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Product of Deutsche Harmonica Mundi with full booklet on libretto Jul 27, 2009
Despite the fact that Harnoncourt does record for Sony RCA occasionally, this work is NOT Sony or RCA, but Deutsche Harmonica Mundi's.
This is an opera buffa by Josef Haydn, one of the more rarely performed works in the 20th century, but luckily becoming more popular (with the able promotion of Harnoncourt and his 'crew').
Michael Schade sings the title role, with Gerhaher the brutish knight. Various sopranos sing the heroine, the sorceress, etc.
There is not one single weak link in the cast, and the ensemble work is splendid.
The 'band' of good old Harnoncourt performs with its full lustre and wit, and you will surely get a taste of the classical opera buffa in the full-fledged sense.
No disappointment.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Great show; WITH full libretto and notes Mar 26, 2008
This is a wonderfully fun work and an excellent recording. Even those who find some of Haydn's other operas a bit primitive compared to Mozart and 19th Century works may enjoy its more modern style. It's definitely a must-buy for Haydn fans. (I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could -- I went with 4 since everyone else awarded it 5.)
It's a shame that there's no DVD available of a full production (or of pretty much any other Haydn operas). I'd love to see a performance of this show.
This set does include an 84-page book with a full libretto and liner notes in English, German and Italian. As with most operas, the booklet and CD case are separate inside a cardboard slipcover. That other reviewer may have bought a copy of just the CD case that somehow got separated from its slipcase. I suppose one should check with Amazon or with the label (it's actually Sony, not RCA) to make sure that new copies still include the booklet.
4 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Excellent, but no notes or libretto Dec 31, 2007
It's hard to believe this was the most popular of Joseph Haydn's operas during his life (1732-1809), since it's almost never performed, and I'd never have found it, but for a closeout sale in which it was featured. I'm glad I did.
The 3 acts on these 2 CDs, first performed in 1782 in Hungary, are stellar. But it you want to know anything about the "heroic-comic-drama," you will NOT find it in this package. The box contains only a plastic cover, 2 CDs, and cover art. No libretto, and no program notes. At least my store-bought, manufacturer-wrapped copy had none. I had search to find what the opera was about--though it was clear just from listening we weren't talking about high tragedy, here.
According to Classics Today, the libretto was first written for an opera of the same name by Pietro Allessando Guglielmi in 1772, and renders Ariosto's epic tale of Orlando Furioso--which Lully, Handel and Vivaldi all dealt with as tragedy--a farce.
Orlando, a knight torn between love and war, to whom the evil witch Alcina gives bad dreams, turns to stone, locks in a cave, and drugs with Lethe's waters. Then there's Angelica, in love with having men in love with her, and lovesick and frightened Medoro. To this already preposterous set of characters also comes the shepherdess Eurillia, her father Licone, a raging pagan King Rodomonte, who hates Orlando and wants to destroy him, and Orlando's foppish squire Pasquale, in turn a gormand always flirting with Eurilla. Needless to say, Orlando alone takes anything seriously--as he's beset hysterically by anger, jealousy, love, boastfulness, war and so on--all to brilliant orchestrations and voices.
And as I said, you don't need a libretto or even a plot to hear the mirth in the music. I wish I'd seen it performed.
The Classics Today review of this recording gives a lovely description of all the action and moods, which is helpful if you want clues as to who is singing which set of satires about what.
As Robert Levine writes, there are four tenors--Johannes Kalpers in a short perky stint as Licone, Werner Güra's Medoro as a "honeyed à la Don Ottavio," Michael Schade singing a large, tonal Orlando with "just the right berserk edge," and the highly praise worthy Markus Schäfer as Pasquale. Meanwhile, Christian Gerhaher presents Rodomonte as "a baritone paper tiger, filled with menace that goes nowhere," just like his character. Malin Hartelius sings a charmingly girlish Eurillia while Elisabeth von Magnus presents Alcina in a strong voice, "without exaggeration."
Finally, Levine notes, soprano Patricia Petibon plays Angelica with inspiration, "light as fluff, but with a sharp edge" precisely as needed.
It's too bad that no details are included with the recording. But the music is so fine that, despite that failing, I'm not taking off stars. Many thanks to Mr. Levine, whose review explained what I've been listening to for a year now.
--Alyssa A. Lappen
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
wonderful little comedy Dec 08, 2007
This opera, a cynical send-up of the Orlando/Angelica story emphasizing its silliness, is very worth hearing. In terms of musical invention and quality, it is about on the level of Mozart's earlier operas, like Lucio SIlla or Mitridate (at least that's my opinion), which is to say that it is very, very good, and listening to it makes you wonder why it isn't performed regularly. The soloists are all fine here, but I bet that the Dorati version is better (it has George Shirley and Arleen Auger). However, I couldn't afford that one :) With Harnoncourt you do get the period instruments, though.
The story is, as I said, silly, but since audiences have become more accustomed to Baroque opera these days, they will be able to appreciate how an opera like this is making clever jokes on its old conventions and stock characters. (I love Baroque opera, by the way.) Although this is a live recording, the audio quality is great and you can't hear any coughing or anything. If you like early Mozart, you shouldn't miss this opera! I hope I can see it live someday :)
10 of 12 found the following review helpful:
SPIRITED LIVE RECORDING OF A DELIGHTFULLY WACKY OPERA Nov 17, 2006
I never would have found out about this if it had not popped up on a search of CDs with Malin Hartelius. A little reading about this opera, from off the beaten track, hooked me. How could I turn down an opera based on Orlando Furioso by Ariosto the "secret" source of inspiration for sci-fi authors?
The program notes included are excellent, and you will quickly see where ideas for "The Terminator" and medieval looking computer games came from.
Long before B grade sci fi movies, Haydn saw the fun he could have with this story. I am not a fan of Haydn symphonies, but found singing his Creation (in an open sing) very rewarding. Orlando is even more creative, making it well worth following along, with the libretto which is included.
If you like comic opera and science fiction it does not get much better than this. Four excellent tenors, singing in the same performance, is so rare that this alone is reason to buy this. Hartelius is at her comic best, along with everyone else. Harnoncourt conducts in an energetic way which works perfectly with the vocal lines. The sound is a little bright, but very good.
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