E pur odo e non moro' ('Yes I hear you but I can't die') is a cantata of dramatic theme: the subject of unrequited love is written in the structural context including instrumental introduction (Allegro), recitative, aria (Moderato), recitative and aria (Allegro). The instrumental introduction passage, in a monothematic bipartite formula (reproposing the same theme at the beginning of the second section), reminds us of some similar Scarlatti compositions, both in style and technical construction. The bright and animated character, as well as the relentless waves of quatrains of sixteenths are echoing the harpsichord toccatas of the Neapolitan School, while at the same time opening the way to the movements of the furious finale. In the following recitative, we are surprised by daring harmonies, among them the concatenation of 'sevenths' to the 5/6 bars corresponding to the words 'suffering' and 'die'.

"Rich chromatic values and refined rhythm characterize the first aria from the very beginning: the melodic motion in conjunct degrees stresses the mourning and wailing mood of the piece. The syncopated effect, a solution repeated also in the last aria, used by the composer to stress the word 'respiro' ('breath') is worthy of notice, as is the interval in the superabundant second, very clearly of Neapolitan inspiration, underlining the phrase 'ombra dolente' ('doleful shadow'). We find also plenty of other peculiarities, such as the masterful use of staccato or the tune interval of the superabundant quarter in the psychological shift from sorrow to rage, at the point where 'ti sgridi' ('scolds you') is sang, or the rarefied sound texture at the end of the central movement of the aria, where only the basso continuo is left with the repetition of 'crudele' ('cruel'). After the second recitative, no less effective than the first one, the battle theme of fury in the concluding aria stands out. It must be observed how Hasse changes the technique of composition according to the poetic meaning: in the central portion, more strikingly dramatic than the rest, he introduces four real parts, instead of three, with a consequent solidification of the musical texture and suggestive impact of the resulting harmonies. Chromatic values, dissonances, vocal shifts (the one of the 39th bar, at the word 'mostro ingrato' - 'ungrateful monster' - is truly surprising), and virtuoso pieces. All is held together by a tone of noble poise, making this masterpiece stunningly effective, as similar compositions by Händel.

"'Pur deggio parire' ('However I must leave') is the only cantata where violins are never playing in unison, in fact also the only piece where the composer uses an almost counterpoint technique. The poem lines, naturalistic-sentimental-dramatic in tone, are expressed in an aria (Moderato) followed by a recitative and another aria (Poco adagio). The first part already states the main feelings: anxiety and sorrow. The center portion of the initial aria is splendid: at the phrase 'mi sento morire' ('I feel like dying') we witness something of rare beauty and intensity: the prima donna's feeling of death, of the body's failing, is rendered with such sublimity that one can hardly put it into words. So we rather invite the listener to be very attentive. In the recitative, describing wonderful beaches, the harping of the violin embodies the movement of the sea waves. Later, the final aria turns into a truly vivid moment of opera expression. The 'cutting' rhythm, with a semi-minim pulse, the counterpoint and rigorous layout clothe the restless, anxious and sorrowful feelings expressed by the singer. Here too we find several harmonic, melodic and rhythmic inventions, as the deliberate accent on normally plain, but high notes at the bars 9/10 and others.

"In consideration of all these elements, one must remark that these admirable composition of the Saxon author are in fact a precious rarity in the musical panorama of the time, in Italy and not only there. A fact that makes them certainly deserving of historical, critical and interpretative attention." (Filippo Ravizza. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Parnassus Symphonicus, Patrizia Zanardi

1. Vaga Madre Di Cari Diletti (Adone): Vaga Madre Di Cari Diletti

2. Vaga Madre Di Cari Diletti (Adone): Ma Tu, Soave Dea

3. Vaga Madre Di Cari Diletti (Adone): Dei Guardi 'L Folgorar

4. Solidate Campestre: Solitudine Campestre

5. Solidate Campestre: Quando, Del Sole

6. Solidate Campestre: Dolce È Sentire

7. Er Puro Udo E Non Moro: Allegro

8. Er Puro Udo E Non Moro: E Pur Odo E Non Moro

9. Er Puro Udo E Non Moro: Ah T'arresta, Oh Niso Infido

10. Er Puro Udo E Non Moro: Ma Come, A Chi Favello?

11. Er Puro Udo E Non Moro: Sì, Tu Cadrai Tra L'armi

12. Pur Deggio Partite: Pur Deggio Partire

13. Pur Deggio Partite: Spiagge Fiorite E Amene

14. Pur Deggio Partite: Tiranna Lontanzana

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Johann Adolf Hasse - Cantatas, Ballads & Sonatas

"Johann Adolf Hasse suffered the sad fate of a highly successful composer who lived too long and was left behind by his own art. His life encompassed the period from late Baroque to the early stirrings of Romanticism, and although he attempted to keep up with changes in musical taste it was, understandably, beyond the powers of even so resourceful a composer as Hasse. He was baptised on 25 March 1699 near Hamburg; when he died in Venice on Tuesday 16 December 1783 he was well into his 85th year.

"Hasse is regarded as a member of the 'North German School', a group of composers centred round Frederick the Great's court at Potsdam, even though Hasse spent much of his profession life elsewhere. The king's fanatical attachment to the flute accounts partly for Hasse's frequent use of it: in the Cantata 'Fille, dolce mio bene', where a violin obbligato is permitted, Hasse's preference is for flute.

"His career began as a tenor in Hamburg but he soon began composing. 'Antioco', his first opera, was given in August 1721 in Brunswick, after which he left for the traditional home of opera: Italy. Hasse studied with Alessandro Scarlatti, and his repeated successes early on proved that this study had been most fruitful. Between 1725 and 1729 he produced nine operas for Naples and a further dozen for other Italian centres before moving to Dresden in 1736. Meanwhile, Hasse and his wife, the singer Faustina Bordoni, visited Dresden for three months in 1731. There they found the Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka standing in for Johann David Heinichen, who had died in 1729. Hasse had already been appointed as Heinichen's successor, much to Zelenka's chagrin since he had for and expected the post. Hasse enjoyed the financial benefit even though he left soon afterwards to return to Italy. Zelenka's bitterness at being thus snubbed may be imagined.

"Hasse's success continued, his operas being premiered in Vienna, Hubertusburg and Dresden as well as in Italy, and his popularity extended even as far as London, though he never visited England. Eventually the changing times began to tell on him. In 1769 he vowed that 'Piramo e Tisbe' was to be his last opera, but 'Il Ruggiero' followed in 1771, written at the request of Maria Theresa and given in Milan. Its companion piece was 'Ascanio in Alba' by a 15-year-old Austrian called Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the juxtaposition of old and new styles painfully brought home to Hasse that he written one opera too many. He was now 72, and when he renewed acquaintance with Mozart (whom he had first met in Vienna in 1768) he was wise enough to remark: 'This youngster will consign us all to oblivion.' He may have experienced the disappointment Zelenka had felt 40 years earlier but he certainly did not show it. On the contrary, he displayed much charm and courtesy, respect and admiration, as graciously yielded to Mozart's superiority.

"Nevertheless, Hasse continued to compose. He left a vast amount of vocal music: 63 operas, a dozen oratorios, some 20 masses and requiems, and hundreds of other works. Of his nearly 90 cantatas, two are included in this recording. They were doubtless written to be performed by his wife Faustina Bordoni, a singer renowned in her time for the penetrating clarity and flexibility of her voice, the skill with which she sustained the line by disguising her intakes of breath, and - something not too common amongst singers - her ability to act. Sir Charles Burney in his 'General History of Music' (1776) wrote: 'She in a manner invented a new kind of singing, by running divisions with a neatness and velocity which astonished all who heard her.' Hasse would have been less than faithful to his wife's fame if he had not written his vocal music in order to accommodate and exploit her special qualities.

"'Cantata: Quel vago seno, O Fille': This cantata for soprano with flute obbligato and continuo is planned in the common form of alternating recitatives and arias. After the bitter message of the opening recitative the first aria gives the honour of the main theme to the flute. Later in this A-B-A form movement there is intricate interplay between flute and voice. Further pleading to the unresponsive Phyllis in the second recitative would have given Faustina a chance to display her famous dramatic skill, while telling chromatic passages in the triple-time final aria maintain the soulful mood of the cantata.

"'Sonata in B minor, Op. 2 No. 6, for flute and basso continuo': In effect and format this sonata, published in London in 1740, resembles the cantata except that the recitatives are replaced by slow arias. Even the withdrawn, almost tragic, mood is similar: it is a mood that was much practiced by North German composers, who prided themselves upon their ability to wrench the heart with or without the assistance of words.

"'Aria: Ah Dio, ritornate' from 'La conversione di Sant'Agostino': This is graphically proved in this aria, in which the voice part is entrusted to viola da gamba. It was common practice for composers to make their works available for alternative instruments (Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the greatest member of the North German School, composed concertos in such a way that harpsichord or flute or cello might take the solo), and to play a vocal aria on an instrument was quite acceptable.

"'Cantata: Fille, dolce mio bene': The poor swain (traditionally sung by a high male voice) now seems reconciled that his burning love for the 'beautiful Phyllis' will be unrequited. The flute obliggato stays predominantly in the low register to allow the voice its brilliance but also to reflect the hopeless yearning of the lover. Yes, after all, there is joy in the finale, the flute, for all its suppression, announcing a confident theme.

"'Sonata in C minor, Op. 7 No. 6, for harpsichord': Again in slow-fast-slow-fast form, this substantial sonata opens with a French-overture-like Adagio: declamatory, with dotted rhythms, each half repeated. The Allegro's earnest rhythmic drive is succeeded by an Adagio in aria style, reminiscent in its reflective mood of the central movement of Bach's 'Italian Concerto'. A catch two-note bell motif marks off the sections and repeats of the finale. The six sonatas of Op. 7 were printed in London in 1758.

"'Venetian Ballads': These four little gems are full of charm and variety and, although simple in structure, are open to imaginative interpretation. In addition to the sung text there are instrumental introductions and postludes (flute and continuo in the first, gamba alone in the second) together with subtle ornamentation. The barcarolle-like fourth ballad is a languid reminder of the city for which these miniatures were written." (Robert Dearling, 1994. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Julianne Baird, Nancy Hadden, Erin Headley, Malcolm Proud

1. Quel Vago Seno, O Fille: Quel Vago Seno, O Fille

2. Quel Vago Seno, O Fille: Nel Verd'e Dolce Aprile

3. Quel Vago Seno, O Fille: Impara, Fille, Impara, Fille, Ingrata

4. Quel Vago Seno, O Fille: Or Che Gradita

5. Sonata In B Minor, Op. 2 No. 6: I. Andante

6. Sonata In B Minor, Op. 2 No. 6: II. Allegro

7. Sonata In B Minor, Op. 2 No. 6: III. Arioso

8. Sonata In B Minor, Op. 2 No. 6: IV. Presto

9. La Conversione De Sant'Agostino: Ah Dio, Ritornate

10. Fille Dolce, Mio Bene: Fille, Dolce Mio Bene, E Tempo Omai

11. Fille Dolce, Mio Bene: Io Non Chiedo, O Belle Fille

12. Fille Dolce, Mio Bene: Vedi Se Son Discreto

13. Fille Dolce, Mio Bene: Per Te, Mia Fille

14. Sonata In C Minor, Op. 7 No. 6: I. Adagio

15. Sonata In C Minor, Op. 7 No. 6: II. Allegro

16. Sonata In C Minor, Op. 7 No. 6: III. Adagio

17. Sonata In C Minor, Op. 7 No. 6: IV. Allegro

18. Venetian Ballads: Grazie Agli Inganni Tuoi

19. Venetian Ballads: No Ste'a Condanarme

20. Venetian Ballads: Cosa E' Sta Cossa?

21. Venetian Ballads: Si', La Gondola Avere', No Crie'

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Georg Friedrich Händel - Berenice

"The premiere of Handel's 'Berenice' in London on May 18, 1737 came at a low point in the composer's life. From 1710 - the year he first set foot on English soil - until the night of the premiere, Handel had been at the center of London's music life. Starting in 1719, he had been largely responsible for bringing Italian opera - and virtuosic Italian singers - to the London stage. But by 1737, the year 'Berenice' premiered - and then disappeared after only four performances (the fewest of any of Handel's operas) - Italian opera and, it seemed, Handel himself, had fallen from fravor with both the general public and the high-born Englishmen who had underwritten London's operatic activities. The road to ruin was as long and tangled as a Handelian plot.

"When Handel arrived in England in 1710, he found a country more accustomed to music as an accompaniment to spoken drama than as a vehicle for drama. Resistance to a foreign form which presented a story in song never completely disappeared and, in the end, was one factor leading to the eclipse of Italian opera in London. But not before it enjoyed a brief - and brilliant - run on the capital's stages, largely under George Frideric Handel's direction.

"Handel, already an established composer when he came to London from Italy, quickly ingratiated himself with English nobility and royalty; by 171 he was being described as 'His Majesty's principal Court Composer'. His first three operas in London - 'Rinaldo' (premiered 1711), 'Il Pastor Fido' and 'Teseo' (both 1712) enjoyed some success. But it wasn't until 1719, when some of Handel's high born friend saw the possibility of reaping financial profit from opera, that Italian opera really took hold in the English capital.

"That year, a group of noblemen joined together to erect 'an academy at the Haymarket...' The investors, who dubbed their venture the Royal Academy of Music, named Handel 'master of the Orchestra with a sallary', and on May 14, 1719, Handel headed to Italy to recruit singers for the new company.

"These singers, as much as the operas written by Handel and other composers, most notably Bononcini and Attilio (Ariosti), contributed both to the wild popularity and ultimate failure of opera in 18th-century London. English audiences, once described as having 'vile tastes' by Mrs. Pendarves, a friend of Handel, may not have understood or appreciated the convoluted plots and foreign tongue of Italian opera, but they could grasp a good rivalry, and the Italian singers provided a steady supply of fireworks. The best-known duel was between the divas Cuzzoni and Faustina.

"But the display of singer's ego that was to cause Handel the greatest grief came from the alto 'castrato' Senesino, who, in 1733 had a hand in the formation of a rival company to Handel's known at the time various as 'Senesino's Opera' or 'The Opera at Lincoln's-Inn Fields' and later as 'Opera of the Nobility', because of its support by many of Handel's former patrons.

"The formation of Senesino's company came five years after the financially troubled Royal Academy had been dissolved and control turned over to Handel and John Jacob Heidegger, an impressario and the Academy's manager. After assuming control, the two had to rebuild from the ground up, as many of the Academy's singers had already returned to the continent, among them Senesino, a star of the Royal Academy for the eight years of its existence. His absence was sorely felt and the first season of Handel's reorganized company was essentially a failure. Lured by a hugely inflated salary, the 'castrato' did return for the following season and his reappearance in 1730 reportedly 'charm'd much'.

"Despire the continuation of a Handel-run company and the premieres of several of his new operas duiring the close of the twenties and the first years of the thirties ('Siroe' and 'Tolomeo' in 1728, 'Poro' in 1731, and 'Sosarme' in 1732) there were strong indications that Italian opera, never on firm footing in England, was slipping further out of favor with English audiences. The most dramatic evidence Handel could have had for their apparent desire for simpler plots, presented in a familiar language, was the great success of his first English-language oratorio, 'Esther', premiered in 1732. But despite direct suggestions from friends to write English operas for native audiences and despite the growing success of a budding English opera; the wild popularity of John Gay's burlesuqe, 'A Beggar's Opera'; and even the success of his own 'Esther', Handel clung stubbornly to Italian opera, a form he knew intimately and of which he was a supreme master.

"It would appear that on top of their boredom with Italian opera and with the endless feuds among Handel's singers, the nobility that provided a substantial portion of the company's funding were fed up with Handel himself. Their displeasure with his 'imperious and extravagant Will', as one press account put it, eventually led to the formation of the rival opera company with a cast headed by Senesino and comprising the remainder of Handel's singers, who - with the exception of the loyal soprano Anna Maria Studo - had decamped 'en masse' to join the upstart ensemble.

"In 1734, Handel's longtime partner, Heidegger, added insult to injury by leading the Haymarket theater to Senesino's new company. Reports in 1735 to indicate Handel's productions playing to nearly empty houses at his new digs in Covent Garden, while his rivals were drawing enthusiastic crowds with their newest imported star, the castrato Farinelli. 

"Handel still enjoyed the support of the royal cort and even received funding from the Prince of Wales, a major backer of Senesino's company. But London, which could barely support one opera company, could certainly not sustain two. The competing enterprises survived for another four seasons and then both collapsed, but not before 'Berenice' - one of Handel's last operas - saw the light of day.

"Years of seeing his singers and patrons desert him and decades of championing an art from that was misunderstood by audience and overly expensive to produce in a climate wracked by rivalries among the artists and patrons had taken its toll on Handel. In April of 1737, just a month before the 'Berenice' premiere, the maestro suffered a minor, but debilitating stroke, which prevented him from being present at the premiere of his latest creation.

"What appeared at that time as a tragic end to a glorious career was, in fact, a turning point, for after Handel's return from taking the cure on the continent, the composer was to spend the next few years gradually shifting his attentions from his beloved opera to oratorio, the form that would bring him renewed acclaim from the audiences of that day.

"Handel composed his three-act Italian drama 'Berenice' in the last weeks of 1736 and finished it in January of 1737. The librettist Antonio Salvai - his collaborator on 'Rodelinda' (1725) - supplied 'Berenice, regina d'Egitto', a subject which had previously been set to music by Jacopo Perti and ironically by Nicola Porpora, who was later to direct Senesino's Opera. Handel's choice of 'Berenice' could not have been coincidence; it was to be his final thrust against a competitor for the affections of London audiences.

"Salvai's story, set in ancient Egypt, was subtitled 'The Contests of Love and Politics', and was filled with the customary amorous intrigues, deceit, ambition, and fidelity - the stuff of some of Handel's most inspired and glorious musical settings.

"Though Handel could not be present at the premiere, it was attended by the King and Queen and several of their children. Anna Strada sang the title role, Gioachino Conti sang Alessandro, and Signora Bertolli who had decamped from the now-defunct rival troupe to join Handel's company, took the mezzo role of Princess Selene. The bravura part of Demetrio went to Domenico Annibali, Prince Arsace to Negri and the two lower male roles to John Beard and Thomas Rheinhold.

"No contemporary accounts of 'Berenice's launch have survived, although Charles Burney, the 18th-century music historian, described the minuet as 'happy and pleasing to an uncommon degree'. The score of the opera was published by John Walsh in June 1737. Several airs from the score were borrowed by the composer for one of his many 'pasticcio' operas in February 1738. Aside from a single revival of 'Berenice', supposedly offered in Brunswick in 1743 in a production not overseen by the composer, the work has remained unknown for centuries except for its overture and one popular aria. Ironically, the latter, 'Si, tra pi ceppi' - now a standard of vocal anthologies - was not part of Handel's main score, but rather an 'ossia' for Demetrio, which we present on this premier recording because of its superior musical inventiveness as well as its obvious and enduring appeal.

"Aside from those two well-known selections, this work offers the modern listener many other pleasures. Handel himself must have been pleased with the work, as he borrowed from it later in his career, reworking Berenice's Act Two aria 'Sempre dolci' into Clomiri's aria 'V'è un infelice' in 'Imeneo' (1740), and reusing themes from the third-act Sinfonia in his 1749 'Music for the Royal Fireworks'.

"The virtuosic vocal writing, occasioned by the egoistic demands of his singers, is well-represented in 'Berenice'. Each of the seven principals enjoys the knd of challenging solo writing that thrills the modern listener as much as it did 18th-century London audiences.

"Knowing what we do now about the shaky state of of opera's economics in Handel's London - particularly after the formation of Senesino's Opera - one wonders if 'Berenice's simply, yet effective scoring for strings, oboes, and continuo was as much a financial as an artistic decision. There are many occasions - among them the heroic Berenice-Demetrio duet of love and vengeance ending Act I ('Se il mio amor fu il tuo delitto'), as well as the ceremonial orchestral movements - that lend themselves to scoring for trumpets, horns and timpani. Was it budgetary considerations or Handel's rush to present a new work to match his rivals' offerings? We can't know for sure. But we do know that there was no shortage of large forces later in his career, when Handel, fully recovered from his illness, proceeded to pen some of his most glorious and enduring music, including several new operas and numerous richly scored oratorios. (From the liner notes.)

Performers: Brewer Chamber Orchestra, Rudolph Palmer, Edward Brewer, Julianne Baird, Drew Minter, D'Anna Fortunato, Jennifer Lane, Jan Opalach, Andrea Matthews, John McMaster

1.1. Ouverture: Maestoso

1.2. Ouverture: Allegro

1.3. Ouverture: Minuet

1.4. Ouverture: Gigue

1.5. Atto I: 'Aristobolo, A Noi Venga Il Romano'

1.6. Atto I: 'No, No, Che Servire Altrui'

1.7. Atto I: 'Fabio, Vedesti Mai Più Bell'orgoglio?'

1.8. Atto I: 'Vedi, L'ape Ch'ingegnosa Su Quei Fior'

1.9. Atto I: 'Io, Di Selene?'

1.10. Atto I: 'Che Sarà Quando Amante Accarezza?'

1.11. Atto I: 'Cara, Non Sospirar'

1.12. Atto I: 'No, Soffrir Non Può Il Mio Amore'

1.13. Atto I: 'Selene, Oh Dei!'/'Gelo, Avvampo, Considero E Sento'

1.14. Atto I: 'Alla Quiete D'Egitto'

1.15. Atto I: 'Con Gli Strali D'amor'

1.16. Atto I: 'Ascolta, E All'alma Quiete Comparti'

1.17. Atto I: 'Dice, Amor, Quel Bel Vermiglio'

1.18. Atto I: 'Principessa, Ed È Ver'

1.19. Atto I: 'Senza Nudrisce Alcuna'

1.20. Atto I: 'Alessandro, Che Pensi?'

1.21. Atto I: 'Quell'oggetto Ch'è Caro'

1.22. Atto I: 'Che Valor!'

1.23. Atto I: 'Se Il Mio Amor'

2.1. Atto II: 'Se Non Ho L'idol Mio'

2.2. Atto II: 'Già Che Per Tuo Consorte'

2.3. Atto II: 'Guerra E Pace'

2.4. Atto II: 'Molto Afflitto, Demetrio'

2.5. Atto II: 'Sempre Dolci Ed Amorose'

2.6. Atto II: 'Selene, Infida'

2.7. Atto II: 'Su, Megera, Tisifone, Aletto!'

2.8. Atto II: 'Mio Bel Sol'

2.9. Atto II: 'O Dei!'

2.10. Atto II: 'La Bella Mano'

2.11. Atto II: 'Aristobolo, Oh Dei!'

2.12. Atto II: 'Amore Contro Amor'

2.13. Atto II: 'Tiranne Degli Affetti!'

2.14. Atto II: 'Senza Te Sarebbe Il Mondo'

2.15. Atto II: 'E Qual Furor Geloso'

2.16. Atto II: 'Traditore, Traditore'

2.17. Atto II: 'Principessa, T'arresta'

2.18. Atto II: 'Si, Tra I Ceppi'

2.19. Atto II: 'È Questo L'amor Tuo?'

2.20. Atto II: 'Sì Poco E Forte'

3.1. Atto III: Sinfonia

3.2. Atto III: 'Olà! Tra Lacci Suoi'

3.3. Atto III: 'Per Si Bella'

3.4. Atto III: 'Regina, Addio!'

3.5. Atto III: 'Chi T'intende?'

3.6. Atto III: 'Tortorella Che Rimira Presso'

3.7. Atto III: 'Qui Dove Il Mio Tesoro'

3.8. Atto III: 'Questa Qual Sia Beltà'

3.9. Atto III: 'Qual Arduo Impegno, O Arsace!'

3.10. Atto III: 'Le Dirai... Dirò Che Amore'

3.11. Atto III: 'Prence, D'Iside Al Tempio'

3.12. Atto III: 'In Quella Sola'

3.13. Atto III: 'De' Satrapi E Adunata'

3.14. Atto III: 'Avvertite, Mie Pupille'

3.15. Atto III: Sinfonia

3.16. Atto III: 'Gran Nume Tutelar Di Questo Regno'

3.17. Atto III: 'Quella Fede, Quel Volto'

3.18. Atto III: 'Se Di Mia Libertà Prezzo'

3.19. Atto III: 'Con Verace Dolce Pace'

flac/16-bit

Marc-Antoine Charpentier - La Descente d'Orphée aux Enfers

"Charpentier was born in Paris in 1643. We know nothing of his early life in France, but in the 1660s he went to Rome, where he studied for several years with Giacomo Carissimi, master composer of church music, oratorios, and chamber cantatas. Back in Paris about 1670, Charpentier was apparently given lodging and support by the pious, music-loving Marie de Lorraine, duchesse de Guise (always called 'Mademoiselle de Guise'); he remained in her service, as composer and singer, until about 1687. During the same period, however, he collaborated with the Troupe de Roi - Molière's company, renamed the Comédie Française - composing songs, orchestral overtures, and dances for their plays, and comic skits for the intermèdes between acts. He came close to service at court for a few years (around 1680), as composer for the chapel of the Dauphin - and wrote for him one of two operatio divertissements ('Les plaisirs de Versailles', perhaps also 'La fête de Ruel') - but was never appointed by Louis XIV to a royal post.

"By the mid-1680s, having achieved a considerable reputation as a composer of sacred music, Charpentier was appoint maître de musique at the most prestigious Jesuit church in Paris, St. Louis, renowned for the high quality of its music. And ultimately, in 1698, he became maître de musique at the Saint-Chapelle, a position in French sacred music second only to that of music director in the King's chapel. He remained there until his death early in 1704.

"Quite possibly, had Jean-Baptiste Lully and Michel Richard de Lalande not dominated so successfully the music at the court of Louis XIV, Charpentier might himself have become a figure there and composed more instrumental music and especially works for the theatre. He had great talent for musical drama, as is apparently in the stage work we have by him - notably the sacred opera 'David et Jonathas' (1688); 'Médée', perhaps the greatest masterpiece (produced at the Académie Royale, the Opéra, in 1693); and operatic divertissements, pastorales, and cantates - not to mention dozens of dramatic motets (histoires sacrées). With 'La descente d'Orphée aux enfers', Charpentier joined the many composers drawn to the myth of Orphée as the basis for operas.

"Understandably: not only is it a poignant love story and dramatic tragedy, it celebrates the mysterious and formidable power of music itself, over even supernatural forces. The earliest surviving operas, composed in Italy about 1600, were based on that myth (settings by each of the Florentines Jacopo Peri and Giulio Caccini of Rinuccini's libretto, 'Euridice', and Claudio Monteverdi's masterpiece, for Mantua, to Striggio's 'Orfeo'). Other operatic versions predating Charpentier's were Stefano Landi's 'La morte d'Ortfeo' (1619) and Luigi Rossi's 'Orfeo' (1647) - which was staged at the Palais Royal, as part of Mazarin's campaign to italianize French culture. Charpentier himself composed a sort of warm-up for 'La descente d'Orphée' in a chamber cantata (probably the first of that genre by a French composer): 'Orphée descendant aux enfers', a modest work for three male singers (representing Orphée and the shades Ixion and Tantale) and a small chamber ensemble.

"About three years later - late 1686 or early 1687 - came 'La descente d'Orphée aux enfers'. Charpentier composed it for the musicians of M'lle de Guise, though we know nothing about the circumstances of its performance. Although not on the grand scale of the 'tragédies en musique' staged at court (with their full orchestras, generous corps de ballet, massive choruses, and panopolies of solo-vocalists), the work called for the entire musical équipe of M'lle de Guise, plus some extra instrumentalists: Charpentier's manuscript mentions by name five female and five male singers, with an instrumental ensemble consisting of flutes (alternating with violins), viols, and harspichord. 'La descente d'Orphée' seems also to have been the last major work in which Charpentier participated as a singer: he had been for years the principal 'haute-contre' of the de Guise establishment, but in this opera, a newly appointed one, François Anthoine, sang the title role and Charpentier was relegated to the secondary one of Ixion. Charpentier's score also mentions (as player of flute or violin) 'Luollié' - Etienne Loulié, best-known as a music theorist - and a pair of flautists, 'Anth' and 'Pierrot', probably the brothers Antoine and Pierre of the family Pièche, well known at the time in court circles. Various 'chœurs' appear in the opera: a high-voiced 'Chœur de Nymphes' and a mixed-voice 'chœur de Nymphes et de Bergers' in Act I; in Act II, a mixed 'Chœur de Furies', a slighter 'Chœur d'Ombres heureuses et de Furies'. Not independent choral ensembles, these were varied combinations of the named solo singers, who may also have served as dancers for the brief ballet entrées in both acts.

"In sum, as conceived by Charpentier, 'La descente d'Orphée' was a chamber opera, probably performed only once - and not in public but in the private quarters of M'lle de Guise (or perhaps of her less single-mindedly devout younger relative known as Mme. de Guise').

"The librettist of 'La descente d'Orphée is unknown, but the ultimate source is the 'Metamorphoses' of Ovid (Libre X, histoire 1). The leading actors in the drama are, of course, Orphée and his bride Euridice (the latter mortally stung by a serpent on their wedding day). To Ovid's couple the librettist added, in the happy first scene of Act I, some nymphs and shepherds; as the act ends, Apollon, father of Orphée, also makes a brief appearance, inviting Orphée to go to Hades and persuade its sovereign, Pluton, to allow Euridice to return to the upper world. (Apollon appears similarly as 'deus ex machina' in Monteverdi's 'Orfeo'.) In Act II, the opera's underworld characters are all Ovidian: the 'ombres coupables' Tantale (punished by eternal hunger and thirst), Ixion (bound to a revolving wheel), and Titye (his liver torn by vultures), as well as a crowd of Furies - all brought to tears (the Furies for the first time ever) by the beauty of Orphée's singing.

"Pluton is at first resistant to Orphée's pleading and not persuaded by Orphée's argument (as related by Ovid) that, after all, both Euridice and Orphée must eventually return to Hades and thus, surely, Pluton can afford to make a temporary -loan- of Euridice! Ultimately, however, implored by his queen Proserpine (supported and echoed by groups of shades), Pluton yields and gives permission for Euridice to be restored to Orphée.

"And here is where Charpentier's opera ends - or, at least, where the unique surviving score (the composer's autograph) ends. Some believe that he intended to end here - and indeed, Act II has an effective conclusion, a 'Sarabande légère' to be danced by the 'Fantômes' who, moments before, have lamented that the beautiful voice of Orphée will be only a 'souvenir si doux' when he departs with Euridice. I believe, however, that Charpentier planned (and may in fact have composed) a third, concluding act, the music for which has not survived.

"The little opera is full of musical charm and cunning characterization. It opens with an overture that is vaguely Lullian (in two parts, each repeated, the first a sort of march, the second a livelier, more contrapuntal triple-meter dance), but lighter in texture and briefer than most overtures by Lully - perfectly appropriate in scale for the chamber opera to follow. The tonality is A-major, characterized as 'joyeux et champêtre' by Charpentier in a list he once drew up of 'Energie des modes', thus preparing perfectly the pastoral ambience with which the drama opens.

"Nymphs and shepherds celebrate the marriage of Orphée and Euridice with bright, light songs and dances. These are interrupted by a single cry - 'Ah!' - from Euridice, which her friend Enone blithely laughs off as due only to a thorn-prick. But Euridice's next words contradict her: 'Soutiens-moi, chère Enone, un serpent m'a blessée'. Charpentier sets these to a descending bass figure much favored by Baroque-era composers as an 'emblem of lament' (as the American musicologist Ellen Rosand has put it), and with it a shift from A-major to A-minor ('tendre et plaintif') for the brief, heartbreaking scene of Euridicie's death. The same 'emblem of lament' marks Orphée's griefstricken reaction to Euridice's loss (and the chorus's echo of it), and the gloomy pall of A-minor hovers over the mournful scene, which ends with Orphée wishing death for himself. Whereupon Apollon appears (to mild music - but in the key of C-major, 'gai et guerrier', according to Charpentier). He succeeds in arguing Orphée out of suicide and into a determination - not a very optimistic one, as both his words and the music to A-minor tell us - to attempt to gain back Euridice.

"Act II is set in Hades, and we hear first the bitter complaints of the trio of guilty, tortured shades (Ixion, Tantale, and Titye). Orphée sings - to a new, alluring soft sonority: viols, not the more brilliant violins or the rustic flutes heard before - and the shades, even the 'Chœur de Furies', are utterly beguiled ('Que tes chants ont d'appas!'). Pluton and Proserpine appear. Orphée goes to work - sensuously, seductively, lyrically - overcome Pluton's blustering opposition. (Prosperine is immediately won over, as is the Chœur d'Ombres heureuses'.)

"The more Pluton denies him, the more Orphée's song becomes persuasively voluptuous (and the more Proserpine pleads on his behalf). Finally Pluton relents (before he and his queen depart) - warning Orphée, however, that although Euridice will follow him, Orphée is not to look back to make sure. Orphée has one final prophetic couplet - 'Amour, brûlant Amour, pourras-tu te contraindre?'/'Ah! Que le tendre Orphée à lui-même est à craindre' - before he too leaves the stage. The trio of 'Coupables' and the 'Chœur d'ombres heureuses et de Furies' are left to lament his loss, or rather that of his captivating voice - but their music belies their words: foreshadowing in both its bright D-major key ('joyeux et très guerrier') and its rhythms the finale 'Sarabande légère', it seems in fact to be voicing joy over the lovers' reunion. (H. Wiley Hitchcock. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Les Arts Florissants, William Christie, Patricia Petibon, Monique Zanetti, Kátalin Karolyim, Sophie Daneman, Paul Agnew, Jean-François Gardeil, Steve Dugardin, François Piolino, Fernand Bernadi

1. Ouverture

2. Acte I, Scène I: 'Inventons Mille Jeux Divers'/'Ruisseau Qui Dans Ce Beau Séjour'

3. Acte I, Scène I: 'Compagnes Fidèles'

4. Acte I, Scène I: 'Soutiens-moi, Chère Énone'/Scène II: 'Qu'ai-je Entendu, Que Vois-je?'

5. Acte I, Scène II: 'Ah! Bergers, C'en Est Fait'

6. Acte I, Scène II: Entrée De Nymphes Et De Bergers Désespérés/'Lâche Amant'

7. Acte I, Scène III: 'Ne Tourne Point, Mon Fils'

8. Acte I, Scène III: 'Que D'un Frivole Espoir'/'Juste Sujet De Pleurs'

9. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène I: Prélude/'Affreux Tourments'

10. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène II: Prélude/'Cessez, Cessez, Fameux Coupables'

11. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène II: 'Je Ne Refuse Point Le Secours'/'Il N'est Rien Aux Enfers'

12. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène II: Les Fantômes

13. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène III: Prélude/'Que Cherche En Mon Palais'

14. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène III: 'Je Ne Viens Point Ici'/'Pauvre Amant'

15. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène III: 'Euridice N'est Plus'/'Le Destin Est Contraire' (Pluton) - 'Ah! Puisqu'avant Le Temps'

16. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène III: 'Tu Ne La Perdras Point, Hélas'/'Quel Charme Imperieux'/'Courage Orphée'

17. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène III: 'Souviens-toi Du Larcin'

18. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène III: 'Je Cède, Je Me Rends'

19. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène IV: 'Vous Partez Donc, Orphée'

20. Acte II 'L'Enfer', Scène IV: Entrée Des Fantômes

flac/16-bit

Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville - Titon et l'Aurore

"'If I couldn't be Rameau, there's no one I'd rather be than Mondonville', Pierre-Louis Daquin wrote at the time of the first performance of Mondonville's 'Titon', thereby reflect the latter's immense reputation at this period. Famous as a violinist, Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville had first made a name for himself as a writer of instrumental and religious music, and it was this which, in 1739, gained him a post as 'maître de musique' in the 'Chapelle Royale', while his 'grands motets' enjoyed enormous popularity at the Concert Spirituel: according to 'Le Mercure de France', his music was performed at nine out of every ten concerts over a twenty-year period, in other words, it was played on no fewer than 363 occasions between 1742 and 1762. Considered worthy successors to those of Lalande and Campra, Mondoville's motets were universally admired and regarded as seminal works. In the second of his 'Lettres de Correcteur des Bouffons', J.-B. Jourdan wrote that the composer fully deserved to be acknowledged as 'the man to whome France should be as indebted for her sacred vocal music as she is to Monsieur Rameau for his vocal music for the theatre'.

"Mondonville's own works for the state, by contrast, enjoyed mixed fortunes although his three mid-century operas ('Le Carnaval du Parnasse', 'Titon et l'Aurore' and 'Daphnis et Alcimadure') were among the most brilliant successful works of that time. It has been argued that the success of 'Titon' was due, essentially, to external circumstances: in the 'Querelle des Bouffons', which was raging at this time, it is said that the advocated of French opera drew a deliberate contrast between 'Titon' and Pergolesi's 'La Serva Padrona' and that they organised an elaborate cabal in high places to ensure that its first performance, at the 'Académie Royale de Musique' on 9 January 1753, was a triumph for all concerned. Indeed, the partisans of Italian opera even claimed that when they arrived at their usual seats, they found them already occupied by members of the Royal Guard, while the rest of the pit had been requisitioned by members of the Household Cavalry and King's Own Musketeers, who thus made their own contribution to this aesthetic war.

"Even if there is any substance to this report, it does not explain the extraordinarily durable nature of the work's success: box-office takings were such that the piece was staged, twice a week, for thirty-five consecutive performances between January and June 1753, before being revived in the autumn of that year. It returned to the repertory of the 'Académie Royale de Musique' in February and March 1763, between January and May 1764, finally but no less successfully, between January and March 1768. It is difficult, therefore, not to share the opinion of the contributor to 'Le Mercure de France', who wrote in March 1763: 'From the very first of its current run of performances, the public has proved that the work has gained its favbour due not to circumstances but to its own particular merit.'

"Some doubt surrounds the authorship of the libretto, although Mondonville's contemporaries had firmly fixed views on the subject. The Prologue, they were convinced, was the work of Antoine Houdart de la Motte (1672-1731), who had written the words for twelve operas by Campra, Destouches, Collasse, Marais and others. The three acts of the 'pastorale héroïque itself have always been attributed to the Breton poet, the Abbé de la Marre, who also wrote the words for Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer's 'Zaïde' and who died in tragic circumstances when he fell from a window in 1742. Some writers have suggested that the original text was revised by 'several men of wit', including Mondonville himself.

"According to the 'Dictionnaire dramatique' of 1776, 'the subject of the Prologue is Prometheus's ravishment of fire from heaven; he uses this fire & that of Love to breathe life into statues of men and women and, with them, peoples the Universe.' The author of 'La Guerre de l'opera' sums up the pastorale proper with elegant concision: 'There are two Lovers crossed by two persons that are jealous.'

"The Prologue follows tradition, therefore, in being apparently independent of the main action. None the less, the two parts end in similar fashion with the appearance of triumphant Love, whose blessings are duly celebrated.

"Although space permits no more than a rapid survey of the piece, we will perhaps attempt to identify certain aspect of the audience's reaction as recorded in accounts of the time.

"The dramatic power of the anguished overture, with its quasi-rhetorical questions, looks forward, in its intensity, to Prometheus's following narrative; it was found to be 'full of noise' by certain early listeners, who were disconcerted by its 'excessive strangeness'. In the Prologue, listeners 'enjoyed the sinfonia which announces the moment when the spiritus comes to life' - in other words, the moment when the statues come alive. Certainly, the gentleness of this passage - which marks the first appearance of a major tonality - and the shimmering, interlanced arpeggios create an otherworldly atmosphere worthy of Rameau's 'Pygmalion'. Other writers drew a contrast between the lofty sentiments of the opening chorus and the triviality of 'La Serva Patrona': 'the chorus of animated statues expresses the philosophical terror which each man must feel when he contemplates himself, questioning the whole of nature in order to know his place in it &, by a natural impulse, addressing himself to Heaven in his wish to understand the plight in which his own existence places him. [...] These are the tableaux that our Operas should present, instead of depicting a man's impatience as he waits for his drink of chocolate.

"The opening act was said to be 'the most agreeable in the opera', with 'Titon's monologue and its accompaniment' being 'applauded with particular warmth'. The commentator is no doubt referring here to the instrumental effect produced by the basses and bassoons in their lowest registers to reproduce the darkness of night, as required by the staging. Also admired were the duet for Titon and Aurora, the ariett 'Venez, petits oiseaux', and Titon's Romance, a musette entitled 'Votre cœur aimable Aurore', which, published in 'Le Mercure de France', was soon being sung all over Paris. The author of 'La Guerre de l'Opera' particularly liked the depiction of dawn: 'The Music which heralds the dawn is perhaps the most florid and voloptuous that I have ever heard at the Opera. The listener has the sensation of seeing the flowers open and the dew begin to fall; he thinks he hears birds singing and feels all nature atremble at the approach of day.'

"Contemporary accounts of the second act singled out a 'chorus for the Winds' which, 'full of noise and harmony', claimed the listener's attention, while the 'village fête' merited mention for its 'attractive violin airs and tuneful ariettas'.

"In the third act, 'Titon's final arietta was predictably praised but, above all, it was his monologue in the second scene which drew attention to itself, shocking certain listenerds who, otherwise well disposed, felt that this depiction of the hero's decrepitude was somehow 'disagreeable': 'It seems that the composer has sought to depict the painful and useless effort made by a dying octogenarian to cough up phlegm from his chest.' The 'cognoscenti', by contrast, found this number 'a product of genius', a 'tragic flaw' that produced 'both one of the most beautiful pieces of French Music & one of the most felicitous dénouements in all dramatic Art.'

"'The only thing we found that was genuinely new in this Opera was the costumes worn by the actors', one detractor noted, a remark which one of the work's admirers was able to turn to advantage when he described the effect of the first-act celebrations: 'Nothing astonishes you, yet everything is pleasing.' It is difficult to think of a more apposite characterisation of Mondonville's operatic art than this, for it is this, among other things, which sets him apart from Rameau's often disconcerting genius.

"According to a chansonnier published in 1750, 'In fine, the difference between Mondonville and Rameau is that the one amazes the ignorant through an excess of learning, forcing the connoisseur to admire his talent; the other, a less affected but more amiable Orpheus, flatters his listener and bring him within his grasp.'

"Mondonville certainly showed an innovative bent not only in his instrumental writing, with its use of harmonics and novel orchestration, but also in creating new genres, including harpsichord sonatas with violin accompaniment, vocal concertos and oratorios set to French words. But this is not the style of his operas, where he prefers to seduce his listeners with grace and tenderness, elegance, delicacy and lightness of approach. As the success of his works attests, they must be judged as the perfect embodiment of a taste that is typical of a refined century. As Caux de Cappeval wrote in his 'Apologie du goût françois', 'To glorify that taste which France may call her own, Rameau will be Virgil, as Lully once was Homer: baside them at the opera Mondonville now rises to support them, like some new constellation.' (Jean-Paul Burgos, 17th July 1991, tr. Stewart Spencer. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Ensemble Vocal Françoise Herr, Les Musiciens Du Louvre, Marc Minkowski, Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Catherine Napoli, Philippe Huttenlocher, Jennifer Smith, Anne Monoyios

1.1. Ouverture

1.2. Prologue, Scène I: 'Dieux! Connaissez-vous D'autre Félicité'

1.3. Prologue, Scène I: 'Faisons De Leur Repos Rougir Les Immortels'

1.4. Prologue, Scène I: 'Esprits Soumis À Mon Empire, Que Ce Peuple S'anime'

1.5. Prologue, Scène I: Air Pour Les Esprits Du Feu

1.6. Prologue, Scène I: 'Soyez De L'Univers Le Plus Parfait Ouvrage'

1.7. Prologue, Scène I: Lent

1.8. Prologue, Scène I: 'Chantez Mortels'

1.9. Prologue, Scène I: 'Quelle Clarté Brille À Nos Yeux?'

1.10. Prologue, Scène I: 'Vous, Dont L'obéissance A Rempli Mes Souhaits'

1.11. Prologue, Scène I: Air Léger

1.12. Prologue, Scène I: 'Quelle Agréable Mélodie'

1.13. Prologue, Scène II: 'Lorsque Des Eléments J'ai Terminé La Guerre' (L'Amour, Prométhée)

1.14. Prologue, Scène II: 'Qu'on Ne Parle Que De Ta Gloire' (L'Amour, Prométhée, Chœur)

1.15. Prologue, Scène II: 'Vous, Qui De Tant D'attraits Embellissez Cythère'

1.16. Prologue, Scène II: Air Pour Les Grâces

1.17. Prologue, Scène II: Premièr Et Deuxième Gavottes

1.18. Prologue, Scène II: 'Jeunes Mortels, Livrez Vos Armes Aux Douceurs De La Volupté'

1.19. Prologue, Scène II: Air

1.20. Prologue, Scène II: 'De L'Amour Le Pouvoir Suprême'

1.21. Prologue, Scène II: 'Célébrons Le Dieu Des Amours'

1.22. Prologue, Scène II: Reprise De L'Ouverture

1.23. Acte I, Scène I: 'Que L'Aurore Tarde À Paraître'

1.24. Acte I, Scène II: 'Je Vous Revois Enfin'

1.25. Acte I, Scène II: 'Règne, Amour Dans Nos Âmes'

1.26. Acte I, Scène II: 'Bergers, Soyez Témoins De Nos Tendres Soupirs'

1.27. Acte I, Scène III: 'Célébrons L'amour Et L'Aurore'

1.28. Acte I, Scène III: Musette/'Votre Cœur, Aimable Aurore'

1.29. Acte I, Scène III: Air Pour Les Pâtres

1.30. Acte I, Scène III: Venez Sous Ce Riant Feuillage'

1.31. Acte I, Scène III: Air Léger

1.32. Acte I, Scène IV: Prélude/'Que Vois-je, Ô Ciel!'

1.33. Acte I, Scène IV: 'Vous Me Fuyez En Vain'

1.34. Acte I, Scène IV: 'Divinité Des Cœurs Jaloux'

1.35. Acte I, Scène V: 'Eole, Quel Sujet Cause Votre Fureur?'

1.36. Acte I, Scène V: 'Fiers Aquilons, Soumis À Mon Obéissance'

1.37. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Quel Succès, Quel Bonheur!'

1.38. Acte I, Scène VI: 'Tout Favorise Dans Ce Jour Mes Feux Et Ma Vengeance'

2.1. Acte II, Scène I: 'Dois-je Amour De Tant De Larmes'

2.2. Acte II, Scène II: 'L'Instant Ou L'on Perd Ce Qu'on Aime'

2.3. Acte II, Scène III: 'Avez-vous Adouci Les Regrets De L'Aurore?'

2.4. Acte II, Scène IV: 'Vents Furieux, Sortez De La Grotte Profonde'

2.5. Acte II, Scène IV: Air Pour Les Vents

2.6. Acte II, Scène IV: 'Partez, Et Que Titon Éprouve Ma Fureur'

2.7. Acte II, Scène V: 'Bergers, Je Connais Vos Malheurs'

2.8. Acte II, Scène V: Air Pour Les Nymphes

2.9. Acte II, Scène V: Air Lent Et Très Doux

2.10. Acte II, Scène V: 'Que Je Plains Les Cœurs Amoureux'

2.11. Acte II, Scène V: Rondeau

2.12. Acte II, Scène V: 'Ce Ruisseau Qui Dans La Plaine'

2.13. Acte II, Scène V: Première Et Deuxième Gavottes

2.14. Acte II, Scène V: 'Amour, Amour Lance Dans Nos Ames'

2.15. Acte II, Scène VI: 'Rien Ne Peut Dissiper L'ennui Qui Vous Dévore'

2.16. Acte II, Scène VII: 'Tu Vas Sentir Les Effets De Ma Rage'

2.17. Acte III, Scène I: Ritournelle

2.18. Acte III, Scène I: 'Avez-vous Triomphé Du Rival Que J'abhore!'

2.19. Acte III, Scène I: 'Ne Craignez Aucun Retour'

2.20. Acte III, Scène I: 'Pour Le Sauver, Vous Cherchez Un Détour'

2.21. Acte III, Scène I: 'Connaissez Votre Erreur'

2.22. Acte III, Scène I: 'Ah! Quel Plaisir Dans Nos Malheurs'

2.23. Acte III, Scène II: 'Que Vois-je?'

2.24. Acte III, Scène III: 'C'est La Voix De Titon'

2.25. Acte III, Scène III: 'Quels Sons Harmonieux? Quelle Clarté Nouvelle?'

2.26. Acte III, Scène IV: 'Ne Craignez Plus La Jalouse Vengeance De Palès'

2.27. Acte III, Scène IV: 'Quel Dieu M'anime Et Me Rend La Clarté?'

2.28. Acte III, Scène IV: 'Amour, Amour, Après Tant De Bienfaits'

2.29. Acte III, Scène IV: 'De Deux Parfaits Amants, Occupez Les Loisirs'

2.30. Acte III, Scène V: 'Chantons, Chantons La Gloire Et La Puissance'

2.31. Acte III, Scène V: Aria Et Altro

2.32. Acte III, Scène V: 'La Tourterelle Tendre Et Fidèle'

2.33. Acte III, Scène V: Rondeau En Chaconne

2.34. Acte III, Scène V: 'Du Dieu Des Cœurs, On Adore L'empire'

2.35. Acte III, Scène V: Contre Danse

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