Vivaldi - La Gloria e Imeneo
This 54 minute CD features one of Vivaldi’s surviving serenades, a type of dramatic cantata that was written for two voices, called La Gloria e Himeneo RV 687. The piece was commissioned to celebrate the marriage of Louis XV, and it’s believed Vivaldi was present during the performance.
The series of arias and recitatives is previewed by a concerto (the original lost) and the Abchordis Ensemble used RV 138 in the base key of F to serve that purpose.
The text of the serenade is focused on the celebration of Louis’ nuptials by the characters of Gloria and Imeneo. The liner notes with this release are well-done.
While those same notes say that this would have likely been performed by two castrati, the solution here was to use a female alto and a male countertenor.
Carlo Vistoli sings for Imeneo and Teresa Iervolino sings Gloria. Their voices are close enough in style to confirm a good matching. They both use vibrato to the same degree. I know I am sensitive to vibrato and am not the biggest fan; that said, I also recognize that this piece is basically a chamber opera and the vibrato itself can be used to dramatic effect. Even so not my thing, it’s done here so consistently between the two singers. And for that, I’m appreciative of the similar style and approach.
The sound of the recording is spacious, with instruments well rendered. The two voices sound further away, which I’d prefer to hear closer. Their relative volume is balanced.
Readers should know that the work isn’t altogether “original.” Vivaldi wrote original arias for this work, but also inserts others from his operas of the day. One has to also remember that this piece’s performance would have been as much a visual spectacle as it would be an auditory one. It’s one of the reasons I find it difficult to enjoy operas as just recordings (without video).
That said, there are a number of good tunes among the album’s twenty five tracks. The finale, a duet, was reminding me immediately of Vivaldi’s own concerto for two trumpets.
Gloria’s first aria, Alle amene, franche arene borrows from Vivaldi’s own concertos. While there’s commentary in the booklet on the purpose for Vivaldi not writing all original material, it’s conceivable that there may have a benefit for reusing material here—recognition. Vivaldi as a choice for the celebration speaks to his fame and I can’t imagine hearing a good number again would have been an advantage.
Finally, I really liked the performance of Questo nodo e questo strale. The ensemble is very tight, in lock step with the character Gloria.
This isn’t a must-have recording, as far as I’m concerned, but it is an attractive presentation of Vivaldi’s vocal writing, which like his violin writing, was one of his strengths. Direction from Andrea Buccarella can only be inferred here as strong.
