Cavalieri: Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo (2 CD Set)

Emilio de' Cavalieri (Composer), Sergio Vartolo (Conductor), Cappella Musicale San Petronio d Bologna (Orchestra), Rosita Frisani (Performer), Alessandro Carmignani (Performer), Carlo Lepore (Performer), Michel van Goethem (Performer), Roberto Abbondanza (Performer), Giovanni Pentasuglia (Performer), Marcello Vargetto (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Rosita Frisani, Alessandro Carmignani, Carlo Lepore, Michel van Goethem, Roberto Abbondanza, et al.
• Orchestra: Cappella Musicale San Petronio d Bologna
• Conductor: Sergio Vartolo
• Composer: Emilio de' Cavalieri
• Audio CD (August 25, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Naxos
• ASIN: B00000AEMD
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,832 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Source of a Mighty Stream..., September 24, 2008

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Giordano Bruno - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cavalieri: Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo (2 CD Set) (Audio CD)

... of oratorios, grands motets, symphoniae sacrae, operas at the altar - all the most magniloquent music for chorus, soloists and instruments of the Baroque era is usually identified with this highly original work - The Representation of Soul and Body, written by Emilio de'Cavalieri and first performed in 1600 in the Roman Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella. Cavalieri was a close friend of Filippo Neri, the advocate of intense personal devotions, later sainted, who embodied the spirit of the Roman Counter-Reformation in his combination of artistic extravagance and personal piety. One of the two original performances of the Representazione was attended by the entire College of Cardinals en masse.

'Oratorio' is derived from the Latin word "orare" - pray - a word heard in every liturgical office of the Catholic Church. The music of this "prayer-atorio" is nevertheless based on the language of the madrigals and the semi-operas current among humanists in North Italy - the language of Claudio Monteverdi's 'second practice.' Expressive setting of the text is the fundamental goal, but musical entertainment is not to be neglected. Thus Cavalieri's work includes extended recitativos with continuo, recitativo dialogues, vocal and instrumental ritornelli, a certain amount of semi-spoken drama, choruses for the principal singers in canzonetta style, and mighty choruses suggestive of all the mighty polyphonic choruses from Cavalieri to Handel. For the "first" work in its genre, Rappresentatione seems almost born full-grown from the forehead of Jove.

This performance led by Sergio Vartolo is broad and colorful, blending the highest art of the madrigalesque monody with moments of Roman carnival. It's quite diverting, ever-changing, a work not unworthy to be compared to the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610. Baritone Roberto Abbondanza has the lion's role, and his presence in the cast should be a guarantee of excellence.

There is also a one-CD scaled down performance of Rappresentatione available, splendidly conducted by Warren Stewart, combining the forces of Magnificat and The Whole Noyse. Judith Nelson and Paul Hillier are the principal soloists, and Hillier's performance is spectacular, both profoundly musical and broadly theatrical; one can almost see the stage-effects in his voice, especially in the explosive and thunderous judgment scenes toward the end of the action.

Note also that this Vartolo performance appears twice on the amazon page, this one with MP3 samples, but the other with the better price.