01. Con voce festiva (Aria con tromba sola)
02. Il giardino dAmore (Sinfonia): I. [Allegro]
03. II. Largo e piano
04. III. Allegro
05. La Fenice (Cantate pour soprano, 2 violons et b.c.): Introduzione
06. Recitativo: Su lhora appunto che colcaro dOro
07. Aria: Se disciolti son quel nodi che rendevan
08. Recitativo: Gradita liberta quanto sei cara
09. Aria - Ritornello: Ognor cantando passare il giorno
10. Recitativo: Oh quanto piu gioisce allor chesposto
11. Aria: Che tal volta cupido tiranno
12. Recitativo: O come piu felice tra le selve dArabia
13. Aria: Dunque mio cor
14. Arioso: Al ciel donde discese
15. Mio tesoro (Aria pour soprano, trompette, 2 violons et b.c.)
16. Concerto en la mineur pour flite a bec, 2 violons et b.c.: I. Allegro
17. II. Largo
18. III. Fuga
19. IV. Piano
20. V. Allegro
21. Su le sponde del Terbo (Cantate pour soprano): Sinfonia [Grave]
22. Recitativo: Su le sponde del Terbo
24. Recitativo ed Arioso: Mesto, stanco... Infelici miei lumi
25. Aria e Ritornello: Dite almeno, astri crudeli
26. Recitativo ed Aria: Allaura, al cielo... Tra lascia pur di piangere
27. Sonata 3 a 4, senza cembalo al tavolino: I. Sinfonia
28. II. Grave
29. III. [Allegro]
30. IV. Minuet
31. Clori mia, Clori bella. Recitativo: Clori mia...
32. Aria. Adagio: Onde chiare che spargete
33. Recitativo: Si, si narrate gli pur bell onde
34. Aria: Parla, parla il cor
35. A battaglia (Aria pour soprano): Sinfonia [Grave-Allegro]
36. Aria. Allegro: A battaglia, pensieri battaglia 

Isabelle Poulenard - soprano
Serge Tizac - trumpet
Les Passions (Orchestra)
Jean-Marc Andrieu - direction et flute a bec

During the course of his long life, Alessandro Scarlatti was not only a prolific composer of opera, he wrote more than 700 cantatas, many of which consisted of miniature scenes and often incorporated solo instruments to set off the voice. These works demonstrate the utility of the Neapolitan/Roman cantata for smaller chamber venues, and the composer was certainly much in demand for his expressive music of a more intimate sort. That being said, this group incorporates several pieces with a trumpet, so one supposes that the concept of “intimacy” must have been quite flexible, given its often high tessitura and virtuoso line. This disc contains a selection of pieces that could have been used in the various venues in Rome he haunted during the period around 1700, and thus it is a sort of grouping that works well.

It is clear from the notes that Jean-Marc Andrieu, the conductor of the home-grown early music ensemble in Lyon, Les Passions Baroque orchestra, was responsible for putting together the selections on the disc, driven partly, one suspects, by the availability of the soprano soloist, Isabelle Poulenard, and a guest trumpeter, Serge Tizac. In any case, the selections do go well together, and the range of tone provides considerable variety, from a recorder concerto to a rousing soprano-and-trumpet tour de force battle aria that concludes the disc. The vocal and instrumental pieces are generally (though not always) alternated, even further demonstrating Scarlatti’s versatility as a composer. The orchestra is typical for Italy during this period, generally restricted to a pair of violins and basso continuo. For the latter, Andrieu uses combinations of theorbo, Baroque harp, and the usual lower strings plus harpsichord, which result in a rather varied sound anchoring the various movements. The Sonata a 4, for example, is marked by the composer “senza cembalo al tavolino” (in this case, probably best translated as “without a keyboard on the little stand or table”), which means that some other instrument is required to provide the inner harmonies. For this, the harp/theorbo combination works quite well. In the concerto, really a five-movement da chiesa style suite of alternating contrapuntal and slow movements in which the recorder is integrated and really has few solo moments of the sort one associates typically with a concerto, the continuo texture varies. Indeed, often the violins are there solely for use in the ritornellos , a remnant of the old Italian Baroque practice that makes the pieces, especially the cantatas, sound a bit old-fashioned. Still, the blend is generally well considered, and Scarlatti was certainly able to use his textures effectively. As for the works with the trumpet, from the florid “Mio tesoro” to the rousing “A battaglia, pensieri battaglia,” the competition between the voice and brass is omnipresent, and one is reminded of the famed battle between a clarion player and the castrato Farinelli that took place in Naples not too many years later (and in case you are interested, Farinelli won!).

As for the performances themselves, I’ll confess to having mixed feelings. Andrieu’s recorder playing is superb, with a full, rounded tone and nice phrasing. He also blends much better with Poulenard in their duo cantata, in particular the delicate “Onde ciare che spargete.” His tempo for the fugue of the concerto in the third movement is rollicking, giving the counterpoint additional interest in the way he weaves in and out of the violin parts. On the other hand, Poulenard’s soprano is variable. In La Fenice , she floats with subtle ornamentation and clear voice in the second aria pastoral “Ogn’or cantando passare il giorno,” indicating that she is fully aware of the demands of Baroque singing style. On the other hand, in much of the rest she sings with lots of vibrato. This is most apparent in those arias that include the trumpet, as if she is afraid that a straight tone might be lost. The result is a sound that is often far too modern and operatic for the delicacy of the pieces, and she doesn’t blend well with the clarion sounds of the trumpet. Tizac’s playing also tends to be technically adept but sometimes without too much finesse. Finally, the recording venue seems to have produced an annoying reverberation that makes it seem like certain numbers were recorded in an echo chamber. The less said about the accompanying notes, the better; these lack any sort of real context for the works on the recording and are difficult to follow. Can one really be interested in “micro-modifications” of formal structure, not to mention the really awkward translation into English? (My favorite howler: “From a musical point of view, cantatas are of variable geometric genre.” Say what?) Moreover, the texts are translated into French only. Still, if one is able to put up with these annoyances, some of which are petty, then one will find some interesting and unusual music by one of the period’s greatest composers. ---FANFARE: Bertil van Boer, arkivmusic.com

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1 Cantata ombre tacite e sole: I. Recitativo: Ombre tacite e sole		2:11 	
2 Cantata ombre tacite e sole: II. Aria: Con piede errante e lasso	3:57 	
3 Cantata ombre tacite e sole: III. Recitativo: Qui, tra tenebre oscure	1:36 	
4 Cantata ombre tacite e sole: IV. Aria: Allor d'intorno a te	4:37 	
5 Cantata bella quanto crudel spietata Irene: I. Recitativo: Bella quanto crudel	0:42 	
6 Cantata bella quanto crudel spietata Irene: II. Aria: Se delitto è l'amarti cos tante	3:35 	
7 Cantata bella quanto crudel spietata Irene: III. Recitativo: Scocca da le pupille	0:40 	
8 Cantata bella quanto crudel spietata Irene: IV. Aria: Mia bella se brami	3:59 	
9 Sonata nona: I. Allegro	1:46 	
10 Sonata nona: II. Largo	1:35 	
11 Sonata nona: III. Fuga	2:29 	
12 Sonata nona: IV. Piano	1:42 	
13 Sonata nona: V. Allegro	2:04 	
14 Cantata pastorale (Non so qual più m'ingombra): I. Recitativo: Non so qual più m'ingombra	2:42 
15 Cantata pastorale (Non so qual più m'ingombra): II. Aria: Che sarà?	5:05 	
16 Cantata pastorale (Non so qual più m'ingombra): III. Recitativo: É nato, alfin mi dice	1:08 	
17 Cantata pastorale (Non so qual più m'ingombra): IV. Aria Pastorale: Nacque, e il Gran Messia6:11 
18 Motetto infirmata, vulnerata: I. Aria: Infirmata, vulnerata	5:30 	
19 Motetto infirmata, vulnerata: II. Recitativo: O care, o dulcis amor	0:31 	
20 Motetto infirmata, vulnerata: III. Aria: Vulnera percute, transfige cor	3:06 	
21 Motetto infirmata, vulnerata: IV. Aria: Cur, quaeso, crudelis		2:19 	
22 Motetto infirmata, vulnerata: V. Recitativo: Vicisti, amor	0:33 	
23 Motetto infirmata, vulnerata: VI. Aria: Semper gratus, desiderabilis	1:52 	
24 Sonata vigesima quarta: I. Allegro	0:57 	
25 Sonata vigesima quarta: II. Fuga	2:19 	
26 Sonata vigesima quarta: III. Largo	2:14 	
27 Sonata vigesima quarta: IV. Allegro	1:42

Matthew White - Counter Tenor
Les Voix Baroques (Ensemble)
Mario Labbe - Artistic Director

"At the beginning of each air, I have noted the tempo at which it should be played and, in the appropriate places, the pianos and fortes of the instruments, which are the chiaroscuro and make all accompanied song a delight." Alessandro Scarlatti, Letter to Ferdinando de Medici, Rome, May 29, 1706, amazon.com

The booklet for this fine disc from Montreal includes a wonderful characterization of Alessandro Scarlatti's music, especially of the cantatas recorded here. "His music's eloquence," wrote French pedagogue Ennemond Trillat, "does not implore; it stems from that spiritual intoxication which is the very essence of the Baroque. And this music sings without phraseology. It is free of all extrinsic intent, and its lyricism produces perfect forms. Its fluid grace is essentially melodic, but without a trace of exuberance." The same virtues apply to the performances here by Canadian countertenor Matthew White. In a Baroque scene filled with athletic, heart-on-sleeve countertenors, he goes in the opposite direction. Although it's not from a lack of power (little flashes of full voice bubble up in his interpretations like intimations of a feeling's depths), he has specialized in music of smaller dimensions: Bach cantatas, Buxtehude, Purcell, and the highly romantic cantatas for voice and ensemble heard here, which are the very essence of sophisticated chamber music. The countertenor is a creature of vocal display, and with a singer who has a really unusual voice, as White does, you pay your money and you take your choice. It's safe to say, though, that everyone with an interest in Baroque vocal style ought to hear him once. His voice has a somewhat woodwind-y quality, highly expressive without being loud, and the recorder chamber music he uses to break up the program here is nicely suited as a foil to his singing. Devoting a disc to Scarlatti cantatas, a body of work containing hundreds of neglected items, was also a good idea. Each cantata has a pair of recitatives and arias that have the flavor of a single utterance. The unusual motetto Infirmata, vulnerata is not a sacred work, but a philosophical meditation on love, apparently distinguished conceptually from the cantatas by its reflective (rather than dramatic) text. This disc may well be strong enough to generate responses from other top countertenors (Andreas Scholl comes to mind) and (hopefully) further work in the same vein from White himself. A strong release, unfussily recorded, that shows continuing development in Montreal's vibrant early music scene. ---James Manheim, Rovi

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(1)    Parte prima [34'15"]
(2)    Parte seconda [33'59"]

Maria Espada, soprano (Santa Teodosia)
Carlos Mena, alto (Decio)
Fernando Guimarães, tenor (Arsenio)
Luigi de Donato, bass (Urbano)

Al Ayre Español
Eduardo López Banzo – conductor

recorded: Nov 21, 2012, Laeiszhalle, Hamburg
period instruments

Oratorio Il martirio di Santa Teodosia. Nobody expects much of a plot in Italian oratorio, and this does not disappoint in that respect. Teodosia, a Christian in Palestine in AD 308, is threatened with death by Governor Urbano; his son Arsenio is in love with her and begs her to recant, as does Decio the Roman prefect. She refuses, and duly undergoes martyrdom. This is not described in the libretto but the internet suggests she was either struck in the neck with a ram’s horn or all the flesh was torn from her body (suggestions for a future staging).

Chamber group Al Ayre Español led by Eduardo López Banzo from the harpsichord produced a lush, perhaps slightly old-fashioned sound but very energetically played. The singers were all excellent. Spanish soprano María Espada was sublime as Teodosia, her arias increasing in intensity as her end approached. Singing with very straight tone but judicious use of vibrato, her well projected soprano filled the hall with full high notes and excellent coloratura. --- opera-britannia.com

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1. Missa defunctorum: Introitus - 5:01
2. Missa defunctorum: Kyrie - 1:36
3. Missa defunctorum: Graduale - 3:43
4. Missa defunctorum: Sequentia (Dies irae) - 5:36
5. Missa defunctorum: Sequentia (Lacrimosa) - 3:34
6. Missa defunctorum: Offertorium - 6:18
7. Missa defunctorum: Sanctus - 3:30
8. Missa defunctorum: Agnus Dei - 3:06
9. Missa defunctorum: Communio - 3:13

10. Salve Regina - 9:16

Alessandro Carmignani – counter-tenor
Andrea Arrivabene - counter-tenor, alto
Vincenzo Di Donato - tenor
Enrico Bava - bass

11. Miserere - 9:37

12. Magnificat: Magnificat - 2:42
13. Magnificat: Quia respexit - 1:25
14. Magnificat: Quia fecit - 2:13
15. Magnificat: Fecit potentiam - 1:40
16. Magnificat: Deposuit potentes - 2:03
17. Magnificat: Esurientes implevit bonis - 5:34
18. Magnificat: Sicut locutus est - 0:49
19. Magnificat: Gloria patri - 5:27

Alena Dantcheva - soprano
Jennifer Schittino - soprano
Alberto Allegrezza - tenor
Gianluca Ferrarini - tenor

Odhecaton
Paolo Da Col – conductor

These four sacred works by Alessandro Scarlatti display stylistic traits which, on the one hand, are derived from those of Palestrina and, on the other hand, show a particular attention to advanced expressive techniques. Although they are conservative in their scoring, being either a cappella or for voices with continuo, Scarlatti augments that basic texture with more heterogenous styles, especially in the Missa defunctorum and the Magnificat setting. --- areditions.com

This recording is a discovery of Alessandro Scarlattis heretofore unknown sacred music, where Renaissance tradition meets Baroque sensibility for a unique and compelling recording. At the core of Odhecatons latest offering is the Missa defunctorum for four voices and basso continuo. It is in this magnificent score recorded for the first time using the critical edition of Luca Della Libera that primarily contrapuntal writing gives way to Scarlattis stylistic choices of great expressivity and rhetorical force, such as in the case of the astonishing Lacrimosa. The Miserere is also recorded for the first time. Written for nine voices for the Sistine Chapel, the score follows Allegris model only outwardly; Scarlatti, in fact, moves steadily away from it through his harmonic originality, formal richness, and expressivity. The Magnificat displays a unique synthesis of the Palestrinian model and the expressive language of the eighteenth century. In this score, Scarlatti exploits the great wealth and variety of the Marian text, particularly in the relationship between words and the emotional and descriptive spheres. ---amazon.com

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Imagini d'orrore
1. I. Aria. Imagini d'orrore [3:40]
2. II. Recitativo. Se dubbioso il mio core [1:09]
3. III. Aria. Amo, si, ma sempre temo [3:29]
O penosa lontananza, H.479
4. I. Duo. O penosa lontananza [4:37]
5. II. Recitativo. Se trà voi più soggiorno [1:07]
6. III. Aria. Vago augel che si lamenta [1:54]
7. IV. Recitativo. Io, trà queste de' boschi [0:39]
8. V. Aria. Rio che fugge [1:37]
9. VI. Duo. Così, lungi da Clori [2:02]
10. VII. Duo. O penosa lontananza [1:45]
Sovra carro stellato, H.680
11. I. Sinfonia [2:54]
12. II. Recitativo. Sovra carro stellato [1:21]
13. III. Aria. Crudi sassi [3:48]
14. IV. Recitativo. Filli mio ben, oh Dio, che fai? [1:19]
15. V. Aria. Se il tuo bel che m'innamora [2:45]
16. VI. Recitativo. Ma già spunta l'aurora [1:10]
17. VII. Aria. Sì, sì, mi parto sì [4:02]
Sotto l'ombra d'un faggio, H.678
18. I. Recitativo. Sotto l'ombra d'un faggio [1:25]
19. II. Aria. Filli mia, chi ha il cor piagato [3:03]
20. III. Recitativo. Che non fè, che non disse [0:25]
21. IV. Aria. Vieni, oh Tirsi, in questo seno [3:58]
Fiero, acerbo destin, H.262
22. I. Recitativo. Fierbo, acerbo destin [1:13]
23. II. Aria. Fa men crudo il suo tormento [4:23]
24. III. Recitativo. Se palesar non posso all'idol moi [0:45]
25. IV. Aria. Vorrei scoprire il mio martire [4:08]
Tu resti, o mio bel nume, H.742
26. I. Recitativo. Tu resti, o mio bel nume [1:15]
27. II. Aria. Se tu sol sei mio conforto [5:16]
28. III. Recitativo. Or dimmi qual ti sembra [1:17]
29. IV. Aria. L'istesso è il partire [4:30] 

Deborah Cachet - soprano
Nicolas Achten - baritone, theorbo, triple harp, organ
Scherzi Musicali
Nicolas Achten - director

In this new recording, Scherzi Musicali explores the fascinating world of Alessandro Scarlatti’s Arcadian cantatas: the six mostly unpublished cantatas selected here sublimate the affects of nymphs and shepherds far from their beloved. Both the arias and the recitatives are exceptionally beautiful, varied and colourful: the accomplished theatrical sense of these cantatas has stimulated the soprano Deborah Cachet, the baritone Nicolas Achten and the abundant instrumental forces that provide a setting for their voices to a passionate and captivating realisation, in which poetry, rhetoric, inventive ornamentation and opulence of sound reign supreme. ---prestomusic.com

For too long Alessandro Scarlatti’s star has been eclipsed by that of his son. Domenico’s wonderfully inventive keyboard sonatas are what people may think of first when they hear the name “Scarlatti”, but Alessandro was a more distinguished composer. He is said to have been the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera, and has over a hundred dramatic works for the theatre to his credit. There are also over six hundred chamber cantatas that date from every period of his career as a composer. Even if some cantatas are spurious or duplicated entries in his catalogue of works, this body of works far outweighs the younger Scarlatti’s opus.

Alessandro Scarlatti’s music in my collection includes six CDs that feature some of his cantatas. Nowhere near all were ever published. We should be grateful to those who chose to record a selection. Nicholas McGegan made a number of recordings, among them four on Conifer/DHM, and wonderful music it is. Of twenty-one cantatas on those six discs only two are repeated, and it is a real boon to have six new cantatas here. The different approaches are quite interesting. Marcello Di Lisa for CPO (777 748-2) and Robert King for Hyperion (CDA66875) prefer a bolder reading with a larger ensemble, whilst McGegan and Nicolas Achten on this disc employ only a handful of musicians – thus a more intimate approach.

The multi-talented Nicolas Achten sings, plays and directs. He explains in his excellent booklet notes just how his research into the performing practice of the time these six cantatas were written has coloured his decision about instrumentation in these wonderful performances. He splits his notes, after a short introduction, into four sections which among other thing explain how Scarlatti the opera composer became a composer of chamber cantatas. A couple of recordings of his operas I know can attest that his approach in the cantatas is quite different. Achten also discusses the ‘Arcadian cantatas’ and their place in history, and how the cantatas recorded here relate to love, or love from afar, love that is tempered by separation and even unrequited love.

The six cantatas recorded here are quite charming, even if they at times portray the angst and pain of separation. Nicolas Achten has a nice light baritone voice, and he is equally well partnered by the soprano Deborah Cachet. They both have a vocal delivery ideal for this music, a voice which is not affected by operatic displays and sensibilities. In the solo cantatas they are wonderful, but it is in the one cantata where they share the limelight, O penosa lontananza, that they really shine. There is an opening duet where she sings of a “painful separation” whilst he sings of a “blessed separation”. This sets the scene well for what can be seen as a humorous but tender cantata. This is followed by solos that set out each of their positions with some excellent singing.

Of the other cantatas, only Sovra carro stellate begins with an instrumental introduction. Here the musicianship is clearly evident. The two violins and continuo make a wonderful sound; there follows a recitativo in which Cachet’s character longs to be with her beloved during a sleepless night. All of these six cantatas (in fact every one that I know) have some beautiful music to offer the listener to enjoy. From beginning to end this disc is wonderful. Achten’s final aria Tu resti, o mio bel nume, in which he sings that “Departing and death are therefore the same,” is a wonderful conclusion and a perfect epitome of the musicality and storytelling of this disc.

The recorded sound is excellent. Like the music, it is quite intimate, capturing each of the performers in quite a natural acoustic. One gets the sense of a performance rather than a recording. It has a warm sound, not harsh and cold as sometimes on period recordings. This makes it perfect for this performance. The music presented here is performed excellently throughout, making this an ideal recording for those who want to explore the music of Scarlatti senior, or to add to their collection. ---Stuart Sillitoe, musicweb-international.com

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1.Introduzione
2.Aria (Amor Profano) - "Miei spirti guerrieri"
3.Recitativo arioso (Amor Profano) - "Con Casimiro il forte"
4.Aria (Amor Profano) - "L'ardire, l'ardire destate"
5.Recitativo (Amor Profano) - "Mà nò, deh cessi omai"
6.Aria (Amor Profano) - "Se non allerto"
7.Recitativo arioso (Regio Fasto) - "Folle garzon che tenti?"
8.Arioso (Regio Fasto) - "Ben trionfar saprà"
9.Aria (Regio Fasto) - "Mal sicuro è un regio Soglio"
10.Recitativo (Amor Profano, Regio Fasto) - "Ascolta amica, ascolta"
11.Aria (Regio Fasto) - "E`viltade, e non è gloria"
12.Recitativo (Castità) - "Frenate omai l'ardire"
13.Aria (Castità) - "Franto hai l'arco Arcier alato"
14.Recitativo arioso (Umilità) - "Ed io, che mille volte"
15.Aria (Umilità) - "A che fonda uman pensiero"
16.Recitativo a due (Regio Fasto, Amor Profano, Castità, Umilità) - "E tanto ardira imbelli?"
17.Aria (Amor Profano) - "L'ardire destate"
18.Recitativo (Regio Fasto) - "La vittoria è sicura, che ogni core forza"
19.Aria a due (Regio Fasto, Amor Profano) - "Al serto le rose"
20.Aria (S. Casimiro) - "Alma mia, che fai, che pensi?"
21.Recitativo (S. Casimiro) - "Quanto, quanto s' inganna"
22.Aria (S. Casimiro) - "In te solo o sommo nume"
23.Recitativo (Regio Fasto) - "Dunque vile, e negletto"
24.Aria (Regio Fasto) - "Che ti giova o Prence invitto"
25.Recitativo (Umilità, S. Casimiro) - "Che glorie, che troferi"
26.Aria (Regio Fasto) - "De sensi all'incanto"
27.Recitativo (Regio Fasto, Umilità) - "Casimiri tinganni"
28.Aria (Umilità) - "Al mondo vano"
29.Recitativo (Regio Fasto) - "Pur da maggiori tuoi"
30.Aria a due (Regio Fasto, Umilità) - "Mira pur gli antichi allori"
31.Recitativo (S. Casimiro) - "Fra contrari pensieri"
32.Aria (S. Casimiro) - "Già, già di fede"
33.Aria e Coro finale (Regio Fasto, Coro) - "L'umiltá di Casimiro"

Regio Fasto - Olga Pasichnyk (soprano)
Amor Profano  - Jacek Laszczkowski (sopranist)
Castità - Anna Mikolajczyk-Niewiedzial (soprano)
Umilità - Marcin Ciszewski (contralto)
S. Casimiro - Krzysztof Szmyt (tenor)

Ensemble:
Brek Jaroslaw, basso coro
Pilch Zbigniew, violin
Skuza Marek, violin
Olszewski Dymitr, violin
Wolinska Agnieszka, violin
Rzeczycki Piotr, viola
Caudle Mark, cello
Iwanek Tomasz, double bass
Tomczak Katarzyna, harpsichord
Zak Jerzy, lute & conductor

First a necessary history lesson, in two parts, courtesy of the booklet notes provided with this world première recording of a rare oratorio by Scarlatti senior.

In 1697 King Jan III of Poland died. Attempts to install his son Jacob as King were unsuccessful and the widow of the recently deceased king, Maria Kazimiera Sobieska (also known as Marysieńka) made the decision to move to Rome. In March of 1699 she arrived there – accompanied by 259 courtiers, 30 carriages and carts, some 500 horses and a number of pack-camels! She was soon very active in the cultural life of Rome. Amongst her acquaintances was cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, a famous patron of music. Ottoboni employed Scarlatti, and was an admirer of his music - so much so that he later contributed a Latin epigraph to the composer’s tomb in Naples.

Kazimierz (the San Casimiro of this oratorio) was Prince of Poland, born in 1458. He was famous for his faith and his devotion to justice and charity. He administered the country, in the king’s absence, between 1481 and 1483 and impressed many by his obvious preference for good works over luxury and pomp. He died of illness in 1484 and was canonised in 1522. He is the patron saint of Poland.

That the exiled queen, moving in the artistic circles of Rome, should want to commission a work in celebration of her native country is not surprising; nor is it surprising that, being a friend of Ottoboni, she should turn to Alessandro Scarlatti. Scarlatti was active in Rome between 1702 and 1708. In 1703 he accepted a position at the beautiful church of Santa Maria Maggiore. What is surprising, is that the earliest known performance of San Casimiro should have been in Florence, in 1705. Maybe there was an earlier performance in Rome, of which no record has yet been found? Still, Scarlatti did have connections with Florence, where he made repeated efforts to secure employment with Prince Ferdinando de’ Medici.

San Casimiro, Rè di Polonia is a fine piece, and it is good to have this very satisfactory recording of it. Like Scarlatti’s more or less contemporary oratorio San Filippo Neri, in which the dying saint converses with personified figures of Faith, hope and Charity, San Casimiro consists of a kind of inner dialogue. In Part One, Profane Love and Royal Pomp plan to tempt Casimir towards worldly pleasures and grandeur. Chastity and Humility announce their intentions of giving Casimir their support against the temptations of Profane Love and Royal Pomp. In Part Two we meet Casimir himself for the first time. Faced with the urgings of Royal Pomp he is momentarily tempted, but with the support of Humility he resolves finally to "disdain pomp and the senses, and forget the world".

There are secco recitatives, solo arias and two duets. The tempters are generally given fast music and are often accompanied by vibrant, insistently rhythmic music. The virtues, on the other hand, generally express their views in slower more lyrical music, often in minor keys. Most of the soloists are thoroughly accomplished. The Ukrainian soprano Olga Pasiecznik is an outstanding singer, possessor of a truly lovely voice and the musical intelligence to use it well. Jacek Laszckowski shows himself a very secure counter-tenor with an attractive voice. The duet between the two, which closes Part One, is a gorgeous siciliano which is thoroughly tempting! Anna Mikolajczy has a bright, attractive voice and Marcin Ciszewski, though not blessed with the most intrinsically attractive of voices, sings his role with judgement and intelligence. In the title role, Krzysztof Szmyt is an authoritative presence, with a clear, rounded tone.

Scarlatti’s instrumental accompaniment is quite various – instruments are used in different formations and groupings. Here, the chamber orchestra under the direction of Jerzy Żak is lively, colourful and assured. The score for this performance was prepared by Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, using manuscripts in the Vienna Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek and the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid. For rescuing an interesting and attractive composition from oblivion he deserves our thanks – as does this very enterprising label for recording it. ---Glyn Pursglove, musicweb-international.com

Gorąco namawiam wszystkich Państwa do posłuchania tej pięknej i wzruszającej muzyki. O walorach płyty świadczy nie tylko znakomita warstwa dźwiękowa samej kompozycji, ale i wspaniałe wykonanie. ---Marcin Lukaszewski, Niedziela, 4 II 2001

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1. Stabat Mater: Stabat Mater 
2. Stabat Mater: Cuius animam gementem 
3. Stabat Mater: O quam tristis et afflicta 
4. Stabat Mater: Quae moerebat 
5. Stabat Mater: Quis est homo
6. Stabat Mater: quis non posset contristari 
7. Stabat Mater: Pro peccatis...
8. Stabat Mater: Vidit suum... 
9. Stabat Mater: Pia Mater
10. Stabat Mater: Sancta Mater 
11. Stabat Mater: Fac ut ardeat
12. Stabat Mater: Tui nati vulnerati 
13. Stabat Mater: Luxta crucem...
14. Stabat Mater: Virgo virginum 
15. Stabat Mater: Fac ut portem 
16. Stabat Mater: Inflammatus et... 
17. Stabat Mater: Fac me cruce 
18. Stabat Mater: Quando corpus morietur 
19. Concerto XXI: Andante 
20. Concerto XXI: Allegro 
21. Concerto XXI: Veloce 
22. Concerto XXI: Lento
23. Concerto XXI: Allegro

Emma Kirkby : Soprano
Daniel Taylor : Alto 
Theatre of Early Music

This quiet, circumspect, yet oddly moving recording of Alessandro Scarlatti's Stabat Mater is as far as can be imagined from the intense fireworks of another contemporary recording of the work, that led by conductor Rinaldo Alessandrini on the Naïve label. Soprano Emma Kirkby, countertenor Daniel Taylor, and the Montreal-based Theatre of Early Music (a period-instrument group founded by Taylor) tread catlike through the work, which was written some years before Pergolesi's more famous Stabat Mater setting but was commissioned by the same Italian religious order. The Scarlatti work, more than Pergolesi's, is full of quasi-operatic devices -- pregnant pauses, dissonant "sighs," and, in the final "Amen," some heady vocal acrobatics. In this performance everything is kept to a very quiet level, which may seem inappropriate to Scarlatti's basically theatrical language. Kirkby and Taylor are highly sensitive interpreters, however, and they work together (in the work's four luscious duets) and separately to bring out dissonances and unusual phrase shapes that get lost in a bigger interpretation. Kirkby does not have the absolute clarity of voice that she once did, but she has not lost any of her ability to bring quiet tension to a melodic line.

This chamber-sized Scarlatti Stabat Mater might have worked very well in a pairing with the more intimate Pergolesi work, but instead we get the Concerto XXI for flute, strings, and continuo, a little-known work. The intentions of the album are nowhere more clearly revealed than in the decision to replace the transverse flute with Francis Colpron's recorder -- usually it's done the other way around, but the quiet, conversational tone of the recorder and its ability to slide around the center of a consonance as needed fit what this ensemble is trying to do. One might wish for a new recording of the Stabat Mater by Cecilia Bartoli, a Scarlatti interpreter who can combine detail and athleticism, but for now this very expressive performance is worth checking out. ---James Manheim, Rovi

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1. Diana e Endimione
2. Ero e Leandro
3. Correa nel sen amato

Jacqueline Nicolas, soprano
Alain Aubin, countertenor

Stuart Deeks, violin
Xavier Julien-Laferriere, violin
Helen Williams, viola
Alix Verzier, cello
Malcolm Bothwell, bass viol
Philippe Ramin, harpsichord

Alessandro Pietro Gaspare Scarlatti (ur. 2 maja 1660 w Palermo, zm. 24 października 1725 w Neapolu) – włoski kompozytor okresu baroku. Komponował głównie opery (115) ale także oratoria, msze, motety, kantaty, madrygały i psalmy. Jego syn Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757) również był znanym kompozytorem. Interesował się kulturą polską, wyrażając to np. poprzez oratorium "San Casimiro rè di Polonia".

Alessandro Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 24 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera. Scarlatti's music forms an important link between the early Baroque Italian vocal styles of the 17th century, with their centers in Florence, Venice and Rome, and the classical school of the 18th century, which culminated in Mozart. Besides the operas, oratorios (Agar et Ismaele esiliati, 1684; Christmas Oratorio, c. 1705; S. Filippo Neri, 1714; and others) and serenatas, which all exhibit a similar style, Scarlatti composed upwards of five hundred chamber-cantatas for solo voice. These represent the most intellectual type of chamber-music of their period, and it is to be regretted that they have remained almost entirely in manuscript, since a careful study of them is indispensable to anyone who wishes to form an adequate idea of Scarlatti's development.

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CD 1
1. Introduzzione All'oratorio : Spiritoso
2. Introduzzione All'oratorio : Adagio
3. Introduzzione All'oratorio : Allegro
4. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Figli Miseri Figli"
5. Parte Prima : Aria "Mi Balena Ancor Sul Ciglio"
6. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Di Serpe Ingannator Perfida Frode"
7. Parte Prima : Aria "Caro Sposo, Prole Amata"
8. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Genitori Adorati"
9. Parte Prima : Aria "Dalla Mandra Un Puro Agnello"
10. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Padre Questa D'abel Forz'e Che Sia"
11. Parte Prima : Aria "Della Terra I Frutti Primi"
12. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Figli Cessin Le Gare"
13. Parte Prima : Aria "Piu Dei Doni Il Cor Devoto"
14. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Disposto O Figli E Il Sacrificio"
15. Parte Prima : Aria "Sommo Dio Nel Mio Peccato"
16. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Miei Genitori, Oh Come Dritta Ascende"
17. Parte Prima : Duetto "Dio Pietoso Ogni Mio Armento"
18. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Figli Balena Il Ciel D'alto Splendore"
19. Parte Prima : Sinfonia
20. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Prima Imagine Mia, Prima Fattura"
21. Parte Prima : Aria "L'olocausto Del Tu Abelle"
22. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Ne' Tuoi Figli, E Nipoti"
23. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Udiste, Udiste, O Figli"
24. Parte Prima : Aria "Aderite"
25. Parte Prima : Sinfonia
26. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Cain, Che Fai, Che Pensi?"
27. Parte Prima : Aria "Poche Lagrime Dolenti"
28. Parte Mrima : Recitativo "D'ucciderlo Risolvo, Il Core Affretta"
29. Parte Prima : Aria "Mascheratevi O Miei Sdegni"
30. Parte Mrima : Rcitativo "Ecco Il Fratello, Anzi Il Nemico"
31. Parte Prima : Duetto "La Fraterna Amica Pace"
32. Parte Prima : Recitativo "Sempre L'amor Fraterno E Un Ben Sincero"

CD 2
1. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Ferniam Qui Abelle Il Paso"
2. Parte Seconda : Aria "Perche Mormora Il Ruscello"
3. Parte Seconda : Aria "Ti Risponde Il Ruscelletto"
4. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Or Se Braman Posar La Fronda, E'l Rio"
5. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Piu Non So Trattenr L'impeto Interno"
6. Parte Seconda : Andante E Staccato
7. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Cain Dov'e Il Fratello? Abel Dov'e?"
8. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Or Di Strage Fraterna Il Suolo Asperso"
9. Parte Seconda : Aria "Come Mostro Spaventevole"
10. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Signor Se Mi Dai Bando"
11. Parte Seconda : Aria "O Preservami Per Mia Pena"
12. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Vattene Non Temer, Tu Non Morrai"
13. Parte Seconda : Aria "Vuo Il Castigo, Non Voglio La Morte"
14. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "O Ch'io Mora Vivendo"
15. Parte Seconda : Aria "Bramo Insieme, E Morte, E Vita"
16. Parte Seconda : Grave, E Orrido Rcitativo "Codardo Nell'ardire, E Nel Timore"
17. Parte Seconda : Aria "Nel Poter Il Nume Imita"
18. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Oh Consigli D'inferno, Onde Soggiace"
19. Parte Seconda : Aria "Miei Genitori, Adio"
20. Parte Seconda : Aria "Mio Sposo Al Cor Mi Sento"
21. Parte Seconda : Aria "Miei Genitori Amati"
22. Parte Seconda : Aria "Non Piangete Il Figlio Ucciso"
23. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Ferma Del Figlio Mio Voce Gradita"
24. Parte Seconda : Aria "Madre Tenera, Et Amante"
25. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Sin Che Spoglia Mortale"
26. Parte Seconda : Aria "Padre Misero, E Dolente"
27. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Spirto Del Figlio Mio, Questi Son Sensi"
28. Parte Seconda : Aria "Piango La Prole Essangue"
29. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Adam Prole Tu Chiedi, E Prole Avrai"
30. Parte Seconda : Aria "L'innocenza Paccando Perdeste"
31. Parte Seconda : Recitativo "Udii Signor Della Divina Idea"
32. Parte Seconda : Duetto "Contenti"

Bernarda Fink: alto
Graciela Oddone: soprano
Dorothea Röschmann: soprano
Richard Croft: tenor
René Jacobs: countertenor
Antonio Abete: bass

Akademie für alte Musik Berlin
René Jacobs – conductor

This oratorio for six voices concerns, as the title implies, the murder of Abel by Cain. Though the possibility of one Baroque da capo aria after another may strike fear into your heart, fear not: Scarlatti sprinkles arias throughout, interspersing them with dramatic recitatives, duets, a trio, and brief, scene-setting orchestral interludes with a small but colorfully used group of instruments, all beautifully played here. Moreover, the voice parts vary: Adam and Eve are tenor and soprano, respectively; Cain and Abel are alto and soprano; and the voice of God and Lucifer are countertenor and bass. For a two-and-a-quarter hour oratorio from 1707, this work never tires the ear or emotions: A nice listening experience, all the way round.

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Già lusingato appieno
1. Sinfonia
2. Già lusingato appieno Recitativo
3. Cara sposa Aria
4. Cada sù l'empie schiere Recitativo
5. Sento l'aura Aria
6. Al trono Recitativo
7. Se v'è mai Aria
8. Disse e baciò la sposa Recitativo/Arioso

Serenata "Notte, ch'in carro d'ombre"
9. Sinfonia Grave-Allegro
10. Notte, ch'in carro d'ombre Recitativo accompagnato
11. Vieni, o notte, in questo petto Aria (largo e piano)
12. E tu ch'ognor ti vanti Recitativo
13. Veloce e labile fugge e dileguasi Recitativo (Allegro)
14. Ma parmi ch'esaudite Recitativo
15. Con l'idea d'un bel gioire Aria(Largo)
16. Ma voi non vi chiudete Recitativo
17. Si, che priva di contento Aria (Allegrissimo)

Il Nerone "Io son Neron, l'imperator del mondo"
18. Io son Neron, l'imperator del mondo Recitativo
19. Vuò che trema Giove ancorna Aria (Andante)
20. Il tirannico cor io non ascondo Recitativo
21. Non stabilisce, no Aria
22. Or coll'abisso istesso Recitativo
23. Veder chi pena Aria
24. Coi furibondi sguardi Recitativo

L'Orfeo "Dall'oscura magion dell'arsa Dite"
25. Introduzione
26. Dall'oscura magion Recitativo
27. Chi m'invola laq cara Euridice Aria
28. Ma di che mi querelo Recitativo
29. Si mirando, occhi perversi Aria
30. Hor, poiché mi tradir Recitativo
31. Sordo il tronco Aria
32. Ah, voi m'abbandonate Recitativo
33. Il vanto del canto Aria
34. Cosi dicendo Recitativo
35. Si,pietà de miei martiri Aria

Elisabeth Scholl - soprano
Modo Antiquo
Federico Maria Sardelli – conductor

Alessandro Scarlatti is generally considered one of the most important Italian composers of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. But his music, although it has received more attention in recent years, is still largely unknown. This is partly due to the large quantity of his output: in the genre of the chamber cantata alone at least six hundred compositions are with certainty attributable to him.

Scarlatti's reputation started to wane in the early 18th century. His style was considered increasingly out of fashion. Since 1696 Scarlatti had been in contact with the court of the De Medicis in Florence, but his attempts to obtain a permanent post there failed, as Prince Ferdinando found his music too 'studied'. Scarlatti's style of composing was more connected to the past, with its use of counterpoint and the strong connection between text and music, than the growing preference for more light-hearted music after the turn of the century.

Alessandro's rise to fame began with the performance of his pastoral opera 'Gli equivoci nel sembiante' in Rome in 1679. The work had a great success and spread across Europe in no time. It was followed by a large number of equally successful operas. As there was a strong connection between opera and chamber cantata it is no surprise that Alessandro turned into a master of this genre as well.

The present disc underlines impressively how close opera and chamber cantata were. The title characterises the works recorded here as 'dramatic cantatas', and that is spot-on. All four are about single characters who are speaking, sometimes introduced by a kind of narrator, who explains what situation the protagonist is in.

In the first cantata we meet "l'anglico eroe", the English hero, who very likely is King James II. He figures in many compositions of that time, which can be explained by his Catholic conviction, which made him a hero from the perspective of the Counter-Reformation. The cantata is about James preparing for reconquering his throne, leaving wife and son behind. He successfully suppresses his tears: "And before he had gained victory over his enemies, his soul already could claim a trophy, because she had not cried." The first recitative contains, as so often in Scarlatti's cantatas, arioso passages. The second recitative is full of contrast, both in the soprano and basso continuo parts. The blowing of the winds through the sails in the aria 'Sento l'aura che fedele' is illustrated by the strings. Strong ascending figures illustrate the hero saying "Al trono, al trono!" (to the throne!).

The second cantata is called 'serenata' and is about love-sick Amaryllis unable to find sleep in the night. When sleep fails her she prefers to die: "Yes, being deprived of happiness, I will happily embrace death. If I cannot enjoy the reason for my grief while living, death is welcome to end all my misery". Elisabeth Scholl, in her programme notes, calls this cantata "almost romantic: its long melodic lines and its dense sensuous atmosphere are almost tangible." The first aria, 'Vieni, o notte' (Come, O night) is a good illustration of this. The aria 'Veloce e labile', where the protagonist complains that "hours stand still to hurt me" contains some strong dissonances.

The third cantata is rather unusual: here it is the Roman emperor Nero who is speaking, demonstrating his extreme cruelty and his enjoyment of the slaughter he causes. It begins with Nero proclaiming his absolute power: "I am Nero, the commander of the world and the master of all souls down here." Even for Jupiter he has no fear: "I want that Jove trembles before the splendour of my countenance", nor for the underworld: "And also with the underworld and with Pluto I want to compete". The aria 'Veder chi pena' is set as a tarantella, a southern Italian folk dance. This could be interpreted as the ultimate demonstration of Nero's cruel character, as he sings: "To watch those that suffer and sigh is my heart's desire, villainous since birth".

In the last cantata we meet Orpheus who has just lost his Euridice for a second time. He laments his fate and wants to die in the aria 'Chi m'invola la cara Euridice', containing strong dissonances. Later on he complains that his singing has lost its power to move.

This disc is a very impressive demonstration of the art of Alessandro Scarlatti. In these splendid cantatas the composer demonstrates his ability to characterise the protagonists with musical means and to depict the text according to the rules of rhetoric and with masterful use of the 'affetti'. Elisabeth Scholl, who also edited these cantatas, wrote the programme notes and translated the lyrics into English, has done an excellent job in every department. Her singing is impressive, and she expresses the feelings of all protagonists with great care. I especially liked her performance of the recitatives, a weak point in many recordings of baroque vocal music. On past showing she has never struck me as a very dramatic singer, but here she proves me wrong. And the combination of Ms Scholl and Modo Antiquo turns out to be a very happy one. In earlier recordings Federico Maria Sardelli has demonstrated his feeling for theatre, and he does so here again.

To sum up: this disc is one of the best I have heard this year. It goes straight into my list of recordings of the year. It is a model of the useful marriage of musicology and splendid music-making. ---Johan van Veen, musicweb-international.com

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