Customer Reviews

Vivaldi: La verità in cimento (Vivaldi Edition)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a huge fan of Vivaldi (instrumental and vocal music), and I just purchased this set and was overwhelmed by the variety and energy of the music. Most criticisms of Vivaldi center on a supposed sameness to his compostions, however this opera unveils aria after aria filled with interesting and surprising vocal parts and orchestration.
To be fair to potential listeners, this is not a very "natural" style of singing that one might find in Verdi or other Romantic-era composers; this is "Baroque" in a very literal sense of that word: the singing is very technical, elaborate and more concerned with a musical/technical aspect, rather than a dramatic approach that gives primacy to the words in the libretto. However, Vivaldi's highly technical style of writing for the voice never sounds like he's simply writing exercises based on scales and arpeggios, instead (aided by the gifted singers on this recording), the ornamentation, vocal lines and melodies are ear-catching, interesting and "snappy" in a way that one might compare to a well-constructed line in a jazz solo! The orchestration is similarly varied: just listening to the string parts, which are usually only a harmonic cushion or rhythmic accompaniment, provides different contrasts of texture or interactions with the singer(s) throughout the opera. This is Baroque-era string writing of a very high nature, imaginative tecnically, harmoically and orchestrally.
Aside from the compostion of the piece, the interpretation and playing of the singers/orchestra provide further interest and musically delightful results. In my opinion the best of the singers is the contralto who sings Damira, the sultan's mistress (sorry, I'm at work and don't have liner notes with me). She has the hardest music, and sings all of it with intense emotion. She doesn't exactly "nail" every note with precision, but the effect she creates and the feelings she conveys are dead-on. Sara Mingardo is the other contralto on this set, and a personal favorite of mine. As the supposedly legitimate son Melindo, she sings some highly ornate, furious arias, and while she sounds better on other recordings (Opus 111's "L'Olimpiade" for one), her singing is still of a high caliber. The counter-tenor who plays the supposedly illegitimate son Selim is amazing! His voice is like a piercing spotlight with great attack and a truly unique timbre; as far as counter-tenors, it's a vast improvement over the usually effeminate, nasal types recording so often. Both sopranos sing well, especially the flighy, coquettish part of Roxanne. Finally Anthony Johnson as the Sultan Mamud should get applause for even going near the material he has to sing. It is incredibly difficult music, and if he sounds as though he's straining at times, it really doesn't take anything away from the performace. Sometimes it's nice to know that a musician is actually working at what he's doing.
The conducting and orchestra provide the final touches to round off a completely satisfying and invigorating set of music. The sound of the strings, throughout Vivaldi's myraid orchestral voicings, is always impressive. The orchestra can be smooth, warm, icy, piercing, percussive, as the score requires, while always maintaining the fast, fleet passagework that comes up in Vivaldi's instrumental works as well as his operas. (A special treat is the work of the double-bass player: it might seem odd to point out this particular player/instrument, but I thinks he plays with a realy rhythmic flair, as his bass notes pop out and seem to boot the orchestra in just the right places.) Even the recitatives, which can be boring or bland, are engaging, as the singers' beautiful voices couple with a sensitive, lush continuo to provide results which are musically rewarding.
A distinguished work full of surprises, provided by exciting performers.

This recording is a blast! Maybe if this was a well-known opera that had been recorded 25 times before, Spinosi would not have dared to perform it this way, but who cares? It's tremendously exciting, in the way that we have come to expect from some early-music groups such as Il Giardino Armonico. Who's to say that Baroque musicians did not play with dynamics and accents to give the music life?
This is Punk-Rock Vivaldi, more fun than being thrown into a barrel full of puppies.
Enjoy!

Vivaldi is a truly inspired master but I am afraid he falls a little short of the mark here. Do not expect a dramatic work of the quality of a 'L'Olimpiade' or 'Il Giustino'. What we do have is a thrilling, if somewhat questionable, performance by a conductor who reads more into a score which, to me, at times comes across as uninspired. For me the balance between the orchestra and the singers is often out and the dynamics and accents are at times exaggerated.

The singers are well cast for their roles. Bertagnolli as Rossane has a beautiful voice and technique, but resorts to a vibratoless sounds that at times causes confusion between her and the high counter-tenor. Mingardo as Melindo sings with a very muffled sound, but at the same time sings with great inspiration and attention. The counter-tenor, Jourrousky as Zelim shows great promise and I hope to hear a lot more of him.
Laurens as Rustena sings her music most beautifully. However, for me, the true stars of the show are Stutzmann and Rolfe Johnson. Stutzmann makes the most, and then some more, of her almost harridan-like character Damira. Her music, even when at times tritely set by Vivaldi, turns into a gala event. I just wish that the role of Mamud (Rolfe Johnson's part) had been more elaborately composed.

There are so many beautiful, if undramatic, moments in this score. Would I buy this recording again? Yes! Do I like this opera as a piece of art? Yes! So, if Opus 111 continues in this vein I think we are Looking ahead to many more treats.

I will not write a long review since everything has been well said particularly by Mr. Sammut. My advice to those considering whether to purchase this work is to pay attention to the five star reviews and to ignore the others. This is outstanding dramatic Vivaldi with an unbeatable cast---Mingardo, Bertagnolli, Laurens, Stutzmann, Jaroussky and Johnson. You simply will not find better. If you love Baroque, buy this work.

Another sumptuous offering from Naïve, La verità in cimento enhances the reputation of both the label and of Vivaldi as a writer of opera. Opera may not be the most highly regarded part of the composer's output, but recordings like this make you wonder why not.

The text sets its complicated love intrigue in the Ottoman east. Vivaldi has been accused elsewhere of showing 'xenophobic animosity' towards things Turkish (see Onofri's excellent essay in another superb Naïve recording, Violin Concertos, vol 1). And while there is the merest hint of orientalising here (with the occasional slide, the suggestion of a zither and some clashing discords) there is nothing cynical or negative about this opera. Its exotic setting merely gives Vivaldi (always a great colourist) an excuse to show off the breadth of his palette.

Such ephemera as set designs and costumes may now be irrecoverably lost, but the music alone provides a continual supply of rich material. As we've learnt to expect from a composer who was always readier to borrow from his own works than from others, the music occasionally recycles ideas explored elsewhere. The attentive listener should be able to recognise music from ripieno concertos (ie those without soloist), and the wonderful slow movement from the violin concerto in c, 'Il sospetto' RV199. Crucially though, all of the music coheres, regardless of its origin.

The recording itself excels. Energy, imagination, commitment, exotic colours and a deeply saitisfying bass combine to make this release memorable. Purists may disagree with me on this point, but the last mentioned element, that rich and resonant bass, adds a vital dimension that is lacking in older recordings. Even if the slightly booming bass is more suggestive of the early C21 than the early C18, and even if it represents a departure from a strict, historically-informed, early instrument ethos, it is a welcome addition, to my ears. The theorbo in particular gains immeasurably from its foregrounding. (For a taste of what to expect, listen to Amazon's digital sample of Track 2, the Sinfonia's Andante.) These Naïve editions aren't cheap, but they represent some of the very best Vivaldi recordings in existence.

Vivaldi: La verità in cimento (Vivaldi Edition) is a 2003 Naive recording where get to the pleasure. to listen to Ensemble Matheus under the direction of Jean-Christophe Spinosi. The booklet contains close to 150 pages and is quite massive. Frederic Delemea has written the music notes. English translation by Charles Johnston. Also included are short biographies of the performers, the orchestra and the conductor. Libretto written by Giovanni Palazzi. A very enjoyable performance. Highly recommended indeed. 5/5.

La Verità in Cimento is a Vivaldi's rare opera. I like very much the musical ambiance that this recording pass to us. It's different that the other vivaldian operas, that are more sonorously intense. The ambience remains in lower expressive tones. Like the name of the opera suggests: the truth in chalenge. Not all things can be said out loud. This interpretation is unique (including recording), and is in charge of Ensemble Matheus, directed by Jean-Christophe Spinosi, a director of catharstic modes and movements for the musicians, but draws exactly what he wants from his orchestra and singers. With lovely and sentimentaly intense arias, the story conducts us to secret ways that conduct us to the truth and to a subtle and unexpected final. Like almost all Baroque and Classical operas, has a happy ending. I recommend this album, even as it is the only complete recording of La Verità in Cimento.

Of all the Vivaldi operas I have listened to so far, this libretto is the most intriguing. The plot is good and someone should even make a movie out of it. I became curious to explore this entire album after hearing the selected arias in the CD "Vivaldi Operas", and reading other reviews. To my surprise, those arias I was already familiar with are in fact the most noteworthy. La Verita is very refined baroque, and easy listening except for one major flaw that should have been revisited or edited out from the aria Se L'Acquisto by Nathalie Stutzmann. She sings this aria with some character as a starter, but if she tried to show off her sense of humor in an operatic sort of way, doing it so badly was anything but funny. She turns what should have been a befitting legato or trill into a throat-clearing dissonant gargle. Since the devil is ultimately in the detail, that made this otherwise perfectly sounding aria go to hell. Philippe Jaroussky is, well, Philippe Jaroussky, and everything he sings is well done. Together with Randall Wong, Jaroussky occupies the very exclusive niche of counter-tenors whose voice is n-a-t-u-r-a-l, agile, and refreshing to hear. His deliverance of the aria Tu M'offendi is truly spectacular. He hits every single note superbly. Not only does he have a great voice, but the man sings like a angel.