Siroe was Handel’s twelfth opera for the Royal Academy of Music.
It was written for sopranos Francesca Cuzzoni (Laodice) and Faustina Bordoni
(Emira) and for the title role Francesco Bernardi was engaged – he is better
known as Senesino, one of the starriest castratos of the day. The premiere
was conducted by the composer at the King’s Theatre in London on 17 February
1728. The libretto was written by Nicola Francesco Haym, who collaborated
with Handel on several of his operas.
Siroe, Re di Persia was based
on Metastasio’s
Siroe, which was first set by Leonardo Vinci in
1726.
The production was not without complications. The two star sopranos were
rivals and had developed rival groups. In an opera by Bononcini the previous
year there had been fights and disorder in the audience and even on-stage
the two prima donnas had exchanged insults and had been seen hitting each
other. The newspapers had ridiculed Italian opera at large and then John
Gay´s
The Beggars’ Opera opened in London just a couple of weeks
before the premiere of
Siroe. Gay satirized opera seria and his
entertainment was a tremendous success. Handel’s had an unalloyed fear that
Siroe would flop but against all odds it had a run of eighteen
performances and was quite successful. It was also played in Germany but
Handel never mounted it again in Britain and it was not until almost 200
years later that it was seen again, in Jena in 1925.
The story is just as complicated as many other operas of its time. The
Crown Prince of Persia, Siroe, is very popular among the people but his
father, the King, wants his younger son to be the next King. There is a
series of misunderstandings, plots, disguises and accusations but in the end
everything is sorted out, Siroe can marry his beloved Emira, the King
abdicates and Siroe is crowned King of Persia. The finale is all
celebrations and rejoicings.
With three of the greatest singers in central roles and a supporting cast
no less excellent, Handel could adorn the score with a succession of
brilliant arias. For this recording Harmonia Mundi has gathered a superb
cast, able to do full justice to the music.
In the centre of the proceedings stands the magnificent contralto Ann
Hallenberg who in six great and long arias creates a rounded portrait of
Crown Prince Siroe.
Se il labbro onor ti giuro CD 1 tr. 9) is a
noble aria, as befits a Royal person, and it is warmly sung. One at once
feels sympathy for the character. Her/his second aria,
La sorte mia
tiranna (CD 1 tr. 13) is even greater and the singing is superb. The
fast, dramatic
Mi credi infedele (CD 1 tr. 23) adds further insight
and
Fra dubbi affetti miei (CD 2 tr. 4) is maybe the best aria of
them all – unless it be the recitativo accompagnato
Son stanco, ingiusti
Numi followed by the long, tragic and emotional
Deggio morire, o
stelle (CD 2 tr. 15-16). She rounds off her impressive contribution
with
Se l’amor tuo mi rendi (CD 2 tr. 20). Hers is indeed a voice
to admire and savour.
The two sopranos are also well in the picture. Previously I have only
encountered Johanna Stojkovic in romantic opera (Lortzing, Enna) and
operetta (Lehŕr), but she is likewise at home in baroque repertoire. Her
mellifluous soprano soars elegantly in
D’ogni amator la fede (CD 1
tr. 7), a beautiful aria with quite elaborate embellishments. In act II she
is intensely dramatic in
Sgombra dall’anima (CD 1 tr. 25). She is
also allotted the very last aria,
La mia speranza (CD 2 tr. 24)
which offers superb virtuoso singing.
Sunhae Im, whom I have admired in Mozart and Haydn, is a riveting Laodice,
her bright, lyric soprano always a pleasure to listen to. Her coloratura is
impeccable. All this is on display in the excellent and brilliant
O
placido il mare (CD 1 tr. 11). Her long
Mi lagnerň tacendo in
act II (CD 1 tr. 21) is also masterly, so beautifully sung with exquisite
long pianissimo phrases.
Sebastian Noack, also an excellent Lieder singer, is a sturdy but flexible
King Cosroe, and he has both power and a good legato. His younger son,
Medarse, is sung with fluency and dramatic conviction by Gunther Schmid,
while Arasse, Siroe´s confidante, only appears in act III and then only in
recitative.
Andreas Spering keeps things on the move – and I prefer baroque operas to
be on the brisk side. The Cappella Coloniensis are in excellent form. It is
a pleasure to hear them on their own in the tripartite overture and also in
a couple of short sinfonias further on. Recitatives are mainly short and
performed swiftly – possibly somewhat foreshortened – and the whole opera
fits neatly on two well filled CDs. The lack of a libretto is a drawback but
even those only mildly interested in the plot should derive lots of pleasure
from just listening to the opera as an attractive concert of great arias out
of Handel’s top-drawer.
Göran Forsling
