"The musical form known as the
duetto da camera (chamber
duet) enjoyed exceptional popularity throughout the Baroque era", Luca
Pianca writes in his liner-notes for this recording. That may be true, but
that is not reflected by the number of recordings on the market. There are
many more discs with arias and solo cantatas than with duets. That may be
down to the preference of singers to shine - some even record duets with
themselves - and also the focus of audiences on the big stars of the music
business. However, the duet gives a composer specific opportunities which
explains its popularity in the baroque era.
One of these is the realization of a large amount of drama through the
contrast of two voices which represent two different characters, either
expressing their conflicts or their love. The latter is the case, for
instance, in the famous duet which closes Monteverdi's opera
L'incoronazione di Poppea. It should have been mentioned in
the booklet that Monteverdi's authorship is questioned. However, a
duet doesn't imply the involvement of two characters: in the
programme for this recording there are no other pieces of this kind. In
duets by the likes of Marcello and Handel the protagonist rather expresses
his feelings, mostly reflecting the tribulations of love. In such cases the
scoring for two singers offers the opportunity to use harmony to expose the
affetti in the text. That is the case in the duet which opens the
programme,
Interrotte speranze by Monteverdi. Other examples are
Giuramente amoroso by Antonio Lotti and
Se morto mi brami
by Benedetto Marcello. Durante's duet
Son io barbara donna
is also quite expressive, not so much through its harmonic progressions but
through the remarkable twists and turns in the melody.
Many singers may feel that arias are better suited to show their
brilliance than duets. However, in particular Handel's duets prove
them wrong. The two duets on this disc bear witness to that, especially
Sono lieto, fortunate which is about the happiness of love.
Tanti strali is also a piece which makes the singers shine but
includes much expression all the same, especially in the second section:
"But if my soul still laments (...) it is because it burns and
fears". Monteverdi's duet
Montre vaga Angioletta is
another example of a dramatic piece with some graphic text expression.
In the latter piece the violin turns up which is rather odd as it is
scored for two voices and basso continuo. The contribution of the violin
doesn't make any sense and also damages the performance because of
the not so beautiful tone Riccardo Minasi produces. This is even worse in
the
Sonata in d minor by Domenico Scarlatti, one of his few sonatas
for a solo instrument and bc. Minasi seems to put his own virtuosity in the
spotlight as he plays with technical brilliance and sometimes at high speed,
for instance in the allegro (track 8). However, the ensemble's
aggressive attacks and the unattractive sound Minasi produces make this one
of the worst I have ever heard. Subtlety seems not to be the name of
Minasi's game anyway, as I have noticed in previous recordings.
This is a considerable blot on this disc which is very good as far as the
vocal items are concerned. Roberta Invernizzi and Sonia Prina are seasoned
interpreters of baroque vocal music and regularly participate in opera
performances and recordings. I don't always enjoy what they do, and
that goes especially for Ms Prina, whose sometimes wide vibrato is not to my
liking. However, here she behaves quite well. Although she sometimes sings
with some vibrato it didn't spoil my enjoyment and doesn't
damage the blending of the two voices. On the contrary, this is one of the
disc's virtues: the two singers are evidently on the same wavelength
and adapt their voices admirably to each other. The coloratura of both
singers is impressive thanks to their vocal agility. Even more important is
that each fully explores the expressive features of their roles in these
duets. To that end they make an effective use of the tools singers of the
17th and early 18th centuries had at their disposal, including the
messa
di voce which was particularly important in the 17th century.
Considering these qualities the contribution of Riccardo Minasi is all the
more regrettable. I don't see the need for the inclusion of an
instrumental piece in this duet programme anyway. A couple more of the
latter would have been preferable. However, don't let this prevent
you from purchasing this disc. If you like baroque vocal music you will
greatly enjoy the fine music and great singing.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
