Jacobs: Cavalli – Giasone (3 CD, APE)

Conductor: René Jacobs
Composer: Francesco Cavalli
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 3
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Size: 978 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Giasone, opera
Composed by Pietro Francesco Cavalli
with Gian Paolo Fagotto, Catherine Dubosc, Dominique Visse, Guy de Mey, Michael Chance, Gloria Banditelli, Harry van der Kamp, Bernard Deletre, Michael Schopper

Disc: 1
01. Giasone, opera: Sinfonia avanti il Prologo
02. Giasone, opera: Prologo
03. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 1
04. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 2: ‘Delizie, contenti’
05. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 2: ‘E così prepari alla pugna’
06. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 3: ‘Se dardo pungente’
07. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 4
08. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 5: ‘Fiero amor l’alma tormenta’
09. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 6
10. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 7: ‘Voli il tempo, se sa’
11. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scenes 8 & 9
12. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scenes 10 & 11
13. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 11: ‘O mio core’
14. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 12: ‘Godi, bella coppia’
15. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 13: ‘Lassa, che fer degg’io’
16. Giasone, opera: Act I, Scene 14: ‘Dell’antro magico’

Disc: 2
01. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 1
02. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 2
03. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 2: ‘Speranze fuggite’
04. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 3 – Act II, Scene 4
05. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 5
06. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 6
07. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 7: ‘Alla nave’
08. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 8
09. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 9
10. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 10
11. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 11 – Act II, Scene 12
12. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 13
13. Giasone, opera: Act II, Scene 14

Disc: 3
01. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 1
02. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 2
03. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 3
04. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 4
05. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 5
06. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 6
07. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 7 – Act III, Scene 8
08. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 9
09. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 10
10. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 13 – Act III, Scene 14
11. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 15
12. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 16
13. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 17 – Act III, Scene 18 – Act III, Scene 19 – Act III, Scene 20 – Act III, Scene 21
14. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 21: ‘Regina, Egeo, amici’
15. Giasone, opera: Act III, Scene 21: ‘No ho più core’

Cavalli: Inventor of Hollywood?

Monteverdi, in typical Renaissance fashion, believed that his operas could be a revival of the tragedy as it was known to the Greeks. His student and sometime collaborator, Cavalli agreed. And further believed that the new art form could make a lot of money as well. So in his operas he developed the popular ideal of the “tragedy with a happy ending”. His Giasone is a perfect example – and a lot of fun. In this version of the mythical tale Medea gets a boyfriend and, just for fun, a dunking in the Mediterranean. There are comic characters, romantic interludes, “serious” moments, everything the mass audience of the time longed for: a lively mix of Euripides and Xena, Warrior Princess. While Monteverdi may have “invented” the Opera, Cavalli made it popular, and in the process may have invented Hollywood. This recording presents great performances of his lovely music and is true to the baffling libretto. Nearly four hours is a lot of listening but will be well-rewarded.