Alessandro SCARLATTI (1660 - 1725)
Vespro della Beata Vergine
Dixit Dominus [09:56]
Laudate pueri Dominum [12:42]
Laetatus sum [02:29]
Nisi Dominus [02:51]
Lauda Jerusalem [03:18]
Ave maris stella [07:20]
Magnificat [21:11]
Roberto Fernández de Larrinoa (violone), Menno van Delft (organ)
Netherlands Chamber Choir/Harry van der Kamp
rec. 6-8 June 2007, St Augustinuskerk, Amsterdam, Netherlands. DDD
ATMA ACD2 2533 [59:46]
Musical life in Rome in the decades around 1700 was incredibly rich and varied,
and for many composers it was the place to be. On the one hand there were
operas and oratorios, with often virtuosic solo parts. These were mostly performed
in private circles. Musical practice at public occasions, on the other hand,
was much more restrained, under an ecclesiastical regimen. As a result sacred
music showed strongly conservative traits, and was often written in the stile
antico.
Alessandro Scarlatti was born in Naples where he also worked for a considerable
part of his life. He also took positions in Rome. His sacred music, including
the compositions on this disc, reflects the ideals of the ecclesiastical authorities,
which the Italian conductor Rinaldo Alessandrini describes as "a sober,
orderly style".
Although the title of this disc suggests that we have a Vesper service here,
that is not the case. There are no antiphons, and the seven pieces brought
together in this programme were not written as a unity. They are various in
scoring and texture. The first two items, Dixit Dominus and Laudate
pueri Dominum, are both for five voices - two sopranos, alto, tenor and
bass - with basso continuo. Both are divided into various sections, some of
which are scored for one to three solo voices. The next three, Laetatus
sum, Nisi Dominus and Lauda Jerusalem, are all for four voices
and bc, and neither contains passages for solo voices. The fact that Laetatus
sum contains only one verse makes it unlikely it was written for a Vesper
service.
Scarlatti's setting of Dixit Dominus is an example of the restraint
which was a feature of sacred music in Rome in his time. There are many examples
of quite dramatic settings of this text; for instance by Vivaldi and Handel.
The latter's composition dates from 1707 and was also performed in Rome. In
comparison Scarlatti is modest in his text expression. Certain words and phrases
are singled out, but a verse like "He will shatter kings on the day of
his wrath" is far away from the theatrical effects Handel would have
deployed. In Handel's compositions the singers are supported by strings and
bc, whereas Scarlatti confines himself to a basso continuo part.
Nisi Dominus is a rather long text, but takes less than three minutes.
It is one of the most antique and straightforward pieces in the programme.
Much more time is taken for the setting of Ave maris stella. The tempo
is slower, and Scarlatti pays much attention to the musical translation of
the text. Here we also find examples of the harmonic tension and the dissonances
which Scarlatti considered an important element of musical composition.
Harmony is also a means of expression in the last item, a setting of the Magnificat.
Here we return to the start of the programme, as it were. Like the Dixit
Dominus the Magnificat consists of tutti passages as well as episodes
for one or two solo voices. The way Scarlatti dwells on the word "misericordiae"
(mercy) is remarkable. The piece ends with the doxology, in which he writes
two successive fugues, which once again demonstrate his mastery of the polyphony
of the stile antico.
The Netherlands Chamber Choir is a professional ensemble which was founded
in the 1930s. It covers a large repertoire from all periods in music history.
It often works with specialists in various genres, like Paul Van Nevel, the
director of the Huelgas Ensemble, in early music repertoire. The sound of
the choir isn't marred by vibrato, and there is no stylistic clash between
the tutti and the solo episodes which are sung by members of the choir. Under
the direction of Harry van der Kamp, who is a former member of the choir,
they give fine performances of these pieces by Alessandro Scarlatti.
A couple of issues have to be mentioned. The delivery isn't always as clear
as one would wish, in particular in tutti passages. The basso continuo should
have been given more prominence. Sometimes it is hardly audible. Harry van
der Kamp has chosen to perform this repertoire with three singers per part.
I don't know what kind of vocal forces were common in Scarlatti's time in
Rome. It is interesting to compare the performance of the Magnificat with
that by the Concerto
Italiano under Rinaldo Alessandrini. He performs it with one voice per
part. His interpretation contains stronger contrasts between the various sections,
and the harmonic tensions are more clearly exposed than in this performance.
That could be the effect of using single voices or probably performing in
a different tuning.
This doesn't diminish my great appreciation of this recording which sheds
light on a lesser-known part of Alessandro Scarlatti's oeuvre. It makes me
curious to hear more from this source.
Johan van Veen
Fine performances of seven beautiful sacred pieces by Alessandro Scarlatti,
largely written in the stile antico.