George Frederic Haendel (1685-1759) – Rinaldo – Bartoli

Dentre nossos inúmeros leitores-ouvintes, um tem se destacado nos últimos tempos por seus insistentes e irritantes pedidos de postagem. Já há algum tempo resolvi ignorar, porém um pedido seu me chamou atenção há umas duas semanas atrás, e era exatamente a ópera “Rinaldo” de Handel.
Como eu e mano PQP estamos promovendo um verdadeiro festival barroco nas últimas semanas, resolvi atender ao pedido, mas aviso que será o primeiro e último do ano, ao menos de minha parte. Se o ouvinte em questão soubesse do trabalho que dá a postagem, seria menos insistente em seus pedidos. Subir uma ópera com quase três horas de duração para o rapidshare com a internet que tenho é de testar a paciência de qualquer um.
Mas vamos ao que interessa. Essa gravação que trago é magnífica, e traz Cecilia Bartoli, Bernarda Fink e o contratenor David Daniels nos papéis principais, e todos sob o comando de Christopher Hogwood e a Academy of Ancient Music. Esta gravação ganhou o “Editor´s Choice” de 2001 da prestigiosa revista “Grammophone”. O texto abaixo é retirado da wikipedia:

Rinaldo was the first opera Handel produced for London and the first Italian opera composed specifically for the London stage. It was first performed at the Queen’s Theatre in The Haymarket on 24 February 1711. It was a great success thanks in part to the participation of two of the leading castrati of the era, Nicolo Grimaldi and Valentino Urbani. The strains of financing its grand production, however, resulted in liens from the unpaid craftsmen, and the Lord Chamberlain’s office revoked the impresario Aaron Hill’s license nine days after the opening of Rinaldo.
The pastoral idyll of the plot (Armida’s hate for the crusaders turned into love for one crusader, Rinaldo) appealed to many Baroque artists; see also List of operas set in the Crusades. The libretto was initially written in some form by Aaron Hill, who had taken up the management of the Queen’s Theatre for the season 1710–11, and translated into Italian by Rossi, as opera seria in any other language was unthinkable on the London stage. The extent of Hill’s involvement is disputed: in modern terms it might be said that he provided the “treatment” of Tasso’s poem. Hill provided a preface to the published libretto, outlining his artistic purposes, which were to add to recently heard imported Italian operas, which, however, had been “compos’d for Tastes and Voices, different from those who were to sing and hear them on the English Stage” and to provide the features that London audiences had come to expect “the Machines and Decorations, which bestow so great a Beauty on their Appearance”, which had their London origins in the Restoration spectaculars, or “machine plays”. He hoped therefore “to fill the eye with more delightful Prospects, so to give Two Senses equal pleasure’”. Musicologist Anthony Hicks writes, “In essence he wanted to re-create the spectacular stage effects which had been a feature of the semi-operas of the previous decade (notably Purcell’s King Arthur) while allowing the music to take the new Italian form dominated by solo arias connected by recitative.”
The opera was revived in each of the next three years with various changes of cast and consequent revisions, although detailed information has not survived. Librettos for later revised versions performed in 1717 and 1731 do, however, exist.

Synopsis

At the time of the First Crusade, forces led by Goffredo (Godfrey of Bouillon) are laying siege on Jerusalem which is under the rule of the Saracen king Argante. Aiding Goffredo are his brother Eustazio and Goffredo’s daughter Almirena, who is in love with the knight Rinaldo. But Rinaldo is taken hostage by Armida, Argante’s ally, who is the Queen of Damascus and a powerful enchantress.

Act 1

The Christian camp outside the gates of Jerusalem. Rinaldo, a knight, reminds Goffredo, the captain general of the Crusade force, that Goffredo promised him the hand of his daughter Almirena, if the city is conquered. Armida, Queen of Damascus, enchantress and mistress of Argante, the Saracen king of Jerusalem, arrives in a fiery chariot and tells him that they will only conquer the city if Rinaldo is detached from the Christian army. In a grove, Almirena and Rinaldo affirm their love. Armida leads Almirena away. When Rinaldo resists, the women are carried away in a black cloud and Rinaldo is devastated. Goffredo and his brother Eustazio enter and the latter advises consulting a hermit to defeat Armida. Rinaldo calls on tempests to help him.

Act 2

On a seashore, amid mermaids, Rinaldo and Goffredo complain about how far they must travel to find the hermit. Eustazio tells them they are close to their destination. Rinaldo is lured into a boat by a spirit in the form of a lovely woman who tells him Almirena has sent her. His companions are unable to prevent him entering the boat. In Armida’s enchanted palace garden, Argante makes advances to Almirena, saying he can prove his love by breaking Armida’s spell. She pleads to be left alone. Armida is pleased at Rinaldo’s capture and offers him her love. When he refuses, she changes her appearance to that of Almirena. Taken in at first, he is furious when the deception is revealed. On Argante’s arrival, she again changes her appearance which only exposes his affection for Almirena. She calls for revenge.

Act 3

The hermit’s cave at the bottom of a mountain with a palace at the top. The hermit-magician tells Goffredo and Eustazio that Rinaldo and Almirena are prisoners in the palace. The Christians’ first attempt to release them is repelled by ‘ugly’ spirits, they escape back to the cave and the magician gives them special wands to conquer witchcraft. They strike the palace gates, the mountain disappears, leaving Goffredo and Eustazio clinging to the sides of a huge rock in the middle of the sea. Armida tries to stab Almirena, Rinaldo draws his sword but is restrained by spirits. His companions arrive and use their wands to transform the garden into the area near the city gate at Jerusalem. They are reunited with Rinaldo. Armida again tries to stab Almirena, Rinaldo attacks her and she vanishes. Argante and Armida are reconciled. The armies prepare to fight. The Christians win, thanks to Rinaldo. Argante and Armida are captured and profess the Christian faith. Almirena and Rinaldo are united.

O Libretto da ópera pode ser encontrado aqui . Aviso: texto original em italiano, sem tradução nem para o inglês.

CD 1
1. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Ouverture
2. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Delle nostre fatiche
3. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Sovra balze
4. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Signor, già dal tuo senno David Daniels
5. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Combatti da forte
6. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Questi saggi consigli
7. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Ogn’indugio
8. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Signor, che delle stelle
9. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Sulla ruota di fortuna
10. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Sibilar gli angui d’Aletto
11. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Goffredo, se t’arrise
12. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: No, no, che quest’alma
13. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Infra dubbi di Marte
14. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Vieni, o cara Gerald Finley
15. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Furie terribili Luba Orgonasova
16. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo ed Accompagnato: Come a tempo giungesti
17. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Molto voglio
18. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Augellette, che cantate
19. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Adorato mio sposo
20. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Duetto: Scherzano sul tuo volto
21. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Al valor del mio brando Luba Orgonasova
22. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Prelude
23. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Cara sposa
24. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Ch’insolito stupore
25. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Cor ingrato
26. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Io all’ora impugno il brando
27. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Col valor, colla virtù
28. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Recitativo: Di speranza un bel raggio
29. Rinaldo / Act 1 – Aria: Venti, turbini

CD2

1. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Siam prossimi!
2. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: A quei sassa bramato
3. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Per raccor d’Almirena
4. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria a 2: Il vostro maggio
5. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Qual incognita forza
6. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Il Tricerbero umiliato David Daniels
7. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Signor, strano ardimento!
8. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Scorta rea di cieco amore
9. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Ciò fu indegna
10. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Mio cor
11. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Armida dispietata!
12. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Lascia ch’io pianga
13. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Ah! Sul bel labbro Amore
14. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Basta che sol tu chieda
15. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Cingetemi d’allori
16. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Perfida, un cor illustre
17. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Duetto: Fermati!
18. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Crudel, tu ch’involasti
19. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Abbrucio, avvampo e fremo
20. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo accompagnato: Dunque i lacci d’un volto
21. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Ah! Crudel!
22. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Riprendiam d’Almirena
23. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Recitativo: Adorata Almirena
24. Rinaldo / Act 2 – Aria: Vo’far guerra

CD 3

1. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Quivi par che rubella
2. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: La causa che vi spinge
3. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Sinfonia
4. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Qui vomita Cocito
5. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Aria e Recitativo: Andate, o forti
6. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Mori svenata
7. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Nella guardata soglia
8. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Aria: Sorge nel petto
9. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Al trionfo s’affretti
10. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Aria: E un incendio
11. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Chiuso fra quelle mura
12. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Per fomentar lo sdegno
13. Rinaldo / Act 3 – March
14. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: In quel bosco si strali
15. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Duetto: Al trionfo del nostro furore
16. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Di quel strani accidenti
17. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Aria: Bel piacere
18. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Signor, l’oste nemica
19. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Aria: Di Sion nell’alta sede
20. Rinaldo / Act 3 – March
21. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Se ciò t’è in grado, O Prence
22. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Aria: Or la tromba
23. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Miei fidi, ecco là un campo
24. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Magnanimi campioni
25. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Aria: Sola del brando
26. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Battaglia
27. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Goffredo, ecco il superbo
28. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Recitativo: Ecco, german, la cruda
29. Rinaldo / Act 3 – Coro: Vinto è sol dalla virtù

Bernarda Fink – Goffredo
Cecilia Bartoli – Almirena
David Daniels – Rinaldo
Eustazio – Daniel Taylor
Argante – Gerald Finley
Armida – Luba Organosova
Mago Cristano – Bejun Mehta
Donna Sirenna II – Ana-Maria Rincón
Sirena I – Catherine Bott
Un araldo – Mark Padmore

The Academy of Ancient Music
Christopher Hogwood

CD 1 – BAIXE AQUI – DONWLOAD HERE
CD 2 – BAIXE AQUI – DOWNLOAD HERE
CD 3 – BAIXE AQUI – DONWLOAD HERE

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