Alessandro Scarlatti - Intermezzi / Pericca e Varrone, Leonzio ed Eurilla / Bernadett Wiedemann, Laszlo Jekl / Savaria Baroque Orchestra on period instruments, Pal Nemeth / Hungaroton Classic Audio CD 2009 Stereo / HCD32563

UPC 5991813256324

Product Details:

Tracklist:

1. Oh, Me Infelice. 0:40
2. Se v'é Alcun. 2:36
3. Pur Alfine t'ho Giunto. 1:52
4. Pria Di Patire. 2:30
5. Oh Che Pena, Oh Che Impiccio. 3:22
6. Che Cosa Gustosa. 2:53
7. Non Parii? Non Rispondi?. 0:26
8. Che Vuoi ch'io Ti Dica. 1:34
9. Molto t'impegni a Un Tratto. 0:39
10. Són Lieto e Gustoso. 2:54
11. Vo Cercando Occassione. 3:23
12. Se Mai Tu Sarai Mia Sposa Gradita. 1:22
13. Amici, Sate Iá. 4:25
14. Col Bastone Ad Un Pár Mio?. 1:18
15. Eh, Via Non Tanta Coliéra. 0:28
16. II Ciglio Serena. 1:28
17. Cara, Del Labbro Tuo. 0:41
18. Quel Labbro Vermiglio. 3:14
19. Oh, Che Cosa Graziosa. 1:03
20. Ritornello. 0:43
21. Oh, Sciocco! Oh Sciagurato!. 0:15
22. Che Bel Movimento. 1:13
23. Va Bene! Va Bene.... 0:30
24. Non Serve La Testa. 1:42
25. Oh Chi Sará Mai Questa. 4:31
26. III Tuo Gran Merito. 3:36
27. E dov'é Mai dAmilcare La Sposa?. 3:01
28. Finiscila, Ragazza. 0:56
29. Dá Fine AI Disprezzo. 1:01
30. Ricordati Bene.... 0:54
31. Son Smarrito. 3:50
32. Su Dunque, Mia Sposa. 2:26
33. Che Cerchi Mai Tu Tanto?. 0:58
34. Non é Una Pazzia. 2:00
35. Ahi Detto! Ahi Detto 0:15
36. Non é Una Pazzia. 1:43
37. Per Me Lo Dici?. 0:33
38. Dal Cupo Averno. 1:18

Editorial Review:

The comic operatic intermezzo sometimes seems to have sprung into being fully developed with Pergolesi's sparkling La Serva Padrona in the 1720s, but the practice of inserting a little comic scene between the acts of a serious work went back to the early days of opera and even before. This Hungarian release brings together a pair of intermezzi by Alessandro Scarlatti that have completely vanished from view. Neither is on the level of La Serva Padrona; Pericca e Varrone drags the flirtation out a bit too long, while Leonzio ed Eurilla cuts it off with a sharp ending that doesn't quite come off (situation comedies, from Seinfeld on back in time, don't do bitterness well). But the comedy in both comes through three centuries pretty much intact, and the disc as a whole suggests that this almost unknown genre is worth further investigation. These intermezzi, as well as others in the genre, are for just two singers (which by itself ought to commend the intermezzo to college voice departments and the like). There is a soprano, conventionally a quick-witted young woman of modest origins, and a buffo bass, who is not too swift. Usually the woman's goal is marriage, but in Leonzio ed Eurilla it is humiliation for the guy. The characters may be minor figures drawn from the cast of the surrounding tragic opera. The music follows the ebb and flow of the libretto's humor closely, rather than adhering to Baroque unity of affect, and the music raises the question of how deeply what we now know as Classical style is rooted in these little comedies. The vocalists aren't top-flight singers, but do have a feeling for comedy. In all this is another fresh recording for conductor Pál Németh and his Savaria Baroque Orchestra. Booklet notes are in English, French, German, and Hungarian, but the two libretti, given complete, are in Italian, English, and Hungarian only.

More Details:

• Mezzo-soprano - Bernadett Wiedemann
• Bass - Laszlo Jekl
• Orchestra - Savaria Baroque Orchestra
• Harpsichord - Agnes Varallyay
• Conducted by - Pal Nemeth