“The Story of Farinelli'', an event
held by the Barrocade Ensemble (music director: Amit Tiefenbrunn) taking place
in the Recanati Auditorium of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art on June 30th 2021,
attracted much interest. Joining the Barrocade Orchestra were soloists
Yigal Kaminka (recorder), mezzo-soprano Maya Amir and countertenor Alon Harari.
Addressing the audience between musical items, Alon Harari recounted the story
of Farinelli.
Farinelli was the
stage name of Carlo Maria Michelangelo Nicola Broschi, a celebrated Italian
castrato singer and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera. He was famous not
merely for his gorgeous voice, phenomenal vocal technique, musicianship and
musical connoisseurship, but also for his poise, dignity, and fine judgement of
human character. It seems, however, that “excitement” is an understatement when
referring to Farinelli’s effect on audiences throughout Europe: he was, indeed,
a superstar, with composers like Vivaldi and Handel chasing after him, with
audiences moved to tears by his singing. "One God, one Farinelli" was
the catchphrase of his London fans! Opening the Tel Aviv event, Antonio Vivaldi’s
Concerto in D Major for strings and basso continuo, RV 121, was played with
strategic dramatic pauses (Allegro molto), the calm, moving Adagio movement to
be followed by the breathless, virtuosic Allegro. It was an energizing performance,
setting the scene for what was to be an evening of interest, pizzazz and
moments of Italian-style extravagance!
An effusion of
Italian-language arias constituted the major part of the concert bill.
Addressing her audience, Maya Amir carried off arias with effortless technique,
Baroque know-how and beauty of sound, her creamy voice unforced, her expression
of emotions effective, offering attentive detail and subtle touches, all
with a natural flow of spontaneity. Her singing of “Son quai nave ch’agitata”
(I am like a storm-tossed boat), from “Artaserse” by Farinelli’s composer
brother Riccardo Broschi, was vivid, rich in melismatic passagework, appealing
and feminine, tossed off with a stylish flourish. For her performance of
Vivaldi’s effervescent “Agitata da due venti” (Shaken by two winds) from
“Griselda”, Amir appeared on stage wearing a black, glittery masquerade ball
mask, her gestures informed, her singing theatrical but never excessive.
Alon Harari’s performance of arias conjured up what we have read of Farinelli’s stage presence - the allure, magnetism, the daring and uninhibited showmanship enlisted to excite audiences and highlight the melodrama of Italian opera texts. Wearing a red mask and black elbow-length gloves added dash to his stirring rendition of “Fammi combattere” (Let me fight) from Handel’s “Orlando”, as he captured the audience in his gaze. Nicolo Porpora’s “Quai turbine che scende” (What a whirlwind that descends on the hideous slope) from “Germanico in Germania” swept up the audience with Harari’s action-packed, brilliant performance of this ambitious opera showpiece. For Vivaldi’s tender love-song from “Orlando Furioso “Sol da ten io dolce amore” (Only from you, my sweet love, Harari is joined by Yigal Kaminka (recorder). The teasingly slow aria, sung right after the knight Ruggiero swallows a love potion and instantly fixates on the sorceress Alcina, features striking counterpoint between flute obbligato and the vocal part. Kaminka’s playing was little short of extraordinary, his fast runs and fluttering effects flitting agilely through the aria’s fiendishly tortuous passages.
In lyrical and balanced
interweaving, Amir and Harari’s lovely, tender singing of “Io t’abbraccio” (I
embrace you), the glorious heartbreaking duet from Rodelinda (Handel), its
clash of minor seconds so perfectly evoking the pain of parting, was a
highlight of the concert, enhanced by some engaging violin obbligato playing.
Indeed, rich in orchestral colour, expression and drama, the instrumental
roles to these arias, by no means secondary; added much to the evening’s
enjoyment and vivacity.
A hiatus from the bold
world of Italian opera, but not from the buzz and exhilaration in the air of
the Recanati Auditorium, was rendered by singer/oboist/recorder player Yigal
Kaminka. When Kaminka appeared on stage with a sopranino recorder, the audience
was in for something very different from a school recorder recital. Of the
approximately 500 concertos Vivaldi composed for various solo instruments,
three are for “flautino” and orchestra. Vivaldi must have had an extraordinary
player in mind when composing the Flautino Concerto in C Major, RV 443, its
solo role more virtuosic and demanding than much of Vivaldi's woodwind
writing! Issuing the opening ritornello in with an incredible display of
agility, Kaminka played the Allegro movement with dazzling technical prowess,
joy and a good dose of whimsy. Giving each phrase shape and life, his playing
of the Largo movement was eloquent, singing and imaginatively ornamented. As to
the final Allegro molto, Kaminka had listeners perched at the edge of their
seats as he took on board its decorative trills, arpeggios and rapid triplet
figurations, these interrupted only by brief passages from the main body of the
orchestra to allow him to pause for breath.
Alon Harari is a fine
story teller. Summing up Farinelli’s life, he spoke of the end of Farinelli’s
life, emphasising the singer’s compassion, generosity and honourable character.
The Tel Aviv event closed on a somewhat sad note, with Maya Amir and Alon
Harari’s singing of a duet version of "Lascia ch'io pianga" from
Handel’s “Rinaldo”:
“Let me weep over my cruel fate,
And let me sigh for liberty.
May sorrow shatter
these chains,
For my torments just
out of pity.”
An evening of interest, polished performance and zest!
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