Antonio Caldara - The Card Game; Suonata da Camera; Lungi dal'Idol Mio; Vicino a un Ri Voletto

"Antonio Caldara (c. 1670-1736) composed during the most flourishing period of the Baroque. While his contemporaries - Handel, Bach, Scarlatti and Vivaldi - are today held in higher esteem, in his own day, Caldara's vocal output was much celebrated. 18th century critic Charles Burney called him 'one of the greatest professors both for the Church and stage that Italy can boast,' and rated Caldara second only to Handel for his vocal writing.

"Caldara was born in Venice to musical parents. He was a working musician from an early age as both contralto chorister and cellist at St. Mark's in Venice, at the same time composing vocal music and his only surviving instrumental material - two collections of string works in the style of the Corelli trio sonata - one of which is presented here (Op. 2 in G Minor, Tracks 12-15). He continued to draw a salary (with pay raises) until nearly age 30 as a contralto at the Basilica. One presumes that in the end he was performing his vocal duties as a falsettist, not as a castrato - 1700 did mark the heyday of that Italian phenomenon - since Antonio Caldara married an actual female contralto with whom he sired children.

"It was the custom of the 18th century for wealthy patrons to subsidize composers. The pragmatic Caldara always played his cards wisely. He looked for a royal position and landed work in 1699 as 'maestro da chiesa e da teatro' (head of music for both church and opera house) at the court of the Duke of Mantua. His new employer was a playboy who indulged in a lavish lifestyle - women, feasts and fancy opera productions. Indeed, this Ferdinando Carlo likely served as model for Verdi's tenor in 'Rigoletto'. Caldara's position was short-lived - so was the Duke, who died mysteriously in 1708. Caldara then took another gamble. He travelled to Barcelona and the court of Charles III, offering to composer music for that monarch's forthcoming marriage to the young Elisabeth Christina of Brunswick. The Venetian composer pleased both the king and his new bride, described at the time as 'the most beautiful queen on the earth' (and later mother of Empress Maria Theresa and the grandmother of Marie Antoinette). Caldara's Spanish campaign was well calculated: Charles III was the young brother of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I and next in line for succession.

"Following his Barcelona sojourn Caldara travelled to Rome. He again landed on his feet. For vocal music 1709 marked the high point of the Italian Baroque and Rome was its center. Here the 39-year-old composer met Handel, Corelli, and both Scarlattis. More importantly, he impressed the two principal must patrons of the day, Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni and the Prince Francesco Maria Ruspoli. The Prince hired him as his 'maestro di capella'. This period coincided with a peculiar papal ban on opera. It merely served to inspire Caldara and his contemporaries to circumvent the Vatican by composing cantatas. These non-staged, highly operatic 'miniatures' boasted texts reflecting the same drama, pastoral longing, loss and betrayal of love, and the same elaborate da capo solo arias which informed the now-banned full length works. Caldara produced more than 150 Italian cantatas during his seven years in Rome. He had at his disposal superb singers. Celebrated sopranoa Margarita Durastanti (who would later travel to London with Handel) undoubtedly premiered the lovely continuo cantata 'Lungi dal'idol mio' (offered here, Tracks 16-19). Unlike Handel and the others, Caldara also wrote a greater number of these florid solo works for contralto. Indeed, he met and married the singer Caterina Petrolli in 1711. Biographer David Charlton: 'It is easy to imagine Caldara performing on the cello, accompanying his wife's dazzling alto embellishment of the melody line of one of his cantatas.' The beautiful contralto cantata 'Vicino a un rivoletto' (Tracks 20-23) is a fine example. The composer not only gives the vocalist 'dazzling' opportunities, but wrote for himself a florid solo cello line to accompany her.

"During Caldara's tenure with Prince Ruspoli, he learned that his former Spanish patron, Charles would in fact succeed to Joseph I's throne in Vienna. The composer and his bride hurried to that city for the coronation of Charles VI, hoping to incline the new emperor and his wife to offer him a position in their court. Alas, more senior colleagues were given the posts Caldara hoped for. But royal couple did not forget Antonio Caldara, and four years later he was appointed Vice Kapellmeister in Vienna.

"Charles VI and his brother before him were the last of the reigning Hapsburg dynasty. They were highly enlightened musicians. Antonio Caldara would retain his comfortable position at the Viennese court for the final 20 years of his life, producing an immense operatic and oratorio output. The court feasts ('Hof-Feste') included operatic productions commemorating the birthdays and namedays of the royal family. The Emperor himself studied keyboard and conducting with Caldara, and his two daughter sang on these occasions as well. In summer 1734, Caldara celebrated the Empress' birthday with a charming operatic gem 'Il giuoco del Quadriglio' ('The Card Game', Tracks 1-11), for which the composer provided roles for the young archduchess Maria Theresa and his own wife Caterina. The work's sole contralto (Ottavia) is bitter and shrewish, unlike her more idealistic and jollier fellow soprano cardplayers - a reflection of things in the Caldara household? At any rate, 'Il giuoco' offers each of four female vocalists her own da capo solo turn. It is scored for strings and continuo with the delightful and unexpected appearance of flute and lute and then a final happy ending quartet for everyone. The work is listen in Grove among Caldara's cantatas - works for one or two solo voices at most - but is more properly a chamber opera or 'serenate teatrale', a popular little entertainment at the 18th century Viennese court. Maria Theresa herself would later commission Gluck to provide similar four-treble voice works for her own daughters to sing." (John Ostendorf. From the liner notes.)

Performers: The Queen's Chamber Band, Stephen Alltop, Julianne Baird, Patrice Djerejian, Laura Heimes, Judith Pannill

1. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: Introduzione

2. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'Da Che Giuoco Al Quadriglio'

3. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'Ah, Se Toccasse A Me'

4. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'I Soliti Lamenti'

5. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'Maledetto La Disdetta'

6. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'Cosa Volete Far? Ci Vuol Pazienza'

7. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'Che Giuoco Felice Che Perde Clarice'

8. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'Già Voi Le Cose Serie Le Ponete In Derisione'

9. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'Io Vi Leggo Nel Pensiero'

10. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'O Via La Lezione!'

11. Il Giuoco Del Quadriglio: 'Balliamtutte Quante, Che Ancor La Morale'

12. Chamber Sonata In G Minor, Op. 2 No. 2: I. Alemanda

13. Chamber Sonata In G Minor, Op. 2 No. 2: II. Corrente

14. Chamber Sonata In G Minor, Op. 2 No. 2: III. Giga

15. Chamber Sonata In G Minor, Op. 2 No. 2: IV. Gavotta

16. Lungi Dal' Idol Mio: 'Lungi Dal'idol Mio, Fra Mille'

17. Lungi Dal' Idol Mio: 'Piangi, Misero Cor, Il Sospirato Amor'

18. Lungi Dal' Idol Mio: 'Ah, Ben Previde Il Cor, Ch'a Darmi Pene'

19. Lungi Dal' Idol Mio: 'Darvi Un Guardo Solo'

20. Vicino A Un Rivoletto: Vicino A Un Rivoletto Ove Conuta E Onda

21. Vicino A Un Rivoletto: Zeffiretto Amoresetto

22. Vicino A Un Rivoletto: Ma, O Ciel, Che Insin Le Piante

23. Vicino A Un Rivoletto: Aimè, Sento Il Mio Core

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Antonio Caldara - La Conversione di Clodoveo, Rè di Francia

"Antonio Caldara is still not very well known by music lovers. Yet he is one of the most interesting and appealing composers of the Italian Baroque, and one of the most prolific in the history of music. He enjoyed great celebrity during his lifetime, and indeed throughout the entire 18th century, before sinking into oblivion. Based in Vienna, he had considerable influence on German composers: on Telemann, on Bach (who copied one of his settings of the 'Magnificat'), on the Mannheim school and, finally, through later generations, on the Viennese composers of the Classical era such as Dittersdorf, Haydn and Mozart.

"The son of a violinist, Caldara was born, probably in 1670, in Venice or possibly in Padua; we do not have more precise information, and this birth date is deduced from the statement in his death certificate that died 'in his 66th year'. Caldara began his studied with Giovanni Legrenzi, 'maestro di cappella' at San Marco in Venice, and as a boy he sang in the basilica's choir. Then, for six years beginning in 1694, he was a gambist and cellist for San Marco; he also played the organ and the harpsichord. In 1689, his first opera, 'L'Argene', was staged in Venice, and shortly after the publisher Sala printed two sets of sonatas in the style of Corelli: opus 1 in 1693, and opus 2 in 1699. Meanwhile, in 1697, his first oratorio, 'Il trionfo della continenza', was performed.

"In May 1699, Caldara was appointed 'maestro di cappella, da chiesa e dal teatro' to Ferdinando Carlo, the Gonzaga Duke of Mantua, who lavished enormous sums on opera productions. Caldara held this post until 1707 and he probably went with his employer to Paris in 1704. During these years, Caldara made brief sojourns in Bologna and in Rome, where he met Corelli and the Scarlattis, both father and son. During a trip to Spain in the summer of 1708, his opera 'Il più bel nome' was staged in Barcelona as part of the festivities to celebrate the wedding of Charles III, the Hapsburg claimant to the Spanish throne. When the French won the War of Succession in Spain three years later, Philippe, Duke of Anjou, supplanted Charles. Caldara had given lessons in counterpoint to Charles and won his admiration and the position as his resident composer. Later, as we will see, the musician was able to take advantage of the patronage of the Hapsburg dynasty.

"Caldara returned to Rome in 1709, where he succeeded Handel as 'maestro di cappella' to Prince Francesco Maria Ruspoli in the Palazzo Bonelli. Over the course of the subsequent years, Caldara composed, for Prince Ruspoli, four operas, three 'intermezzi', 10 oratorios, several 'serenate', and a large number of madrigals, cantatas, and vocal duos. He also worked for Cardinal Ottoboni and for Prince Colonna, rich Roman patrons for the arts. Then, in 1711, he married the singer Caterina Petrolli. In that same year, Charles III of Hapsburg became Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor of the German States, and moved to Vienna. Soon, in 1712, Caldara visited the Austrian capital, seeking a post with the new monarch, his former patron.

"He did not obtain the desired post until 1716, one year after the death of Marc'Antonio Ziani, 'kapellmeister' of the imperial court. Johann Joseph Fux succeeded Ziani and Caldara, who had been given leave by Prince Ruspoli, travelled to Vienna (stopping 'en route' in Salzburg), to help Fux as 'vice-kapellmeister'. He held this position until his death, 20 years later; Fux, though older than Caldara, outlived him by several years. Caldara died in Vienna on December 28, 1736 in the quarters reserved for Italians in the service of the court. Vivaldi died here, in humbler fashion, five years later. We don't know how Caldara managed his affairs, but despite his considerable income, he was so heavily in debt that the emperor deign to make a grant of 12,000 florins to his widow to help her make ends meet.

"Caldara left several hundred works of all sizes. Almost all of these works are vocal: they include more than 80 operas with libretti by Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Metastasio, 38 oratorios, 50 'serenate', 100 or so cantatas, hundreds of motets, more than 20 masses (some of which are written in strict counterpoint and for performance 'a cappella', while other are in the more luxurious concertante style), several sonatas, madrigals, and about 300 vocal canons. Caldara's work did not immediately disappear when he died, as was the case with Vivaldi, and the work of many other musicians of the period who had enjoyed celebrity during their lifetimes. Writing in the 1780s, the English musicologist Charles Burney expressed his high esteem for Caldara. It was only gradually that Caldara slipped into obscurity. In the middle of the 19th century some connoisseurs, such as Brahms and von Köchel, still appreciated Caldara's great skill in polyphony and suppleness of his melodic expression. Closer to our own time, Roland de Candé said that 'his music achieves a magnificent synthesis of the Venitian choral style, the Neapolitan melodic and harmonic style, and the Viennese Baroque, which was at its peak.'

"The oratorio written in Italian, known as 'oratorio volgare', is a close relative of the opera. Towards the end of the 17th century it supplanted the old 'historica sacra' in Latin, the gren in which Giacomo Carissimi had excelled. The Italian-language oratorio featured several historical or symbolic persons who, without the help of a narrator or a chorus, presented themselves through a series of characteristic recitatives and 'da capo' arias. In his 'Dictionnaire de musique', published in 1703, Sébastien de Brossard described this kind of oratorio as 'a kind of sacred opera [...] whose subject is drawn from scripture or from the history of a saint, or which is an allegory on one of the mysteries of religion, or on some point of morality.' He added that 'nothing is more common in Rome, especially during lent, than these kinds of oratorios.' Similar works, but without any stage scenery, were sung in private salons during those periods of the liturgical year when operas were prohibited. In the intermission between the two parts of the work, instead of listening to the sermon that would be delivered if it was being performed in a church, the audience at such private performances was served liquor.

"In composing his oratorios in Rome for Prince Ruspoli, Caldara's style evolved rapidly. The works can be divided into two groups. As Adélaïde de Place noted, 'the first group, those written around the years 1708 and 1710, are still impregnated by Venetian influence, while the later works, composed between 1712 and 1715, are marked by the elegant traits of the early 'galant' style: they are simple in shape, luminous, and supple.' Instrumental accompaniment became lighter. (It is unlikely that this development was driven by a desire on the part of the hyper-rich Roman aristocracy to cut costs.) 'The orchestra tended to be reduced to two string sections supported by the basso continuo, which was more present in the accompaniment than were the violins, while the ranges of the vocal soloists seemed to be moving upwards, sometimes even to the extent that there no low voices at all.' (On March 31, 1715, a German traveler heard an oratorio by Caldara performed by 'a great number of musicians, three female singers, [one of whom was surely the composer's wife], and a little castrato.')

"The oratorio 'La Conversione di Clodoveo, Rè di Francia' belongs to this second, later group. Its libretto is by Sigismundo Capece, who also wrote the libretto for Handel's 'La resurrezione' in 1708. The first performance of 'La Conversione' was given in Rome on April 14, 1715 at the Palazzo Bonelli. The work is scored for four solo voices and an ensemble of strings without viola, to which winds may be added. Its arias are 'accompanied by the orchestra, or by a very lively basso continuo, and they generally take the 'da capo' form and are in a dramatic vocal style, full of melissimas, coloraturas, and 'arioso' passages.' The work is a remarkable example of the concern, typical of the period, that nuances of text and character should be rendered musically and clearly. Its recitatives are free, clever, and expressive. Its arias are sensitive, moving, often set to dance rhythms, and varied: one after another they are either warlike, gracious, tormented, or confiding, depending on a character's emotions.

"The work tells the story of how his love for his wife, the beautiful and pious Clotilde, led the bellicose Clovis to convert to the Christian faith. In the beginning of the first part Clovis, King of the Francs - also known as the Sicambres - wants to go off to war. Clotilde accuses him of only seeking glory and, not hiding her concern, gives him the following advice: 'When you are in greatest danger, do not forget that the God that I worship is the God of battle.' Once Clovis and the captain Uberto have left, Clotilde confides her fears to Remigius, the bishop of Rheims and a future saint. He reassures her with these words: 'It often happens that, by the power of heaven itself, from seeds of sorrow springs a harvest of happiness.' Captain Uberto returns, bearing bad news: faced by certain defeat, Clovis has charges him with the mission of protecting the queen.

"The second part open with the worries of Remigius, who is preparing to flee with Clotilde and Uberto. But Clovis returns and announces his victory, which he attributes to the advice of his queen. Just when he was about to lose the battle, he tells them, and after having vainly called upon Mars, he successfully called on the Christian God for help. Now a member of the true faith, he declares: 'Because of this victory, I worship only your God.' Clotilde then asks Remigius to prepare 'the sacred rite, baptism, by means of which divine grace will pour down on the royal head.' After the ceremony, a love duet, in which the voices follow each other and intertwine in thirds and sixths, joins the two spouses in the same faith and ends the oratorio.

"Since Caldara's work relates one of the founding myths of the history of France, let us leave the final word to the author of the 'Legenda Aurea', Jacques de Voragine, who tells us that 'there was no sacred oil at the baptismal fonts when they reached them, but then a dove appears, carrying a vial of the oil in its beak, and the pope anointed the king with it.' Since then, 'this vial is conserved in the church of Rheims, and used to this day to anoint the kings of France.' Finally, the history books tell us that on the occasion of Clovis' batpism on December 25, 496, soon after his victory at Tolbiac over the Germans, Saint Remigius pronounced his celebrated words: 'Bow down your head, proud Sicambre. Worship what you have burned, and burn what you have worshipped.'" (François Filiatrault, 2010, tr. Sean McCutcheon. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Le Nouvel Opéra, Alexander Weimann, Suzie LeBlanc, Allyson McHardy, Nathalie Paulin, Matthew White

1.1. Parte I: Sinfonia

1.2. Parte I, Scena I: 'Invitto Clodoveo'

1.3. Parte I, Scena I: 'Di Tua Gloria'

1.4. Parte I, Scena I: 'Vanne Uberto'

1.5. Parte I, Scena I: 'Voglio Quel Seno Stringere'

1.6. Parte I, Scena II: 'Clodoveo, Mio Signor'

1.7. Parte I, Scena II: 'Rasserenatevi'

1.8. Parte I, Scena II: 'Con Prove Di Fierezza'

1.9. Parte I, Scena II: 'Volgi Il Cuore'

1.10. Parte I, Scena II: 'Clotilde, Ben Sovente'

1.11. Parte I, Scena II: 'Con Tuoi Begl'occhi'

1.12. Parte I, Scena III: 'Mio Signor, Mio Giesu'

1.13. Parte I, Scena III: 'Se Mesta L'alma'

1.14. Parte I, Scena IV: 'Remigio, Amato Padre'

1.15. Parte I, Scena IV: 'Io Non So'

1.16. Parte I, Scena IV: 'Scaccio Il Vano'

1.17. Parte I, Scena IV: 'Non Sempre Tuona'

1.18. Parte I, Scena V: 'Signora, Infausto Messo'

1.19. Parte I, Scena V: 'Vorrebbe L'Affetto'

1.20. Parte I, Scena V: 'Regina, Sono Del Ciel'

1.21. Parte I, Scena V: 'Picciol Legno'

1.22. Parte I, Scena V: 'A Tuoi Detti Mi Rendo'

1.23. Parte I, Scena V: 'Mio Dio Per Me Svenato'

1.24. Parte I, Scena V: 'Se Tanto Il Cuore Ottiene'

2.1. Parte II, Scena I: 'Agitato Da Speme'

2.2. Parte II, Scena II: 'Clodoveo Superato'

2.3. Parte II, Scena II: 'Quando Il Turbino E Vicino'

2.4. Parte II, Scena II: 'Andiamo'

2.5. Parte II, Scena III: 'Clotilde, Vincesti'

2.6. Parte II, Scena III: 'Mio Sposo'

2.7. Parte II, Scena III: 'Gioisco Che Il Tuo Cuore'

2.8. Parte II, Scena III: 'Clotilde, E Ver'

2.9. Parte II, Scena III: 'Come Cerva Che Ferita'

2.10. Parte II, Scena III: 'Remigio A Questi Accenti'

2.11. Parte II, Scena III: 'Sommo Dio'

2.12. Parte II, Scena IV: 'Con Esempio Si Bello'

2.13. Parte II, Scena IV: 'Che Santo E Bel Piacer'

2.14. Parte II, Scena V: 'Consorte Amato'

2.15. Parte II, Scena V: 'L'amor Mio'

2.16. Parte II, Scena V: 'Quest'e L'altare'

2.17. Parte II, Scena V: 'Santo Amor'

2.18. Parte II, Scena V: 'Signor, Troppa Ostinata'

2.19. Parte II, Scena V: 'V'adoro, O Padre'

2.20. Parte II, Scena VI: 'Mio Redentor'

2.21. Parte II, Scena VI: 'E' Un Piacer'

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Antonio Caldara - Requiem

"Antonio Caldara was not only one of the most important composers of his generation, but wielded considerable influence over the evolution of Italian vocal music of the early eighteenth century. Moreover, having lived the last two decades of his life in Vienna, he was a significant factor in shaping the direction of both Viennese and German music. To say Caldara was prolific is an understatement: he wrote nearly 3,500 works, including more than 90 operas, numerous oratorios, liturgical works, cantatas, madrigals, and many instrumental pieces. Unfortunately, many of his scores are lost, but there still exists a substantial body of work by which to judge him positively. As a performer he was immensely talented: he was accomplished as a viol player, cellist, and keyboardist, and in his childhood, as a choirboy at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, he was considered a highly gifted singer. While his operas are rarely performed today, his instrumental and liturgical music has achieved some currency, and because of the increasing availability of them on recordings, Caldara's reputation could be on the upswing.

"Antonio Caldara was born in Venice, Italy, probably in 1671. Caldara's educational background is clouded: his first teacher was probably his father, a workaday violinist, and Giovanni Legrenzi, maestro di cappella of St. Mark's, and cello virtuoso Domenico Gabrielli likely taught the young Caldara.

"By the early 1690s Caldara's operas were drawing attention, and he was already known as a virtuoso cellist in Venice. In 1699 he was appointed maestro di cappella to the Duke of Mantua, a fanatic lover of opera. Caldara apparently wrote many operas for the Duke, but none of the manuscripts survive.

"Caldara relocated to Rome in 1708, where he was taken into the service of Cardinal Ottoboni. Caldara's Serenata 'Chi s'arma di virtù' (1709) was one of many successful works he wrote while in Rome.

"In 1717 Caldara resettled once more, this time in Vienna as the vice-kapellmeister under Charles VI. Caldara was required to write many operas, oratorios, and other works as part of his duties. Among his more successful efforts from the Vienna years were the operas 'Dafne' (1719) and 'Sancio Panza' (1730). His sacred music also drew acclaim with such works as 'Missa Laetare' (1729) and 'Missa in spei Resurrectionis' (1732). So busy was Caldara from the demands of his Viennese post that there is evidence exhaustion was a factor in his death on December 28, 1736." (Biography by Robert Cummings for AllMusic. See here.)

Performers: Musica Fiorita, Daniela Dolci

1. Reqiuiem: Requiem. Andante

2. Reqiuiem: Te Decet Hymnus. Largo

3. Requiem: Requiem. Andante

4. Reqiuiem: Kyrie Eleison. Andante

5. Reqiuiem: Christe Eleison. Andante

6. Reqiuiem: Kyrie Eleison. Andante

7. Trio Sonata In E Minor, Op. 1 No. 5: I. Grave

8. Trio Sonata In E Minor, Op. 1 No. 5: II. Vivace

9. Trio Sonata In E Minor, Op. 1 No. 5: III. Adagio

10. Trio Sonata In E Minor, Op. 1 No. 5: IV. Vivace

11. Reqiuiem: Dies Irae. Adagio. Quantus Tremor

12. Reqiuiem: Tuba Mirum. Andante

13. Reqiuiem: Mors Stupebit. Adagio

14. Reqiuiem: Judex Ergo

15. Reqiuiem: Rex Tremende. Largo

16. Reqiuiem: Recordare

17. Reqiuiem: Ingemisco Tamquam Reus

18. Reqiuiem: Confutatis. Presto

19. Reqiuiem: Voca Me Cum Benedictis

20. Reqiuiem: Oro Supplex. Adagio

21. Reqiuiem: Lacrymosa. Adagio

22. Reqiuiem: Judicandus. Largo

23. Reqiuiem: Pie Jesu

24. Reqiuiem: Reqiuem. Andante

25. Reqiuiem: Amen

26. Sonata In A Major No. 15: I. Largo

27. Sonata In A Major No. 15: II. Allegro

28. Sonata In A Major No. 15: III. Aria Non Molto Allegro

29. Sonata In A Major No. 15: IV. Allegro

30. Missa Dolorosa: Sanctus. Andante-Allegro

31. Missa Dolorosa: Benedictus. Andante-Allegro

32. Missa Dolorosa: Agnus Dei. Lento-Allegro

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