Ferdinando Paer
straddles a particularly interesting period in the composition
of opera. He was born just as Gluck's (1714-1787) 'reform' operas
were in the full bloom. Domenico Cimarosa (1749-1801) and
Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816) were also in full compositional
flow, the latter having to return from Paris to Naples at the
Bourbon Restoration following the fall of Napoleon. Paer who
had been something of a young prodigy survived the change in
politics in Paris although the income and support he had enjoyed
were considerably reduced.
Paer was born in
Parma to a family of German origin. Jeremy Commons, in an extended
and scholarly booklet essay, suggests that his godfather was
no less a person than the Grand Duke Ferdinand of Parma. Paer's
first opera was produced in Parma during the carnival season
of 1791, when he was aged 19. Later that year he was appointed
maestro di capella in Vienna where he had his first major
success with a buffa earlier seen in Parma. An honorary appointment
in Parma, with the grant of a pension by his godfather, gave
Paer the financial security that was denied Mozart seventy years
earlier and the likes of Rossini and Donizetti in the years
to follow. At least Paer put his comfortable position to good
use and by the age of 25 he had some 23 operas to his credit
and had spread his wings to take in Venice and Milan with Rome
and Florence quickly following. His works were mainly comic
in genre. In 1797 Paer became Kappelmeister in Vienna from where
he earned a reputation throughout Europe with his works now
exploring all the popular modes of the day. After becoming Kappelmeister
to the Elector of Saxony in Dresden he came to the notice of
Napoleon who took him, at age 36, to Paris as 'Composer to the
Emperor'. His appointment was notionally for life with an annual
salary of 28,000 francs a year. With his various duties in Paris,
Paer's pace of composition slackened and he lost out financially
at the fall of Napoleon. He was, however, appointed musical
director of the Paris Theatre Italien where he overlapped with
Rossini. This post-Napoleonic period in France was marked by
many artistic jealousies and it seems that Paer earned a reputation
in some quarters, but disputed in others, as a bit of a street
fighter. He was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1828 and elected
a member of the French Academy in 1832. In the following year
King Louis-Philippe appointed him his maitre de chapelle.
Given the widespread contemporary recognition of
his works, and putting aside the good fortune of the choice
of godparent, one has to wonder at the neglect of Paer's operas.
Even Opera Rara, not renowned for circumspection in respect
of the works of the primo ottocento, have not gone the whole
hog and recorded the work complete, but have selected only highlights.
After playing this one disc selection from Sofonisba many
times. not, I stress, from critical duty but from delight and
enjoyment, I ask the rhetorical question: why are Paer's works
not better known. The answer probably lies in Opera Rara's series
'A Hundred Years of Italian Opera' (ORCH 101; ORCH 103; ORCH
104). Each volume covers ten years starting in 1800 and is a
three CD set. Counting up the number of composers involved
reveals no fewer than 17 in the 1800-1810 period. Their compositions
provided the staple of the theatres of the major Italian cities.
For a whole variety of reasons many have become totally forgotten
despite any qualities their music might boast. Inevitably the
next question arises as to why Rossini and Donizetti were able
to rise above the scrambling hordes now to have their music
widely admired. My personal view is that it is not the quality
or function of genius alone. I believe they too would share
the fate of other composers of the period were it not for the
widespread success and quality of Il barbiere di Siviglia
and Lucia di Lamermoor which have kept the names of
those two alive. I suggest that without the former masterpiece,
which has never fallen into neglect, the current Rossini revival
that sees nearly 30 of his 39 works readily available on CD
or DVD would not have happened. Apart from three popular Donizetti
works, it has been the support of Patric Schmid and his team
at Opera Rara that has largely been responsible for the composer's
growing discography, mainly on CD. I do not suppose that this
recording will spark a revival of the nature that we currently
enjoy with Rossini's operas. However, on the strength of these
highlights the choice of a composition by Paer for inclusion
in Opera Rara's catalogue has been well made and has stirred
in me interest in both the composer and his operas.
The complicated details of the plot need not concern
this review. What is important is the quality of the solo singing,
that of the chorus and the conducting, which together give such
worthwhile and enjoyable insights into Paer's creation. In the
eponymous role Jennifer Larmore, as so often, gives a typical
first-rate bravura performance with her creamy tone gracing
her runs and decorations (trs. 2-3 and in particular 6). Paul
Nillon, not a regular name on Opera Rara, sings with strength
and a wide range of colour and dynamics over the exacting tessitura
(trs. 14-15). In the unusual circumstance of a soprano travesti
role, Rebecca Evans is a big surprise. Since I last heard her
high soprano live, her voice has grown; she now brings a wide
capacity for vocal colour and nuance to her tonal clarity. She
has always been a good vocal characteriser and that is evinced
in her portrayal here (trs.4-5). She and Larmore duet in unison
disturbed only by Paul Nillon's Siface, in the first part of
the act 1 finale (tr.7). In terms of melody and musical construction
this, and the following duet between Sofonisba and Siface (tr.8)
and the concluding trio for all three (tr.9), indicate a sophisticated
compositional technique allied to a creative mind. The act 2
duet between Sofonisba and Siface (trs.10-11) is more traditional
with the decorated finale particularly challenging and well
met. The lean and flexible bass voice of voice Mirco Palazzi
is heard to good effect in the ensembles whilst the vibrant
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir and the conducting of Marco Guidarini
are first rate.
A detailed synopsis is given in French, German
and English whilst Dr Commons' extended essay, like the full
libretto translation, is in the latter language only. The full
libretto has the parts included in this recording printed in
blue. Excluded parts are in black and appear to contain several
interesting scenes and arias along with what I assume are recit
passages. The booklet and CD are contained in the usual Opera
Rara quality box with the deserved insignia of: "World Premiere
Recording".
The recording and performance in this Opera Rara
issue indicate a composer who seems to me to have all the virtues
of a significant bel cantoist and one whose work is worthy of
the championing it gets in this issue.
Robert
J Farr
Sofonisba - daughter of the Carthaginian general Asdrubale, wife of
Siface and formerly betrothed to Massinissa, a bitter enemy of Romani - Jennifer
Larmore (mezzo); Siface, Sofonisba's husband - Paul Nillon (ten); Massinissa,
Sofonisba's earlier lover - Rebecca Evans (sop); Scipione, the Roman consul
in Africa - Mirco Palazzi (bass); Lilio, Scipione's lieutenant - Colin
Lee (ten); Osmida, Sofonisba's confidante - Lucy Crowe (sop)
