Search - Giovanni Paisiello, Hans-Ludwig Hirsch, Munich Radio Orchestra :: Giovanni Paisiello: La Serva Padrona

A delightful little gem

R. Broadhead | Southwestern USA | 06/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"La Serva Padrona by the Napolitan composer Giovanni Paisiello is really a delightful little gem. Written in 1781 while the composer was in the service of the court in St Petersburg, the opera was written to celebrate the wedding anniversery of the Grand Duke Alexander.



This music can perhaps be described as a "chamber opera". There are only two soloists, Serpina (sung by soprano Jeanne Marie Bima) and Uberto (sung by bass Petteri Salomaa). There is no chorus and the orchestra is small, consisting of a few strings, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, and 2 English horns. A pianoforte accompanies the recessatives. In this recording the Muncher Rundfunkorchester is conducted by Hans Ludwig Hirsch, who also plays the pianoforte.



I would not have thought that an opera with only two singers would work, but Paisiello pulled it off brilliantly. For the most part, arias sung either by the soprano or the bass and duets sung by both alternate with recessatives. The music is absolutely delightful with gorgeous melodies. The small orchestra provides a full-bodied sound. The sound quality on this recording is excellent and the singers are very good with clear, rich voices.



If you are looking for an opera that is the exact opposite of "grand opera", consider La Serva Padrona.



Oh, and what's the opera about? I don't have the foggiest idea except that it appears to be some sort of comedy. The pamphlet that accompanies the recording has a nice synopsis (in English, German, French, and Italian) of the circumstances surrounding Paisiello's composition and also has the libretto in Italian, but neglects to give even the most basic explanation of the storyline. Despite my ignorance of the story line, I still really like this CD. It is delightful music."