Customer Reviews

Vivaldi: Orlando finto pazzo (Vivaldi Edition)

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I listened to parts of this recording and was stunned. The variety of showpieces for counter-tenor (or castrati in Vivaldi's time) soprano, alto and mezzo soprano are exquisite and sensational, truly virtuosic pieces only a special few can master. This is something perhaps not even Cecilia Bartoli can take on. Vivaldi's opera music is fiendishly difficult. The music ranges from stormy, jumping coloratura fireworks to achingly slow long arias sung in pianissimi. The music is wonderful and at this time Vivaldi was composing his superb La Stravanza. This was one of his most productive times in his career. However, this is his second opera which means it's considerably better than his first. The singers are masterful, the cover art could be on Vogue magazine (all the Vivaldi opera and vocal pieces on these record labels look that way, containing women who look like super models). This is a must have for fans of Vivaldi and rare Baroque opera. Handel's operas are far more recognized than Vivaldi's but it is an opera like Orlando Finto Pazza (Orlando Feigns Madness) that make Vivaldi easily a tough rival to Handel. The plot is nothing to get thrilled about. Like the title says the title character must feign madness in the style of Hamlet in order to achieve his goals. It is very Shakespearean. Treat yourself to this beautiful jewel and get this recording and other Vivaldi operas to add to your collection.

Vivaldi's operas have been a revelation to me, not for their dramatic content if any but due to the wonderfully inventive music. I started with Andromeda Liberata which I heard on internet radio, a mysterious apparent pastiche with at least one aria from Vivaldi, full of very exciting and beautiful music. Orlando Finto Pazzo is also excellent, disk 1 is so good I haven't gotten beyond disk 2 yet. Even without any discernible meaningful drama (I start to doze reading the plot), Vivaldi's music is superb and I'm looking forward to any new releases.

It is the great fortune of those who love Baroque opera that so much care has gone into the selection of singers and conductor of Vivaldi operas. One of the real treats is Orlando Finto Pazzo. Led by Alessandro de Marchi it includes a remarkable assemblage of great singers. My favorite in this work is Gemma Bertagnoli, but all of the others are superb. This work belongs on the shelf of everyone who loves Baroque music.

Not being the opera buff to appreciate recitativo secco, which abounds here, put me at a disadvantage to enjoy Orlando Finto Pazzo. Mining Vivaldi Operas for the really furious arias also left me almost empty handed. Consequently I found myself hitting the skip button on my blaupunkt through plenty of mellow passages.

Unlike the other Vivaldi Operas, this one is mostly low key. With the exception of the sinfonias, and a few arias, the music sounds much tamed and unlike what I would expect of Vivaldi.

I must say that Sonia Prina is an amazing vocal gazelle when it comes to "Andero, volero, gridero". This aria is a notch above presto, and challenging for any singer who has to musicalize the aria, and sprint on long libretto lines during short, fast, abrupt orchestrations. On my best effort, I can't even read aloud as fast as she sings.

Marianna Pizzolato sings "Scenderei per far paghi" which, lyrics aside, is the twin aria of "Gelosia" from Ottone in Villa. Interesting to me was to hear this aria without much coloratura in the melismas, and still find it quite likeable. She lifts the note in mid air, suspends it in a circling pattern, and spirals it down into anxiety. There is nothing so creative as Vivaldi's mood arias!