Teatro Sant’Angelo Chelleri: Arias from Amalasunta; Trio Sonata in G minor; Gasparini: Rodomonte – ‘Il mio crudele amor’; G Porta: Patrona reverita; Ristori: Arias from Arianna, Cleonice, Un pazzo ne fa cento and Temistocle; Vivaldi: Arias from Andromeda liberata, Arsilda, L’incoronazione di Dario, L’Olimpiade and La Verità in cimento Adèle Charvet (mezzo-soprano); Le Consort Alpha Classics ALPHA938 66:10 mins
Venice’s Sant’Angelo Theatre opened its doors to the public in 1677. Though never the grandest of the Serenissima’s opera houses, it nonetheless attracted important names, including Antonio Vivaldi and the set designers Bernardo Canal and his famous painter son, Il Canaletto. Alongside a selection of Vivaldi arias, this album includes a dozen first recordings unveiling other composers who trod the theatre’s boards: Chelleri, Gasparini, Porta and Ristori. Spanning the gamut of Baroque affects, the programme contrasts frothy arias with tragic outpourings and displays of vocal fireworks.
Among the revelations are Vivaldi’s hauntingly beautiful aria ‘Ah non so’ from his 1716 opera Arsilda; Ristori’s ‘Aspri rimorsi’, a grief-laden outpouring from Temistocle, and two arias from Chelleri’s Amalasunta: ‘La navicella’, a tapestry of yearning melodies over throbbing strings, and ‘Astri aversi’ – a real showstopper of vocal acrobatics enhanced with thrilling instrumental effects. Adèle Charvet despatches the showpieces with agility and bravura, but her velvety voice is particularly well suited to the pathos arias which are eloquently articulated; just occasionally her vibrato wavers a little intrusively. She’s superbly supported by Ensemble Le Consort who, under the brilliant young violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte, perform with fire, passion and breathtaking virtuosity.
Kate Bolton-Porciatti