Durante was one of the most important of Neapolitan choral music composers
and
teachers active in the first half of the eighteenth century. He was also
among
the most influential: his students included Pergolesi.
This disc, entitled
Neapolitan Christmas, presents works by
Durante associated with the festive season and opens with the most
substantial work on the disc,
Ad presepe venite, described as a
Pastorale o Mottetto per la nativitate Jesu Christe.
Although the jolly opening to this
Pastorale is immediately
attractive, a problem with balance makes itself felt straightaway: the
quality of the voices of the singers is quite thin so they have had to be
very closely miked to correct the balance within the ensemble. This results
in a rather artificial sound.
Other issues manifest themselves with the singers who, the tenor in
particular, sit on the back edge of the beat too much - this gives the music
a slightly ragged feeling as well as having the unfortunate effect of
holding the tempo back so the whole work slows down. The da capo chorus also
disappoints - there is no alteration or variation at all in the repeat; but
the music is sung exactly the same the second time around.
Perhaps my main quibble overall is the fact that the performances do
not come across as particularly Christmassy and are not performed with any
sense of joy. There are no dynamic contrasts; no musical voicing - and this
is absolutely at odds with the texts that proclaim such messages as:
“Joyfully sound, rejoice now ... and gaily sing ... rejoice, mortals
and forever sing together songs of joy ... in splendour and jubilation
everything on earth triumphs”.
The reason for this lack of gaiety might, perhaps, be found in the
fact that Durante choose to focus on the pastoral element rather than
depicting a sense of excited joy - thus we have pastoral sounds and a calm
and peaceful contentment expressed in the music rather than elation or
exhilaration. The music still needs the meanings of the words brought out,
and it needs at the very least a sense of wonder - a reverent joy rather
than exuberant joy - yet here we simply have very little joy of any kind at
all - only just the slightest of hints in the second stanza of the
duet
Ardente luce amara.
The following Magnificat in B flat minor, Durante’s best-known
work, contains a little more animation and the tone colours are well
differentiated between the singers. This is good, and works especially well.
Tone colours are also good in the Litanie
, where the soprano and alto
lines are quite close. That said, I must confess that in this work I am not
keen on the soprano’s aspirated melissmas, which are not particularly
well-controlled. The bass struggles a little on the lower notes, and also
seems to be recessed throughout - one struggles to hear him.
The disc also contains a second Magnificat - this one very short at
under five minutes. The programme concludes with the Kyrie Mass, written for
performance at Christmas. This has far more life and spirit, and the bass
manages better here, as well.
Overall, then, a slightly mixed disc, with uneven performances and
some problems from the soloists. This is nevertheless beautiful music that
deserves to be better-known.
Em Marshall-Luck
See also review by
Johan
van Veen
Complete Track-Listing
Ad presepe venite “Pastorale o Mottetto per la nativitate Jesu
Christe”
in G major
Ad presepe [7:26]
Recitativo. Alto de coeli polo [0:27]
Aria. Candida lumina [7:15]
Recitativo. In hac dicta beata [0:39]
Duet. Ardente luce amara [8:36]
Magnificat a 4 in B flat major [10:07]
Litanie della BMV in F minor
Kyrie [4:49]
Virgo prudentissimo [3:06]
Regina [1:19]
Agnus Dei [1:41]
Magnificat a 4 in C minor [4:59]
Kyrie-Gloria Mass, "in Pastorale" in A major
Kyrie [4:04]
Gloria [3:39]
Gratias [3:14]
Domine Deus [2:36]
Qui tollis [3:48]
Quoniam [2:38]
Cum sancto [2:17]
