FRANCO FAGIOLI HHANDELANDEL AARIASRIAS IL POMO D’ORO | ZEFIRA VALOVA FRANCO FAGIOLI HHANDELANDEL AARIASRIAS IL POMO D’ORO | ZEFIRA VALOVA 2 GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685–1759) ORESTE RODELINDA, REGINA DE’ LONGOBARDI Libretto after Giangualberto Barlocci Libretto: Nicola Francesco Haym First performance: London, Covent Garden Theatre, 18 December 1734 First performance: London, King’s Theatre, 13 February 1725 A “Agitato da fiere tempeste” (Oreste) 4:24 I “Pompe vane di morte” (Bertarido) 2:53 J “Dove sei, amato bene?” (Bertarido) 6:19 SERSE Libretto after Silvio Stampiglia and Nicolò Minato GIULIO CESARE IN EGITTO First performance: London, King’s Theatre, 15 April 1738 Libretto: Nicola Francesco Haym B “Frondi tenere e belle” (Serse) 0:47 First performance: London, King’s Theatre, 20 February 1724 C “Ombra mai fu” (Serse) 3:24 K “Se in fiorito, ameno prato” (Cesare) 8:40 D “Crude furie degl’orridi abissi” (Serse) 3:55 ARIODANTE Libretto after Antonio Salvi RINALDO First performance: London, Covent Garden Theatre, 8 January 1735 Libretto: Giacomo Rossi L First performance: London, Queen’s Theatre, 24 February 1711; “Scherza, infida, in grembo al drudo” (Ariodante) 11:13 rev. version: London, King’s Theatre, 6 April 1731 M “Dopo notte atra e funesta” (Ariodante) 7:28 E “Cara sposa, amante cara” (Rinaldo) 8:48 F PARTENOPE “Venti, turbini, prestate” (Rinaldo) 4:06 Libretto after Silvio Stampiglia IMENEO First performance: London, King’s Theatre, 24 February 1730 Libretto after Silvio Stampiglia N “Ch’io parta?” (Arsace) 4:14 First performance: London, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, 22 November 1740 G “Se potessero i sospir miei” (Tirinto) 6:47 IL PASTOR FIDO FRANCO FAGIOLI countertenor The Faithful Shepherd · Der treue Hirte · Le Berger fidèle Libretto: Giacomo Rossi IL POMO D’ORO · ZEFIRA VALOVA First performance: London, Queen’s Theatre, 22 November 1712 H “Sento brillar nel sen” (Mirtillo) 6:45 3 IL POMO D’ORO Violin I and Concertmaster Zefira Valova Violin I Cello Anna Melkonyan Felix Knecht Heriberto Delgado Ludovico Minasi Daniela Nuzzoli Bass Violin II Nicola Dal Maso Esther Crazzolara Maria Grokhotova Oboe Paolo Cantamessa Roberto de Franceschi Barbara Altobello Olga Marulanda Viola Bassoon Giulio D’Alessio Alberto Guerra Isabella Bison Stefano Sopranzi Zefira Valova plays a violin by Lorenzo and Tomaso Carcassi (1760), kindly provided by Jumpstart Jr. Foundation. 4 BAROQUE SNAPSHOTS he Age of Baroque was an age of sensuous- successfully premiered at the Haymarket Theatre on ness. Beauty was cultivated and enthusiastic- 24 February 1711 with the Neapolitan castrato Nicolini T ally consumed, offering contemporaries an in the title role. With it, Handel’s career as an opera antidote to sombre themes such as death and transi- composer began to flourish as never before. When the ence. For all who could afford it, an interest in music Royal Academy of Music was founded, in 1719, he also and art was intended to make their lives as agreeable became a successful impresario under the patronage as possible. In the musical world of the Italian Baroque of King George I. it was not prima donnas and heroic tenors who were In the course of his career Handel wrote forty-two the fêted stars in the field of opera but above all cas- operas featuring a whole series of arias tailored spe- tratos, who as primi uomini were held in the highest cially to the voices of four of the period’s leading Italian regard. A small and illustrious group of fascinating castratos: Nicolini, Senesino, Caffarelli and Carestini. singers intoxicated audiences with the exceptional In particular the name of Senesino – the stage name of sound of their bright virtuoso voices, which were Francesco Bernardi – is inextricably linked to Handel’s regarded as the epitome of youth everlasting. operatic output. Handel wrote no fewer than seventeen During his years in Italy, George Frideric Handel roles for Senesino, including Giulio Cesare, Andronico spent time in Rome, Naples, Florence and Venice, in Tamerlano, Bertarido in Rodelinda, Floridante and where he first found his voice as an operatic com- Ottone. Senesino left Handel’s company in London poser with Agrippina in 1709. In Rome a papal decree in 1733 and was replaced by Giovanni Carestini, whose meant that from the time of the earthquake that struck Handelian roles included Ruggiero in Alcina and the central Italy in 1703 all operatic performances were title role in Ariodante. banned, but once he had moved to London in 1710 Franco Fagioli performs twelve arias that explore Handel had ample opportunity to introduce the popu- the wide range of affetti musicali that are typical lar genre of Italian opera to English audiences. The of Baroque operas in general and of Handel’s vocal medium soon found a new home there. Rinaldo was music in particular. “Handel is quite simply a must for 5 every countertenor,” says Franco Fagioli. “Although onstage has already covered a lot of emotional ground. I’d already sung many of his operas onstage, I hadn’t This really has to be felt in the recording.” The famous BAROCKE MOMENTAUFNAHMEN previously recorded the arias for an entire album. lament from Rinaldo, “Cara sposa”, conveys a sense of Recording them has been a bit like taking photo- the lovelorn hero’s longing and anguish. “Se in fiorito, graphs of particular moments that I want to capture ameno prato” from Giulio Cesare exudes a pastoral for all time.” Among the singer’s musical souvenirs atmosphere with its melodic sweetness, while “Sento are not only virtuoso bravura arias such as “Venti, brillar” from Il pastor fido positively bubbles with wit. er Barock war das Zeitalter der Sinnlichkeit. im Haymarket Theatre erfolgreich uraufgeführt und turbini” from Rinaldo and the radiantly golden “Dopo For its part, the cantabile “Se potessero i sospir miei” Schönes wurde kultiviert und mit Begeisterung läutete die Blütezeit von Händels Karriere als Opern- notte” from Ariodante but also more understated from Handel’s penultimate opera Imeneo – the work D konsumiert und bildete für die Menschen einen komponist ein. Mit der Gründung der Royal Academy pieces such as “Ch’io parta?” from Partenope, which was first performed in 1740, shortly before the com- Gegenpol zu düsteren Themen wie Tod und Vergänglich- of Music wurde der sächsische Komponist 1719 unter breathes a spirit of otherworldly transcendence. “In poser turned to writing English-language oratorios – is keit. Die Auseinandersetzung mit Musik und Kunst ins- der Schirmherrschaft von George I. zum erfolgreichen choosing which arias to include, I allowed myself to tenderly expressive in character. “Agitato da fiere tem- pirierte diejenigen, die es sich leisten konnten, ihr Dasein Opernunternehmer. be guided by those that give me goosebumps,” the peste”, finally, is a reflection of Handel’s pragmatism so angenehm wie möglich zu gestalten. Im Musikleben Georg Friedrich Händel hat im Laufe seiner Karriere singer admits. “I wanted to record only those arias as a successful impresario. He had originally written des italienischen Barock waren nicht die Primadonnen 42bOpern komponiert und den berühmten italienischen that affect me personally on the very deepest level this virtuoso aria for Riccardo Primo, re d’Inghilterra und Heldentenöre die gefeierten Stars der Opernwelt, Kastraten Nicolini, Senesino, Caffarelli und Carestini and where I feel that I really have something to say. in 1727. Seven years later he compiled various num- sondern vor allem Kastraten genossen als primi uomini darin eine Fülle von Arien auf den Leib geschrieben. I was not primarily interested in choosing the best- bers from his own existing operas to create a delightful hohes Ansehen. Eine kleine illustre Runde schillernder Insbesondere Francesco Bernardi, genannt Senesino, known arias. To record a famous aria like ‘Ombra pasticcio with the title Oreste. Sängerpersönlichkeiten berauschte das Publikum mit ist für die Musikwelt untrennbar mit Händels Opern- mai fu’, which so many great singers have already The arias that have been chosen for this release dem außergewöhnlichen Klang ihrer virtuosen, hellen schaffen verbunden. 17 zentrale Rollen hat der Kom- taken into the studio, is a great challenge and very cover the whole range of Handel’s operatic output. Stimmen, die als Inbegriff ewiger Jugend galten. ponist Senesino zugedacht, darunter Giulio Cesare, emotional. I am presenting listeners with my own “Singing Handel’s arias is a bit like climbing into a time Während seiner Zeit in Italien lebte Georg Friedrich Andronico in Tamerlano, Bertarido in Rodelinda, Flori- interpretation of this wonderful aria and offering a machine,” says Franco Fagioli. “As a singer I have to Händel in Rom, Neapel, Florenz und Venedig, wo ihm dante und Ottone. Nachdem Senesino Händels Londo- personal approach to Handel’s music.” communicate my own interpretation as authentically as 1709 mit Agrippina der Durchbruch zu seinem eigenen ner Kompanie 1733 verließ, nahm Giovanni Carestini A natural stage animal, Franco Fagioli is passionate possible, but this is an interpretation that takes place, Opernstil gelang. In Rom durften aufgrund einer päpst- seinen Platz ein und wurde von Händel unter anderem about the theatre, and so it was particularly important of course, in the here and now. Even so, it is important lichen Verordnung seit dem Erdbeben von 1703 keine als Ruggiero in Alcina und in der Titelrolle der Oper to him that he should be able to bring the appropriate to know at what period and in what context the music Opern aufgeführt werden, aber mit einem Umzug nach Ariodante eingesetzt. emotions to these arias even when they are divorced was originally composed. This album is my tribute to London bot sich Händel die Gelegenheit, die populäre Mit zwölf Arien präsentiert Franco Fagioli das weite from their usual context and performed on their own Handel.” Gattung der italienischen Oper in England heimisch zu Spektrum der vielfarbigen barocken affetti musicali, die in the studio.