Zelenka Il Diamante Ensemble Inégal

Dramatic secular cantatas from the early Italian Baroque, revived for the first time in the modern age by an acclaimed and enterprising early-music ensemble.

Soprano Pia Davila and the ensemble Musica getutscht under the direction of Bernhard Reichel show how Claudio Monteverdi and his contemporaries transferred the modern dramatic style from secular opera to sacred music during the Counter-Reformation. For example, they told the Passion of Christ in a completely new way - namely from the personal perspective of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene. Both lament the painful parting from Jesus, not only as their savior, but above all as their son and lover.

Dramatic secular cantatas from the early Italian Baroque, revived for the first time in the modern age by an acclaimed and enterprising early-music ensemble.

Quand on songe à l’œuvre d’Arcangelo Corelli, l’un des maîtres de la sonate préclassique et du concerto grosso, nous vient le plus souvent et spontanément en tête le fameux Concerto per la Notte di Natale, n° 8 des douze concerti grossi composant son opus 6. La Follia, cette célèbre sarabande qui développe une suite de quelque seize variations, est à l’opus V ce que le Concerto per la Notte di Natale est à l’opus 6 : la pièce la plus célèbre et la plus populaire.

La Fida Ninfa premiered during the Verona carnival of 1732 at the Teatro Filarmonico. The work was composed to help celebrate the opening of the theatre, which had been postponed for two years, since at that time, the city had been surrounded by foreign military troops. The production was spectacular, and included elaborate ballets by Andrea Cattani, a famous ballet master from Poland, as well as sumptuous sets by Francesco Bibiena. “Vivaldi's score is a ravishing one, offering a rewarding sequence of beguiling arias, duets, a trio and a quartet. Sandrine Piau (Licori) and Verónica Cangemi (Morasto) take on the considerable vocal challenges of demanding roles with their usual tonal warmth and bravura, while Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Elpina) provides the necessary emotional contrasts.

Together with Johann Simon Mayr, Ferdinando Paër counts as one of the most important opera composers of his day, and he was unable to resist filling his oratorio on Christ’s Passion, Il Santo Sepolcro with expressive extremes. Pain and grief contrast with joy and hope, and scenes including the terrible hours of the crucifixion, frenzy of the crowd, resurrection and Last Judgment are given potently descriptive music. Originally a prelude to Haydn’s Seven Last Words, Mayr’s Invito is a call to hear Paër’s incomparable narrative.