Il Farnace is the most re-written and re-proposed of Vivaldi’s operas. Versions of Farnace, two in 1727 and one each in 1730, 1731 and 1732, were conceived and adapted to the different circumstances for Venice, Prague, Pavia and Mantua, always with a cast to Vivaldi’s satisfaction and with the composer in control of the production. The greatest appreciation of Vivaldi’s operatic music was expressed in a letter by a spectator of the 1727 Carnival season. The abbot Antonio Conti wrote that of all the operas of the Venice season he liked best Farnace because its music was varied, “between the sublime and the tender,” and because Vivaldi’s pupil worked wonders. In 1738, for the Ferrara Carnival season, Vivaldi wrote a new score of the opera. This is the last Farnace, in two acts, as the third was lost.

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Also available on standard DVD

Il Farnace is the most re-written and re-proposed of Vivaldi’s operas. Versions of Farnace, two in 1727 and one each in 1730, 1731 and 1732, were conceived and adapted to the different circumstances for Venice, Prague, Pavia and Mantua, always with a cast to Vivaldi’s satisfaction and with the composer in control of the production. The greatest appreciation of Vivaldi’s operatic music was expressed in a letter by a spectator of the 1727 Carnival season. The abbot Antonio Conti wrote that of all the operas of the Venice season he liked best Farnace because its music was varied, “between the sublime and the tender,” and because Vivaldi’s pupil worked wonders. In 1738, for the Ferrara Carnival season, Vivaldi wrote a new score of the opera. This is the last Farnace, in two acts, as the third was lost.

Also available on Blu-ray

Il Farnace is the most re-written and re-proposed of Vivaldi’s operas. Versions of Farnace, two in 1727 and one each in 1730, 1731 and 1732, were conceived and adapted to the different circumstances for Venice, Prague, Pavia and Mantua, always with a cast to Vivaldi’s satisfaction and with the composer in control of the production. The greatest appreciation of Vivaldi’s operatic music was expressed in a letter by a spectator of the 1727 Carnival season. The abbot Antonio Conti wrote that of all the operas of the Venice season he liked best Farnace because its music was varied, “between the sublime and the tender,” and because Vivaldi’s pupil worked wonders. In 1738, for the Ferrara Carnival season, Vivaldi wrote a new score of the opera. This is the last Farnace, in two acts, as the third was lost.

ANTONIO VIVALDI: "I Solisti Veneti"/Claudio Scimone; Wiener Singakademie Choir; Adriana Damato, soprano; Laur Brioli, mezzo. ANTONIO VIVALDI - GLORIA AND OTHER SACRED WORKS: Gloria RV 589; Concerto in D major RV581; Falve Regina RV 616: Ad Te suspiramus;Sonata Al Santo Sepolcro RV 130; Stabat Mater RV 621: Stabat Mater, O quam tristis, Fac ut ardeat cor meum, Amen; Dal Gloria RV 588: Qui sedes ad desteram; Concerto in D major RV 562: Allegro.

Principal cast: Laura Cherici (Soprano - Martesia) ,Mary-Ellen Nesi (Mezzo Soprano - Antiope), Zachary Stains (Tenor - Ercole), Randall Scotting (Counertenor - Teseo), Marina Bartoli (Soprano - Ippolita), Filippo Mineccia (Countertenor - Telemone), Luca Dordolo (Tenor - Alceste).

John Pascoe, director, set & costume designer.
Sara Erde, choreographer.

NTSC All Region
Sound: LPCM 2.0; Dolby Digital 5.1
Color
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Duration: 136 mins.
Subtitled in Italian, English, German & French

Singers of great renown were called upon for the first performance of Ercole sul Termodonte by Antonio Vivaldi in Rome, “in the hall of Signor Federico Capranica”, on 27th January 1723. An exclusively male singing cast, as was the custom on Roman stages, to tell the tale of the battle between Hercules, accompanied by the heroes Theseus, Telamon and Alceste, and the Amazons led by Antiope. The story, which is based on the ninth of the legendary labours of Hercules, and which concludes with the traditional happy ending here decreed by Diana, who proclaims the nuptial unions of Hippolyte, Antiope’s sister, (with Theseus, prince of Athens) and of Martesia, Antiope’s daughter (with Telamon, king of Ithaca), was arranged by the “regular canon of La Carità of Venice” Don Giacomo Francesco Bussani, on a libretto that had already been performed in 1678 at the San Salvatore theatre in Venice. The opera was successful, winning appreciation and at the same time astonishment , through its introduction of many passages written in a new “manner”, with an exciting, incisive rhythmic gait. This style so excited the Romans that from then on they demanded it almost exclusively in melodramas.

After the success of 1723, however, Ercole did not circulate widely and at a certain point the score was thought to have been lost. It has only recently been reassembled thanks to the precious rediscovery of some thirty arias and two duets in various archives, and has been reconstructed in its recitative passages. Arias and recitatives are indeed the traditional dramatic pillars supporting the dénouement of the story. The recitatives are generally “secco”, recreated along Vivaldian principles of expressivity and flexibility to accentuate the quality of the individual verses and respecting the general tone of the discourse. The orchestra, however, is present, punctually and in elaborate manner, not only in the more dramatic moments but also in the bucolic, descriptive arias, and stands in the service of the voice to accentuate onomatopoeic effects and to offer clearer depictions of the characters and the feelings that drive them. Now in his twenty-second opera score, Vivaldi brings into play all the technical means at his disposal to render the story comprehensible and to present the state of mind of the individual characters. The main desire of the “red priest” was to proceed smoothly, following the expressive substance of the verses, using shifting melodic invention to set the various scenic moments against a ceaseless search for lively collaboration between voices and instruments and a skilled use of harmonies and of a fanciful search for colors. The final “product”, based though it was on the structures of Neapolitan opera, thus emerges as something unique and personal.

NOTE: Contains nudity

In the first half of the 1700s, the aria with concertante trumpet was one of the ingredients that the public of the numerous Venetian theatres appreciated the most. + This is the first recording that makes available virtually all these still rather little-known vocal and instrumental works with trumpet that encompass Antonio Vivaldi’s entire career, works not only very interesting works from a musical point of view but also brilliantly written. + The oldest ones date from his Mantua period (1718-1720), the most recent ones belonging to the last phase of his operatic career (1732-1737).

Vivaldi L'arte dell'Arco / Giovanni & Federico Gigliemo, violins; et al Six Concerti a Due for Violin

This documentary highlights the violin world of Cremona. Cremona has been made famous by names such as Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari. In this DVD, Salvatore Accardo shows us fascinating insights into the City of Cremona, highlighting the violin makers’ craftsmanship and also showing us and playing some of the most prestigious instruments kept in the Lombard city.

Sound Format: LPCM 2.0
Picture Format: 16:9
Timing: 52 Minutes
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese
Region Code: 0 (All Region)

The possibility of Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730) ever being counted among the world’s great composers is pretty slim; he composed almost three dozen operas—both buffe and serie—and was particularly active in Naples. Judging from La Partenope, which here gets its first recording (taken from live performances in Murcia, Spain in April and May, 2011), he was a good craftsman who composed fine arias of both the introspective and showpiece variety, some quite beautiful.

The opera, composed in 1725, was a rush job—his success in 1724 in Venice with Iphigenia in Tauris led to a commission for another opera to be composed quickly. In 1722, Domenico Sarro had set a libretto by Silvio Stampiglia called Partenope; Vinci used not only the libretto but Sarro’s recitatives and a chorus or two. He cannibalized many of his own compositions for the needed arias, manipulated them, and crammed Stampiglia’s texts in to the music, eliminating much of the sense. (He also changed the opera’s name to Rosmira Fedele, which is the name given to it when Vivaldi set the same libretto as a pasticcio in 1738.)

The result is a plot that might make even the most avid archaeologist give up: all you need know is that Partenope was the (legendary) founder of Naples. Both Handel and Caldara set Stampiglia’s libretto as well. Vinci’s opera was a success when presented but quickly disappeared; in 2004 it was revived for the first time since its premiere with mostly the same forces recorded here.

The stars of the performance are Sonia Prina in the title role, and the orchestra, I Turchini, under Antonio Florio. The full orchestra, including winds, brass, and timpani—and audible continuo—play magnificently and with spunk and energy, never letting the “action” fall apart. And Prina is her usual, accurate, self; having to sound more feminine than in her trouser roles, her voice sounds lighter and she dispatches her coloratura with élan. The role of Arsace, originally for castrato (as were two others), sits low, and mezzo Maria Ercolano does well by it. Maria Grazia Schiavo’s Rosmira is lovely. The recording is a bit “in your face” but that adds some excitement. Not a masterpiece, but a good performance of a somewhat by-the-numbers rarity; certainly for the vocal- and baroque-curious.

-- Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com
Reviewing CD version of this recording

Recorded in Murcia, Spain, 2011.
Sound Format: LPCM 2.0 - DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1
Picture Format: 16:9
Running Time: 168 mins
Subtitles: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Korean
Booklet Languages: Italian, English, French, German
Region Code: 0 (All Region)

The possibility of Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730) ever being counted among the world’s great composers is pretty slim; he composed almost three dozen operas—both buffe and serie—and was particularly active in Naples. Judging from La Partenope, which here gets its first recording (taken from live performances in Murcia, Spain in April and May, 2011), he was a good craftsman who composed fine arias of both the introspective and showpiece variety, some quite beautiful.

The opera, composed in 1725, was a rush job—his success in 1724 in Venice with Iphigenia in Tauris led to a commission for another opera to be composed quickly. In 1722, Domenico Sarro had set a libretto by Silvio Stampiglia called Partenope; Vinci used not only the libretto but Sarro’s recitatives and a chorus or two. He cannibalized many of his own compositions for the needed arias, manipulated them, and crammed Stampiglia’s texts in to the music, eliminating much of the sense. (He also changed the opera’s name to Rosmira Fedele, which is the name given to it when Vivaldi set the same libretto as a pasticcio in 1738.)

The result is a plot that might make even the most avid archaeologist give up: all you need know is that Partenope was the (legendary) founder of Naples. Both Handel and Caldara set Stampiglia’s libretto as well. Vinci’s opera was a success when presented but quickly disappeared; in 2004 it was revived for the first time since its premiere with mostly the same forces recorded here.

The stars of the performance are Sonia Prina in the title role, and the orchestra, I Turchini, under Antonio Florio. The full orchestra, including winds, brass, and timpani—and audible continuo—play magnificently and with spunk and energy, never letting the “action” fall apart. And Prina is her usual, accurate, self; having to sound more feminine than in her trouser roles, her voice sounds lighter and she dispatches her coloratura with élan. The role of Arsace, originally for castrato (as were two others), sits low, and mezzo Maria Ercolano does well by it. Maria Grazia Schiavo’s Rosmira is lovely. The recording is a bit “in your face” but that adds some excitement. Not a masterpiece, but a good performance of a somewhat by-the-numbers rarity; certainly for the vocal- and baroque-curious.

-- Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

Didone abbandonata was one of the greatest successes in the rather brief operatic career of Leonardo Vinci, a musician who had an adventurous life about which we still know very little. Written for Rome’s Teatro delle Dame, the opera was premiered during the 1726 Carnival season and marked the first collaboration between Vinci and Pietro Metastasio, a teamwork destined to produce abundant fruits, for in the four following years Metastasio would write as many as five new librettos for Vinci. It was immediately very successful, as was the Florentine production here presented, which was the first modern performance of Didone abbandonata, finally reviving one of the great masterpieces of early 18th-century opera. This production was recorded live at Teatro di Firenze and features a cast of Baroque specialists including Roberta Mameli, Carlo Allemano, and Raffaele Pe.

VERDI: Simon Boccanegra

GIUSEPPE VERDI: Vladimir Stoyanov, baritone; Cesare lana, bass; Lorenzo Muzzi, bass; Renzo Zulian, tenor; Orlin Anastassov, bass; Amarilli Nizza,soprano; Tiziana Carraro, alto; etc.; Orchestra and Chorus, Fondazione Arturo Toscanini/Stefano Ranzani; Pier Luigi Pizzi, directo GIUSEPPE VERDI: I Vespri Siciliani, dramma in five acts.NTSC All Region; LPCM 2.0; Dolby digital 5.1; Color; 16/9; 143 mins; Subtitled in Italian, English, German & French.

Also available on Blu-ray

Taken live from the stage of the Macerata (Italy) Festival in July and August of 2016, this performance has much to recommend it despite the fact that none of the singers are familiar names. This is the kind of regional performance that the big American companies should be listening to.

Never having heard of the soprano singing Leonora, Anna Pirozzi, I checked Operabase and discovered that she sings all over Europe–plenty at Covent Garden–and that her repertoire is all of the heavy Verdi roles: Abigaille, Lady Macbeth, Aida, Amelia, and Leonora. I wouldn’t bet on her Abigaille or Lady Macbeth, but her performance here is nothing less than spectacular.

The voice is big, with a rock-solid middle register, a steely edge to the high Bs, Cs, and D-flats, and a strong bottom, which avoids chest voice for the most part. But she also can spin long, high pianissimo phrases with a Caballé-like ease. The sound is attractive (though not in the Caballé class), her Convent Scene is a model of soft, legato singing, and her entire fourth act is nothing less than magnificent. And she throws herself into the text.

Marco Caria is a very good Luna with great ease in his upper third, a fine legato, and a nice sneer. But the voice, even on a recording, sounds a bit small for the part, and when he pushes for a bigger sound the microphones catch it and he sounds a bit desperate. But for the most part, he’s a valuable addition, a true Italian voice.

Piero Pretti as Manrico is a big lyric whose schedule includes Riccardo (Ballo), Rodolfo (Bohème), and Gualtiero (Pirata), as well as more Manricos, through September 2018. The sound is appealing and well-centered, the high notes–he takes “Di quella pira” in key–admirable and solid. But he’s a size too small for the part. He’s inaudible in the stretta to the first-act finale as well as in his duets with Azucena. And in the final scene, when he should be overpowering Leonora, he simply isn’t. Try him, you’ll like him, but think of Manricos of the past and he’s a miniature.

Enkelejda Shkosa is a more internationally known singer. Her Azucena is just about perfect despite a too-quick “Stride la vampa”; Azucena’s extreme anxiety is audible throughout. Shkosa’s third act is gloriously sung, and if the conductor and recording engineers had opted for more volume it would have torn down the house. The others are all very good, paying heed to what they’re singing, and Alessandro Spina’s Ferrando is solid.

Daneil Oren’s leadership has to be judged by the fact that this was recorded over a period of a few performances, and accordingly voice/orchestra balances vary from scene to scene. And in the Tower Scene, Manrico sounds like he is standing next to Leonora. Nonetheless, Oren totally understands mid-Verdi and differentiates beautifully between the exclamatory and, for want of a better term, “post bel canto” moments in the score. He gives the singers leeway in the arias but keeps a tight rein otherwise. The sound is clear, but as mentioned, the volume levels keep changing.

In all, though–and this is the point of even reviewing this recording–aside from Netrebko’s recent outing, this is the best Trovatore to be released in quite a while. There is, by the way, a DVD and Blu-ray video of this performance. It is all in reds and blacks, with plenty of fire. The look is gothic.

– ClassicsToday (Robert Levine)

I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata is an operatic drama in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. The work is based on an epic poem by Tommaso Grossi, which was “very much a child of its age; a grand historical novel with a patriotic slant.” Verdi dedicated the score to Maria Luigia, the Habsburg Duchess of Parma, who died a few weeks after the premiere. "I Lombardi best encapsulates the spirit of the Italian people’s desire for nationhood. One would be pleasantly surprised, full as it is, of rousing choruses and musical numbers of great beauty, with music wonderfully expressive and perfectly in accord with drama at times. Visually and musically a sumptuous staging, full of contrasting colors and glorious singing for this young Verdi's rare work." (review by Alan Nelson / Operawire). American soprano Angela Meade and the Italian tenor Francesco Meli star in the main roles of this production, which is conducted by Michele Mariotti and was recorded in April 2018.