Episode 409. Arie antiche [Schirmer Edition]
SOCIAL SHARE
SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM
Today’s potpourri episode is a special one for anyone who has ever studied voice in a college, university or conservatory. One of the primary sources of repertoire for instructors of singing has been a book first published by G. Schirmer in 1894 entitled Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias, consisting primarily of arie antiche, i.e. songs from the Italian baroque (Caldara, Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Durante, and others), heavily edited, and often virtually rewritten, by musicologist Theodore Baker. Many of the works were also falsely attributed to composers (Pergolesi, Stradella, and Marcello in particular) who had nothing to do with the pieces in question. In spite of those editorial issues, these songs have figured prominently ever since in the early repertoire of most young singers. They have also been a staple of the concert platform for as long (and, truth be told, even longer), and remain so to this day. Today’s episode focuses on this repertoire as recorded by some of the greatest singers of the twentieth century. Some of these artists are Countermelody favorites (Claudia Muzio, Igor Gorin, Roberta Alexander, Irina Arkhipova, Gérard Souzay) but many others have, in spite of their stature, received relatively little exposure on the podcast (Luciano Pavarotti, Suzanne Danco, Roland Hayes, Georges Thill, Montserrat Caballé, John McCormack, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Nigel Rogers, and Beniamino Gigli, among many others presented in the episode). And let us not forget to raise a glass to Joan Sutherland, whose 99th birthday is observed today, and whose voice is the last one heard on the episode, in a rare 1960 radio recording, stunningly vocalized, that might surprise you.
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
Alessandro Scarlatti: Le Violette. Elly Ameling, Dalton Baldwin [1973]
Giovanni Bononcini: Per la gloria d’adorarvi (Griselda). Luciano Pavarotti, Leone Mageira [live Bari 14.II.1984]
Giulio Caccini: Amarilli, mia bella. Nigel Rogers, Colin Tilney [1975]
Antonio Caldara: Alma del core. Roland Hayes, Reginald Boardman [1954]
Antonio Caldara: Come raggio di sol. Suzanne Danco, Guido Agosti [1952]
Antonio Caldara: S’ebben, crudele. Edith Lang, Gottfried Hämpel [unknown date]
Giacomo Carissimi: Vittoria, mio core. Hermann Jadlowker, unknown pianist [1927]
Francesco Durante: Danza, danza fanciulla. Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Neville Marriner, Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields [1997]
Francesco Durante: Vergin, tutto amor. Gérard Souzay, Jacqueline Bonneau [1948]
Giuseppe Giordani: Caro mio ben. Giacinto Prandelli, Dick Marzollo [1953]
Christoph Willibald Gluck: O del mio dolce ardor (Paride ed Elena). Roberta Alexander, Michael Schneider, La Stagione [live Frankfurt 13.IX.1991]
Giovanni Legrenzi: Che fiero costume. Igor Gorin, Willard Straight [unknown date]
Antonio Lotti: Pur dicesti, o bocca bella. Monserrat Caballé, Miguel Zanetti [1979]
Francesco Bartolomeo Conti [formerly attributed Benedetto Marcello]: Il mio bel foco… Quella fiamma che m’accende. Georges Thill, Maurice Faure [1937]
Claudio Monteverdi: Lasciatemi morire (Arianna). Irina Arkhipova, Pēteris Sipolnieks [1976]
Giovanni Paisiello: Nel cor più non mi sento. Giuseppe Valdengo, Franz Holeček 1966]
Alessandro Parisotti [formerly atrributed Giovanni Battista Pergolesi]: Se tu m’ami. Claudia Muzio, Orchestra conducted by Lorenzo Molajoli [1935]
Vincenzo Legrenzo Ciampi [formerly attributed Giovanni Battista Pergolesi]: Nina. John McCormack, Gerald Moore [1940]
Alessandro Scarlatti: Già il sole dal Gange. Florence Easton, Lester Hodges [live New York 13.VII.1939]
Alessandro Scarlatti: Le Violette. Tito Schipa, Orchestra conducted by Dino Olivieri [1939]
Alessandro Scarlatti: Se Florindo è fedele. Irma Kolassi, André Collard [1953]
Alessandro Scarlatti: O cessate di piagarmi. Beniamino Gigli, Orchestra conducted by Rainaldo Zamboni [1948]
Alessandro Stradella [falsely attributed]: Pietà, Signore. Tancredi Pasero, Orchestra conducted by Antonio Sabino [1943]
Giuseppe Torelli: Tu lo sai. Povla Frijsh, Lucy Bucktrout [1932]
Giulio Caccini: Amarilli, mia bella. Hina Spani, Gino Nastrucci, Conservatorio Milano string octet [1929]
Giovanni Bononcini: Per la gloria d’adoravi (Griselda). Joan Sutherland, Richard Bonynge [1960 radio recording]
