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2CD Composer: Antonio Vivaldi / Conductor: Fabio Biondi / Orchestra: Europa Galante / Soloist: Rolando Villazon
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Vivaldi's 1723 opera "Ercole sul Termodonte", his first to be performed in Rome, was a huge hit, pulling off what Oxford Professor of Music Reinhard Strohm described as "an aesthetic coup d'état in Roman opera". Director Fabio Bondi has attempted a reconstruction from the surviving (complete) libretto, along with various musical manuscripts scattered across Europe. He supplies full analytical notes concerning the reconstruction in the accompanying booklet. Essentially much of what we have here is a modern creation cobbled together by Bondi, filling in the gaps; normally this kind of thing, knowing that it's not quite the real deal, would bother me a little when listening, but the sheer beauty of this recording wipes away such worries.
Rolando Villazón (Ercole) for me personally has the kind of voice which belongs more properly to a later age, of Rossini and Verdi; but I can forgive this choice given the rest of the cast.
As the Amazons: Vivica Geneaux (mezzo, Antiope) is an authoritative queen; Joyce DiDonato (mezzo, Ippolita) is outstanding as a fearsome warrior princess falling in love with Teseo, delivering tender love songs; the lovely Patrizia Ciofi (soprano, Orizia) is sadly a bit underutilised in terms of the number of arias she gets; Diana Damrau (soprano, Martesia) is delightful but maybe lacks a slight edge at times.
Playing Ercole's Greek companions: Romina Basso (Teseo), billed here as a mezzo, delivers real depth like a contralto, a solid performance in the trouser role and for me probably the standout performer of this set; Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor, Alceste) is just gorgeous as always and probably my favourite performer of the moment; Topi Lehtipuu (tenor, Telamone) is more like my idea of a baroque tenor though seems to have a tendency to try to imitate Villazón at times, especially when the two of them converse in the recitative.
Bondi's direction is excellent, the ensemble "Europa Galante" combines beautifully with the vocalists, and the sound in the recording is warm and space filling.
The set comes as two discs in cardboard sleeves with sizeable accompanying booklet with notes, synopsis and libretto with translations, in English, French and German, all contained in a hinged cardboard box.
Rolando Villazón (Ercole) for me personally has the kind of voice which belongs more properly to a later age, of Rossini and Verdi; but I can forgive this choice given the rest of the cast.
As the Amazons: Vivica Geneaux (mezzo, Antiope) is an authoritative queen; Joyce DiDonato (mezzo, Ippolita) is outstanding as a fearsome warrior princess falling in love with Teseo, delivering tender love songs; the lovely Patrizia Ciofi (soprano, Orizia) is sadly a bit underutilised in terms of the number of arias she gets; Diana Damrau (soprano, Martesia) is delightful but maybe lacks a slight edge at times.
Playing Ercole's Greek companions: Romina Basso (Teseo), billed here as a mezzo, delivers real depth like a contralto, a solid performance in the trouser role and for me probably the standout performer of this set; Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor, Alceste) is just gorgeous as always and probably my favourite performer of the moment; Topi Lehtipuu (tenor, Telamone) is more like my idea of a baroque tenor though seems to have a tendency to try to imitate Villazón at times, especially when the two of them converse in the recitative.
Bondi's direction is excellent, the ensemble "Europa Galante" combines beautifully with the vocalists, and the sound in the recording is warm and space filling.
The set comes as two discs in cardboard sleeves with sizeable accompanying booklet with notes, synopsis and libretto with translations, in English, French and German, all contained in a hinged cardboard box.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Grady Harp
Format:Audio CD
Antonio Vivaldi's opera ERCOLE SU'L TERMODONTE (Hercules in Thermodon) has received one of the finest performances on record. The three act opera with libretto by Antonio Salvi was first performed in 1723 in Rome where due to a special papal edict preventing women from appearing onstage in Rome, it premiered with castrati singing all the female roles. Vivaldi was both conductor and solo violinist. In this recreation of the work, rarely heard or seen (except in the 2006 very controversial Spoleto Festival performance captured on DVD with Zachary Stains as Hercules au natural), Fabio Bondi has reconstructed the work into a critical edition and also conducts the Europa Galante and performs the solo violin parts.
According to one synopsis, 'the story is based on the ninth of twelve legendary Labors of Hercules. To atone for killing his children in wrath, Hercules must perform twelve labors, the ninth of which is to travel to Thermodon and capture the sword of the Amazon Queen Antiope. (In other versions of the story, the quest was for her magical girdle.) The Amazons were a tribe of female warriors who put all their male children to death. Hercules, accompanied by the heroes Theseus, Telamon and Alceste, attacks the Amazons and captures Martesia, daughter of the queen. The Amazons then capture Theseus and, as soon as Queen Antiope swears to sacrifice him, Martesia falls in love with him. In the end, the goddess Diana decrees the marriage of Hippolyte with Theseus, prince of Athens, and of Martesia with Telamon, king of Ithaca.'
What makes this recording so brilliant (in addition to Fabio Bondi's considerable work) is the stellar cast of singers, a cast that would be impossible to match elsewhere. Some of the finest Baroque singers of our time here capture the beauty of this piece. The members of this production are as follows, here shown with the original voices assigned by Vivaldi to the roles:
Hercules (Ercole) tenor - Rolando Villazón (in very fine voice after his vocal cord surgery)
Antiope, Queen of the Amazons mezzo-soprano castrato (en travesti) here Vivica Genaux
Martesia, Antiope's daughter, soprano castrato (en travesti) here Diana Damrau
Hippolyte, Antiope's sister soprano castrato (en travesti) here Joyce DiDonato
Orizia, Antiope's second sister, soprano castrato (en travesti) here Patrizia Ciofi
Theseus, prince of Athens, contralto castrato here Romina Basso
Alceste, king of Sparta, soprano castrato here Philippe Jaroussky
Telamone, king of Ithaca, contralto castrato here Topi Lehtipuu
It is to Biondi's credit that he was able to assemble such a stellar cast. There is not a weak voice among them, and selecting brilliant excerpts for comment would have to include arias by each of these talented artists. Villazón is surprisingly fine as Hercules, and Joyce DiDonato is a standout. Phillippe Jaroussky is the only countertenor in the ensemble and that works very well for the overall cast. Topi Lehtipuu is superb and that is mentioned only because he is less well-known in roles such as this as the stellar members Ciofi, Damrau, Genaux and Basso. In all this is a very dramatic, very surprisingly new sound for Vivaldi, proving that he not only basked in his glories but moved into new arenas of composition in this work. The entire production is without flaw. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp
According to one synopsis, 'the story is based on the ninth of twelve legendary Labors of Hercules. To atone for killing his children in wrath, Hercules must perform twelve labors, the ninth of which is to travel to Thermodon and capture the sword of the Amazon Queen Antiope. (In other versions of the story, the quest was for her magical girdle.) The Amazons were a tribe of female warriors who put all their male children to death. Hercules, accompanied by the heroes Theseus, Telamon and Alceste, attacks the Amazons and captures Martesia, daughter of the queen. The Amazons then capture Theseus and, as soon as Queen Antiope swears to sacrifice him, Martesia falls in love with him. In the end, the goddess Diana decrees the marriage of Hippolyte with Theseus, prince of Athens, and of Martesia with Telamon, king of Ithaca.'
What makes this recording so brilliant (in addition to Fabio Bondi's considerable work) is the stellar cast of singers, a cast that would be impossible to match elsewhere. Some of the finest Baroque singers of our time here capture the beauty of this piece. The members of this production are as follows, here shown with the original voices assigned by Vivaldi to the roles:
Hercules (Ercole) tenor - Rolando Villazón (in very fine voice after his vocal cord surgery)
Antiope, Queen of the Amazons mezzo-soprano castrato (en travesti) here Vivica Genaux
Martesia, Antiope's daughter, soprano castrato (en travesti) here Diana Damrau
Hippolyte, Antiope's sister soprano castrato (en travesti) here Joyce DiDonato
Orizia, Antiope's second sister, soprano castrato (en travesti) here Patrizia Ciofi
Theseus, prince of Athens, contralto castrato here Romina Basso
Alceste, king of Sparta, soprano castrato here Philippe Jaroussky
Telamone, king of Ithaca, contralto castrato here Topi Lehtipuu
It is to Biondi's credit that he was able to assemble such a stellar cast. There is not a weak voice among them, and selecting brilliant excerpts for comment would have to include arias by each of these talented artists. Villazón is surprisingly fine as Hercules, and Joyce DiDonato is a standout. Phillippe Jaroussky is the only countertenor in the ensemble and that works very well for the overall cast. Topi Lehtipuu is superb and that is mentioned only because he is less well-known in roles such as this as the stellar members Ciofi, Damrau, Genaux and Basso. In all this is a very dramatic, very surprisingly new sound for Vivaldi, proving that he not only basked in his glories but moved into new arenas of composition in this work. The entire production is without flaw. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A decade ago was the golden age of rediscovering Handel operas. These days it is Vivaldi's turn. Most record companies do not record that much new works anymore, since cd sales are declining. So we have the applaud the investment Virgin made in letting Biondi reconstruct and record this Ercole Sul Termodonte. Since he recorded Bajazet a few years ago, he is my favorite Vivaldi conductor. Impeccable orchestral playing and exemplary dramatic involvement is his trademark. The cast is one of the best you can assemble now. Rolando Villazon, Vivica Genaux and Joyce DiDonato dominate the recording: every intervention of one of these three is simply stunning. To name just two examples. I can not remember to hear a more perfect interpretation of a tenor Baroque aria than Villazon's Act 3 'Non fia della vittoria'. The beginning of Act 2 (end of cd1) brings a succession of highlights I seldom encounter, thanks to DiDonato and Genaux.
Ciofi, Damrau, Jarroussky and Lehtipuu are also very good but do not always have the best arias.
The only major problem is Romina Basso. I have never understood the success of this contralto whose voice is not particularly appealing. Moreover, she can not pronounce the 'r', which she rolls like a French 'r'. In an Italian opera this is very annoying, the r's have to roll and I just can not understand how one can bear this, especially during recitatives.
So, a great recording with one serious flaw ...
Ciofi, Damrau, Jarroussky and Lehtipuu are also very good but do not always have the best arias.
The only major problem is Romina Basso. I have never understood the success of this contralto whose voice is not particularly appealing. Moreover, she can not pronounce the 'r', which she rolls like a French 'r'. In an Italian opera this is very annoying, the r's have to roll and I just can not understand how one can bear this, especially during recitatives.
So, a great recording with one serious flaw ...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vivid and engaging
This is a great piece of music-making and of musicology. Vivaldi's opera had its libretto preserved, but the music scattered in fragments all over Europe. Read more
Published 27 days ago by J. Peacock
5.0 out of 5 stars
That operatic beauty has only one esqual, Handel.
The music is perfect and absolutely beautiful, but let me say straight away something I will not repeat: the librettist must have been on ink or pen restrictions because... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Jacques COULARDEAU
4.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent singing, for the most part!
A real star line-up, with performances from Genaux, Ciofi, diDonato and direction from Biondi to match the best in any recording of a baroque-period opera. Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2011 by N. R. J. McCaughan
5.0 out of 5 stars
what a difference
took delivery of package to-day. was very pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of the presentation of the product. Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2011 by w waddles
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