RECORDING OF THE MONTH
Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660 - 1725)
Oratorio per la Santissima Trinita (1715) [67.27]
Fede – Roberta Invernizzi (soprano)
Amor divino – Veronique Gens (soprano)
Teologia – Vivica Genaux (mezzo)
Infedelta – Paul Agnew (tenor)
Tempo – Roberto Abbondanza (bass)
Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi
rec. 14-17 October 2003, Notre Dame du Liban, Paris
VIRGIN CLASSICS 628647 2 [67.27]
La Santissima Trinita was one of the last of Alessandro Scarlatti’s
forty or so oratorios. It was performed in Naples in May 1715. By 1715 Scarlatti’s
career had taken him to Rome, Naples, Venice and Tuscany. In 1708 he returned
to Naples and was based there for the remainder of his career. In fact, most
of Scarlatti’s oratorios were written for Rome. The genre had originated there
and it continued to flourish, nourished by the fact that the Popes were opposed
to opera per se. In fact many oratorios had a dramatic structure not
unlike opera and were effectively sacred operas. Scarlatti’s previous efforts
in the genre had been mainly either dramatic settings of Old Testament subjects
such as Judith or Cain, or paraphrases of the New Testament.
La Santissima Trinita is different to these, instead of a dramatic
biblical theme, it takes as its subject a theological discussion on the mysteries
of the Holy Trinity. This type of oratorio originated in the 17th
century and by the early 18th was becoming quite rare. Though in
fact Handel’s Trionfo el Tempo e del Disinganno (from 1707) and Caldara’s
Vaticini del Pace (from 1712) are similar in structure.
The work was intended to be an aid to religious learning, the idea being that
these things are easier if they contain an element of enjoyment. This clothing
of learning in a lighter garb was something that the Jesuits were quite keen
on. It is probably that La Santissima Trinita was acted out in front
of the altar at one of the Conservatories where castrati were trained.
Whilst the libretto might be rather dry, the music is anything but. Scarlatti
seems to have used all of his charms to elucidate the text and the result
is a charming and involving work. Amazingly he uses quite small forces to
do this: five soloists accompanied by strings and continuo, singing alternating
arias and recitatives with the occasional duet and a final quintet. In terms
of textures, Scarlatti introduces elements of the concerto grosso to provide
a wonderful variety.
As might be expected given the 18th century emphasis on high voices,
the higher voices are the most important. Fede (Faith), soprano, gets five
arias and four duets; Amor divino (Divine Love), soprano, gets four arias
and two duets, Teologia (Theology), mezzo-soprano, gets four arias and one
duet, Infedelta (Faithlessness), tenor, gets three arias and one duet, with
Tempo (Time), bass, receiving just three arias. The oratorio is in two parts
and there would have been a sermon between the two.
The musical style is primarily operatic and the original singers would have
found Scarlatti’s arias not very much different to those in his operas. Despite
the rather dry tone of the libretto, Scarlatti creates a rather dramatic whole.
The musical material is surprisingly varied and the singers make the most
of it. This is certainly no sober religious offering, but a lively and dramatic
piece.
This recording was first issued in 2004 and is one of a number of recordings
of Scarlatti’s oratorios made by Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante. There is
an extremely strong cast, with Roberta Invernizzi as Fede, Veronique Gens
as Amor divino, Vivica Genaux as Teologia, Paul Agnew as Infedelta and Roberto
Abbondanza as Tempo.
The results are as ideal as could be. Scarlatti’s imagination seems to have
been amazingly fertile given the rather limited palate of colours that he
had available. Time and again I found details and textures which delighted,
such as the aria Teologia accompanied just by two cellos and continuo. The
instrumental playing is of a fine order with some lovely solo playing from
the solo instrumental quartet (Fabio Biondi, Andrea Rognoni, Stefano Marcocchi
and Maurizio Naddeo).
All three high voices, Invernizzi, Gens and Genaux, have their moments in
the spotlight and all three do not fail to delight. Agnew makes an impassioned
Infedelta with Abbondanza as a fine Tempo.
But much as I enjoyed the work, I would rather have liked to know what was
going on. For this re-issue Virgin have omitted the libretto and though there
is a fine article on the work, there is no detailed synopsis.
This disc must rank as one of my discoveries of the year; some very fine singing
and playing, combined with a work which seems to have an abundance of variety,
displaying Scarlatti’s genius at its best. Just don’t ask what’s going on.
Robert Hugill
One of my discoveries of the year. Very fine singing and playing, combined
with a work which seems to have an abundance of variety, displaying Scarlatti’s
genius at its best.