This CD originally
appeared on the Tactus label (TC 631901)
some years ago but now has been licensed
to Brilliant Classics and so is available
at a bargain price. The performance
of allegorical cantatas on Christmas
Eve was all the rage in seventeenth
and early eighteenth century Italy and
many examples of the works produced
are now becoming available on CD. Alessandro
Stradella is possibly more famous for
his rock and roll lifestyle than he
is for his music. His constant philandering
culminated in his death at the hands
of an assassin hired by the suitor of
one of the very many women he had ‘philandered’
and left pregnant.
However, put all of
the grisly details of his torrid life
aside and Stradella was a fine composer
of some originality who wrote beautiful
vocal music and opera. He was also very
influential in the growth and establishment
of tonality and gave the Baroque the
concerto grosso form made famous
by later composers such as Corelli and
Handel.
Stradella was born
in Rome and became a child of the conventions
of middle Baroque Italy – hence the
large number of vocal works in his output.
The cantata on this disc, Si apra
al riso ogni labro, was one of two
Christmas cantatas Stradella wrote in
around 1665. The instrumental forces
are modest – single strings and organ
continuo. The instrumental playing (on
period instruments) is perfectly accomplished
if not especially inspired or captivating.
The vocal contributions are a different
matter altogether. The lion’s share
of the writing goes to the soprano Cristina
Miatello who is simply appalling. Her
voice constantly sounds strained and
her upper register constantly out of
control and out of tune. How such a
voice was ever committed to CD beggars
belief. Contralto Caterina Calvi is
a little better, and better still is
‘bass’ Roberto Abbondanza, who is actually
a light baritone. Unfortunately, the
poor quality of the vocal contributions
makes this a non-starter – even a reference
recording. My catalogue lists another
recording of this work on the Arcana
Label (A79) but I have not heard it
and so can make no qualitative comparison.
There are also three
of Stradella’s 27 purely instrumental
works on this CD. The ‘Sinfonia No 2’
which opens the CD is in seven very
short sections. Little more than a trio
sonata, some of the music sounds quite
archaic, harking back to the declamatory
style of Monteverdi and the early Baroque.
It relies heavily on imitative writing
between the violin (Enrico Casazza)
and cello (Francesco Ferrarini). The
short Sonata in A major for two violins
and basso continuo also falls into short
sections with some notable contrapuntal
writing in the two central movements.
The final work on this CD is the much
more substantial Sinfonia in F major;
another work for violin, cello and continuo
only. In all of these Sinfonias, the
playing is excellent and these make
up somewhat for the very disappointing
performance of the cantata.
The sound – also produced
by the violinist and director Enrico
Casazza – is clear and atmospheric,
lending a pleasant sonority to the basso
continuo. The booklet is fairly minimal
and, alas, the Italian text of the cantata
has no translation. So, for someone
interested in the development of instrumental
writing in the middle Baroque, this
disc has enough to interest. The cantata
really has to be passed over due to
the inadequate vocal offerings.
Derek Warby
Cristina Miatello (soprano); Caterina
Calvi (contralto); Roberto Abbondanza
(bass) 
