Review - Vivaldi - Lincoronazione Di Dario (Dantone 2017 Torino)

Vivaldi - L'incoronazione di Dario: Anders Dahlin, Sara Mingardo, Delphine Dalou, Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone: naive
Reviewed by Robert Hugill on May xiii 2014
Star rating: 3.five
Sparkling functioning of Vivaldi's semi-comic opera

Volume 58 of naive's Vivaldi Edition (volume 18 of the composer's theatrical works) is devoted to Vivaldi's 1717 opera L'incoronazione di Dario. Anders Dahlin sings the championship role, with Sara Mingardo equally Statira, Delphine Galou every bit Argene, Riccardo Novaro as Niceno, Roberta Mameli every bit Alinda, Lucia Cirillo as Oronte, Sofia Soloviy as Arpago and Giuseppina Bridelli as Flora. Ottavio Dantone conducts Accademia Bizantina.

In 1717 Vivaldi had to come upwards with an opera quickly, to supercede one past Fortunato Chelleri which played for just two nights at the South. Angelo Theatre in Venice; a theatre which Vivaldi probably had a handing running, albeit in the background. He chose a pre-existing libretto, merely not a contempo one. Instead he went for one past Ariano Morselli written 30 years earlier (prepare by Domenico Freschi in 1686, and afterward by Giacomo Perti and past Giuseppe Aldrovandini) Eschewing the and so current faddy for arcadian subjects, Vivaldi chose what the CD booklet describes every bit a tragi-comedy. Vivaldi's 50'incoronazione di Dario is non different Handel's Serse, fast-moving, brusque arias and a not-quite comic satirical feel. The plot has a group of aristocrats behaving so badly even by opera seria standards that information technology is clear the genre is being sent up.

The plot is relatively straightforward . The Persian emperor has died leaving two daughters, Statira and Argene. Whomsoever Statira, the elderberry daughter, marries will be emperor. Dario, Oronte and Arpage jostle for position but Statira loves Dario so things seem all set. The one-act comes from 2 areas. Statira is and so naive and trusting as then seem simple minded which allows her sister Argene to run rings circular her and Dario. Argene loves Dario and wants him for himself. Just Dario has a doggedness well-nigh his devotion to Statira which wins out in the end. Oronte and Arpage spend the evening jostling for Statira's hand with predictable results. Statira and Argene's tutor Niceno is a rather creepy graphic symbol who wants Statira for himself. Oronte already has a dear, Alinda, who spends the evening alternately railing at him and bewailing the fact that she still loves him. There is also a devoted female servant, Flora.

The tone of the opera is light in the sense that the plot is fast paced, with the libretto keeping moving, and the arias are all frequent and short (with quite a few ariosos also). As with many of Vivaldi's other operas, you never quite feel that the composer gets nether the pare of his characters; the music is functionally efficient rather than brilliantly dramatic. And by keeping the arias brusque, everything speeds by and zip really has time to tell. That said, there are many felicities along the fashion. Vivaldi enlivens the arias with a sequence of solo instruments which have the effect of creating some delightfully toe-borer numbers. This is music written to please and yous sense the composer wants us to sit back and let ourselves get, and enjoy the fun.

One office of the writing is rather curious, and not explained in the CD booklet. Both the leading female roles (Statira and Argene) are played by contraltos, add together to this that Flora is also a contralto, with Oronte as a mezzo-soprano and you lot take a cast very weighted towards low voices. At that place are only ii sopranos in the cast, in the smaller roles of Alinda (a female character) and Arpago (a male person character). This gives the opera a particular tinto which probably came from necessity, the cast which was available to Vivaldi.

On disc it gives us another problem, a plethora of rather likewise similar sounding voices. At that place are times when you accept to work hard to determine who is singing. Sara Mingardo is strong in the role of Statira, perhaps a fiddling too strong equally you experience that Mingardo invests Statira with a force of character which goes against the plot. Statira does get a large aria moment, though in fact in the plot this is Statira herself singing a cantata; no matter, Mingardo is profoundly moving here. Delphine Galou is a delight as Argene, constantly scheming and quite willing to dispose of her sister and hood-wink her sister's lover to take him for herself. Anders Dahlin is excellent equally Dario, and as he is the hero he has some showy coloratura moments in which Dahlin is excellent.

You lot wish that the plot gave Roberta Mameli as little more to do as Alinda, every bit she certainly impresses. Giuseppina Bridelli is similarly apposite as the ever true-blue and very useful retainer Flora. Lucia Cirillo and Sofia Soloviy are the comic pair, Oronte and Arpago, conspicuously taking themselves very seriously and all the funnier for it. Finally Riccardo Novaro is a fine Niceno, making his creepiness something of a surprise.

Ottavio Dantone keeps things moving, without making it seem rushed. The plot cracks along at the sort of pace needed for such a crazy piece of drama, but he and Accademia Bizantina ensure that in that location is sufficient fourth dimension to savour the instrumental felicities in the arias.

Naive'southward rather impressive packaging, includes a complete libretto (in Italian, French, English equally well as Vivaldi's statement summarising the plot. Only whoever edited the CD booklet, did not think things through and it omits some of the details necessary to help us enjoy an unfamiliar opera. The list of characters includes names only, without saying who they are (e'er an essential point in baroque opera). And Vivaldi's statement is the merely plot synopsis, if y'all want to discover out what is going on you have to wade through the libretto. This is brusque-sighted and y'all feel the set would have been far stronger for a flake more of a plot summary.

The opera ane of Vivaldi'southward to come into greater prominence. This is non the opera's first recording, it was issued on disc past Harmonia Mundi in 1986 with John Elwes in the championship role and with counter-tenors singing the female contralto roles! And in 2008, it was given its UK premiere by Garsington Opera in a product past David Freeman.

The performance was recorded live though there are no obvious signs of this beyond the fact that the functioning fairly crackles and sparkles with energy. Dantone is on height course equally he and his cast ensure that there is much to savor. This set would be a good identify to start exploring Vivaldi's operas; its comic premise pregnant that the composer'south lack of dramatic depth hardly matters. And there is a fine sequence of toe-tapping arias to enjoy in stunning performances.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741) - L'incoronazione di Dario (1717) [177.23]
Dario - Anders Dahlin (tenor)
Statira - Sara Mingardo (alto)
Argene - Delphine Galou (alto)
Niceno - Riccardo Novaro (baritone)
Alinda - Roberta Mameli (soprano)
Oronte - Lucia Cirillo (mezzo-soprano)
Arpago - Sofia Soloviy (soprano)
Flora - Siuseppina Bridelli (alto)
Accademia Bizantina
Ottavio Dantone (usher)
Recorded live September 2013, Die Glocke, Bremen, Germany
Naive OP30553 3CD's [64.34, 68.57, 43.52]

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Source: https://www.planethugill.com/2014/05/vivaldi-lincoronazione-di-dario.html

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