Born in Legnago, which at the time was part of the Republic of Venice,
Salieri was a protégé of Gluck. He spent most of his life from the age of
sixteen in the service of the Habsburgs in Vienna. There he became director
of Italian opera in 1774, composing over forty operas himself. He held this
court position until 1792 whilst at the same time being the Austrian
Imperial Kapellmeister. He is seen as a major figure in the development of
opera in the eighteenth century, with his compositions being widely
performed throughout Europe. He gained popularity during his lifetime but
soon fell out of favour after his death, with his music finding a renewed
popularity due to the film ‘Amadeus’. Despite what Peter Shaffer would have
us believe there is no evidence that Salieri had any part in the death of
Mozart. He was also seen as one of the most significant and influential
teachers of the period with his pupils including Beethoven, Schubert and
Liszt.
Salieri did not come to compose songs until he was well established
throughout Europe as a composer of opera. His biographer, Ignaz von Mosel,
suggests that he was in his forties when he began to compose the short vocal
works showcased on this CD. He kept composing these occasional works until
just before he was committed to medical care suffering from what was
probably dementia some eighteen months before his death. The songs presented
on this disc have character and charm, although given the choice, I would
prefer to listen to the songs of Haydn with all their variety and
brilliance. Indeed Haydn's songs can be seen to have been an
influence on some of the Salieri songs, with others having the air of a
pared-down operatic aria. An example of this latter aspect can be hear in
Sonetto - Il Genio degli Stati Veneti, which is about his loyalties
divided between the place of his birth and the Habsburgs as they invaded
Venice in 1798. There are however quite a few songs here which merit being
in the regular lieder repertoire. Several in the collection known as
Divertimenti vocali deserve repeated listening, while the
Cavatina – Pensieri funesti, his
Ode: Deh, si piacevoli,
his
Der Zufriedene and his final song, the wonderful
Andenken, would grace any lieder recital.
The performances are good. At first I found Annelie Sophie Müller’s mezzo
a bit on the plummy side but that was mainly due to the dramatic nature of
the first song. Her voice really suites the rest of the songs. Ilse Eerens
has an attractive clear soprano voice which also is apt to this material;
however, it is when they sing together that you appreciate just how well
they have been matched. Ulrich Eisenlohr proves himself to be a thoughtful
interpreter as well as an intelligent accompanist. The booklet notes are
informative and add helpful background. Full song texts and translations are
given. This is so helpful when the works are new to you.
Stuart Sillitoe
Full Track-List
1. Il Genio degli Stati Veneti [2:58]
Divertimenti vocali
2. No. 5. Pastorella io giurerei [1:46]
3. No. 10. Ch'io mai vi possa [2:05]
4. No. 2. Gia la note [2:28]
5. No. 7. Bei labbri [2:59]
6. No. 26. Abbiam pennato, e ver [2:40]
7. No. 22. Caro, son tua così [2:41]
8. No. 14. Conservati fedele [2:26]
9. No. 11. Numi, se giusti siete [2:15]
10. No. 24. Spiegarti non poss'io [3:32]
11. No. 8. Ha negl'occhi [1:55]
12. No. 9. Vedi quanto t'adoro [3:08]
13. No. 17. Tornate serene [2:25]
14. No. 3. Vuoi per sempre [2:17]
15. No. 16. Ombre amene [2:25]
16. No. 27. Niso, che fa il tuo core [3:24]
17. Cavatina: Pensieri funesti [3:52]
18. Deh, si piacevoli [5:57]
19. In questa tomba oscura (1st setting) [2:18]
20. In questa tomba oscura (2nd setting) [1:16]
21. 3 Romances: No. 3. Appel a l'amour [3:14]
22. Der Zufriedene [1:25]
23. Meine hochste Wonne [2:43]
24. Maylied [2:04]
25. An die zukunftige Geliebte [3:02]
26. Andenken [2:13]
