Search - Tragicomedia :: Vanitas Vanitatum: Rome 1650

Mascarpone? Mostaccioli? Marazzoli?

Giordano Bruno | Wherever I am, I am. | 01/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Which one is a masterful Roman composer of the 17th Century whom you've never heard of? Yes! The answer is Marco Marazzoli, along with Domenico Mazzocchi, Virgilio Mazzocchi, Luigi Rossi, Stefano Landi, and then everyday names like Giacomo Carissimi! Makes you wonder what herbs they were using in the sugo in baroque Italy...



Seriously, Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674) is a composer of the first rank, whose oratorios, especially Jepthe, are frequently performed and recorded. Stefano Landi (1586-1639) is a major figure in the history of the operatic oratorio; the DVD of his Il Santo Alessio is a triumph of historically-informed vocal technique. Carissimi is represented on this CD by the title composition, 'Vanitas vanitatum' for five voices and instruments. Landi is represented by the devotional aria 'Superbe colli' for bass voice with instrumental continuo, sung here exquisitely by Harry van der Kamp, demonstrating why he is one of the busiest singers in Europe. Both compositions are top-notch but they are closely matched by the remaining nine works for various vocal ensembles: SA, SSS, SSATB, ATB, etc.



Vanity of Vanities! These compositions are unified in this performance by their themes of disdain for wordly treasures and of preparation for mortality. Musical memento mori, they are, yet they embody the great paradox of baroque spiritual art: seldom have the despised vanities been so alluring! Penitence came wrapped in velvet and sung with orgiastic beauty in the musical salons of baroque Rome. Luigi Rossi's madrigalesque oratorio 'Ergi La Mente Al Sole' - a dialogue between an earth-bound soul and the Sun - is particularly mellow in its rejection of wordly distractions. Still, these are all compositions of the highest expressive religiosity; as I must have said in other reviews a hundred times, religion makes great music.



The real cause for penitence here is that this CD was recorded in 1995 - more than 13 years ago - and I've waited this long to discover it! And I've known the director of the ensemble Tragicomedia personally for a lot longer, as a very fine lutenist. I underestimated the possibility of his assembling an ensemble of this quality. It wasn't until I heard Tragicomedia's recording of the Monteverdi Vespers that I began to pay proper attention. That Vespers recording is one of the three best ever, and this CD of smaller works matches any performance of comparable music on the market. Roll over, Alessandrini, and tell Biondi the news! Steve Stubbs has got himself a band!



The continuo players of Tragicomedia are: Emmanuelle Haim, harpsichord/organ; Erin Headley, gamba/lirone; Sioghan Armstrong, double harp; and Stubbs himself, archlute/guitar. Violinists Ursula Weiss and Milos Valent perform brilliant obbligato passages on six of the CD tracks. The singers are: sopranos Barbara Borden, Suzie Le Blanc, Stephanie Möller; alto Steve Dugardin; tenor John Elwes; bass Harry van der Kamp. They're universally excellent. The second Rossi piece, 'O Si Quis Daret Concentum' for all three sopranos, is a precious jewel of vocal technique.



Don't wait 13 years, or even 13 days, before you hear this glorious performance. It's my second "must buy" selection of 2009."

Truly beautiful

Daniel Vicente Carrillo | Barcelona, Spain | 05/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm devoted to sacred music. I especially love middle Baroque for its stylistic maturity and poetic eloquence. As you can imagine, I have nothing but a deep admiration for Italian and German masters of this period such as Carissimi or Schütz. If you share a similar musical taste, you won't be disappointed by this stupendous CD consecrated to Roman School (circa 1.650). The music displayed here is bright, elegant and sublime from the beginning until the end. Just flawless, at least from my amateurish point of view. I vividly recommend it."