This album of Baroque cantatas and chamber duets grew out of a 2007 performance of Stefano Landi's 1631 opera "Il Sant'Alessio" starring Philippe Jaroussky and Max Emanuel Cencic (among the eight countertenors in the cast) with William Christie conducting Les Arts Florissants. (An excellent DVD of the performance is available on Virgin Classics.) Christie was so impressed with the blend of Jaroussky and Cencic's voices that he brought them together to explore the vast and rarely performed repertoire of late 17th and early 18th century Italian duets for equal voices. The duetti da camera and chamber cantatas were a wildly, widely popular entertainment, especially during ...
This album of Baroque cantatas and chamber duets grew out of a 2007 performance of Stefano Landi's 1631 opera "Il Sant'Alessio" starring Philippe Jaroussky and Max Emanuel Cencic (among the eight countertenors in the cast) with William Christie conducting Les Arts Florissants. (An excellent DVD of the performance is available on Virgin Classics.) Christie was so impressed with the blend of Jaroussky and Cencic's voices that he brought them together to explore the vast and rarely performed repertoire of late 17th and early 18th century Italian duets for equal voices. The duetti da camera and chamber cantatas were a wildly, widely popular entertainment, especially during the tenures of Popes who forbade performances of opera; among the six composers represented on this disc, Bononcini wrote over 300 and Marcello 82, so the total number written and performed during this period must be staggering. Christie is absolutely correct: the blend of these two particular voices is ravishing. They have different characters and are easily distinguished from one another, but Jaroussky and Cencic both stand out among the very finest exemplars of the extraordinarily fine crop of counter tenors that has come to prominence since the turn of the century. Cencic's voice may be the purer and Jaroussky's the more colorful, but both have irreproachable technique; intelligent, nuanced musicianship; and together there is undeniable vocal chemistry. The music itself is delightful; the composers for the most part are not among the most renowned of the era, but they are masters of writing music that makes voices sound gorgeous together. This is largely pastoral music and the vocal lines are intertwined with beguiling sensuality. Each singer also performs a solo cantata. Christie, playing harpsichord or organ, leads a group of five players, made up of two violins, cello and theorbo/lute in lively, sensitive accompaniment. The sound is beautifully clean, warm, and balanced. Strongly recommended; a terrific find for fans of Baroque vocal performance of the highest order. It's easy to imagine that these performances could even make converts of listeners who have never been especially fond of countertenors.
Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked,
or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to
Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original
and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you
and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not
violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help
ensure that your review can be posted.
Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13
We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer.
However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or
to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.
What to exclude from your review:
Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the
information on the product page, please send us an email.
Reviews should not contain any of the following:
- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation
Reminder:
- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its
sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the
review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly
those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com
also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend
Create a Pen Name
Welcome, penname
You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.
Editorial Reviews
All Music Guide - Stephen Eddins
This album of Baroque cantatas and chamber duets grew out of a 2007 performance of Stefano Landi's 1631 opera "Il Sant'Alessio" starring Philippe Jaroussky and Max Emanuel Cencic (among the eight countertenors in the cast) with William Christie conducting Les Arts Florissants. (An excellent DVD of the performance is available on Virgin Classics.) Christie was so impressed with the blend of Jaroussky and Cencic's voices that he brought them together to explore the vast and rarely performed repertoire of late 17th and early 18th century Italian duets for equal voices. The duetti da camera and chamber cantatas were a wildly, widely popular entertainment, especially during ...