Istituto Per I Beni Musicali In Piemonte - Vivaldi Edition
opere teatrali volume 7
tesori del piemonte volume 30

The Istituto per i beni musicali in Piemonte has undertaken the task to record the over 450 pieces from Vivaldi's personal manuscript library, that was discovered at the National University Library in Turin/Italy. These recordings are being made with renowned accredited musicians in the field of historically informed performances.

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678-1741) - Arie per basso

(Arias for bass)

Vivaldi wrote a lot of pieces for low voices and instrumental registers, which his contemporaries often neglected. This is a collection of some beautiful bass arias from the operas from Vivaldi's manuscript library. Lorenzo Regazzo has a rich and full bass voice. I have heard him sing in a lot of Vivaldi opera recordings. Lorenzo Regazzo, conductor Rinaldo Alessandrini, and musical consultant Frédéric Delaméa worked together on reconstructing some of the arias from different sources.

Concerto Italiano, conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini

Recorded in May 2005 in the Auditorium of the Accademia Santa Celcilla, Rome/Italia
Label: Naïve

01. (1:40 min)  Arie per basso: Armida al campo d'Egitto, RV 699-A (Venezia, carnevale 1718): Sinfonia - Allegro
02. (1:15 min)  Arie per basso: Armida al campo d'Egitto, RV 699-A (Venezia, carnevale 1718): Sinfonia - [...]
03. (0:37 min)  Arie per basso: Armida al campo d'Egitto, RV 699-A (Venezia, carnevale 1718): Sinfonia - Allegro
04. (0:37 min)  Arie per basso: Armida al campo d'Egitto, RV 699-A (Venezia, carnevale 1718): Sinfonia - Atto II, Scena 16 - Recitativo (Califfo) (reconstructed by Rinaldo Alessandrini)
05. (5:02 min)  Arie per basso: Armida al campo d'Egitto, RV 699-A (Venezia, carnevale 1718): Sinfonia - Atto II, Scena 16 Aria (Califfo) Chi alla colpa fà tragitto

06. (0:33 min)  Arie per basso: Tito Manlio, RV 738-A (Mantova, carnevale 1719): Atto I, Scena 2 Recitativo (Tito)
07. (2:55 min)  Arie per basso: Tito Manlio, RV 738-A (Mantova, carnevale 1719): Atto I, Scena 2 Aria (Tito) Se il cor guerriero

08. (0:29 min)  Arie per basso: Orlando furioso, RV Anh84 (Venezia, autumno 1714): Atto I, Scena 5 Recitativo (Orlando)
09. (3:12 min)  Arie per basso: Orlando furioso, RV Anh84 (Venezia, autumno 1714): Atto I, Scena 5 Aria (Orlando) Nel profondo, cieco mondo
10. (3:00 min)  Arie per basso: Orlando furioso, RV Anh84 (Venezia, autumno 1714): Atto II, Scena 15 Scena della follia (Orlando) Ah sleale, ah spergiura
11. (2:50 min)  Arie per basso: Orlando furioso, RV Anh84 (Venezia, autumno 1714): Atto II, Scena 15 (Orlando) Io ti getto elmo, ed usbergo

12. (2:34 min)  Arie per basso: Semiramide, RV 733 (Mantova, carnevale 1732): Atto III, Scena 2 Aria (Nino, versione per basso) Con la face di Megera

13. (1:52 min)  Arie per basso: Il Farnace, RV 711-D (Pavia, maggio 1731): Sinfonia - [...]
14. (1:56 min)  Arie per basso: Il Farnace, RV 711-D (Pavia, maggio 1731): Sinfonia - Andante
15. (1:21 min)  Arie per basso: Il Farnace, RV 711-D (Pavia, maggio 1731): Sinfonia - [...]
16. (0:43 min)  Arie per basso: Il Farnace, RV 711-D (Pavia, maggio 1731): Atto II, Scena 5 Recitativo (Farnace)
17. (10:46 min)  Arie per basso: Il Farnace, RV 711-D (Pavia, maggio 1731): Atto II, Scena 6 Aria (Farnace) Gelido in ogni vena

18. (3:11 min)  Arie per basso: La Silvia, RV 734 (Milano, estate 1721): Atto III, Scena 9 Aria (Faustulo) Terribile è lo Scempio (reconstructed by Rinaldo Alessandrini and Frédéric Delaméa)
19. (0:22 min)  Arie per basso: La Silvia, RV 734 (Milano, estate 1721): Atto III, Scena 6 Recitativo (Faustulo)
20. (2:48 min)  Arie per basso: La Silvia, RV 734 (Milano, estate 1721): Atto III, Scena 6 Aria (Faustulo) Fiume, che torbido

21. (1:40 min)  Arie per basso: Concerto RV 162 per archi in Si maggiore: Allegro
22. (1:14 min)  Arie per basso: Concerto RV 162 per archi in Si maggiore: Largo
23. (1:04 min)  Arie per basso: Concerto RV 162 per archi in Si maggiore: Allegro Assai

24. (0:22 min)  Arie per basso: L'Adelaide, RV 695 (Veron, carnevale 1735): Atto III, Scena 4 Recitativo (Berengario) (reconstructed by Lorenzo Regazzo)
25. (4:03 min)  Arie per basso: L'Adelaide, RV 695 (Veron, carnevale 1735): Atto III, Scena 3 Aria (Berengario) Vincerà la mia Costanza (reconstructed by Rinaldo Alessandrini and Frédéric Delaméa)

26. (3:43 min)  Arie per basso: L'Olimpiade, RV 725 (Venezia, carnevale 1734): Atto II, Scena 1 Aria (Alcandro) Or più tremar non voglio (earlier version of aria 'Se tu sprezzar pretendi')

27. (0:28 min)  Arie per basso: Tito Manlio, RV 738-A (Mantova, carnevale 1719): Atto II, Scena 7 Recitativo (Lindo)
28. (1:48 min)  Arie per basso: Tito Manlio, RV 738-A (Mantova, carnevale 1719): Atto II, Scena 7 Aria Rabbia che accendasi

Customer Review:
Perfection itself!, May 3, 2006
By Lala R.

Lorenzo Regazzo is the perfect Vivaldi bass. His coloratura technique is breathtaking - precise and fiery. His expression is feverishly passionate. His voice - sensuous, resonant, and pleasantly "covered", creates a bel canto illusion of a whole range of human sounds from an angry growl to moans and whispers, all shockingly beautiful. Regazzo's vocal ornaments are elegant and thoughtfully composed to fit both music and word. In short, very few modern singers are virtuosic enough to do this enchanting music such justice.
Notably, all aspects of Regazzo's virtuosity seem to be put entirely to the service of theatre, rendering the text believable. I have never heard such unboring recitatives before! In all the pieces the singer varies his ravishing frowning sound in his very engaging way to show conflicting sides of each character. Anger, strength as well as pathos and vulnerability are all delightfully audible. This way he turns roles into real human beings, which is a rare merit among baroque opera performers.

The album gives some room to the instrumental pieces. The orchestra (Concerto Italiano under Rinaldo Alessandrini) seems to create a very flowing but articulated atmospheric or maybe architectural background which the voice emerges from and disappears into. The music, as Regazzo notes in the booklet, feels inspired by Venice - and it shows on this recording especially, I think. The album also has a very theatrical quality partly due to the singer's style and partly because each aria is preceded with a recitative (which also nicely places the arias in context). The mood of the texts of the vocal selections is mostly somber, but the inherent optimism of Vivaldi's music, the gutsy, bright playing of the orchestra, and Regazzo's voice at once spirited, virile and full of longing makes the melancholy delicious and completely life-affirming.

This CD is great for any opera fan, and in my opinion it's a must for anyone interested in Baroque/Rococo vocal music.