Customer Reviews

Vanitas Vanitatum

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Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674) was the leading figure in the development of the oratorio genre in the early Baroque period. Carissimi adapted the recitative style (the method of setting conversational speech to music, pioneered by composers of early opera) to sacred texts. He also excelled at composing graceful, dramatic choral parts, perhaps best exemplified in his "Jephte."

"Vanitas Vanitatum" is not quite a weighty work as "Jephte," and perhaps less affecting as a result. This oratorio features a gently pleasing ritornello, prominent recitatives in the lower male voices, and a catchy, playful chorus. The female solo parts approach arioso, a singing style that bridged recitative and aria and became a hallmark of mid-17th century Italian opera.

To complement "Vanitas Vanitatum," we also get "Serenata sciolto havean dall'alte sponde," an example of Carissimi's secular output, and "Missa sciolto havean dall'alte sponde," a related work described as Carissimi's only verified Mass. "Serenata sciolto" features a sophisticated interplay of voices that I find more pleasing than the recitatives of "Vanitas Vanitatum". "Missa sciolto" is a statelier work, marked by dramatic suspensions and punctuated by organ selections from Frescobaldi's "Fiori Musicali." The use of pre-existing material demonstrates Carissimi's mastery of earlier forms, particularly the Renaissance parody Mass, which used themes from pre-existing works as the basis for Mass movements.

Choeur de Chamber de Namur, directed by Jean Tubery, effectively realizes the dramatic potential of Carisimi's works through subtle yet passionate performances. The result is an impressive recording that captures the drama of the early Baroque and the excitement attendant to the development of a new musical genre.