Antonio Vivaldi: Tito Manlio

Bruno Taddia (Performer), Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Federico Maria Sardelli (Conductor), Thierry Gregoire (Performer), Modo Antiquo (Performer, Orchestra), Lucia Sciannimanico (Performer), Rosa Dominguez (Performer), Elisabeth Scholl (Performer), Elizabeth Scholl [soprano] (Performer), Nicki Kennedy (Performer), Davide Livermore (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Bruno Taddia, Thierry Gregoire, Modo Antiquo, Lucia Sciannimanico, Rosa Dominguez, et al.
• Orchestra: Modo Antiquo
• Conductor: Federico Maria Sardelli
• Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
• Audio CD (January 17, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: Cpo Records
• ASIN: B000CGYO90
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #599,710 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Allegro

2. Andante

3. Presto

4. Recitativo: Popoli; Chi E Romano, e Chi Di Roma

5. Arioso: Quando Tito Ora Giuro

6. Recitativo: Di Flegetonte Al Nume

See all 34 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Recitativo: Dunque L'Occulta, E Grave

2. Aria: Non Ti Lusinghi La Crudeltade

3. Recitativo: Padre: A Te Solo Io Palesar Intendo

4. Duetto: D'Improvviso Riede Il Riso

5. Recitativo: Manlio, Di Tito Il Filio

6. Recitativo: E Questa, Manlio, E Questa

See all 30 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Arioso: Sonno, Se Pur Sei Sonno

2. Recitativo: Deposta Amor La Benda

3. Aria: Tu Dormi In Tante Pene

4. Recitativo: O Crudo, Indegno Laccio

5. Aria: Parto Contenta

6. Recitativo: Toglie, S'Ella Piu Resta

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

The general wall of obscurity surrounding Vivaldi's operas seems to be lifting. Tito Manlio, a large work composed in 1719 for a royal wedding that was called off at the last minute, was recorded on LPs in the 1970s and in 2006 received two new recordings, released at nearly the same time. So much for the theory that opera on recordings is dying! The opera is a compelling one, with a convincing father-son drama: the ancient Roman consul Tito Manlio (or Titus Manlius) plans to have his son executed for disobedience, but the younger Manlio is saved by a flood of acclamation for his military deeds. The opera seria libretto was set by several other composers of the early eighteenth century. Its central role is the young Manlio, intended for a castrato and sung here by soprano Elisabeth Scholl. A complicated eight-character plot surrounds this basic conflict, but some editing could definitely make Tito Manlio into a stageable and enjoyable opera. The mostly young singers are uniformly equal to Vivaldi's challenging vocal writing, and the Italian historical-instrument ensemble Modo Antiquo backs them up with smooth, straightforward playing that nicely integrates a startling variety of instrumental solos -- viola d'amore, flute, oboe, and some great natural horns -- into the flow of things. This is a live recording, made at the Opera Barga festival in Tuscany in 2003. The singing comes through clearly enough on this CPO disc, but it may be worth comparing with the recording on Naive led by Ottavio Dantone -- an edgier performance that pushes the performers closer to their limits. If sharp, even jittery performances of Baroque vocal music are to your taste, try the Naive disc, but either one should work as an admittance ticket for Tito Manlio into the operatic canon. Libretto translations are given in German and English, but the track numbers are mixed up or missing at several points.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars very great opera; a performance to have, January 7, 2012

By 

Eric Zuesse "commentator" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Antonio Vivaldi: Tito Manlio (Audio CD)

I know this opera from the terrific performance that Vittorio Negri conducted of it for Philips back in 1978, which was my introduction to Vivaldi as the greatest of all Italian composers of opera. That LP set stunned me, because all of the books on music said that Vivaldi was important only as an orchestral composer, and this opera is greater than any of his orchestral music; it showed me what I subsequently learned from purchasing recordings of 16 more of his operas plus all of his sacred choral music -- that Vivaldi's inspiration when composing for the human voice exceeded by far his inspiration when composing only for instruments. This opera made me aware that Vivaldi was a very great composer.

One of Vivaldi's least great operas, Arsilda (disappointing because of its being dominated by recitatives), received a terrific performance by conductor Federico Maria Sardelli, and his Modo Antiquo orchestra, and so I look forward to purchasing their performance of Tito Manlio, when the price on it comes down.

Tito Manlio is, along with Farnace (of which there is unfortunately no good performance yet on CD), and Ercule (which received a superb performance from Fabio Biondi) one of Vivaldi's three best operas that I have heard. Tito Manlio is the most stately of those three super operas, and also the longest, but it isn't as radiant as Ercule, nor as architecturally magnificent as Farnace.

Sardelli is a major conductor, as was Vittorio Negri, and I look forward to finding out whether Sardelli does as terrific a job with Tito Manlio as Negri did. I hope that Philips will re-issue Negri's Vivaldi performances on CD.

It is not normally my practice to rate a CD recording that I have not yet heard, but I make an exception in the present instance, because no one else has reviewed this set, and because certainly Tito Manlio is one of the greatest operas ever composed, and the conductor and orchestra on this set are also terrific, and I think that people should know how fine both the opera and its performers are. (As for the soloists on this set, the ones I know are excellent.) Perhaps this review should be removed after a few others appear from individuals who have heard this particular set.