Customer Reviews

Jommelli - Armida abbandonata / Malas-Godlewska · Brua · Ragon · Perrin · Gens · Polverelli · Petibon · Les Talens Lyriques · Rousset

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In his time Niccolo Jommelli was as famous and important a composer as Handel or Gluck. The reasons for his neglect in the XXth Century have nothing to do with his considerable ability as an opera composer. Even at the time Rossini was working in Naples and composing his own Armida for the Teatro San Carlo, Jommelli's was still regarded as a gem, and it certainly is: it is a compelling, inspired and magnificently orchestrated score, one that demands to be known. This recording was made by the French record stores FNAC some 12 years ago, it was a very expensive project, and every care was taken to do it full justice. The soprano Ewa Malas-Godlewska gives a terrific performance as the sorceress Armida, and the rest of the cast includes now famous names like Veronique Gens, Patricia Petibon and Gilles Ragon, they all are splendid, as are Christoph Rousset and his orchestra Les Talens Lyriques. It's good to have back this recording in the catalogue, and if you missed it when first issued make sure you get it this time. It is an important opera well served by a marvelous recording.

Niccolo Jommelli was born in 1714. Mozart was born in 1756. However in 1770 Mozart was lucky enough to be in Naples, and heard the first performance of Jommelli's opera seria Armida Abbandonata. It was also lucky for all of us who love Mozart's operas, because Jommelli was the model for Mozart the operatist, even more than Gluck (see also Gluck's Les Pelerins de la Mecque which was the model for Il Seraglio).

As well as being a superlative opera, this recording of Armida Abbandonata is superlatively performed by some artists who are now well known. The music is extraordinarily expressive, wild and virtuosic. I suggest as a party trick that you buy this opera, invite over some friends who are opera buffs and play them some tracks from Armida Abbandonata. Then ask them which Mozart opera they have been listening to. Few will guess that the composer they have been listening to was born 42 years before Mozart.