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Mozart, J.C. Bach et al: Trials of Tenducci - A Castrato in Ireland / Irish Baroque Orchestra
Linn Records

Mozart, J.C. Bach et al: Trials of Tenducci - A Castrato in Ireland / Irish Baroque Orchestra

$20.99

Details

Composer
VARIOUS
Artist
Whelan, Erraught
Format
CD
Label
Linn Records
Released
Mar 12, 2021
Catalog #
CKD639
UPC
691062063920

About

Peter Whelan and the Irish Baroque Orchestra explore the music in Ireland from the 1750s to 1770s. Following a live performance, The Irish Times wrote that ‘Whelan and the IBO are lively guides to this repertoire’ which marks a revolutionary moment where the structures of Baroque music break down and we see the emergence of the Classical style. Many trailblazing early classical composers visited Ireland during this time including van Maldere, Pasquali and Giordani (some even incorporate Irish traditional melodies into their symphonies).

Perhaps the most famous visitor to Ireland at this time was the superstar castrato, Giusto Tenducci, who had works especially written for him by Mozart, Haydn and J. C. Bach. To tell his swashbuckling tale, IBO is joined by present-day superstar Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught, performing works which would have been sung by Tenducci in Ireland. This programme also includes modern-day premieres from the collection at the National Library of Ireland including van Maldere’s Sinfonia in G, known as the ‘Dublin’ Sinfonia, Giordani’s much-admired Overture and Irish Medley to the entertainment of The Isle of Saints and The Braes of Ballenden by J. C. Bach.

REVIEWS:

Peter Whelan directs from the fortepiano and the orchestra consists of 11 strings, oboes, bassoon and horns, and the disc was recorded in a period-appropriate venue, a lovely 18th century church in Drogheda. The musicians are on terrific form, whether it be giving us Mozartian (or Bachian) grace or launching into Irish folk tunes. In the arias Tara Erraught both engages and impresses, she sings with a lovely warm tone yet can whizz through the passagework as well.
The Italian soprano castrato Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci (c. 1735–90) seems to have had a remarkably eventful life, including a period in a debtors' prison in Southwark, a short period on the run...This is a lovely, imaginative disc which provides interesting highlights of a singer who was clearly heavily involved in both the English and Irish music scenes. 

Whilst in Dublin...Tenducci also arranged operas for the Smock Alley Theatre. We hear two arias from the opera. First the virtuoso ‘Amid a thousand racking woes’ which Erraught sings with warm tone and engaging bravura, well supported by the orchestra in what is quite a substantial instrumental accompaniment. The second aria is the simpler lament, ‘Water parted from the sea’ which understandably became the hit number, so much so that Dublin street boys sang a song about him which was quoted and parodied by James Joyce in Finnegan's Wake.

Johann Christian Bach was in fact another of Tenducci's friends...When Tenducci visited Edinburgh in the 1760s for the Scottish premiere of Artaxerxes, he got Bach to arrange some Scottish songs for him which were included in the production(!). Two have been lost, but we are able to hear Bach's version of The Braes of Ballenden.

In 1778, Bach was in Paris auditioning singers for the production of his opera Amadis de Gaule and Tenducci was with him. Also in Paris at the time was Mozart, to whom Tenducci taught singing. Mozart wrote to his father ‘Tenducci is here … He is Bach’s bosom friend. He also was greatly delighted to see me again … I am composing a scena for Tenducci, which is to be performed on Sunday; it is for pianoforte, oboe, horn and bassoon’ (27 August 1778). Frustratingly, the work is now lost, so the performers complete the programme with another work by Mozart written in the 1770s for another star castrato, sacred motet Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165[.]

Here Whelan and his forces have created an engaging and fascinating recital which draws a number of threads together.

-- Planet Hugill

Tracklist 17 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro assai 03:31
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro assai
    Duration
    03:31
    Composer
    Pierre van Maldere
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  2. 2 II.Andantino 03:38
    Track
    2
    Title
    II.Andantino
    Duration
    03:38
    Composer
    Pierre van Maldere
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  3. 3 III. Presto 01:54
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Presto
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Pierre van Maldere
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  4. 4 Act I: Air: Amid a thousand racking woes 04:46
    Track
    4
    Title
    Act I: Air: Amid a thousand racking woes
    Duration
    04:46
    Composer
    Thomas Augustine Arne
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  5. 5 Act III: Water parted from the sea 03:09
    Track
    5
    Title
    Act III: Water parted from the sea
    Duration
    03:09
    Composer
    Thomas Augustine Arne
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  6. 6 I. Allegro spiritoso 02:32
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Allegro spiritoso
    Duration
    02:32
    Composer
    Tommaso Giordani
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  7. 7 II. Shepherds I Have Lost My Love 02:05
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Shepherds I Have Lost My Love
    Duration
    02:05
    Composer
    Tommaso Giordani
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  8. 8 III. The Irish Medley 03:46
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. The Irish Medley
    Duration
    03:46
    Composer
    Tommaso Giordani
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  9. 9 Caro mio ben 03:07
    Track
    9
    Title
    Caro mio ben
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    Giuseppe Giordani
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  10. 10 Queen Mary's Lamentation 04:10
    Track
    10
    Title
    Queen Mary's Lamentation
    Duration
    04:10
    Composer
    Tommaso Giordani
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  11. 11 Oboe Concerto No. 7 in F Major: III. Andante "Gramachree Molly" 04:43
    Track
    11
    Title
    Oboe Concerto No. 7 in F Major: III. Andante "Gramachree Molly"
    Duration
    04:43
    Composer
    Johann Christian Fischer
    Performer
    Andreas Helm
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  12. 12 Ebben si vada … Io ti lascio, W. LG2 06:14
    Track
    12
    Title
    Ebben si vada … Io ti lascio, W. LG2
    Duration
    06:14
    Composer
    Johann Christian Bach
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  13. 13 Braes of Ballanden (Beneath a green shade) 08:25
    Track
    13
    Title
    Braes of Ballanden (Beneath a green shade)
    Duration
    08:25
    Composer
    Johann Christian Bach
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  14. 14 Exsultate, jubilate 04:28
    Track
    14
    Title
    Exsultate, jubilate
    Duration
    04:28
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  15. 15 Fulgat amica dies 00:40
    Track
    15
    Title
    Fulgat amica dies
    Duration
    00:40
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  16. 16 Tu virginum corona 06:12
    Track
    16
    Title
    Tu virginum corona
    Duration
    06:12
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan
  17. 17 Allelujah 02:31
    Track
    17
    Title
    Allelujah
    Duration
    02:31
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Tara Erraught
    Ensemble
    Irish Baroque Orchestra
    Conductor
    Peter Whelan