20 Mar 2007
PAISIELLO: Gli Astrologi immaginari
I never heard the 1966 live recording with Margherita Rinaldi and Paolo Montarsolo and I don’t have a clue what the sound picture is like.
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I don’t even know if that performance is complete. Maybe it’s not as this new Bongiovanni issue states “prima esecuzione integrale in tempi moderni”. Anyway, the Empress Catherine II (also known as the Great) immediately and enthusiastically endorsed the music at its première in St-Petersburg where Paisiello was chapel-master for several years at her court. He had already composed four operas when he asked for a salary increase and he argued that he at least was as good a composer as one of his predecessors (Baldassare Galuppi) had been and so should get the same amount of money. Catherine granted Paisiello his wish and lo and behold his inspiration was mightily stimulated. In three weeks time he composed this small masterpiece. There is a second reason we ought to be grateful to the great Catherine. Paisiello could be a little bit tedious as is proven by his Il Barbiere di Siviglia where a few times the inspiration runs dry. The Empress asked for an entertainment that wouldn’t last for eternity; and Paisiello limited himself to two acts and one hour and a half of music. The opera was regularly repeated for the Empress and soon found its way to Italy, France and Germany. The mature Mozart even used one of Giuliano’s arias to compose ‘Sechs Variationen in F über die arie Salve tu, Domine’ (KV 398). High praise indeed from the master and I’m sure that anyone unknowingly hearing the score will attribute it to the young Mozart of La finta giardiniera. The music is charming and even more melodious than some early operas of the master of Salzburg. I caught myself humming a few phrases after a first listening and I’ve got a feeling the Empress Catherine probably had the same reaction after the first performance.
If there is a small problem, it lies with some of the singers as the conducting is lively and brings out the strong points of the score. Stefania Donzelli who has a lot of arias and duets to sing sounds very convincing but the voice is a bit too harsh, too steely in the old Italian provincial custom of the leggiero. It has the necessary kittenishness but lacks warmth and sweetness. Kathy Battle would have been ideal in the role. Tiziana Spagnoletta has a vibrato which will not please many Anglo-Saxon listeners; indeed eve for Mediterranean ears it is probably too intruding. The men are better. Mauro Utzeri sings with authority though he is not too fluent in his coloratura and I presume Montarsolo did better in this music. Donato Di Gioia (the higher baritone of the two men) doesn’t put a foot wrong though his voice is less attractive. If you like young Mozart you will be agreeably surprised by this issue.
Jan Neckers