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| Gioachino Rossini - Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo (1816) - "Liete danze" - No. 1. Prelude, Chorus & Cavatina (Juan Diego Florez)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:15:49 -0800 by LindoroRossiniAs we have already had an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with three of Rossini's cantatas, I've had a thought that uploading highlights from the present work could round out the selections."Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo" (1816) is one of the five cantatas Rossini wrote in Naples to celebrate specific events in the lives of the Bourbon monarchs of Naples and Sicily. In December, 1816, Naples was restored to the Bourbon rule after its Napoleonic domination, and Ferdinando di Borbone became King of the two Sicilies under the name Ferdinando I. He immediately began to strengthen family ties with the Bourbons of France and with the house of Austria, as ties of this sort, after the Congress of Vienna, served to consolidate the power of the restored European monarchies. Ferdinando's efforts culminated in the wedding of his son Leopoldo with a daughter of Francis I, Emperor of Austria, and of his niece Maria Carolina Ferdinanda Luigia with the French prince Charles-Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, two marriages which are the main theme of this grand celebratory cantata, centering around the wedding of the title heroes (soprano and tenor, respectively), blessed in a succession of operatic numbers by Jove (tenor), Juno (contralto), Ceres (soprano) and their retinues.Unlike the previous pieces I've posted which are more or less introverted, this cantata consisting no less than eleven pieces is a truly grand affair on all scales; the original cast was even lavishly headed by Isabella Colbran (as Ceres) and Giovanni David (as Peleo) (each of whom merits an aria) to bring the stakes even higher. As per usual, Rossini borrowed many musical ideas from earlier compositions, most famously the aria for Cerere, derived from the aria of Count Almaviva, "Cessa di piu resistere" from "Il barbiere di Siviglia".I've chosen several pieces to represent this work, grouped into two uploads: first off, the prelude, one of the choruses and the cavatina for the tenor. The short orchestral opening which opens the work is rather simple melodically (basically revolving around similarly bright and sunny passages) but utilizes an unusually rich array of musical effects (such as the passing of lines between the horn, flute, clarinet and oboe, amounting at times almost to a series of variations) and finishes with a short but brilliant example of a Rossinian crescendo. The succeeding chorus, using, rather shockingly, a melody from the introduction of "Il turco in Italia", is one of the several choral scenes and, in effect, a highlight amongst these pieces which are mostly rather unremarkable. The cavatina for Peleo, though, is wonderful and, quite possibly, one of Rossini's best: centering around the classical "David" structure (a short cantabile - cabaletta), the piece involves a suitably joyous flute obbligato and sweeping string lines as the hero celebrates his happy fortune in a ravishing andante; the cabaletta is even more immediate, predictably, graced by numerous ornaments and an ever-present chorus.Here we meet, for the first time, the gentle Peleo of Juan Diego Florez. Hope you'll enjoy :)! Related: rossini belcanto coloratura classical | |
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| Westminster Abbey Choir - GabrieliWed, 07 Jan 2009 13:46:14 -0800 by treblechoir99Westminster Abbey is steeped in more than a thousand years of history. Benedictine monks first came to this site in the middle of the tenth century, establishing a tradition of daily worship which continues to this day.The Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the final resting place of seventeen monarchs.The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245, is one of the most important Gothic buildings in the country, with the medieval shrine of an Anglo-Saxon saint still at its heart.A treasure house of paintings, stained glass, pavements, textiles and other artefacts, Westminster Abbey is also the place where some of the most significant people in the nations history are buried or commemorated. Taken as a whole the tombs and memorials comprise the most significant single collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the United Kingdom.The Library and Muniment Room houses the important (and growing) collections of archives, printed books and manuscripts belonging to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, providing a centre for their study and for research into all aspects of the Abbeys long and varied history.A Brief HistoryGiovanni Gabrieli (né en 1557, mort le 12 août 1612) était un compositeur italien.Gabrieli étudia avec son oncle, le compositeur Andrea Gabrieli, avec Orlando Lassus et fut l'assistant de Claudio Merulo. Il devint titulaire du deuxième orgue de la basilique Saint-Marc à Venise en 1584,son oncle étant titulaire du premier. En 1586, à la mort de son oncle, il lui succéda au premier orgue et reprit également le poste de compositeur principal. San Marco avait une longue tradition d'excellence dans le domaine musical et les ?uvres que Gabrieli y créa en firent l'un des compositeurs les plus réputés en Europe. Comme d'autres compositeurs avant et après lui (Monteverdi par exemple), il utilisa la particularité de la disposition de l'église, avec ses deux loges pour les ch?urs se faisant face, pour créer de saisissants effets spaciaux. Plusieurs de ses pièces sont ainsi écrites de façon à ce que l'on entende d'abord un ch?ur sur la gauche avant que le ch?ur situé à droite ne réponde.Gabrieli était un compositeur très original et est considéré comme une figure importante de la transition entre la musique de la Renaissance et la musique baroque. On trouve dans ses ?uvres les débuts de l'utilisation de la basse continue et dans sa Sonata pian e forte, quelques-unes des premières indications de nuances (c'est-à-dire des indications sur le fait de jouer plus ou moins fort).Il fut aussi l'un des premiers à utiliser des parties instrumentales à l'intérieur d'?uvres chorales. En 1597, il publia un recueil d'?uvres chorales Sacrae symphoniae qui connut le succès à travers tout le continent. Il fut aussi par la suite le professeur de compositeurs tels que Michael Praetorius et Heinrich Schütz.'Motet à8, O Domine Jesu Christe' from Sacrae symphoniae(1597) Related: westminster abbey choir boys trebles giovanni gabrieli musique sacrée | |
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