5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, vivid performance of an interesting revision

S.M. · 22 January 2016

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } Cavalli's 'Il Giasone' was the most successful Italian opera of the 17th century. Following its Venetian première in 1649, it continued to be staged many times over the following decades. An interesting update was staged in Rome in 1671, with various additions and revisions by Alessandro Stradella; and this version - itself a major hit in its time - is the one offered, and recorded for the first time, in this three-CD set. This being a baroque opera, the plot itself is of course ludicrous; extensive liberties are taken with the original mythology, which was already pretty far-fetched. However, the 1671 alterations don't affect that situation, and in any case this ‘New Giasone’ is still an excellent vehicle for the usual baroque-opera mixture of amorous elements including jealousy, misery, abandonment, lust, pretence, plotting, two-timing, furious confrontation and, last but not least, a bit of true love thrown in. Above all, though, it's the music that counts. Cavalli's score is splendid, and Stradella's additions and alterations - including a few short instrumental interludes - show elements of the later baroque style but with a fine feel for his predecessor's spirit and idiom, and these passages are well integrated into the work of the earlier master.The performance is largely excellent, with the main roles of the love-rat Giasone and his rival loves Medea and Isifile beautifully sung by, respectively, baritone Borja Quiza, soprano Aurora Tirotta, and soprano Roberta Mameli. The two rivals’ soprano voices are well matched and contrasted, and I found Mameli's performance of her lovely music especially fine. Tenor Mirko Guadagnini as Egeo sounds a bit strained in the higher notes of his demanding role. The numerous lesser roles are well taken, although there's a bit too much vibrato evident when several of them are singing at once in the Prologue, resulting in rather too much simultaneous wobbling for my taste. But that's soon over, and we’re not troubled by this feature for the rest of the three-act work. The playing of the OIDI Festival Baroque Ensemble is outstanding, as is evident from the very first notes of Cavalli's splendid instrumental introduction. No, I don’t know what OIDI stands for either, but they must be an ad hoc ensemble because I can’t find any trace of them elsewhere. No matter, for they are superb, playing with great style and spirit and producing a rich and varied texture on their baroque period instruments. Antonio Greco keeps the drama moving along very nicely throughout the work, Cavalli’s fluid transitions are beautifully managed, and Greco’s finely paced overall direction of singers and players is outstanding.Especially fine passages include the Jason-Medea duet 'O mio core/O mio amore' (CD1, track 26), Isifile's aria 'Lassa, che fur degg'io?' (1/29), and Stradella's ‘Balletto delle Furie' bringing Act 1 to a close (1/34). In Act 2, Mameli is again superb in the jilted Isifile's ‘Pensieri, venite’ - one of Stradella’s additional arias (2/4) - and Medea’s enchantment scene is superb (2/9-10). Act 3 brings another very fine contribution from Stradella in Isifile’s energetic aria with obligato cornetto ‘Torna, Amor, dammi il mio bene’ (3/11); and, returning to the original master’s score, the jilted queen sings a beautiful lament ‘Regina, Egeo, amici’ (3/23), which evidently does the trick because it’s followed by a lovely reconciliation duet for her and Giasone in ‘Quante son le mie gioie’ (3/25).Since this is a live recording, there are quite a few stage thumps, but the atmosphere is great; the audience applaud after some of the arias but are otherwise extremely well behaved. Recorded sound is generally very good, apart from a slightly brittle edge to the upper frequencies which I soon got used to. The two booklets offer first-class notes, including all the details of exactly which numbers were added by Stradella, and a very useful synopsis. The libretto is supplied, together with English translation and a complete track list but, unusually, no track timings.Altogether this is a superb recording of ‘Giasone’. The modifications to the original score by Stradella and his librettist give no cause for concern, since Stradella was an extremely gifted melodist in his own right and his additions are always appropriate and enjoyable. So the set readily bears comparison with the couple of recordings available of the original, Cavalli-only version. Of these, I haven’t heard the one on the Dynamic label directed by Federico Maria Sardelli; but some track samplings left me distinctly unimpressed. That leaves the outstanding recording, directed by René Jacobs, of Cavalli’s original score on the Harmonia Mundi label. That is a terrific set, still available in its original form including libretto, in a box with a cover identifiable by its broad vertical black band. There’s also a recent, and cheaper, 2014 reissue of Jacobs’ set which comes without libretto.Personally I wouldn’t want to be without the libretto, so I would say it’s a choice between the original Jacobs version, and the present set with the Stradella additions. The Jacobs is perhaps marginally the better bet, but this present one directed by Greco makes a very interesting comparison, in addition to being a fine achievement in itself and a thoroughly enjoyable performance.