Samuel Mariño (male soprano)
Sopranista
La Cetra Barockorchester Basel/Andrea Marcon
rec. 2021 at Landgasthof Riehen, Switzerland
Sung texts with English translations enclosed
Reviewed as downloaded from press preview
DECCA 4852943 [58]
Less than two years ago, I reviewed a disc with arias by Handel and Gluck, sung by the for me unknown male soprano Samuel Mariño. I was quite overawed and awarded it a Recommended header. Now he is back, recently signed by the prestigious Decca label, and as before he sticks to 18th century repertoire. Mozart and Gluck are safe cards, Cimarosa is also still remembered, mainly for Il matrimonio segreto and the buffo scene Il maestro di cappella, but Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges is a rare bird – in more than one respect: He was born in the then French colony of Guadeloupe to a wealthy married planter and an African slave woman. When he was seven he was taken to France and was educated as gendarme but also took music lessons and learnt to play the violin. At the age of 24 he joined an orchestra, after two years he became concert master and soon he was appointed conductor and started composing. All the time he also was a successful fencer! He is best known today for being the first known composer of African heritage.
Having heard Samuel Mariño’s debut disc I was naturally keen to hear his new disc, and I can honestly say that I was just as impressed as I was the first time. It was fascinating to hear Cherubino sung by a male singer. Bright-toned, girlish timbre, very beautiful – but can I really hear that it is a man? Che faro in soprano pitch – is that only a gimmick? No, this is from a rarely heard Le feste d’Apollo, written for a wedding in Parma and a castrato soprano named Giuseppe Millico. The two arias from Il re pastore are elegantly sung, and in the best-known of them, L’amerò, sarò costante, he demonstrates his superb trill and his pianissimo in the highest reaches.
Domenico Cimarosa became enormously popular during his lifetime and composed around 80 operas, most of them comic operas, but Gli Orazi e i Curiazi is a tragic one, and I can understand that Mariño likes to sing this aria. It is really attractive. And so is of course Sesto’s Deh per questo istante solo from La clemenza di Tito. Everything from this opera is masterly, and it is a pity it isn’t performed as often as it should be. The problem is that it is a return to the old Neapolitan tradition that already belonged to the past.
Joseph Bologne, with the imposing surname Chevalier de Saint-Georges, wrote six operas, that unfortunately have been lost, except L’Amant anonyme. The tripartite overture is well-written with a slow mid-section as a resting point between the lively outer-movement. Note that the three movements are separately banded, which the track-list doesn’t indicate. There the overture is allotted track 7 only but in practice it is tracks 7-9. The first aria, Son amour, sa constance extreme, tests the upper register of the singer and there are two notes at the end of the aria that are more cried out than properly sung. The second aria is also a touchstone, but here he manages better.
Mitridate, re di Ponto was an early operatic success. He conducted it himself at Carnival in Milan on 26 December and it ran for 21 performances. Mozart was 14 at the time! Remarkable indeed. The aria is also remarkable. For the final number we return to Cimarosa and Oreste. The aria is lively and dramatic and is a glorious demonstration of Samuel Mariño’s exceptional vocal capacity. This aria is a world-premiere recording, just as the two arias by Joseph Bologne.
Those who acquired Samuel Mariño’s debut album will know what to expect and will immediately place their orders. Those who didn’t are advised to do likewise – and why not search out the debut album as well?
Göran Forsling
Contents
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Le nozze di Figaro:
Voi che sapete
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Le feste d’Apollo:
Che farò senza Euridice?
Mozart
Il re pastore:
Aer tranquillo e di sereni
L’amerò, sarò costante
Domenico Cimarosa
Gli Orazi e I Curiazi:
Resta in pace, idolo mio
Mozart
La clemenza di Tito:
Deh per questi istante solo
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
L’Amant anonyme:
Overture
Son amour, sa constance extrême *
Enfin une foule importune … Amour deviant moi propice *
Mozart
Mitridate, re di Ponto:
Lungi da te, mio bene
Cimarosa
Oreste:
Cara parte del mio core *
* first recordings
