Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
Orchestra: La Cetra Basel
Conductor: Andrea Marcon
Number of Discs: 3
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Naive
Catalogue: OP8676
Release: 2025
Size: 3.48 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Arsilda, RV 700
CD 01
Sinfonia
01. Allegro
02. Andante
03. Presto
Act I
04. Scene 1: Recitativo “Questo, o populi, è il giorno” (Cisardo)
05. Scene 1: Coro “Tutto il Regno in lieta gara” (Il Popolo)
06. Scene 1: Recitativo “Figli, non men che miei vassalli” (Lisea)
07. Scene 1: Recitativo “Questa, o fidi è mia sposa” (Lisea, Nicandro, Mirinda, Cisardo, Arsilda)
08. Scene 1: Aria “L’esperto nocchiero” (Cisardo)
09. Scene 2: Recitativo “Sposa. A che tal mi chiami” (Lisea, Arsilda, Nicandro, Mirinda)
10. Scene 2: Aria “Del goder la bella speme” (Arsilda)
11. Scene 3: Recitativo “Sol di Bitinia il Prence” (Lisea, Nicandro)
12. Scene 3: Aria “Col piacer della mia fede” (Nicandro)
13. Scene 4: Recitativo “Partano i servi” (Lisea, Mirinda)
14. Scene 4: Aria “Fingi d’aver un cor” (Lisea)
15. Scene 5: Recitativo “Dunque questo che amor” (Mirinda)
16. Scene 5: Aria “Non m’è caro amar penando” (Mirinda)
17. Scene 6: Recitativo “Del sotterraneo loco” (Barzane)
18. Scene 6: Aria “Sempre piace goder il suo bene” (Barzane)
19. Scene 7: Recitativo “D’Ama la reggia è questa” (Tamese)
20. Scene 7: Aria “La tiranna avversa sorte” (Tamese)
21. Scene 8: Recitativo e Arioso “So ben’io qual pena sia” (Arsilda)
22. Scene 9: Recitativo “Ecco l’ingrata” (Barzane, Arsilda, Tamese)
23. Scene 10: Recitativo “Scoperto il tradimento” (Cisardo, Barzane)
24. Scene 10: Aria “L’esser vinto non son le mie pene” (Barzane)
25. Scene 11: Recitativo “Tutto al tuo braccio” (Arsilda, Tamese)
26. Scene 11: Aria “Perché veggio nel tuo volto” (Arsilda)
27. Scene 12: Recitativo “Dunque il cultor degl’orti” (Lisea, Cisardo)
28. Scene 12: Coro “Amoretti, vezzosetti che le fiamme” (Soldati, Ministri)
29. Scene 12: Recitativo “Prendi signor” (Cisardo)
30. Scene 12: Recitativo “O dell’adusta Lenno” (Lisea)
31. Scene 12: Recitativo “Cisardo, or già che il sacro rito” (Lisea, Cisardo)
32. Scene 13: Recitativo “Io se tu vuoi, Regina” (Nicandro, Lisea)
33. Scene 14: Recitativo “Tu Mirinda quai voti” (Lisea, Mirinda)
34. Scene 14: Aria “Porta amor una tal face” (Lisea)
35. Scene 15: Recitativo “Benché d’amor le stravaganze intesi” (Mirinda)
36. Scene 15: Aria “Io son quel gelsomino” (Mirinda)
CD 02
Act II
01. Scene 1: Recitativo “Il pastorel, che raffrenò l’ardire” (Mirinda, Lisea)
02. Scene 1: Aria “Un certo non so che” (Mirinda)
03. Scene 2: Recitativo “State lungi soldati” (Lisea, Barzane)
04. Scene 2: Aria “Ah non so se quel ch’io sento” (Barzane)
05. Scene 3: Recitativo “Arsilda ecco ne vien” (Lisea, Arsilda, Tamese)
06. Scene 3: Aria “Va superbo” (Tamese)
07. Scene 4: Recitativo “Del pastor la sembianza” (Lisea, Arsilda)
08. Scene 4: Aria “Se un cor soffrir saprà” (Lisea)
09. Scene 5: Recitativo “Sì che un tiranno sposo” (Arsilda)
10. Scene 5: Aria “Precipizio è del mio petto” (Arsilda)
11. Scene 6: Coro “Su alla caccia si gridi, alla Caccia” (Cacciatori)
12. Scene 6: Arietta “D’una cervetta” (Lisea)
13. Scene 6: Duetto “Già il prato” (Mirinda, Nicandro)
14. Scene 6: Recitativo “Ma per tua mano” (Lisea, Nicandro)
15. Scene 6: Arietta “Sù svegliatevi augelletti” (Arsilda)
16. Scene 6: “Di questi boschi” (Cisardo, Tamese, Mirinda, Arsilda, Lisea, Cacciatori)
17. Scene 6: Recitativo “Di giovanne cervetta” (Nicandro, Lisea)
18. Scene 6: Coro “Sù a la caccia si gridi” (Cacciatori, Lisea, Arsilda, Tamese, Mirinda, Nicandro, Cisardo)
19. Scene 7: Recitativo “Al geloso amor mio” (Barzane)
20. Scene 8: Recitativo “Si tenti il mio destin” (Lisea, Barzane)
21. Scene 8: Aria “Fra cieche tenebre” (Lisea)
22. Scene 9: Recitativo “Vive Lisea!” (Barzane)
23. Scene 9: Aria “Quell’ usignuolo” (Barzane)
24. Scene 10: Recitativo “Non ti sia dispiacer” (Tamese, Mirinda)
25. Scene 10: Aria “Ancor la tortorella” (Mirinda)
26. Scene 11: Recitativo “Ma qual sciocca dimora” (Tamese, Arsilda)
27. Scene 11: Aria “Siano gl’astri a me tiranni” (Tamese)
28. Scene 12: Recitativo “Qual non più inteso inganno” (Arsilda)
29. Scene 12: Aria “Son come farfalletta” (Arsilda)
30. Scene 13: Recitativo “Che intesi mai?” (Cisardo, Nicandro)
31. Scene 13: Aria “Quale a l’onte de’ venti” (Cisardo)
32. Scene 14: Recitativo “Se scoprir la sua pena” (Nicandro)
33. Scene 14: Aria “Quando sorge in ciel l’aurora” (Nicandro)
CD 03
Act III
01. Scene 1: Recitativo “Da quel, che già non era” (Lisea)
02. Scene 2: Recitativo “Eccolo” (Lisea, Barzane)
03. Scene 2: Aria “Pupille del mio ben” (Barzane)
04. Scene 3: Recitativo “O del cieco amor mio” (Lisea)
05. Scene 3: Aria “Di Cariddi li vortici ondosi” (Lisea)
06. Scene 4: Recitativo “Al tuo braccio, al tuo ardir” (Nicandro, Tamese)
07. Scene 4: Aria “Ride il fior, canta l’augello” (Nicandro)
08. Scene 5: Recitativo “Finch’ a l’amata” (Tamese, Mirinda)
09. Scene 5: Aria “Chi vuol goder d’amor” (Mirinda)
10. Scene 6: Recitativo “Già che scoperto io son” (Tamese, Cisardo)
11. Scene 6: Aria “La mia gloria ed il mio amore” (Tamese)
12. Scene 7: Recitativo “Cisardo, appunto io deggio Signor parlarti” (Lisea, Cisardo)
13. Scene 7: Aria “Mille frodi, e mille inganni” (Cisardo)
14. Scene 8: Recitativo “Suol talor un gran rischio” (Lisea, Barzane)
15. Scene 8: Aria “Tornar voglio al primo ardore” (Barzane)
16. Scene 9: Recitativo “Regina, il bel momento” (Lisea, Arsilda)
17. Scene 9: Aria “Cara gioia” (Lisea)
18. Scene 10: Recitativo “Finga Lisea” (Arsilda)
19. Scene 10: Aria “Al nocchiero quant’è dolce quel pensiero” (Arsilda)
20. Scene 11: Recitativo “Popoli ancor non tutto” (Cisardo)
21. Scene 12: Recitativo “Germani, su’l tron ch’è tuo” (Lisea, Tamese, Arsilda, Barzane, Cisardo, Mirinda, Nicandro)
22. Scene 12: Coro “D’Imeneo la bella face” (La corte reale)
Among the works of the Red Priest that were absolutely unknown until the end of the 20th century, and which the naïve label has revealed with great perseverance for almost twenty-five years, are the works intended for the stage. This box set is dedicated to Arsilda, the twentieth of the twenty-one operas by the Venetian preserved at the National Library of Turin.
Andrea Marcon, a great specialist in the work of the Red Priest – as revealed by extraordinary recordings with the violinist Giuliano Carmignola in the 2000s – immerses his musicians of La Cetra Basel and his seven singers in an ocean of expressions. In Marcon’s lively and fluid gesture, the composer’s theatrical gift bursts forth once again and is surrounded by a strangely discreet poetry. Perhaps an echo of the heady mystery of Venice.
Created in October 1716 at the Teatro Sant’Angelo in Venice, the opera features Arsilda, the queen of an ancient region of northern Anatolia, promised to Tamese, prince, who had just become king of Cilicia, a neighbouring region. Barzane, king of Lydia, another neighbouring region, has fallen in love with Arsilda, but is secretly engaged to Tamese’s twin sister Lisea. Slightly chaotic, the story takes place at the beginning of our era in Ama (modern days Tarsus). With its seven different roles, harmoniously balanced despite the predominance of Lisea, this musical drama is similar to a masquerade, full of disguises and games on identities – Lisea plays the role of her brother Tamese for two whole acts.
Highly versatile in its dramatic situations, one finds in Arsilda a prison scene, a royal hunt, a sexual assault, fights and multiple pseudo- religious public ceremonies: so many situations that stimulate Vivaldi’s insatiable imagination. If the composer, for this opera, takes up an aria from his oratorio Juditha triumphans, composed very shortly before, the rest of the work is composed of totally new music.
Among the most beautiful moments, let us mention Barzane’s aria (Quelusignolo, Act II, scene 9) where Vivaldi surrounds the voice of a nightingale (violins) and a cuckoo (viola) by reproducing the little steps of the birds with repeated eighth notes, chromatically ascending. Let us not forget also the entirety of scene 6 in the second Act, a moment of tremendous inventiveness, an astonishing succession of almost cinematic snapshots, whose fine writing sometimes announces certain passages from Mozart’s Nozze di Figaro.
