Between 1766 and 1780, opera of various kinds came to
dominate Joseph Haydn’s (1732-1809) life
in a way that he could not have predicted before he joined the Esterházy court.
He composed a total of fourteen stage works, an impressive amount given that he
was not exclusively a composer of operas and that during those years made far
reaching developments of the quartet, symphony, sonata and church music.
Haydn’s operas have never
gained the popularity of those of Mozart’s which is a shame given the amount of
very fine music contained in them. All the more reason then for welcoming a new
release from Naxos www.naxos.com of Haydn’s Opera Overtures performed by the
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice www.kfpar.cz
under
Michael Halász www.naxos.com/person/Michael_Halasz/31614.htm
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| 8.573488 |
Lo speziale (The
Apothecary) (1768) is a three-act opera buffa concerning a love triangle between the poor apprentice Mengone,
the rich and assured Volpino and the local apothecary's ward, Grilletta. The Sinfonia has all the glory of Haydn’s
infectious spirit driving the music forward with lithe, spirited playing from
the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice under Michael Halász with a
beautifully poised central section.
Acide e Galatea (Acis
and Galatea) (1762) was first performed in the new glass-house theatre in
the Eisenstadt palace grounds in 1763. The opera follows the story of the
Cyclops Polifemo wooing the half-goddess Galatea, but to no avail as Galatea is
actually in love with the handsome young shepherd-boy Acide, who eventually
metamorphoses into an immortal river god. The Sinfonia opens with a really incisive Allegro molto, light of heart and with some first rate orchestral
playing providing a fine transparency. The gentler moments are beautifully
turned. The Andante grazioso has a
fine rhythmic undercurrent in the lower strings set against the gently flowing
music, beautifully phrased. The Finale:
Presto bounds forward with moments of incisive playing, Halász and the
orchestra negotiating every little twist and turn brilliantly.
Le pescatrici (The
Fisherwomen) (1770) is an opera in three acts concerning the Prince of
Sorrento's search for Prince Casimiro's rightful heir who had been taken as a
baby after her father's murder. Two young fisherwomen in the village each
believe they might be the missing princess. The Sinfonia brings some fine horn phrases as Haydn has great fun
finding many entertaining ideas, finely brought out in this performance.
Philemon und Baucis (1773)
is unusual in that it was written for Prince Nikolaus Esterházy’s marionette
theatre, drawing on an episode from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The Overture has a dramatic and rather
earnest opening to the Allegro con
espressione again with many beautifully turned phrases and surprisingly with
some of Haydn’s finest invention as the music drives ahead. The Andante poco allegro is quite
wonderfully done with some very fine string playing.
L'infedeltà delusa
(Infidelity Outwitted) (1773) is an operatic burletta per musica with a
rather convoluted plot concerning Fillipo who has a beautiful daughter he
intends to marry to a rich man, Nencio. The daughter, Sandrina, loves Nanni the
brother of Vespina. Vespina, of course, loves
Nencio. The Allegro of the Sinfonia fairly
leaps of the page, fleet and lithe with finely controlled dynamics and a fine
forward sweep as well as some quite lovely orchestral textures. There are
lovely woodwind passages in the beautifully paced Poco adagio with some beautifully controlled and shaped dynamic
moments before brass illuminate the vital, energetic Presto, full of brilliance and energy.
Der Götterrath, (The
Deliberations of the Gods) (1773) is the prologue to Philemon und Baucis of which only the Overture and one other section has survived. It has a weighty
opening before the orchestra reveal their lovely string transparency, soon
moving ahead with some fleet and lively playing. This may be a relatively short piece but there
is some vintage Haydn here.
L'incontro improvviso
(The Unexpected Encounter) (1775) an opera in three acts with a plot that
is reminiscent of Mozart's opera, Die
Entführung aus dem Serail. Prince Ali falls in love with Princess Rezia,
who is betrothed to another. They elope but are captured by corsairs and
separated. He learns that she has been sold to the Sultan of Cairo, and goes
there to rescue her. An escape almost succeeds but is betrayed by a greedy
Dervish but, moved by the example of pure love, the kindly Sultan pardons
everyone. The Sinfonia opens with an
Adagio maestoso with slow emphatic chords
before leading into the Presto complete
with Turkish percussion sounds and playing often of great breadth and forward
drive. The lovely Andantino brings fine
strings textures before the Presto rattles
ahead, with more Turkish flavour from the percussion.
Il mondo della luna
(Life On The Moon), Hob.Xxviii:7 (1777) is an opera buffa in 3 acts
concerning Ecclitico, a fake astrologer and the young gentleman, Ernesto who
are in love with the daughters of the extremely misogynistic but rich,
Buonafede who refuses to agree to the matches. Ecclitico claims to have built a
telescope that can see into the world of the moon. Buonafede is entranced and
when Ecclitico tells him that he has been summoned to the moon to serve the
emperor he is easily able to persuade Buonafede to come too as long as the
girls can come along later. The Sinfonia
brings some lovely orchestral textures with a bassoon adding a distinctive
touch to the opening. It has a fine forward drive and many little twists and
turns.
L'isola disabitata
(The Uninhabited Island), Hob. Ia:13 (1779) was Haydn’s tenth opera again written
for the Eszterházy court and premiered on 6 December 1779. The story concerns
Constanza a woman who has been on an isolated island for thirteen years. She
thinks she’s been deserted and almost becomes mad with bitterness. The truth is
that she had been kidnapped by marauding soldiers. Her husband returns to the
island to search for her and save her. Eventually they are reunited. The Overture opens with a beautifully drawn
Largo before a lively Vivace assai where these Czech players
bring the most agile playing. There is a lovely, graceful and nicely poised Allegretto, with freely shaped phrases before
the final short dashing Vivace.
First performed at the Eszterházy court in 1779, La vera costanza (True Constancy) (1776)
explores the troubles of a sentimental heroine abandoned by a mad lover. There
is a crisp and incisive opening to the Presto
of the Sinfonia with lovely phrasing
and some very fine individual orchestral sections. This orchestra bring a fine
rhythmic lilt to the Allegretto where
one can imagine Haydn having much enjoyment. There are some wonderfully
intricate rhythms in the Allegro moderato
as it slowly gains momentum to dash ahead, leading to a beautifully turned Andante followed by a brief,
rhythmically pointed Allegro moderato
to conclude.
La fedelta premiata
(Fidelity Rewarded) (1781) was first performed at Eszterháza in 1781 to
celebrate the reopening of the court theatre after a fire. The plot involves the
goddess Diana is angered and demands that there be an annual sacrifice of a
faithful couple, until an individual voluntarily sacrifices him or herself. One
of Haydn’s most successful comic operas the Sinfonia contains possibly the best known music on this disc. It
moves along at a pace, full of rhythmic spring with a fine horn contribution.
Orlando Paladino
(Orlando the Paladin) (1782) was first performed at Eszterháza on 6
December 1782. The story concerns lovers Angelica and Medoro who are pursued by
the mad knight Orlando who is also in love with Angelica until the sorceress
Alcina intervenes, restoring Orlando's sanity and allowing the young lovers to
live happily ever after. The Sinfonia
opens with an incisive theme before finding a gentle flow – often seems to
balance between the rhythmic opening idea and the more flowing theme – but full
of Haydnesque ideas
Armida (1784), first performed in 1784, is a love
story between a heathen sorceress and Rinaldo, a Christian Knight and is his
last opera composed and produced for Prince Paul Esterházy’s court. The Overture has a vibrant Vivace with a lovely, fleet string theme
that hurtles forward with many lovely individual instrumental touches before a
slow moving, gently flowing Andante where
the orchestral strings and woodwind fine some lovely sonorities. The concluding
Vivace brings some scintillating
playing with quite lovely woodwind sonorities.
L'anima del filosofo,
ossia Orfeo ed Euridice (The Soul of the Philosopher, or Orpheus and Eurydice) (1791)
was Haydn’s last opera intended for the London stage but never performed in
his lifetime. The plot is based on the well-known story of
Orpheus and Eurydice. The Overture has
an opening of some gravity and weight before an oboe leads off in a lively
theme. There are moments of great entertainment finely brought out by Michael
Halász and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice.
These opera overtures and sinfonias are in no way inferior
to those of Mozart. They contain a surprisingly rich feast of Haydn. The
performances by Michael Halász and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra
Pardubice are first rate.
They are nicely recorded at The House of Music, Pardubice,
Czech Republic and there are useful booklet notes.
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