Mercy and Fury from Antonio Vivaldi
Mike Fentross and his La Sfera Armonico offer a Vivaldi recital of dramatic soprano works sung by Channa Malkin. At just 57 minutes, the program feels brief, especially with four and a half of those minutes devoted to yet another outing of the Red Priest’s Concerto madrigalesco.
The opening two arias from La fida ninfa, RV 714, will be familiar to those who have explored Vivaldi’s operas. (For the complete work, Ensemble Matheus under Spinosi still sets a fine standard.) These tracks reveal one of the ensemble’s great strengths: continuo playing. The guitar in the first aria and the lute in the second add warmth and rhythmic vitality. The uncredited guitar, clearly played by Fentross himself, lends a personal touch to the chamber-sized ensemble.
Two arias from L’Atenaide osia Gli affetti generosi (RV 702) follow. This opera has been recorded elsewhere, notably by Modo Antiquo for Naïve’s Turin Vivaldi series in 2007. The “live” acoustic suggests a theatrical space, which suits the drama but occasionally exaggerates the ensemble’s scale. The soundstage feels larger than the forces behind it.
Single arias from Juditha Triumphans (RV 644) and Tito Manlio (RV 738) appear next, before the motet In furore giustissimae irae (RV 626) closes the disc. The organ continuo dominates the texture, and here that choice works well. Too often modern continuo organs sound restrained, but this one projects confidence and helps define the motet’s character.
Malkin’s singing deserves attention. She is an instinctive operatic performer, with wide range, intensity, and control. Her continuous vibrato is striking. It remains steady even in quick passages, such as the opening La fida ninfa aria or the motet’s first movement, a feat of technique if not of historical restraint.
That same vibrato can occasionally unsettle the blend. In the slow aria Tunc meus fletus evadet laetus, the unison line shared by voice and strings reveals intonation differences. When one “voice” vibrates and the other does not, the texture frays slightly. The same issue appears in Non ti lusinghi la crudel’tade, where Malkin pairs with a solo oboe. Il Giardino Armonico’s earlier version with Cecilia Bartoli, who is hardly a strict HIPP singer, managed a more integrated sound in this passage.
Even so, Malkin’s expressiveness brings welcome vitality to music that can sometimes sound too polite. Her Alleluia and other fast arias show impressive agility and dramatic flair. The album’s theme of “Fury and Mercy” suits her temperament, and in Armatae face et anguibus (track 10), she becomes an ideal interpreter.
Fentross and his ensemble match that energy. His continuo playing and direction give the music structure and drive, and the recorded balance favors clarity over sheer volume. Listeners drawn to vocal fireworks will gravitate to Malkin, while those listening for ensemble color will find equal pleasure in Fentross’s shaping of the score.
I remain ambivalent about the pervasive vibrato, but there is no denying the commitment behind it. This is Vivaldi performed with pulse and conviction—sometimes uneven in blend, but never dull.
