Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo [Import]

Antonio Caldara (Composer), Rene Jacobs (Conductor), Basel Scola Cantorum (Orchestra), Maria Cristina Kiehr (Performer), Rosa Dominguez (Performer), Bernarda Fink (Performer), Andreas Scholl (Performer), Gerd Turk (Performer), Ulrich Messthaler (Performer), Chiara Banchini (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Maria Cristina Kiehr, Rosa Dominguez, Bernarda Fink, Andreas Scholl, Gerd Turk, et al.
• Orchestra: Basel Scola Cantorum
• Conductor: Rene Jacobs
• Composer: Antonio Caldara
• Audio CD (August 10, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Harmonia Mundi (France)
• ASIN: B0000007C4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,485 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling and luxurious masterpiece, September 25, 2000

By 

J. R. Gunsell "Maglinders" (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (Audio CD)

Action-packed and luxurious.

Despite the title of this piece, this is not 'churchy' music. It has everything that good drama has, and if it were a book it would be unputdownable. Caldara gives us action, showing himself to be every bit as much dramatist as composer. The story and the pace never flag for a minute. René Jacobs moves it along at a cracking pace and makes it a memorable event. It must have been wonderful to take part.

Amor Celeste and Amor Terreno are battling for the heart and soul of Maddalena. It opens with Fink's stunning Amor Terreno, seductive enough to capture the heart of a stone. In trying to win Maddalena, her ornamentations paint vivid pictures of "drunk with pleasure". Then, in charges Scholl's Amor Celeste, powerful and confident of winning the battle hands down - but then so is Fink's Amor Terreno, full of strength and depth. You can't take sides at their declaration of war, the duet Alle vittorie, because both are convincing - and their voices blend perfectly. The sheer strength of Scholl's voice in this piece brushes aside the familiar accusations of "too ethereal".

Their awesome battle duets punctuate the unfolding drama as Maddalena agonises - in dialogue with her sister - over her choices, and the orchestra supports them with real fire. The chest-thumping opening provided by Chiara Banchini's string band in the duet La mia virtude/Il senso è un nemico makes an impact that would lift you off your seat in a concert hall (if only). When Amor Terreno is finally defeated, the colours of her fury are so vivid you can taste it, and it's clear that the only destiny for such rage is Hell. Amor Celeste's victory-celebration Su, lieti festeggiate has the earthy gusto of mens' peasant dances. A rather earthy sound for Amor Celeste at this point... even the metaphysical Mr Scholl sounds as though he could stomp his feet.

This recording made Maria Cristina Kiehr a star, and she has never sounded better than as Maddalena. Her clear voice expresses longing, indecision, passion and tranquillity with equal facility, and is never less than completely beautiful. Her expressions, as Maddalena changes course, develop brilliantly. Her cry of "Signor, pietate!" is the pivot of the whole thing - high drama indeed.

All the singers are now stars, and every performance is stunning. Un-improvable.

So many of the tunes are completely original and whistle-able, even dance-able, that I am surprised they are not better known. They certainly stick in the memory, if only because the repeat button on the CD player gets a lot of use. This composition is a masterpiece and the 2-CD set a great Baroque luxury.

The very last note is a complete surprise -- pure genius from Caldara.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maria Cristina Kiehr is incomparable!, February 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (Audio CD)

This is an incredible recording: it is well worth buying just for the marvelous singing of Maria Cristina Kiehr, who is my candidate for the best baroque soprano. She sounds like nobody else: more like a boy treble (with adult lungs) than your typical female soprano. This characterization may strike you as strange, but it is intended as the highest praise. Reportedly, "She sings like a man," was the first sentence di Stefano uttered when he heard Callas for the first time. The rest of the cast doesn't disappoint either. Bernarda Fink and Andreas Scholl are excellent "Amors," especially memorable in their duets. Fink's alto voice is beautiful and controlled. If you haven't heard her Arnalta in L'Incoronazione di Poppea (Gardiner), make sure you buy that recording. Fink's "Oblivion soave," a deceptively simple aria which requires a perfect legato, is the best I've heard. Scholl is great as usual (although I never quite bought into this Scholl hype). Gerd Turk who sings a small role of Cristo has a fine tenor voice, although he suffers from a common baroque tenor "defect" - he sounds kind of "choked," like he has a tight rope around his neck. Obviously, this is not really a defect, but rather a part of a vocal style which calls for the tightening of the voice in order to achieve a higher pitch and to stifle the vibrato. Still, I prefer tenors like Agnew or Padmore who manage to achieve that same characteristic baroque sonority while also sounding relaxed. Anyway, like I said, "Maddalena" is really worth buying. Another recording (from the same series) that will also be worth every penny you'd spend on it is Cavalli Vespro della Beata Vergine. If you like "Maddalena," I guarantee that you will like the Vespro too.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a discovery!, December 8, 1999

By 

J. Luis Juarez Echenique "pepechenique" (Mexico City) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Caldara - Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (Audio CD)

Antonio Caldara is one of those names record companies have ignored for too long. So it was a delight to see Harmonia Mundi interested in this very important baroque composer. The work itself is a masterpiece, the music is gorgeous, this must be one of the most significant discoveries of the 90's. Conductor Rene Jacobs has a superb ear for textures, his pacing is just admirable. The soloists couldn't be bettered, with the pure adorable voice of Maria Cristina Kiehr as Maddalena, and Bernarda Fink and Andreas Scholl as the Amore Terreno and Amore Celeste. If you don't know this oratorio, you are in for a big surprise!