Istituto Per I Beni Musicali In Piemonte - Vivaldi Edition

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678-1741) - Griselda

Dramma per musica. Opera in three acts to a libretto originally written by Apostole Zeno, and revised by Carlo Goldoni.
The opera premiered at Teatro S. Samuele in Venice/Italy in May 1735. Finally Vivaldi succeeded to perform an opera at one of the most prestigious theaters in Venice. He wrote this opera as gift for his protegée Anna Girò, and designed the title role for her. 

Griselda, Wife of Gualtiero..............................................Marie-Nicole Lemieux (contralto)
Costanza, Princess, daughter of Griselda and Gualtiero, lover of Roberto........Verònica Cangemi (soprano)
Ottone, Noble-man of Tessaly.........................................Simone Kermes (soprano)
Roberto, Prince of Athens, lover of Costanza...................Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor)
Gualtiero, King of Tessaly...............................................Stefano Ferrari (tenor)
Corrado, Brother of Roberto, friend of Gualtiero.................Iestyn Davies (countertenor)

Ensemble Matheus, conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi

Recorded in November 2005 in Salle Surcouf, Foyer du Marin, Brest/France. Recording system original 24 bits/96Khz

Label: Naïve

Disc 1:
(2:08 min)  01. Griselda: Sinfonia - Allegro  
(2:16 min)  02. Griselda: Sinfonia - Andante  
(0:40 min)  03. Griselda: Sinfonia - Minuetto: Allegro
(0:51 min)  04. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 1 - (Gualtiero) Recitativo - Questo, o popoli, è il giorno, in cui le leggi  
(4:32 min)  05. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 2 - (Griselda, Gualtiero) Recitativo - Eccoti, sire, innanzi  
(0:39 min)  06. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 3 - (Ottone, Griselda, Gualtiero) Recitativo - Signor, or ora al porta  
(5:31 min)  07. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 3 - (Gualtiero) Aria - Se ria procella sorge dall' onde  
(2:04 min)  08. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 4 - (Griselda, Ottone) Recitativo - Ecco il tempo, in ciu l'alma  
(2:52 min)  09. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 4 - (Griselda) Aria - Brami le mie catene e mi rinfacci?  
(0:39 min)  10. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 5 - (Ottone) Recitativo - Troppo avvezza è Griselda tra le porpore e'l fasto  
(8:23 min)  11. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 5 - (Ottone) Aria - Vede orgogliosa l'onda, conosce il mar infido  
(2:52 min)  12. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 6 - (Roberto, Costanza) Recitativo - Costanza, eccoti in porto  
(1:28 min)  13. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 7 - (Gualtiero, Corrado, Roberto, Costanza) Recitativo - L'arcano in te racchiudi. È mia cura ubbidir.  
(6:12 min)  14. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 7 - (Costanza) Aria - Ritorno a lusingarmi la mia speranza infida  
(1:04 min)  15. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 8 - (Roberto, Corrado) Recitativo - German, se avevi a tormi l'amabile Costanza  
(5:31 min)  16. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 8 - (Roberto) Aria - Estinguere vorrei la fiamma ond'io sospiro  
(0:59 min)  17. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 9 - (Corrado, Griselda) Recitativo - Infelice Roberto ancor non sa  
(1:33 min)  18. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 10 - (Griselda, Corrado, Ottone) Recitativo - Misera in quante guise m'assale il crudo fato  
(0:27 min)  19. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 11 - (Griselda, Corrado) Recitativo - Ferma, t'arresta (oh Dio!) rendimi il figlio  
(3:38 min)  20. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 11 - (Corrado) Aria - Alle minacce di fiera belva  
(0:49 min)  21. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 12 - (Griselda) Recitativo - Infelice Griselda!  
(3:50 min)  22. Griselda: Atto I - Scena 12 - (Griselda) Aria - Ho il cor già lacero da mille affanni  

Disc 2:
(1:09 min)  01. Griselda: Atto II - Scena 1 - (Corrado, Costanza) Recitativo - Dimmi, come amorosa    
(3:41 min)  02. Griselda: Atto II - Scena 1 - (Corrado) Aria - La rondinella amante    
(1:13 min)  03. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 2 - (Costanza, Roberto) Recitativo - Pria che d'amar ti lasci    
(5:22 min)  04. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 2 - (Costanza) Aria - Agitata da due venti    
(0:45 min)  05. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 3 - (Roberto) Recitativo - E nel cuor di Costanza così l'antica fiamma  
(5:37 min)  06. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 3 - (Roberto) Aria - Dal tribunal d'amoren  
(0:33 min)  07. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 4 - (Griselda) Recitativo - Andiam, Griselda, andiamo    
(2:37 min)  08. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 5 - (Ottone, Griselda, Corrado) Recitativo - Ferma Griselda. (Che importuno!) Ancora torna a pregarti  
(2:55 min)  09. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 5 - (Ottone, Griselda, Corrado) Recitativo Accompagnato - Oh d'un seno infelice parto più sventurato  
(3:22 min)  10. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 5 - (Griselda) Aria - No, non tanta crudeltà  
(0:28 min)  11. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 6 - (Ottone, Corrado) Recitativo - Sprezzami quanto sai, vedrai, superba, quanto sia il mio poter  
(0:40 min)  12. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 7 - (Ottone) Recitativo - Perdonami, Griselda    
(6:44 min)  13. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 7 - (Ottone) Aria - Scocca dardi l'altero tuo ciglio    
(0:46 min)  14. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 7 - (Costanza, Roberto) Recitativo - Fuggi. Perché? Non posso senza colpa mirarti  
(2:41 min)  15. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 7 - (Roberto) Aria - Che legge tiranna    
(0:36 min)  16. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 8 - (Griselda) Recitativo - È deliquio di core o stanchezza di pianto  
(1:09 min)  17. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 8 - (Griselda) Aria - Sonno, se pur sei sonno    
(2:28 min)  18. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 9 - (Costanza, Griselda) Recitativo - Sola sebben mi lasci, non rimango, Roberto.  
(1:43 min)  19. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 10 - (Gualtiero, Costanza, Griselda) Recitativo - De' tuoi bei sguardi, o cara, indegno è troppo  
(0:59 min)  20. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 11 - (Corrado. Gualtiero, Costanza, Griselda) Recitativo - Avvisato che Otton ver questa parte    
(7:07 min)  21. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 11 - (Gualtiero) Aria - Tu vorresti col tou pianto    
(0:56 min)  22. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 12 - (Griselda, Ottone) Recitativo - Ecco Otton: sola, inerme, che far posso?  
(0:42 min)  23. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 13 - (Gualtiero, Griselda, Ottone) Recitativo - L'impone il re? Sei troppo fido, Ottone.  
(0:29 min)  24. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 14 - (Griselda, Gualtiero, Costanza) Recitativo - Qual grazie posso?  
(4:46 min)  25. Griselda: Atto II - Scene 14 - (Terzetto) Non più regina ma pastorella  

Disc 3:
(1:25 min)  01. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 1 - (Roberto, Costanza) Recitativo - Risoluta è quest'alma  
(1:06 min)  02. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 2 - (Griselda, Corrado, Roberto, Costanza) Recitativo - E per sempre vi unisca    
(2:29 min)  03. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 3 - (Gualtiero, Griselda, Corrado, Roberto, Costanza) Recitativo - Griselda. (Il re!) (Son morto) Perché tu sì sdegnosa?  
(3:35 min)  04. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 3 - (Griselda) Aria - Son infelice tanto    
(0:58 min)  05. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 4 - (Roberto, Costanza, Gualtiero, Corrado) Recitivo - Temo. Pavento. Eh, non estingua adesso  
(3:19 min)  06. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 4 - (Roberto) Aria - Moribonda quest'alma dolente    
(0:33 min)  07. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 5 - (Costanza) Recitativo - Posso Roberto amar?  
(7:41 min)  08. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 5 - (Costanza) Aria - Ombre vane, ingiusti orrori    
(1:23 min)  09. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 6 - (Gualtiero, Ottone) Recitativo - L'empio s'accosti. Forse dall'amor  
(4:13 min)  10. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 6 - (Ottone) Aria - Dopo un'orrida procella    
(0:38 min)  11. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 7 - (Gualtiero) Recitativo - Soffri Griselda ancora sin che giunga per te giorno felice  
(2:28 min)  12. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 7 - (Gualtiero) Aria - Sento che l'alma teme    
(0:32 min)  13. Griselda: Atto III - Scena 8 - (Griselda) Recitativo - Ministri, accelerate l'apparato e la pompa  
(5:04 min)  14. Griselda: Atto III - Scena Ultima - (Tutti) Griselda. Altro non manca    
(0:52 min)  15. Griselda: Atto III - Scena Ultima - (Coro) Imeneo, che se' d'amore dolce ardor    

Customer Review:
A Sensational Opera in a Stupendous Performance, January 22, 2007
By J Scott Morrison

I am not generally a major fan of baroque opera -- call me a Philistine! -- but I've been hooked by the spate of releases from the French label, Naïve, which, when it is finished, will present in 100 CD sets all of Vivaldi's works found in his music library at his death. And this includes all 49 of his operas! I was intrigued by this one because it tells the tale of 'patient Griselda' whose story comes down to us from folklore as retold in Bocaccio's Decameron and, more familiarly, in the 'Clerk's Tale' from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. It's the story of a wife who displays incredible patience in the face of the many cruel tests of her loyalty that her husband puts her through. No need to retell that story here -- except to say that Vivaldi and his librettist Apostolo Zeno (with some revision by Carlo Goldoni) soften the villainy of the husband, Gualtiero.

The music Vivaldi provides is really more a showcase for some incredible singing and abundantly satisfying music. And that is in this performance in abundance. There is some almost superhuman coloratura on display here, and there is not a single weak performance. Outstanding in the title role is the rising Canadian mezzo (although she's listed in the booklet as a contralto), Marie-Nicole Lemieux. I've been quite impressed by her recordings, mostly on Canadian labels, with the exception of the one that featured music by Brahms. Lemieux is definitely more suited to baroque music and here she is simply sensational. Her 'Brami le mie catene' in Act I is a real showpiece with sudden starts and stops, dramatic outbursts alternating with meltingly beautiful cantilena. Just as fine is her Act II scena, 'No, non tanto crudeltà'. Argentinian soprano Verónica Cangemi as Griselda's long-lost daughter Constanza is equally superb. Her second act aria, 'Agitata a due venti', is simply stunning. Simone Kermes is excellent as Griselda's rejected suitor, Ottone, and is especially notable for her management of the awkward register shifts in her Act III showpiece, 'Dopo un'orrida procella'. Tenor Stefano Ferrari is excellent as the husband, Gualtiero, although some of the incredibly difficult fioriture in his opening aria, 'Se ria procella', almost gets away from him. Countertenor Iestyn Davies delivers Corrado's Act II 'La rondinella amante' beautifully.

All of this would less effective if it weren't for the really superb orchestra, Ensemble Matheus, under conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi's alert and sensitive guidance. The sound of the original-instruments orchestra is suitably dulcet or dramatic as required. All in all this is one of the best baroque opera recordings I've ever heard. I recommend it unhesitatingly, even for those who think they don't like baroque opera.

Album Collateral:
Comes with album art, tracklisting/info, an Italian libretto, and scans from the leaflet: interesting background info for the opera, info about cast, conductor and orchestra, and pics.

Rip-Info:
Created with EAC (secure/test/copy) in FLAC. EAC logs, cue files, and playlist are provided. Playlists generated with Playlist Creator. To listen to the opera, just click on the m3u or pls file. 
Some files needed to be renamed. Cue sheets are adjusted, and their proper function verified with EAC afterwards.

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EAC: All tracks on all 3 CDs accurately ripped. CRCs match. No errors