1. Part 1
2. Part 2
3. Part 3

Armide: Anna Caterina Antonacci
Hidraot: Donnie Ray Albert
Renaud: Vinson Cole
Artemidore: Christian Baumgaertel
Ubalde: Roberto de Candia
Le Chevalier Danois: Juan Diego Florez
Phenice: Adina Nitescu
Sidonie: Lotte Leitner
Aronte: Marco Camastra
La Haine: Violeta Urmana
La Naïade: Cristina Sogmaister

Riccardo Muti - La Scala - December 7, 1996

Opera 'Armide' by Christoph Willibald von Gluck: plot synopsis, character list, and other Gluck opera information. Armide, a French opera seria (drama) in five acts composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787). The first performance was in Paris, Académie Royale de Musique, September 23, 1777. Libretto was written by Philippe Quinault in French language, based on Gerusalemme Liberata by Torquato Tasso.

Synopsis
Act I

Scene: A hall in the palace of Armide

The magic of Armide the sorceress has triumphed over the Knights. But Armide's conquest is not complete because Renaud, one of the crusaders she loves, does not feel the same way. King Hidraot, Armide's uncle, hopes that she marries. Renaud frees Armide's prisoners. The people of Damascus celebrate their victory.

Act II

Scene: The enchanted woods

Renaud has been banished from Knights' camp. A knight warns him to beware Armide's charms that she might be using to get him. True enough, Armide lures Renaud into a forest. Renaud falls asleep. He dreams of spirits, nymphs and shepherds. Armide cannot bring herself to kill the helpless knight.

Act III

Scene: Armide visits Hades

Armide loves Renaud but still wants revenge. She fetches Hate to aid her. Armide changes her mind, and this offends Hate. From Hades, she returns to the world.

Act IV

Scene: Wild landscape and country scene. The crusader Ubalde and Danish knight fight monsters and wild beasts

Ubalde and a Danish knight defeat Armide's monster guardians with the help of a magic scepter. The Danish knight meets a demon disguised as his beloved Lucinde. Ubalde saves the Danish knight. The two men resolve not to be distracted again.

Act V

Scene: At the Palace Garden of Armide.

Armide fears she will lose Renaud, who at that moment assures her of his love. The lovers are entertained by Pleasure and her attendants. Crusader Ubalde and the Danish knight recall Renaud to his duty. Renaud leaves a heartbroken and angry Armide. Armide destroys her palace and pursues Renaud with her demons.

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01. Don Juan, ballet - Sinfonia. Allegro
02. Don Juan, ballet - 1. Andante grazioso
03. Don Juan, ballet - 2. Andante
04. Don Juan, ballet - 3. Allegro maestoso
05. Don Juan, ballet - 4. Allegro furioso - Adagio
06. Don Juan, ballet - 5. Allegro forte risoluto - Andante - Allegretto
07. Don Juan, ballet - 6. Risoluto moderato
08. Don Juan, ballet - 7. Gavotte				play
09. Don Juan, ballet - 8. Brillante
10. Don Juan, ballet - 9. Allegretto
11. Don Juan, ballet - 10. Moderato
12. Don Juan, ballet - 11. Giusto
13. Don Juan, ballet - 12. Allegro - Presto
14. Don Juan, ballet - 13. Andante grazioso
15. Don Juan, ballet - 14. Andante
16. Don Juan, ballet - 15. Presto
17. Don Juan, ballet - 16. Allegretto - Presto - Andante - Tempo primo
18. Don Juan, ballet - 17. Andante
19. Don Juan, ballet - 18. Allegro giusto
20. Don Juan, ballet - 19. Moderato
21. Don Juan, ballet - 20. Andante
22. Don Juan, ballet - 21. Grazioso
23. Don Juan, ballet - 22. Allegretto
24. Don Juan, ballet - 23. Moderato - Presto - Moderato - Presto
25. Don Juan, ballet - 24. Risoluto e Moderato
26. Don Juan, ballet - 25. Allegro - Allegro giusto - Allegro
27. Don Juan, ballet - 26. Andante staccato
28. Don Juan, ballet - 27. Allegro
29. Don Juan, ballet - 28. Allegretto
30. Don Juan, ballet - 29. Andante staccato
31. Don Juan, ballet - 30. Larghetto
32. Don Juan, ballet - 31. Allegro non troppo
33. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - Sinfonia. Maestoso
34. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 1. Andante
35. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 2. Allegro
36. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 3. Moderato			play		
37. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 4. Moderato, Grazioso
38. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 5. Moderato
39. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 6. Maestoso
40. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 7. Grazioso
41. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 8. Maestoso	
42. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 9a. Affettuoso - 9b. Affettuoso
43. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 10. Adagio - Più Adagio
44. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 11. Affettuoso
45. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 12. Adagio
46. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 13. Allegro maestoso
47. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 14. Adagio - Allegro
48. Semiramis, ballet in 1 act - 15. Allegro assai

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra
Bruno Weil - conductor

Gluck made his reputation as one of opera's great reformers. He was the 18th century's Wagner, an artist who fought against the tyranny of the singer in order to establish a more unified conception of opera in which each element was subservient to the composer's dramatic plan. But what made this radical concept work was a much more positive role for the orchestra, and it's a quality you can hear very clearly in these two ballets. The final scene of Don Juan, depicting his descent into hell, had a direct effect on Mozart when he wrote Don Giovanni. It's the first representation of real terror in music. This then is an important disc historically, but even better, it's highly entertaining musically. --David Hurwitz

This CD represents a considerable bargain. I recalled this very special music from a now out-of-print Decca recording with Marriner and the SMFO, and I remember the performance as being especially suave and polished, as usual with these artists. Weil's top-notch period band brings, instead of suavity, raw energy and eclat. Gluck is the winner, I think--and so are we. From the buoyant Sinfonia to the dark, hurtling Chaconne portraying the terrors of Hell, this is music of much resourcefulness.

The Chaconne finale, by the way, is lifted right out of Gluck's own Orfeo ed Euridice, but as H. C. Robbins Landon points out in his characteristically informative notes, it was the Don Juan finale that introduced German music to the Sturm und Drang movement in art. Chief among Gluck's imitators were Haydn and Mozart, no less. So Gluck's music is not only highly entertaining but of historical significance as well.

Among other highlights are the gracious Gavotte (No. 7) and the Moderato (No. 19), a fandango in which keening, scalewise passages in the second violins slice through the orchestral fabric like the proverbial tocsin in the night--great stuff!

Sermiramis is shorter and not quite so distinguished, but check out the grand Maestoso (No. 8) with its trumpets and drums or the very affecting pair of dances marked Affetuoso (No. 9a & b).

As I said, the performances are as exciting as the music, and the sound is big and bright. In fact, the piercing clarino trumpets may need to be tamed a bit in playback on your system. But you'll appreciate the chilling rasp the old trombones lend to the Don Juan Larghetto (No. 30) and finale (No. 31). Latch on to this one, lovers of the Classical era in music! ---amazon.com

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CD 1

1. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Overture 
2. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 1 Air, 'Heureux l'amant qui se dépêtre de Cup 
3. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 2 Air, 'Castagno, castagna, pistafanache'/'Le 
4. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 3 Air, 'Les hommes, pieusement'/'Eh bien, mon 
5. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 4 Air, 'D'une céleste transport mon âme'/'Adi 	
6. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 5 Air, 'Il fait entendre sa sonnette'/'Voilà, 	
7. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 6 Air, 'Castagno, castagna'/'Osmin, c'est toi 	
8. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 7 Air, 'Je chérirai, jusqu'au tréspas'/'Rezia 	
9. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 8 Air, 'Bel inconnu, qu'ici lamour amène'/'Et 
10. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 1: No. 9 Trio, 'Je suis touché des bontés de la dame 		play
11. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: 'Qu'en dites-vous, mon maître?' 	
12. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 10 Air, 'J'ai fait un rêve des plus doux'/'Co 	
13. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 11 Air, 'Vous ressemblez à la rose naissante' 	
14. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 12 Air, 'A ma maîtresse j'avais promis, Seign 	
15. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 13 Air, 'Je cherche à vous faire'/'Votre fide 	
16. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 14 Air, 'Jusqu'au moment qui m'ôtera le jour' 	
17. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 15 Air, 'J'ai perdu mon étalage'/'Ca alors. V 
18. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 16 Duo, 'Oh, oh, oh, miracolo, miracolo!' 	
19. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 17 Duo, 'Que vois-je! o ciel! c'est l'âme de

CD 2

1. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 18 Air, 'Sans l'espérance du retour'/'Dis-moi 
2. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 19 Air, 'Sans l'âme noire et mercenaire'/'Vou 	
3. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 20 Airette, 'Ah, quil est doux de se revoir'/ 	
4. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 21 Air, 'Venez, venez, troupe brillante' 
5. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 2: No. 22 Finale, Sextour, 'Ah je suis en transe' 	
6. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: 'Quoi, vous voulez déjà partir' 	
7. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 23 Air, 'Mahomet notre grand prophète'/'Assez 	
8. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 24 Air, 'D'Une telle lâcheté'/'Soyez-en sûr, 	
9. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 25 Air, 'Maître de coceurs, achève ton ouvrag 			play
10. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 27 Trio, 'Ho, ho! Monsieur Vertigo!'/'Allons, 
11. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 28 Trio, 'Est-ce un Adagio?'/'C'est bien ains 	
12. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 29 Air, 'Des combats j'ai peint l'horreur'/'T 	
13. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 30 Air, 'C'est un torrent impétueux'/'Quelle 	
14. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 31 Air, 'Un ruisselet bien clair'/'Un vrai mi 	
15. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 32 Duo, 'Qu'il est doux de partager ses chaîn 	
16. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 33 Ensemble, 'Après un tel outrage'/'Ah, Rezi 
17. La rencontre imprévue (or, 'The Pilgrim of Mecca'), opera in 3 acts, Wq. 32: Act 3: No. 34 Finale, 'Cessons de répandre des larmes'

Ali - Robert Gambill
Osmin - Claes Hakan Ahnsjo
Le Calender - Jan-Hendrik Rootering
Vertigo - Malcolm Walker
The Sultan - Ulrich Ress
Rezia - Julie Kaufmann
Balkis - Iris Vermillion
Dardané - Annegeer Stumphius
Le chef - Paolo Orecchia

Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Leopold Hager - conductor, 1991

"Les Pelerins de la Mecque" (also known by the title "La Rencontre Imprevue", or "The Unexpected Meeting") dates from Gluck's years in Vienna in the 1760s. Oddly enough, it is an example of the French genre of `opera comique', since there was a craze for this style of music at the Habsburg court. Composers like Gretry, Philidor and Monsigny had a European-wide success in the years leading up to the French Revolution with their `operas comiques' in the late eighteenth century, but their works are almost totally neglected today. There exists a rough and ready but very enthusiastic recording of Gretry's most famous work "Richard Coeur de Lion" on the Nuova Era label, but very little else is out on disc so this work by Gluck is a rare opportunity to hear an opera of this type, and a very successful one it is too. "Opera comique" shared with Gluck's reform tragedies the feeling that a new, simpler and more direct style of music should replace the complexities and alleged artificiality of late Baroque opera (it's no great surprise that the founding father of the genre was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the philosopher of `back-to-Nature', who also fancied himself as a composer and later advised Gluck on the revision of his reform opera, "Alceste"). "Les Pelerins" is in fact a string of short arias (some less than a minute long), ensembles and a ballet sequence all linked by spoken dialogue. Everything is fast moving and sprightly, especially in this fleetfooted performance, and nothing outstays its welcome.

The plot, set in Cairo, concerns the attempts of Prince Ali to rescue his beloved Rezia from the harem of the Sultan of Egypt. This might sound familiar to many readers, and so it should, since a revival of "Les Pelerins" in Vienna in 1780, prompted the young Mozart to write his oriental Singspiel, "Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail". In fact, the two operas had so much in common that the younger composer was accused by some of plagiarism, a charge that Gluck himself went out of his way to refute, showing warm appreciation for the new work. Naturally, Mozart's score is more sophisticated, but Gluck's possibly has more of an `oriental' atmosphere throughout, beginning with the busy overture and its clashing "Turkish" percussion.

The work also has great variety, as I suggested above. The music of the lovers is on a more exalted level than that of the rest of the cast, even achieving great pathos in Ali's exquisite aria "Tout ce que j'aime est au tombeau". But they are surrounded by a crowd of comic characters, from Ali's Leperello-like servant Osmin, to an eccentric French painter called Monsieur Vertigo, who sings what sounds like a parody of the pastoral moments from Gluck's serious operas. There is also a pious fraud called the Calender who reels off one the fastest, wildest drinking songs I've ever heard, almost a match for Don Giovanni's "Finche del vino". Gluck's orchestration is light and summery, with delicate woodwind writing.

This piece inspired yet another great composer to write an opera of his own. Haydn later used the same libretto, translated into Italian, for his comedy, "L'Incontro Improvviso", making certain changes to avoid clashing with the `hit numbers' of Gluck's score. It contains a delightful series of arias, recitatives and ensembles, beginning with a wonderfully unPC chorus in praise of alcohol and tobacco. Antal Dorati's recording of this opera (on Philips) made in the 1970s with an excellent cast is well worth seeking out (though it may be difficult to find) for Haydn's joyous score deserves to be better known. So does Gluck's for that matter!

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CD1
1. Overture	Philharmonia Orchestra/Riccardo Muti	3:06
2. Act I, Scene 1: Ah! se intorno a quest' urna funesta (Coro/Orfeo)	3:51
3. Act I, Scene 1: Basta, basta, o compagni! (Orfeo)	 0:57
4. Act I, Scene 1: Ballo (Dance of the Shepherds and Nymphs)	3:39
5. Act I, Scene 1: Ah! se intorno a quest' urna funesta (Coro)	3:28	
6. Act I, Scene 1: Chiamo il mio ben così (Orfeo)		6:55	
7. Act I, Scene 1: Numi! barbari Numi! (Orfeo)		0:53
8. Act I, Scene 2: T'assiste Amore! (Amore, Orfeo)	1:59	
9. Act I, Scene 2: Gli sguardi trattieni (Amore)		3:21
10. Act I, Scene 2: Che disse? Che ascoltai? (Orfeo)	2:23	
11. Act II, Scene 1: Ballo - Coro - Ballo - Coro - Ballo	5:48
12. Scene 1: Deh! placetevi con me (Orfeo/Coro)	2:11
13. Act II, Scene 1: Misero giovane! (Coro)		1:03
14. Act II, Scene 1: Mille pene, ombre moleste (Orfeo)		0:43
15. Act II, Scene 1: Ah! quale incognito affetto (Coro/Orfeo)		3:03
16. Act II, Scene 2: Dance of the Blessed Spirits		2:11
17. Act II, Scene 2: Che puro ciel! Che chiaro sol! (Orfeo/Coro)		5:50	
18. Act II, Scene 2: Vieni a' regni del riposo (Coro)		2:55
19. Act II, Scene 2: Ballo		2:35
20. Act II, Scene 2: Anime avventurose (Orfeo)		0:52
21. AcII, Scene 2: Torna, o bella (Coro)		3:37

CD2
1. Act III, Scene 1: Vieni, segui i miei passi (Orfeo/Euridice)		6:15
2. Act III, Scene 1: Vieni, appaga il tuo consorte! (Orfeo/Euridice)	3:48
3. Act III, Scene 1: Qual vita è questa mai (Euridice)		1:47	
4. Act III, Scene 1: Che fiero momento! (Euridice)		3:22	
5. Act III, Scene 1: Ecco un nuovo tormento! (Orfeo/Euridice)		4:02
6. Act III, Scene 1: Che farò senza Euridice? (Orfeo)		5:25
7. Act III, Scene 1: Ah! finisca e per sempre (Orfeo)		1:18
8. Act III, Scene 2: Orfeo, che fai? (Amore/Orfeo)		1:58
9. Act III, Scene 3: Introduzione		0:26	
10. Act III, Scene 3: Ballo I (Grazioso)		2:43	
11. Act III, Scene 3: Ballo II (Allegro)		3:31
12. Act III, Scene 3: Ballo III (Andante)		1:22	
13. Act III, Scene 3: Ballo IV (Allegro)	2:35	
14. Act III, Scene 3: Trionfi Amore! (Orfeo/Coro/ Amore/Euridice)	2:44	

Orfeo – Agnes Baltsa
Euridice – Margaret Marshall
Amore – Edita Gruberova

Ambrosian Opera Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Riccardo Muti – conductor

"Here we have a curious mixture: an 'authentic' text—the original Italian version is followed, with none of the additions (even the most famous of them) from the French revision—but a full-bloodedly romantic performance of it. It is a very accomplished performance technically but I do find it quite alien to the work in its style. It is beautifully sung, by its own standards. Agnes Baltsa has a finely controlled, focused voice, capable of conveying strong feeling while preserving the purity of line. It is a reading of rare poise and dignity, free of any sort of emotional artifice. Muti does take care over the orchestral textures; the introduction of "Che puro ciel" is truly lovely, the balance between wind and strings finely calculated for the effect he is seeking." --- S.S., Gramophone [3/1991], Editorial Reviews

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CD1
01. Atto I. Sinfonia – Allegro
02. Sinfonia – Andante
03. Sinfonia - Allegro di molto
04. Marcia
05. Scena I - Recitativo: Signoe, vincemmo
06. Scena I - Aria: Se tu la reggi al volo
07. Scena II - Recitativo: Ezio, lascia ch´io stringa
08. Scena II - Aria: Pensa a serbarmi, o cara
09. Scena III - Recitativo: E soffrirai che sposa abbia la figlia
10. Scena III - Aria: Caro padre
11. Scena IV - Recitativo accompagnato: Pria che sorga l´aurora
12. Scena V - Recitativo: Ezio sappia ch´io bramo seco parlar
13. Scena V - Aria: Se povero il ruscello
14. Scena VI - Recitativo: Del ciel felice dono
15. Scena VI - Aria: So chi t´accese
16. Scena VII-VIII - Recitativo: Vedrem se ardisce ancora
17. Scena VII-VIII - Aria: Se fedele mi brama il regnante
18. Scena IX - Recitativo: A cesare nascondi
19. Scena IX - Aria: Ancor non mremi il soglio
20. Scena X - Recitativo: Via, per mio danna aduna
21. Scena X - Aria: Finché un zeffiro soave

CD2
01. Atto II. Scena I-III - Recitativo: Qual silenzio č mai questo!
02. Scena I-III - Aria : Dubbioso amante
03. Scena IV - Recitativo: E puoi d´un tuo delitto
04. Scena IV - Aria: Va´ dal furor portata
05. Scena V-VI - Recitativo: Che fo? Dove mi volgo?
06. Scena V-VI - Recagli quell´acciaro
07. Scena VII - Recitativo: Folle č colui che al tuo favor si fida
08. Scena VII - Aria: Nasce al bosco in rozza cuna
09. Scena VIII-IX - Recitativo: Olŕ, qui si conduca il prigionier
10. Scena VIII-IX - Aria: Ecco alle mie catene
11. Scena X - Recitativo: Ingratissima donna!
12. Scena X - Terzetto: Passami il cor, tiranno!
13. Atto III. Scena I - Recitativo: E ben, da quel superbo
14. Scena I - Aria: Peni tu per un´ingrata
15. Scena II-IV - Recitativo: Olŕ, Varo si chiami
16. Scena II-IV - Aria: Per la memoria
17. Scena V-VIII - Recitativo: Generoso monarco
18. Scena V-VIII - Aria: Per tutto il timore
19. Scena IX - Recitativo: Partě una volta
20. Scena IX - Aria: Tergi l´ingiust lagrime
21. Scena X - Recitativo accompagnato: Misera dove son!
22. Scena X - Aria: Ah non son io che parlo
23. Scena XI-XII, Scena ultima - Recitativo: Inorridisci, o Roma
24. Scena XI-XII, Scena ultima - Coro: Della vita nel dubbio camino

Ezio, General of Caesar’s armies, in love with Fulvia - Sonia Prina (contralto); 
Valentiniano, Emperor, in love with Fulvia - Max Emanuel Cencic (counter-tenor); 
Fulvia, Daughter of Massimo, in love with, and promised to, Ezio - Ann Hallenberg (soprano); 
Massimo, a Roman patrician - Topi Lehtipuu (tenor); 
Varo, Prefect, friend of Ezio - Julian Prégardien (tenor);
Mayuko Karasava (mezzo-soprano) 

Il Complesso Barocco
Alan Curtis - conductor.

Gluck desperately wanted to break away from the conventions of opera seria extant at the time of his earlier operatic compositions. He found the form of recitative and aria, as exemplified by Handel in particular, over-formalised and dramatically static. He did so in his Orfeo ed Euridice of 1762 as he also sought to move away from the convention of the use of castrati. The latter situation led to his re-writing Orfeo for Paris where the castrati tradition was not acceptable and the high tenor voice developed. Gluck’s operas of this later period became known as his Reform Operas. However, like the operas of Handel and the earlier works of Vivaldi, we have come to appreciate the qualities of his musical compositions of the pre-reform period, a state of affairs greatly assisted by specialised female singers of vocal flexibility and the emergence of male counter-tenors.

Written to a libretto by the prolific Metastasio, Ezio exemplifies the formal opera seria that Gluck sought to leave behind. After Orfeo's premiere in Vienna he revised Ezio for performance at the city's Burgtheater in 1763. His revisions accommodated the large size of the Burgtheater and the need for an expanded orchestra. While using the original 1750 version, this recording is slightly abridged omitting several contributions for the lesser comprimario parts.

Ezio is one of Metastasio's most dramatic opera librettos. Set in Rome after the defeat of Attila the Hun, it is based loosely on historical fact and follows the adulation that attended the victorious General’s return. Metastasio grafted on an amorous intrigue. The story is one of the few of the period lacking any absurdities or situations which modern listeners often find difficult to accept. Details of the background of Metastasio’s Ezio and Gluck’s setting for Prague, along with an analysis, are included in an extended erudite essay by Bruce Alan Brown. It is given in English, French and German as is the full translation of the text and synopsis.

Alan Curtis is well versed in baroque music with several recordings of Handel operas. He brings a sure rhythmic baton to the proceedings along with his period band. His soloists have similar credentials to those of the conductor; their names often appear in performances and recordings of works by Handel and Vivaldi. All are nicely contrasted and expressive. I was particularly taken by the full-toned, yet flexible and expressive Sonia Prina in the eponymous role, notably in Ezio’s long opening arias Se tu las reggi and Pensa a serebarmi (CD 1 Trs.6 and 8). Her voice is well contrasted to the high soprano of Ann Hallenberg as Fulvia who gets the highly dramatic recitative and aria of the last act and brings considerable skill to her delivery (CD 2 Trs. 21-22). As Valentiniano, Max Emanuel Cencic’s voice in some ways belies description. He used to call himself a male soprano claiming not to be a falsettist. Certainly on record, and I have also heard him in the theatre, his distinctive timbre is unlike that of any other counter-tenor I have heard. Cencic phrases the music with style and good expression, whether in drama or in the softer moments (CD 1 Trs.5-6 and CD 2 Tr.2). I was a little worried at first about Topi Lehtipuu as Massimo. He starts his opening solo and duet recitative with excessive cover to the tone (CD 1. Trs 11-12) and is well into the long aria Se povero before his voice clears and pings with its accustomed clarity (Tr. 13).

This well performed Gluck pre-reform opera, claimed by Curtis to be the best of the genre, is superbly recorded before and during a series of performances. It will be some time before another recording is likely to be forthcoming let alone bettered. ---Robert J Farr, www.musicweb-international.com

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CD1
1. Armide - Overture	Les Musiciens du Louvre	4:24
2. Armide / Act 1 - 2. "Dans un jour de triomphe"	Françoise Masset	2:11	
3. Armide / Act 1 - 3. "Je ne triomphe pas"	Mireille Delunsch	1:06
4. Armide / Act 1 - 4. "Qu'importe qu'un captif manque"	Nicole Heaston	0:38
5. Armide / Act 1 - 5. "Les enfers ont prédit cent fois/Un songe affreux"	Mireille Delunsch	1:55
6. Armide / Act 1 - 6. "Vous troublez-vous d'une image légère"	Nicole Heaston	1:00	
7. Armide / Act 1 - 7. "Armide, que le sang qui m'unit avec vous"	Laurent Naouri	1:10
8. Armide / Act 1 - 8. "Je vois de près la mort"	Laurent Naouri	1:11
9. Armide / Act 1 - 9. "La chaîne de l'hymen m'étonne"	Mireille Delunsch	1:22	
10. Armide / Act 1 - 10. "Pour vous, quand il vous plaît"	Laurent Naouri	1:19	
11. Armide / Act 1 - 11. "Contre mes ennemis"	Mireille Delunsch	0:46
12. Armide / Act 1 - 12. "Si je dois m'engager un jour"	Mireille Delunsch	1:02	
13. Armide / Act 1 - 13."Armide est encore plus aimable/Nos ennemies" Sandrine Rondot	3:01
14. Armide / Act 1 - 14. Andante	Les Musiciens du Louvre	1:19
15. Armide / Act 1 - 15. "Ô ciel! Ô disgrâce cruelle!	Vincent Le Texier	1:13
16. Armide / Act 1 - 16. "Poursuivons jusqu'au trépas"	Mireille Delunsch	2:01
17. Armide / Act 2 - 17. "Invincible héros"	Yann Beuron	2:25
18. Armide / Act 2 - "Le repos me fait violence" / "Fuyez les lieux où règne Armide" / "J'aime la liberté"	Charles Workman	2:53
19. Armide / Act 2 - 19. "Arrêtons-nous ici"	Laurent Naouri	0:46
20. Armide / Act 2 - 20. "Esprits de haine et de rage" / "Dans le piège fatal notre ennemi s'engage"	Mireille Delunsch	2:22
21. Armide / Act 2 - 21. "Plus j'observe ces lieux"	Charles Workman	6:01
22. Armide / Act 2 - 22. "Au temps heureux où l'on sait plaire"	Valerie Gabail	0:54
23. Armide / Act 2 - 23. "Ah! Quelle erreur, quelle folie"	Valerie Gabail	1:08
24. Armide / Act 2 - 24. Moderato	Les Musiciens du Louvre	1:03	
25. Armide / Act 2 - 25. "On s'étonnerait moins"	Nicole Heaston	2:17	
26. Armide / Act 2 - 26. "Ah! Quelle erreur, quelle folie"	Les Musiciens du Louvre	1:06
27. Armide / Act 2 - 27. "Enfin, il est en ma puissance"	Mireille Delunsch	2:23	
28. Armide / Act 2 - 28. "Ah! Quelle cruauté de lui ravir le jour!"	Mireille Delunsch	1:46
29. Armide / Act 2 - 29. "Venez, secondez mes désirs"	Mireille Delunsch	2:06
30. Armide / Act 3 - 30. "Ah! Si la liberté me doit être ravie"	Mireille Delunsch	3:48	
31. Armide / Act 3 - 31. "Que ne peut point votre art?/Votre amitié .."	Françoise Masset	1:40
32. Armide / Act 3 - 32. "De mes plus doux regards Renaud sut se défendre"	Mireille Delunsch	1:02
33. Armide / Act 3 - 33. "Que votre art serait beau!"	Françoise Masset	4:05
34. Armide / Act 3 - 34. "Venez, venez, Haine implacable!"	Mireille Delunsch	2:32	
35. Armide / Act 3 - 35. "Je réponds à te voeux"	Ewa Podles	0:36	
36. Armide / Act 3 - 36. "Plus on connaît l'amour"	Ewa Podles	2:00
37. Armide / Act 3 - 37. Andante	Les Musiciens du Louvre	0:41	
38. Armide / Act 3 - 38. "Amour, sors pour jamais"	Ewa Podles	4:12
39. Armide / Act 3 - 39. "Sors, sors du sein d'Armide"	Ewa Podles	1:26
40. Armide / Act 3 - 40. "Suis l'amour, puisque tu le veux"	Ewa Podles	1:42
41. Armide / Act 3 - 41. "Ô ciel! Quelle horrible menace!"	Mireille Delunsch	1:55

CD2
1. Armide / Act 4 - 42."Nous ne trouvons partout que des gouffres" / "Allons chercher Renaud"	Yann Beuron	3:04	
2. Armide / Act 4 - 43. "Redoublons nos soins/On voit d'ici le séjour ..."	Brett Polegato	1:52	
3. Armide / Act 4 - 44. "Voici la charmante retraite"	Nicole Heaston	2:18	
4. Armide / Act 4 - 45. Musette - Second Air - Musette	Les Musiciens du Louvre	1:18	
5. Armide / Act 4 - 46. "Allons, qui vous retient encore?"	Brett Polegato	0:23
6. Armide / Act 4 - 47. "Enfin je vois l'amant"	Nicole Heaston	3:19
7. Armide / Act 4 - 48. "Ce sceptre d'or... /Je tourne en vain les yeux.."	Brett Polegato	1:37	
8. Armide / Act 4 - 49. "D'où vient que vous vous détournez"	Françoise Masset	2:12	
9. Armide / Act 4 - 50. "Pourquoi faut-il encore m'arracher mon amant?"	Françoise Masset	2:37
10. Armide / Act 4 - 51. "Fuyons les douceurs dangereuses"	Brett Polegato	1:36
11. Armide / Act 5 - 52. "Armide, vous m'allez quitter!"	Charles Workman	1:53
12. Armide / Act 5 - 53. "D'une vaine terreur pouvez-vous être atteinte"	Charles Workman	2:06
13. Armide / Act 5 - 54. "Aimons-nous"/"Témons de notre amour extrême"	Mireille Delunsch	3:08
14. Armide / Act 5 - 55. Chaconne	Les Musiciens du Louvre	5:29
15. Armide / Act 5 - 56. "Les Plaisirs ont choisi pour asile"	Magdalena Kozená	1:32	
16. Armide / Act 5 - 57. "C'est l'amour qui retient dans ses chaînes"	Magdalena Kozená	2:54
17. Armide / Act 5 - 58. Gracieux	Les Musiciens du Louvre	1:01
18. Armide / Act 5 - 59. "Jeunes coeurs"	Magdalena Kozená	1:37	
19. Armide / Act 5 - 60. Air sicilien	Les Musiciens du Louvre	2:30
20. Armide / Act 5 - 61. "Allez, éloignez-vous de moi"	Charles Workman	3:20	
21. Armide / Act 5 - 62. "Il est seul"	Brett Polegato	0:33
22. Armide / Act 5 - 63. "Notre général vous appelle"	Brett Polegato	1:10
23. Armide / Act 5 - 64. "Renaud! Ciel! Ô mortelle peine!"	Mireille Delunsch	5:18
24. Armide / Act 5 - 65. "Il faut partir"	Yann Beuron	0:50
25. Armide / Act 5 - 66. "Le perfide Renaud me fuit"	Mireille Delunsch	2:53
26. Armide / Act 5 - 67. "Quand le barbare était en ma puissance"	Mireille Delunsch	3:18

Armide - Mireille Delunsch
Rinaldo - Charles Workman
Artemidor - Yann Beuron
Fury of Hate - Ewa Podles
Hidraot - Laurent Naouri
Ubaldo - Brett Polegato
Danish Knight - Yann Beuron
Phenice - Françoise Masset
Sidonie - Nicole Heaston
Aront - Vincent Le Texier
Demon Lucinda - Nicole Heaston
Demon Melissa - Françoise Masset
Naiad - Valerie Gabail

Les Musiciens du Louvre
Marc Minkowski, 1996

To modern music lovers, Gluck is best-known for his Orpheus and Euridice and, to a lesser extent, for Alceste. But he was also the composer of other operas which deserve to be remembered. Among these operas is Armide, which Gluck composed in 1777 for the Paris Opera. (By that time, he had revised his earlier versions of Orpheus and Alceste for staging in Paris.) In setting Armide, Gluck took the liberetto written by Phillipe Quinault which had been used by the great French composer Lully in his opera, Armide, presented in 1686. Thus, Gluck was deliberately setting himself in competition with the earlier master. After Gluck's opera, other composers have set the Armide story, including Haydn in an opera and Brahms in a cantata, Renaldo.

This CD of Armide features the musicians of the Louvre conducted by Marc Minkowski and a distinguished cast of singers. Mr. Minkowski specializes in early music with an emphasis on scores and composers that have not received the attention they deserve. We are fortunate to have CD's readily accessible to explore Gluck's Armide. The work comes through in this release with intensity and passion.

Armide is a story of the power of love and of the war between love and hate. The heroine, Armide, is a sorceress who has just defeated an army of Christian crusaders. She values her freedom and declines to marry unless to a man who can defeat the crusader's hero, Renauld. In the course of the story, Armide casts a spell on Renauld to make him, for a time, love her. But, unfortunately for Armide, she falls in love with Renauld totally and unconditionally. Renauld is ultimately rescued and abandons Armide who bewails her loss mightily and destroys the magic palace she had built for herself and Renaud.

Gluck was known for attempting to integrate text and music into an artistic whole rather than for indulging in lengthy musical flourishes for their own sake. In Armide, he carries out his artistic programme in part. But there are long sections of dances, musical interludes, and scenes that have little dramatic intensity and which run counter to Gluck's austure style of composition. This is probably due in part to Gluck's decision to use, without editing, the early liberetto by Quinault which had been adopted to the different compositional style of Lully. (In the years between Lully and Gluck, some composers had tried to eliminate various portions of Quinault's text to speed-up the action. But Gluck took the original liberetto.)

Gluck's Armide is not often performed today, but it is a treasure. The heroine, Armide, is a great multi-faceted role with arias expressing the extremes of passionate love and deep hatred. The role is beautifully performed on this CD by Mirelle Dellunsch. There is a character in the opera titled "hate", -- hate personified with lengthy arias worthy of the Queen of the Night -- performed guttily and intensely by Ewa Poodles. Charles Workman is an effective Renauld, but this music belongs to the women leads.

The first and fifth acts of Gluck's Armide move with swift intensity while some of the more relaxed material is in act two and, particularly, in act four. For me, the most powerful musical moment of this score comes at the end of the opera in Armide's aria "La Perfide Renaud" which shows her fury at her abandonment by Renaud. Also in Act 5 is a beautiful duet between Armide and Renauld and an "Air Sicilien" featuring the solo flute. The scenes with Hate are stunning.

Gluck's Armide is a grand opera by a great composer. It will delight listeners willing to be adventurous as well as lovers of opera, early classical music, and passionate music. It is a joy to have this work available. --- Robin Friedman (Washington, D.C. United States)

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CD1
1. Ouvertüre 	          play
2. O Artemis, Erzürnte! 	
3. Länger darfst du nicht widerstreben! 	
4. Du siehst, wie laut das Heer schon wütet... Kann vom Vater die Göttin fordern 	
5. Klytemnestra mit der Tochter... Ihr Könige so hoch und doch Sterbliche nur 	
6. Grausame Götter!... Welch ein Reiz, welche Majestät 	
7. Wie gern hört mein Ohr dieses schmeichelnde Lob 	
8. Laßt uns allein... Waffne dich mit zürnendem Mute 	
9. Hab ich recht gehört?... Weh mir! Mein Herz, noch nicht belehret 	
10. Ist's ein Traum, der mich täuscht!... Zweifle nie an meiner Treue 	
11. Laß deine Brust Freude durchwallen 	
12. Umsonst wähnet ihr meine Sorgen zu täuschen!... Bald von Fürchten und bald von Hoffen 
13. Meine Tochter, bald macht Hymen dich glücklich 	
14. Singt laut und erhebt eure Königin!

CD2
1. Der Ehe holder Gott! 
2. Achill! Sieh hier vor dir mich knien!... Ach, zum Tode verdammt 
3. Fürstin, beruhige dich!... Ja, mein Vater ist er 
4. Folg mir, du Treuer!... Geh! sage ihr 
5. Ha, er kommt!... Wie du so kühn und frech mir drohest 
6. Ihr Wachen her!... O du, die ich so innig liebe 
7. Nein, nein, nimmer dulden wir das... Haltet hier sie im Zelt zurück 
8. Das Los, das mir beschieden 
9. Weh mir! in welchem Wahn seh ich dein Herz befangen!... Der Priester, wagt er dir zu nah'n 
10. Er geht, er flieht! 	
11. Meine Tochter! Wo ist meine Tochter?... O Zeus! Deiner Blitze Flammen schleudre hernieder play
12. Du Gottheit, groß und hehr, sei gnädig unserm Werk

Iphigénie - Anna Moffo
Clytemnestre - Trudeliese Schmidt
Agamemnon - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Achille - Ludovic Spiess
Calchas - Thomas Stewart
Archas - Bernd Weikl
Diane - Arleen Auger

Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Kurt Eichhorn, 1972

Iphigénie en Aulide (Iphigeneia in Aulis) is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck, the first work he wrote for the Paris stage. The libretto was written by Leblanc du Roullet and was based on Jean Racine's tragedy Iphigénie. It was premiered at the Paris Opéra on 19 April 1774.

In 1847 Richard Wagner presented a revised version of Gluck's Iphigénie en Aulide at the Dresden Court. Wagner edited, re-scored and revised the opera significantly including adding a different ending and some other passages of his own composition. Wagner's version of the opera was revived at the 1984 Waterloo Festival with Alessandra Marc as Iphigenia.

The opera was first performed in the United States on February 22, 1935 at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia. The fully staged production was presented by the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor Alexander Smallens. Directed by Herbert Graf, it used sets by Norman Bel Geddes and starred Georges Baklanoff as Agamemnon, Cyrena van Gordon as Clytemnestre, Rosa Tentoni as Iphigénie, Joseph Bentonelli as Achille, and Leonard Treash as Patrocle.

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01] Symphony in G major: Allegro
02] Symphony in G major: Andante
03] Symphony in G major: Allegro
04] Symphony in D major: Allegro capriccioso
05] Symphony in D major: Menuetto
06] Symphony in A major: Allegro
07] Symphony in A major: Andante
08] Symphony in A major: Allegro
09] Symphony in F major: Allegro
10] Symphony in F major: Andante
11] Symphony in F major: Alla breve
12] Symphony in F major: Presto
13] Symphony in D major: Andante
14] Symphony in D major: Allegro

L'Orfeo Barockorchester
Michi Gaigg – conductor

Michi Gaigg and the Orfeo Baroque Orchestra are back with another interesting collection of lesser-known 18th century Austro-German symphonies. So far they have recorded volumes for CPO of symphonies by Georg Wagenseil, Anton Fils, Ignaz Holzbauer (review), Josef Mysliveček (review) and Leopold Mozart (review). On the whole critical reception has been positive.

Gluck probably does not have very much in common with Richard Wagner, but it is safe to say that both wrote very little not destined for the theatre, and that their musical immortality will always remain independent of those non-theatrical works. Gluck composed a handful of chamber pieces and up to about 20 symphonies - depending on one's definition of 'symphony'. Of those on this disc, only the two Overtures are listed by Alfred Wotquenne in his 1904 thematic catalogue of Gluck's works, along with seven others he takes to be from stage works - hence their title. The three Symphonies proper have been ascribed to Gluck by Taiwanese musicologist Jen-Yen Chen.

None of these works is ground-breaking exactly - in fact they are utterly conservative! - but they are all clearly written by a man, probably still young, who knew what he was doing, and how to achieve his desired effects with considerable imagination and audience-pleasing brio. The Overtures in particular are easy-going, but peppered throughout the programme there is some lovely writing, especially for the horn pair and, from time to time, the oboes. The two works in D - both in two movements only, incidentally - are probably the most memorable, Chen D6 for its concertante interplay, Wq 165.2 for its catchy simplicity.

Under Gaigg's assured violin-in-hand guidance, the Baroque Orchestra's playing is Classical: refined and restrained, with attention to detail, yet still light and bright. Period instruments and techniques are used to authentic effect.

Sound quality is good, although 'atmospheric' is not a word that will spring to the mind of many. The trilingual CD booklet is attractive and informative. However, the English translation has been done by a non-native German-speaker whose knowledge of English is very good but which nevertheless inspires sentences of Germanic proportions, as well as numerous German-flavoured oddities of word and phrase, like "preprint", "initial triadic chord thematic construction" and "would otherwise perhaps be brought into connection only with Mozart", and in one or two cases mistranslations of meaning, such as "delicate feast for our ears" instead of "exquisite feast" ('delikat') and "hardly original, not to mention revolutionary" instead of "hardly original, let alone revolutionary" ('geschweige denn'). ---Byzantion, www.musicweb-international.com

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Disc: 1
  1. Overtura. Moderato - (Allegro)
  2. Overtura. Andante
  3. Overtura. Minuetto
  4. Act 1. Scene 1, 2. Recitativo. Come! Oh ardir temerario!
  5. Act 1. Scene 1, 2. Aria. Sì, tacerò, se vuoi
  6. Act 1. Scene 3. Recitativo. Vedesti, o principessa
  7. Act 1. Scene 3. Aria. Ah, celar la bella face
  8. Act 1. Scene 4, 5. Recitativo. Io più pace non ho; tutto m'ingombra
  9. Act 1. Scene 4, 5. Aria. Resta, o cara; e per timore
  10. Act 1. Scene 6. Recitativo. Prence, un istante...
  11. Act 1. Scene 7. Recitativo accompagnato. Grazie, o Dei protettori; è vostro dono
  12. Act 1. Scene 7. Aria. Tempeste il mar minaccia
  13. Act 1. Scene 8. Recitativo. Signor, pronto al tuo cenno
  14. Act 1. Scene 8. Aria. Sai che piegar si vede
  15. Act 1. Scene 9. Recitativo. Che più pensar? La libertà di Roma
  16. Act 1. Scene 10. Recitativo accompagnato. Che crudel sacrifizio
  17. Act 1. Scene 10. Aria. Saper ti basti, o cara

Disc: 2
  1. Act 1. Scene 11. Recitativo. Misera, ah qual m'asconde
  2. Act 1. Scene 11. Aria. Mille dubbi mi destano in petto
  3. Act 2. Scene 1. Recitativo. Dei! Scorre l'ora, e col bramato avviso
  4. Act 2. Scene 1. Aria. Dei di Roma, ah, perdonate
  5. Act 2. Scene 2, 3. Recitativo. Alla tua tenerezza
  6. Act 2. Scene 2, 3. Duetto. Sì, ti fido al tuo gran core.
  7. Act 2. Scene 4, 5. Recitativo. Larissa, io non t'intendo.
  8. Act 2. Scene 4, 5. Aria. Sol del Tebro in su la sponda
  9. Act 2. Scene 6, 7, 8. Recitativo. Troppo, amica, eccedesti.
  10. Act 2. Scene 6, 7, 8. Aria. Dico che ingiusto sei
  11. Act 2. Scene 9. Recitativo. Ma fra tutti gli amanti
  12. Act 2. Scene 10, 11. Marcia
  13. Act 2. Scene 10, 11. Recitativo accompagnato. No, traditori, in Ciel di Roma il fato
  14. Act 2. Scene 10, 11. Sinfonia
  15. Act 2. Scene 10, 11. Recitativo accompagnato. Ecco il trmpo, o Romani. Ardir; gli dei
  16. Act 2. Scene 10, 11. Sinfonia
  17. Act 2. Scene 12. Recitativo. Ah da' cardini suoi
  18. Act 2. Scene 12. Recitativo accompagnato. Padre, Tebro
  19. Act 2. Scene 13. Recitativo. Barbaro fato! Ah, dunque
  20. Act 2. Scene 13. Aria. Io nemica? A torto il dici.
  21. Act 2. Scene 14. Aria. Non speri onusto il pino

Disc: 3
  1. Act 3. Scene 1. Recitativo. Ma Larissa che fa?
  2. Act 3. Scene 1. Aria. Tanto esposta alle sventure
  3. Act 3. Scene 1. Recitativo. Eccola alfin... No, m'ingannai: di Mannio
  4. Act 3. Scene 1. Recitativo accompagnato. Ah, già vorrei che scoperta ogni frode
  5. Act 3. Scene 2, 3. Recitativo. Dove s'asconde mai? So pur che altrove
  6. Act 3. Scene 2, 3. Aria. Ah ritorna, età dell'oro
  7. Act 3. Scene 4, 5. Recitativo. Tarquinio, il so: del violato patto
  8. Act 3. Scene 4, 5. Aria. Spesso, se ben l'affretta
  9. Act 3. Scene 6. Recitativo. Ah m'abbandoni, empia fortuna, e teco
  10. Act 3. Scene 6. Aria. In quest selva oscura
  11. Act 3. Scene 7, 8. Recitativo. Olà; venga, e s'ascolti
  12. Act 3. Scene 7, 8. Recitativo accompagnato. Violatrice Roma de' giuramenti!
  13. Act 3. Scene 7, 8. Aria. De' folgori di Giove
  14. Act 3. Scene 9, 10. Recitativo (Respiro. Al fin parti.). Tempo è una volta
  15. Act 3. Scene 9, 10. Coro. Oggi a te, gran re toscano
  
Clelia - Hélène Le Corre (soprano)
Orazio - Mary-Ellen Nesi (mezzo)
Tarquinio - Irini Karaianni (mezzo)
Larissa - Burçu Uyar (soprano)
Porsenna - Vassilis Kavayas (tenor)
Mannio - Florin Cezar Ouatu
Armonia Atenea
Giuseppe Sigismondi de Risio - conductor

It is inevitable that prolific composers will be widely known for just a small proportion of their output; the great opera reformer Gluck is no exception. Written for the opening of the Teatro Communale in Bologna in May 1763, Il trionfo di Clelia was therefore completed the year after he had written the famous Orfeo for Vienna. The latter is hugely popular, whereas this new recording brings the opportunity to discover an unknown opera.

The libretto is the work of Pietro Metastasio, that most prolific of 18th century writers for the opera houses of Europe. It is a tale of love and duty, of personal loyalty tested in the context of the Siege of Rome. The priorities of the new work were to show off the most up to date technology of the new theatre. For example during the second act the collapsing bridge leads to the need to swim across the River Tiber in order to survive: a true test of heroism. Then there were the singers assembled by the Bologna management, whose virtuosity was of paramount concern.

In the light of this, anyone with a passing knowledge of operatic history and Gluck’s role as a reformer, who took the older seria style towards a closer liaison of music and drama, will be curious to know what Il trionfo di Clelia has to offer. The answer is that it gives us further confirmation of imagination and mastery by this splendid composer.

This performance from Athens is directed with a lively momentum by Giuseppe Sigismondi de Risio. The musicians of the original-instrument band Armonia Atenea acquit themselves with distinction. There is no lack of drama in delivering the quasi-military aspects of the score, which come to the fore during the overture and at regular intervals thereafter. Also the attention to detail of dynamic and textural sharing, and of instrumental colouring, gains from this subtle and warmly recorded acoustic.

The singers too seem inspired by their voyage of discovery. Clearly an element of vocal virtuosity was one of the opera’s priorities, and there is never any suggestion that such enthusiasms are denied in this performance. As such, several of the performances must be every inch as heroic as those experienced at Bologna in 1763, not least the leading soprano role of Clelia, brilliantly realized by Hélène de Corre. Irini Karaianni runs her close and the rest of the cast seem wholly in sympathy with their characters.

The question is: does this opera represent the discovery of one of the era’s great operas? Only time will tell, and anyone acquiring this recording will be well placed to make that judgement. ---Terry Barfoot, musicweb-international.com

Christoph Williband Gluck (1714-1787) lived at a time when music was passing through an important transition: that from the baroque to the classical era. He was mainly an opera composer who revolutionized the genre, and whose influence was as far reaching as the times of Verdi and Wagner. Stage works such as "Orfeo ed Eurydice", "Alceste' and "Armide' are still performed regularly, but there is still much of his output that is either neglected or presumed lost.

This gem of an opera was unearthed quite accidentally by the conductor on this set, and now, thanks to MD&G's enterprising efforts, we can revel in the beauties of a work that we knew existed but whose score lay hidden in some remote drawer. Gluck composed this "opera seria' in 1763 for the new Bologna Theatre, and after its premiere, the work created wild enthusiasm whenever it was performed. Within a month more than 30,000 tickets were sold – a figure corresponding to more than half of Bologna's populace at the time – but a rich orchestral instrumentation and the outstanding new technical stage resources may have meant that the opera could never be performed in just the same way elsewhere. Consequently, "Clelia' fell into oblivion.

This recording is the first time in 250 years that the piece can be heard again in its first version. The libretto by Metastasio is set in ancient Rome, and contains all the ingredients that made 18th century opera such a success. Love, betrayal, unhappy suitors, abduction, violent battle scenes, godly interventions and a conciliatory conclusion celebrating the virtues and bravery of a very likeable Clelia all contribute to a very dynamic story full of opportunities for both composer and singers.

The lead roles of Clelia and Orazio are performed with breathtaking mastery and spectacular vocal pyrotechnics, but the rest of the ensemble are not far behind either. Indeed, there is a homogeneous sense of unity that exudes confidence and commitment from each soloist from the first recitative to the concluding chorus.

The Armonia Atenea playing on historical instruments give a superbly balanced rendition full of delicately-honed sounds and subtle tonal colours, while de Risio's remarkably heart-warming yet meticulous conducting has an irresistible momentum that keeps the dramatic action moving at a brisk pace. A mouthwatering issue that is both fascinating and revelatory. State of the art sound, notes and presentation complete a daring undertaking in the best MD&G tradition. Unreservedly recommended. ---Gerald Fenech, classical.net

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Disc: 1 Part 1.
1. Sinfonia. Allegro
2. Sinfonia. Andante
3. Sinfonia. Presto
4. Scene 1. Signor, de'cenni tuoi
5. Scene 1. No. 2. Aria. D'atre nubi
6. Scene 2. Qual presagi funesti minaccian questo dì!
7. Scene 2. No. 3. Aria. Sempre è maggior del vero
8. Scene 3. Eterni Dei, da questo cor
9. Scene 3. No. 4. Aria. Guarda pria se in questa fronte
10. Scene 4. Ed io qui resto ancor?
11. Scene 4. No. 5. Aria. A'giorni suoi la sorte

Disc: 2 Part 2.
1. Scene 1. No, soffrirlo non deggio!
2. Scene 1. No. 6. Duetto. Va, ti consola, addio!
3. Scene 2. Claudia, pur ti riveggo
4. Scene 3. Giovane sventurata
5. Scene 3. No. 7. Cavata. Fiamma ignota nell'alma mi scende
6. Scene 4. Ah, Valerio, ah Signor!
7. Scene 4. No. 8. Aria. Quercia annosa sull'erte pendici
8. Scene 5. Flavio, Flaminia, e come, ancor temete?
9. Scene 5. No. 9. Aria. La meritata palma
10. Scene 6. Assistetela, o Numi
11. Scene 6. Ritornello
12. Scene 7. No. 11. Coro. Deh seconda, ospite Nume
13. Scene 7. Contro il voler
14. Scena ultima. No. 13. Arietta. Ah rivolgi, o casta Diva
15. Scena ultima. No. 14. Coro finale. Grazie al ciel che amico intese

María Bayo (Claudia), soprano
Verònica Cangemi (Flavio), soprano
Marina de Liso (Flaminia), mezzosoprano
Andreas Karasiak (Valerio), tenor

ChorWerk Ruhr
Cappella Coloniensis
Christopher Moulds – conductor

Most opera fans are familiar with Gluck the reformist -- the composer of Orphée et Eurydice who sought to balance drama and music in his works. But few know his early works which show him to be a master of the Baroque opera seria tradition he later rejected. L'innocenza giustificata, a festa teatrale written in 1755, is one of these works. Its structure -- cobbled together from aria texts by Pietro Metastasio, but with new recitatives by Giacomo Durazzo -- already shows a desire to create more dramatic continuity and interest than was commonly found in the Baroque period. The music is a jumble of Baroque and Classical elements: florid da capo arias, almost Mozartian recitative, and ensembles that show the emerging influence of comic opera. But the opera seria influence is unmistakable. The resulting stylistic hodgepodge can't be considered entirely successful. But it is interesting, and Christopher Moulds and the Capella Coloniensis make about as compelling a case as possible for it. Leading the cast, María Bayo struggles somewhat with the more ornate passages and has some intonation problems, but she also clearly understands this music, and in the end she makes for a satisfying heroine. Andreas Karasiak's short top range is a liablility in his role as the Roman Consul Valerio. Marina de Liso is excellent as Flaminia. But the show belongs to Verònica Cangemi in the role of Flavio, the hero. She tears into florid runs and rangy phrases as if she could sing them all day, and turns in a thoroughly exciting performance. Her tracks are the ones you're most likely to play over again when you listen. If you're curious about Gluck's work from the 1750s, you won't have many better opportunities than this. ---Allen Schrott, Rovi

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