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Dynamic

Mazzoni: Antigono / Onofri, Spyres, Mcgreevy, Lucciarini

$24.99

Details

Composer
MAZZONI, ANTONIO MARIA
Artist
Onofri, Spyres, Lucciarini, Mcgreevy, Oro, Montenegro, Quintans
Format
CD
Label
Dynamic
Released
Jan 28, 2014
Catalog #
DYN-CDS7686
UPC
8007144076863

About



MAZZONI Antigono • Enrico Onofri, cond; Michael Spyres ( Antigono ); Geraldine McGreevy ( Berenice ); Pamela Luciarini ( Demetrio ); Divino Sospiro • DYNAMIC 7686/1–3 (3 CDs: 196:58) Live: Grand Auditorium, Lisbon 1/21–22/2011


Antonio Mazzoni was a fairly prolific Italian composer in the middle and late 18th century (1717–1785), and he wrote Antigono for the opening season of one of the world’s shortest-lived opera houses: the Ópera do Tejo in Lisbon. It opened on March 31, 1755, and was destroyed seven months later by an earthquake. (Its site is now a navy dockyard.) The libretto is by the famed Metastasio, and Mazzoni was clearly considered an important figure in his time. Metastasio wrote the librettos of the only three serious operas performed in the seven months of life for the opera house in Lisbon, and the choice of Mazzoni to write the music for one of them demonstrates his reputation at the time. He wrote perhaps 19 operas (we aren’t sure), many of which have not survived. Antigono is performed here in a critical edition edited by Nicholas McNayr.


Some people argue that works that have been forgotten lie in obscurity for good reason. Others argue that there is often merit in undiscovered works, whether or not they reach the stature of greatness. I tend to fall into that latter category. Antigono is no undiscovered masterpiece; a good many of its arias go along like sewing-machine music, humming along without making real impact. However, there are a number of arias and ensembles that do hold the attention of the listener, and reward that attention. This is an opera that is neither great nor terrible, but in that vast middle range. It will provide pleasure to those who enjoy hearing something out of the ordinary. The musical style is best described as late Baroque, with plenty of vocal ornamentation required of the cast. There are some passages of striking originality, including a brief solo harp interlude before the final scene. This is the type of opera against which Gluck rebelled, but we don’t have to choose between Gluck and that which he opposed; we can have both. Dynamic’s performance is very well sung, despite the need for a large and accomplished cast of soloists. I do wish a more imaginative and energetic conductor were on the podium, though Onofri gets some energy going in the march in the middle of the first act, and in general manages real energy in the faster music. However, he doesn’t seem to be able to sustain the musical line or intensity at slower speeds and in the more gentle numbers.


Each of the six characters has at least one challenging aria that makes excessive technical and expressive demands. With four soprano roles, one would ideally like tonal differentiation, but that might be asking too much. What is remarkable here is that all four sing very well. We may be a generation lacking in the great Verdi and verismo singers that we had in the middle of the 20th century, but we surely have more fine Baroque and Classical singers who can turn out roulades and trills with ease. In addition to the four sopranos, the role of Alessandro is sung by a countertenor, and Martin Oro manages it fairly well but without the vocal ease of the great ones. The only traditional male voice in Antigono is the title character, sung by the American tenor Michael Spyres. His is a triumphant performance. His singing of his first aria “Tu m’involasti un regno” is jaw-droppingly spectacular in its technical feats.


I wish Dynamic had a more thoughtful approach to their productions. They make a libretto available on their web site, and I did download and print it, but it is an inconvenience. They could offer the set at two prices, with a higher one including the libretto. In addition, they have misspelled at least one and probably two of the names of their singers. Geraldine McGreevy uses the upper case “G” even on her own web site, but Dynamic spells it Mcgreevy throughout. And all other recordings and web site references to soprano Pamela Luciarini spell her name with one “c,” whereas Dynamic spells it with two. The notes about the opera are informative but the plot summary is rudimentary and too brief. The recorded sound is well balanced and clear, and the audience is not intrusive at all. The only applause we hear is at the ends of acts. Anyone with an interest in opera before Mozart is likely to find this of interest, particularly in this fine performance. It might even be preferable on a recording, because one can listen to one act at a time (each act is an hour or longer), and one can skip past some of the recitatives (sorry, purists).


FANFARE: Henry Fogel

Tracklist 40 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 Overture 04:48
    Track
    1
    Title
    Overture
    Duration
    04:48
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  3. 2 Act I: No: tutto o berenice (Ismene) 04:36
    Track
    2
    Title
    Act I: No: tutto o berenice (Ismene)
    Duration
    04:36
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Ana Quintans
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  4. 3 Act I: Di vantarsi ha ben ragione (Ismene) 07:33
    Track
    3
    Title
    Act I: Di vantarsi ha ben ragione (Ismene)
    Duration
    07:33
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Ana Quintans
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  5. 4 Act I: Io di Demetrio amante! (Berenice) 04:41
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act I: Io di Demetrio amante! (Berenice)
    Duration
    04:41
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Geraldine McGreevy
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  6. 5 Act I: A torto spergiuro (Demetrio) 06:07
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act I: A torto spergiuro (Demetrio)
    Duration
    06:07
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  7. 6 Act I: Povero Prence! (Berenice) 03:44
    Track
    6
    Title
    Act I: Povero Prence! (Berenice)
    Duration
    03:44
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Geraldine McGreevy
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  8. 7 Act I: Io non so se amor tu sei (Berenice) 09:02
    Track
    7
    Title
    Act I: Io non so se amor tu sei (Berenice)
    Duration
    09:02
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Geraldine McGreevy
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  9. 8 Act I: March 01:23
    Track
    8
    Title
    Act I: March
    Duration
    01:23
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  10. 9 Act I: Tutto alla tua fortuna cede (Clearco) 05:32
    Track
    9
    Title
    Act I: Tutto alla tua fortuna cede (Clearco)
    Duration
    05:32
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Maria Hinojosa Montenegro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  11. 10 Act I: Tu m'involasti un regno (Antigono) 06:17
    Track
    10
    Title
    Act I: Tu m'involasti un regno (Antigono)
    Duration
    06:17
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Michael Spyres
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  12. 11 Act I: Che Alessandro m'ascolti (Ismene) 02:59
    Track
    11
    Title
    Act I: Che Alessandro m'ascolti (Ismene)
    Duration
    02:59
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Ana Quintans
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  13. 12 Act I: E pena troppo barbara (Berenice) 05:52
    Track
    12
    Title
    Act I: E pena troppo barbara (Berenice)
    Duration
    05:52
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Geraldine McGreevy
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  14. 13 Act I: Or chi dirmi osera (Demetrio) 01:34
    Track
    13
    Title
    Act I: Or chi dirmi osera (Demetrio)
    Duration
    01:34
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  15. 14 Act I: Contro il destin (Demetrio) 10:01
    Track
    14
    Title
    Act I: Contro il destin (Demetrio)
    Duration
    10:01
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  16. Disc 2
  17. 1 Act II: Che prigioniero e vinto (Alessandro) 01:13
    Track
    1
    Title
    Act II: Che prigioniero e vinto (Alessandro)
    Duration
    01:13
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Martin Oro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  18. 2 Act II: Di due ciglia il bel sereno (Clearco) 08:16
    Track
    2
    Title
    Act II: Di due ciglia il bel sereno (Clearco)
    Duration
    08:16
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Maria Hinojosa Montenegro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  19. 3 Act II: D'Antigono il pungente parlar (Alessandro) 03:56
    Track
    3
    Title
    Act II: D'Antigono il pungente parlar (Alessandro)
    Duration
    03:56
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Martin Oro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  20. 4 Act II: Sai qual ardor m'accende (Alessandro) 06:42
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act II: Sai qual ardor m'accende (Alessandro)
    Duration
    06:42
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Martin Oro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  21. 5 Act II: Misero me (Demetrio) 06:24
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act II: Misero me (Demetrio)
    Duration
    06:24
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  22. 6 Act II: Basta cosi (Berenice) 07:32
    Track
    6
    Title
    Act II: Basta cosi (Berenice)
    Duration
    07:32
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Geraldine McGreevy
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  23. 7 Act II: Che ascoltai! Berenice arde per me! (Demetrio) 01:20
    Track
    7
    Title
    Act II: Che ascoltai! Berenice arde per me! (Demetrio)
    Duration
    01:20
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  24. 8 Act II: Piango e ver (Demetrio) 02:56
    Track
    8
    Title
    Act II: Piango e ver (Demetrio)
    Duration
    02:56
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  25. 9 Act II: Or non v'e chi felice (Alessandro) 02:41
    Track
    9
    Title
    Act II: Or non v'e chi felice (Alessandro)
    Duration
    02:41
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Martin Oro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  26. 10 Act II: Perche due cori insieme (Ismene) 05:19
    Track
    10
    Title
    Act II: Perche due cori insieme (Ismene)
    Duration
    05:19
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Ana Quintans
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  27. 11 Act II: Dunque nascesti ingrato (Antigono) 03:14
    Track
    11
    Title
    Act II: Dunque nascesti ingrato (Antigono)
    Duration
    03:14
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Michael Spyres
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  28. 12 Act II: Sfogati o ciel se ancora (Antigono) 07:24
    Track
    12
    Title
    Act II: Sfogati o ciel se ancora (Antigono)
    Duration
    07:24
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Michael Spyres
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  29. 13 Act II: Demetrio, ah fuggi almeno (Berenice) 01:54
    Track
    13
    Title
    Act II: Demetrio, ah fuggi almeno (Berenice)
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Geraldine McGreevy
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  30. 14 Act II: Non temer - Per pieta (Demetrio, Berenice) 07:04
    Track
    14
    Title
    Act II: Non temer - Per pieta (Demetrio, Berenice)
    Duration
    07:04
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Geraldine McGreevy, Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  31. Disc 3
  32. 1 Act III: Non lo speri Alessandro (Antigono) 01:24
    Track
    1
    Title
    Act III: Non lo speri Alessandro (Antigono)
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Michael Spyres
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  33. 2 Act III: Di, che ricuso il trono (Antigono) 03:49
    Track
    2
    Title
    Act III: Di, che ricuso il trono (Antigono)
    Duration
    03:49
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Michael Spyres
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  34. 3 Act III: Custodi, a voi consegno quel prigionier (Clearco) 02:57
    Track
    3
    Title
    Act III: Custodi, a voi consegno quel prigionier (Clearco)
    Duration
    02:57
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Maria Hinojosa Montenegro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  35. 4 Act III: Che pretendi, amor tiranno? (Ismene) 07:10
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act III: Che pretendi, amor tiranno? (Ismene)
    Duration
    07:10
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Ana Quintans
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  36. 5 Act III: Dunque l'offerta pace Antigono ricusa (Alessandro) 00:51
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act III: Dunque l'offerta pace Antigono ricusa (Alessandro)
    Duration
    00:51
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Martin Oro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  37. 6 Act III: Guerrier, che i colpi affretta (Clearco) 05:18
    Track
    6
    Title
    Act III: Guerrier, che i colpi affretta (Clearco)
    Duration
    05:18
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Maria Hinojosa Montenegro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  38. 7 Act III: Vedermi una vittoria sveller di man (Alessandro) 09:36
    Track
    7
    Title
    Act III: Vedermi una vittoria sveller di man (Alessandro)
    Duration
    09:36
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Martin Oro
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  39. 8 Act III: Gia che morir deggi'io (Demetrio) 09:22
    Track
    8
    Title
    Act III: Gia che morir deggi'io (Demetrio)
    Duration
    09:22
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  40. 9 Act III: Harp Interlude 01:14
    Track
    9
    Title
    Act III: Harp Interlude
    Duration
    01:14
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  41. 10 Act III: Berenice che fai? (Berenice) 07:54
    Track
    10
    Title
    Act III: Berenice che fai? (Berenice)
    Duration
    07:54
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Geraldine McGreevy
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  42. 11 Act III: Ma Demetrio dov'e? (Antigono) 05:07
    Track
    11
    Title
    Act III: Ma Demetrio dov'e? (Antigono)
    Duration
    05:07
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Michael Spyres
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri
  43. 12 Act III: Padre, sposa, ah dunque insieme (Chorus, Demetrio) 02:19
    Track
    12
    Title
    Act III: Padre, sposa, ah dunque insieme (Chorus, Demetrio)
    Duration
    02:19
    Composer
    Antonio Maria Mazzoni
    Performer
    Pamela Lucciarini
    Ensemble
    Divino Sospiro
    Conductor
    Enrico Onofri