At first glance, this set, which includes Vivaldi’s 1727 opera
Farnace and excerpts from Corselli’s 1739 version, incites nothing
but questions. Why has Savall chosen to break up the Vivaldi work by adding
the few movements and arias of the Corselli? This music - a total of 23
minutes - is split into three parts, appearing at the beginning of each
disc. This is certainly annoying for someone wanting to listen to the
Vivaldi, but why even add this music, other than to fill the empty space
that would have existed on these three discs? It is true that this allows
the Vivaldi to be neatly separated one act per disc. But why, also, did
he change two of the important roles, including the title role of Farnace,
from their original castrati (now counter-tenors or sopranos) to baritones?
In any case, since these questions have no immediate
answers, one can only focus on the music as it is presented. The recording
suffers from the usual problems with live recordings: imbalance between
singers and musicians, occasional notes where the singers are off, muddy
string sound. On the credit side it has the vitality of live recordings,
especially in the more dynamic recitatives.
Soprano Cinzia Forte sounds quite uneven in her aria
Nell’intimo dell petto. She seems out of her league here. It is not
just one or two notes that are off, but there are enough bad moments
to detract from the music. It reminds me of the scene in Citizen
Kane when Kane’s wife is singing in her opera debut.
The baritones both sing with great force, which may
or may not be appropriate for this music. Remember, their parts were
scored for castrati. The use of baritones weighs down the music; one
can imagine how it could sound with counter-tenors, much lighter, more
ethereal.
The music itself is excellent, and the playing is spirited.
This is vintage Vivaldi. While none of the voices really stand out,
they are mostly competent and workmanlike. This is not a group of stars,
but they do justice to the music.
The work is presented in a very attractive book, 176
pages long, which has the disadvantage of making it difficult to remove
the CDs without putting fingers on the music side. I wonder how many
hearings this set can endure before the discs get scratched. However
the pictures, notes and libretto are exactly what most operas should
have.
There are both negatives and positives regarding this
set. I find the use of baritones a bit annoying, and the sound is not
exceptional. But the music wins out, making this an enjoyable set.
Kirk McElhearn