3CD -DDD - Italian - 70'38, 66'21, 45'42
Naive, 2005
Performer: Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Jennifer Larmore, Veronica Cangemi, Philippe Jaroussky, Lorenzo Regazzo, et al.
Orchestra: Ensemble Matheus
Conductor: Jean-Christophe Spinosi
After Orlando finto pazzo 'feigning madness' in the most recent operatic release in the Vivaldi Edition, here we have the same paladin actually gone 'raving mad' in despair for his love! In this adaptation of the most famous episode from Ariosto's epic poem, first performed in Venice in the autumn of 1727, the composer depicts a set of astoundingly lively and individualised characters in a plot that moves at a breathless pace. This gallery of unforgettable portraits features not only Orlando himself - here no longer a baritone but a female contralto, who is given a series of astounding virtuoso arias - but also the tragic figure of the sorceress Alcina, not to mention the voluptuous Angelica, the valiant Ruggiero, and the proud female warrior Bradamante. To do full justice to this meticulously assembled cast of vocal types, it was necessary to find seven exceptional singers possessing not only considerable technical and expressive capacities, but also subtle differences in timbre and colour. This new recording rises superbly to the challenge: in the title role here we find the young alto from Quebec Marie-Nicole Lemieux, much acclaimed for her sumptuous voice and dramatic commitment, surrounded by such experienced Baroque specialists as Jennifer Larmore, Veronica Cangemi and the stunning Philippe Jaroussky, winner of the 2004 Victoires de la Musique in the 'Vocal Discovery' category. This key work by the Prete Rosso is conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi, the revolutionary new force in baroque opera, with his Ensemble Matheus , whose interpretation of the work has ripened over several years of stage experience, and Vivaldi's original score is here scrupulously reconstructed and recorded complete for the first time.
