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CD reviews
"Invocazioni mariane"
Andreas Scholl, alto
Accademia Bizantina
Dir: Alessandro Tampieri
rec: May 27 - June 3, 2022, Auhausen
Naïve - V 5474 (© 2023) (82'18")
Booklet: E/F; lyrics - translations: E/F
Cover & track-list
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Pasquale ANFOSSI (1727-1797):
Salve Regina;
Giovanni Battista PERGOLESI (1710-1736):
Concerto for violin, strings and bc in B flata;
Nicola Antonio PORPORA (1686-1768):
Il trionfo della divina giustizia ne' tormente e morte di Gesù Cristo (overture; Occhi mesti; Dov’è l’amato Figlio? - Per pietà, turba feroce, rec acc & aria);
Angelo RAGAZZI (1680-1750):
Sonata à 4 in f minor, op. 1,4 'Imitatio in Salve Regina mater misericordiae';
Leonardo VINCI (1690-1730):
Maria dolorata (overture);
Oratorio a 4 voci (Chi mi priega; Tutti son del materno mio seno);
Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741):
Stabat mater in f minor (RV 621)
Marco Scorticati, Sara Campobasso, recorder;
Alessandro Tampieri (soloa), Sara Meloni, Lisa Ferguson, Gabriele Pro, Ana Liz Ojeda, Heriberto Delgado, Lavinia Sonciini, violin;
Alice Bisanti, Jamiang Santi, viola;
Alessandro Palmieri, Paolo Ballanti, cello;
Nicola Dal Maso, double bass;
Simone Vallerotonda, archlute;
Valeria Montanari, harpsichord, organ
The veneration of Mary is one of the features of the Catholic religion. It started early in the history of the Christian church, somewhere in the 3rd century. Marian veneration was theologically sanctioned with the adoption of the title Theotokos (Mother of God) at the Council of Ephesus in 431. With time it became more and more important, and Mary took the place of a mediatrix between God and man. The veneration of Mary was one of the issues of the Reformation: Luther held Mary in high esteem as the mother of Christ, but rejected her as a mediatrix. In the wake of the Counter Reformation the veneration of Mary received a boost, and this explains the large amount of compositions which in one way or another are connected to Mary. The disc which is the subject of this review, brings together some pieces of this kind. Its title, "Marian invocations", refers most directly to the Salve Regina, one of the four Marian antiphons. In this piece she is invoked directly; it opens with the phrase "Hail, O Queen, mother of mercy". The connection to the Stabat mater is more indirect, as this text looks on the events at Good Friday from the perspective of Mary as the mother of Jesus. However, it ends with an invocation: "O Mother, fount of love, make me feel the depths of thy sorrow, that I may mourn with thee. Make my heart burn with love for Christ my God, that I may be pleasing to Him."
These two texts are the thread of the programme. The latter is performed here in one of its most famous settings, by Antonio Vivaldi, whereas the Salve Regina by Pasquale Anfossi is a little-known setting, and from a later time than the other works. One of the issues of this disc is that the booklet omits any information about the composers and the music. That is not so much a problem in the case of Vivaldi, but the name of Anfossi won't ring a bell with most music lovers. And the lack of information about the music is particularly disappointing in the case of the selected arias with which the programme opens.
Nicola Antonio Porpora has become best-known as a singing teacher, especially of some of the most famous castratos. If his music is performed, it is mostly his secular cantatas and his operas. The oratorios are largely unknown, and that makes it all the more important that, when arias are selected from such a work, the listener is informed about their context. The title of Il trionfo della divina giustizia ne' tormente e morte di Gesù Cristo - "The triumph of divine justice in the passion and death of Jesus Christ" - does not leave much room for misunderstanding. It is called a dramo sacro, which suggests that it is close to opera. It was first performed on 4 April 1716 in Naples, which indicates that - as most oratorios - it was written for performance during Lent. The disc opens with three excerpts: the overture and two arias of Mary. In the first she says: "Grieving eyes, afflicted eyes, ah, form bitter streams as you weep for my dear Beloved." The music includes descending figures, Seufzer and chromaticism. The word "lacrimando" (weeping) is singled out with long melismas.
The second aria is different. It is preceded by an accompanied recitative: "Where is my beloved Son? Alas, sinister procession! Alas, woeful sight!" It ends as an arioso, and then we get the aria: "For pity’s sake, ferocious mob, release my Son, I want to suf er for him." This is not a suffering Mary, but an angry mother. The dynamic accents in the strings are entirely appropriate. Andreas Scholl, who hit the nail on the head in the first aria, is a bit too restrained here. The listener would like to know in what situation Mary sings these two arias, but he/she is left in the dark.
That also goes for the next stage in the programme, with music by Leonardo Vinci, another composer from Naples, who has become almost exclusively for his operas. The work-list in New Grove mentions three oratorios, which were all performed on the same day: 6 October, but in different years. One would like to know for what occasion they were intended. Unlike most oratorios, they were not written for Lent, but the two arias from the Oratorio a 4 voci are sung by Mary. The title of the oratorio does not give a clue about its content. 'Chi mi priega' is a kind of love aria: "He who prays to me, he who loves me, he who calls me ‘mother’, in all his sorrows, clasps me and cleaves to me, makes me his fellow sufferer." There is a marked contrast between the A and B sections. This aria has an obbligato part for cello. Whereas the meaning of this aria is not hard to understand, what to think of 'Tutti son del materno mio seno'? "Dear sons, you are all the cherished hopes of my maternal breast, and I grieve if I do not show mercy." Its character is emphasized by the inclusion of two recorder parts. Both arias are sung very well by Scholl.
Pasquale Anfossi can also be considered a Neapolitan composer; he studied at the Loreto Conservatory and then played in some orchestras in Naples. However, as an opera composer he was mainly active in Rome and Venice. In his setting of the Salve Regina opera is never far away. The text is divided into six sections. There is a marked difference between the first and the second ("To thee do we cry, poor banished [children of Eve"). In the third section the words "lacrimarum valle" are set to descending figures, which include chromaticism. In the last section Scholl adds a cadenza on the closing "Salve", which - given the works operatic nature - is certainly right.
Of all the vocal works of Vivaldi, his Stabat mater is one of the most famous. In the era of the historical performance practice many male altos have performed it and there are many recordings available. But as we know that Vivaldi composed most of his sacred music for the Ospedale della Pietà, shouldn't it be performed by a female singer? Probably not, because it is very likely this work was not composed for one of the girls of the Ospedale. Vivaldi had played in 1711 in the Santa Maria della Pace in Brescia, and this led to a commission to write a Stabat mater to be performed during the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin in March of the next year. And as it was common practice that women did not sing in church, one may assume that the first performance was given by a male singer, probably an alto castrato. Vivaldi's setting is rather sombre, consisting of slow movements only. But through this he managed to create a very expressive work. I have mixed feelings about the performance.It seems to me that the second section, 'Cuius animam gementem', is too slow. Although the slow tempi dominate, some are a little faster, and these come off better. Part of the problem is also that the performance is not dynamically differentiated enough. This is not going to be my favourite performance of Vivaldi's Stabat mater.
The programme is extended by two instrumental works. Little instrumental music of the pen of Pergolesi has come down to us; much of what is or was sometimes assumed to be written by him, is in fact not authentic. There is no doubt about the authenticity of his Concerto in B flat for violin, which may be the result of a commission of a Neapolitan nobleman. It is useful to remember that Pergolesi was educated at the violin. It is a nice work in the galant idiom, which was the dominant fashion in Naples in his time. The concerto is in no way connected to the vocal music on this disc. The digital version of this production ends with the Sonata a 4 in f minor by Angelo Ragazzi, another Neapolitan composer. It has the addition Imitatio in Salve Regina mater misericordiæ, and it may be a kind of homage to Pergolesi, as it includes references to the latter's settings of the Salve Regina and - especially in the middle movement - his Stabat mater. The Accademia Bizantina is in fine form here, and Alessandro Tampieri is the excellent soloist in Pergolesi's concerto.
This is undoubtedly an interesting production. Especially the arias from oratorios make one wanting to hear these works at full length. The oratorio was an important genre, but unfortunately only a small number of oratorios have been recorded. There is much work to do; oratorios could be interesting and meaningful additions to the repertoire for Lent. As far as the performances are concerned, I am most happy with Anfossi's Salve Regina and some of the arias. As a whole this disc does not entirely satisfy me.
Johan van Veen (© 2025)
Relevant links:
Andreas Scholl
Accademia Bizantina