The term 'oratorio'
is nowadays used for a musical composition,
but originally the word referred to
a building. The priest Philip Neri began
popular services in Rome in the 1550s
in which elements of popular plays on
sacred subjects were incorporated, as
well as from the 'laudi spirituali'.
The building in which these services
took place was called 'oratory', and
Neri founded an order with the name
of 'Congregazione dell'Oratorio'. In
between the musical elements of the
services a sermon was held. The music
associated with these services took
the name 'oratorio' as well, and originally
consisted of two sections, in between
which the sermon was delivered. The
main composer of oratorios in Rome in
the 17th century was Giacomo Carissimi
(1605 - 1674). These oratorios were
rather short, and scored for only a
small number of singers and instrumentalists.
During the last quarter of the 17th
century the oratorios started to expand,
and the relationship with a religious
service gradually disappeared. The performances
often took place in secular buildings,
like the palaces of nobles and bishops.
And the solo parts were sung by singers
who usually performed in operas. But
since during Lenten the opera houses
were closed the oratorios gave the singers
additional opportunities to perform,
and the audiences to hear their favourite
singers.
There is no lack of
recordings of arias from 18th century
operas. There is nothing wrong with
that kind of releases. The connection
between arias and the story of the opera
is often rather loose. Many opera stars
of those days had their favourite arias,
which they insisted on singing in almost
every opera they were performing. One
could consider a programme with opera
arias in our time as a collection of
'suitcase arias' like those of the prima
donnas of the baroque era.
But it is different
with oratorios. I take Scarlatti's oratorio
'Cain, overo Il primo omicidio' - about
the murder of Abel by his brother Cain
- as an example. A line like "Why murmurs
the stream, why rustle the leaves" (the
aria "Perchè mormora il ruscello")
could find a place in many operas. But
the aria "Mascheratevi ò miei
sdegni" in which Cain sings "My father
may hate me and God despise me, fratricide
and traitor" only makes sense when its
context is explained.
I believe that a recital
programme should be enjoyed without
having to read a synopsis of the oratorio
in the booklet first. From this perspective
this programme is rather unsatisfying.
I also wonder why only
arias have been chosen from oratorios
which have been recorded before, sometimes
even more than once (I know at least
four recordings of Vivaldi's 'Juditha
triumphans'). Over the years Italian
ensembles have surprised us with unknown
repertoire - among them oratorios -
which were hidden in the archives. And
I am sure there is more valuable repertoire
never performed and recorded before.
It is a shame the musicians haven't
used their creativity to present something
less familiar than we get on this disc.
As far as the performance
is concerned: the recording does start
well enough. The two arias from Zelenka's
oratorio are sung and played quite well.
The contrast between the two sections
of the aria "A che riserbano" is done
full justice. But after a while the
singing and playing becomes monotonous:
Matthew White's voice isn't very colourful,
and there is a lack of differentiation
between the arias, in particular those
from Scarlatti's oratorio. The interpretation
by Matthew White and Tafelmusik of the
last aria on this disc, "Giacchè
mi tremi in seno" from Antonio Caldara's
oratorio 'La Passione di Gesù
Cristo Signor Nostro', only gives a
limited impression of its emotional
depth.
The combination of
mostly quite familiar repertoire, out
of its context, in mostly not really
satisfying performances leaves me rather
unimpressed with this recording. I really
can't see who would like to have this
disc except the hard-core fans of Matthew
White.
Johan van Veen
Tafelmusik/Jeanne Lamon 
