Handel — Duets & Cantatas

(A Selection of Handel's Italian Duets and Cantatas)

The album won the Recording of the Year award in Hungary in 1985.

Mária Zádori — soprano
Paul Esswood — countertenor
Péter Ella — harpsichord
Cseperke Falvay — baroque cello
Pál Németh — transverse flute

Hungaroton SLPD 12564-65 (2×LP), HCD 12564-65-2 (2×CD), 1984

Reflections/review by Lenka Harigelová

Among the many recordings of works by George Frideric Handel that are currently appearing on the world market, it would be a shame to omit the recording ‘Duets & Cantatas’ – one of the remarkable contributions to the interpretation of Handel's vocal work in the context of the historically informed interpretation of Baroque music of the 1980s.

This recording, first released by the Hungarian publishing house Hungaroton as part of the ‘Hungaroton Antiqua’ series in 1984, contains 12 compositions with a total length of approximately 95 minutes and presents a selection of Handel's Italian duets and cantatas performed by soprano Mária Zádori and countertenor Paul Esswood. They are accompanied by a chamber ensemble consisting of three top musicians in the field of Baroque music interpretation from the renowned Capella Savaria ensemble.

Mária Zádori was a member of the Hungarian Radio and Television Choir from 1970 to 1986 and a soloist of the Ars Renata ensemble from 1971; she later became a soloist of the Hungarian National Philharmonic. Here, she presents her clear, cultivated and mobile soprano, which easily covers high notes and technically brilliantly handles the prescribed coloraturas. She is perfectly supported by the darker countertenor sound of Paul Esswood, who has been a prominent figure in the field of early music interpretation since the 1960s. Both performers have participated in many recordings of Baroque music.

Despite its high quality, Handel's chamber vocal music is less well known than his major works but it is all the more worthy of attention. The recording ‘Duets & Cantatas’ offers a compact and stylistically refined picture of this area of Handel's work. All ten duets included in the recording are composed for soprano and alto. It is a matter of dispute among music historians whether the compositions were composed during Handel's first trip to London between 1710‒1711, or whether he composed them only after his return from England for the musicians of the Electoral Court during his stay in Hanover. Whether they originated in London or Hanover, they cannot fail to show the influence of the author's trip to Italy in 1706‒1709, which is reflected in the works' choice of language and Italian musical forms.

In the formal structure of Handel's chamber vocal music, we can discern inspiration from the two greatest Italian composers of his time – Alessandro Scarlatti and Agostino Steffani. Most of the compositions contain two or three contrasting movements, which differ in mood, key and tempo. Texts, which are mostly anonymous, are of lesser importance and are subordinate to the flow of the melodic line. The duets were never printed or well arranged during the composer's lifetime, and therefore do not have an opus number.

The first composition on the recording, a duet entitled “Fronda leggiera e mobile”, comes from the composer's later output (1742) and tells of the fickleness of fortune. The duet “Troppo cruda, troppo fiera” is the only piece composed of four parts and, with its arrangement of slow and fast movements, it approaches a trio sonata. In the composition “A mirarvi io son intento” we can clearly perceive the inspiration of Steffani, especially in the introduction part in the popular Italian form Da capo. At the end, the author interestingly played with long melismata on the word “vibrando”. In the duet “No, di voi non vo’ fidarmi” we can hear a somewhat stubbornly recurring musical motif in the introduction as well as a playful melody at the end of the piece with a touch of comic opera.

The charming duet “Conservate, raddoppiate” follows and the solo alto cantata “Mi palpita il cor” closes the first part of the recording. In it, the author also draws on his experiences from his stay in Italy, where this form had already been established – two or three da capo arias, preceded by a secco recitative accompanied only by the basso continuo. Handel created several versions of this cantata, which differ mainly in the chosen instrumentation. The cantata describes the torment of uncertainty in a dialogue between voice and flute, which, however, transforms into a relieved feeling of self-confidence over the course of the piece.

In the introduction to the second part of the set we find the duet “Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi”, which in its repetitive form resembles a dance. The duets “Se tu non lasci amore” and “Beato in ver chi può” follow. The latter composition is another of Handel’s late duets and is an Italian translation of Horace’s ode with the theme of a rural idyll. The duet “Langue, geme, sospira” is built on the contrast of joy and melancholy, while in the duet “Sono liete, fortunate” we can hear the vocal line border on an instrumental type of lead. The entire recording is concluded by the soprano cantata “Ah! che pur troppo è vero” consisting of three arias and three recitatives. The character of the shepherd Tirsi, from whom the gods took his beloved Clori, sings about his harrowing fate. The cantata uses a variety of arias to depict various perspectives on the feeling of sadness.

Overall, the recording is well balanced. The voices harmonize and complement each other with their colour. The instrumental part of the ensemble complements the singers perfectly, sometimes coming to the fore, but not overshadowing them. The recording ‘Duets & Cantatas’ thus offers a representative selection of Handel's duets and two cantatas. At the same time, it documents the interpretative ideal of its time – a combination of technical certainty, stylistic sophistication and a deep understanding of the Baroque musical language. To listeners and musicologists, it offers a valuable insight into how Handel's vocal chamber repertoire can be grasped with respect for the historical context and at the same time with a vivid, personal statement.

Links

• The recording can be purchased in electronic form (for download) from the British retailer Presto Music.
• Mária Zádori and Paul Eswood on the Hungaroton Web.
• Lenka Harigelová's business card on the Gemini musicales website (in Czech).
• Lenka Harigelová's programmes on the Czech Radio website (in Czech).