Composer: Vincente Martin y Soler
Performer: Josep Miquel Ramon, Marguerite Krull, Yves Saelens, Enrique Baquerizo, Carlos Marin, Katia Velletaz, Raphaella Milanesi, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Les Talens Lyriques
Conductor: Christophe Rousset
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Naive
Catalogue: E8887
Release: 2004
Size: 603 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
La Capricciosa Correta
CD 01
01. Sinfonia
Act I
02. Scene 1: I. Recitativo
03. Scene 1: II. Recitativo
04. Scene 1: III. Notturnino: Se Figli vi Siamo
05. Scene 1: IV. Recitativo
06. Scene 2: Recitativo e Aria: Ha un Certo Cervello
07. Scene 3: I. Cavanita son Pur Folli e Vanarelli
08. Scene 3: II. Recitativo
09. Scene 3: III. Aria: Quante son le Fila d’Oro
10. Scene 3: IV. Recitativo
11. Scene 3: V. Quintetto: Toglitti Agl’ochi Miei
12. Scene 4: I. Recitativo
13. Scene 4: II. Aria: La Prima Notte del Matrimonio
14. Scene 4: III. Recitativo
15. Scene 5: I. Aria: Que Vive, e Respira
16. Scene 5: II. Recitativo
17. Scene 5: III. Minuetto
18. Scene 6-7: Recitativo
19. Scene 7: Aria: Figuriamo che in Questo Momento
20. Scene 8: Recitativo
21. Scene 9: I. Recitativo
22. Scene 9: II. Aria: Guardami un Poco
23. Scene 9-10: Recitativo
24. Scene 11: Aria: Son già Stanco, o Donna Indegna
25. Scene 12-13: Recitativo
26. Scene 14: Fianle: Andante
27. Scene 14-15: Finale: Allegro
CD 02
Act II
01. Scene 1: I. Recitativo
02. Scene 1: II. Aria: Un Fucil, un Spadon
03. Scene 2: I. Recitativo
04. Scene 2: II. Aria: Sono Oppressa e Sventurata
05. Scene 2: III. Recitativo: Accompagnato Isabella Moi Ben
06. Scene 2: IV. Aria: Senza il Caro moi Tesoro
07. Scene 3: I. Recitativo
08. Scene 3: II. Duetto: Mirate lo Sposo Crudele
09. Scene 4: I. Duetto: Sentimi, Dove Corri?
10. Scene 4: II. Aria: Allegramente Cilietta Cara
11. Scene 5: I. Recitativo
12. Scene 5: II. Aria: Oh, che Manima Tenera
13. Scene 6: I. Recitativo
14. Scene 6: II. Recitativo Accompagnato: Povere Donne!
15. Scene 6: III. Aria Polacca: La Donna ha Bello il Core
16. Scene 7: I. Recitativo
17. Scene 7: II. Recitativo Accompagnato
18. Scene 7: III. Aria: Mi fa Questa Perfida
19. Scene 8: Recitativo
20. Scene 9: I. Aria: Dov’ è? Dov’ è?
21. Scene 9: II. Recitativo
22. Scene 9: III. Duetto: Vedrete che Allegria
23. Scene 9-10: Recitativo
24. Scene 10: Aria: Nel Cor mi Sento un Giubilo
25. Scene 11: I. Recitativo
26. Scene 11: II. Duetto: In Questo Secolo
27. Scene 12: Recitativo
28. Scene 13: Recitativo
29. Scene 14: Recitativo
30. Scene 14-15: Finale I
31. Scene 16: Finale II
Scena Ultima
32. I. Tutti Marcia
33. II. Tutti Recitativo
34. III. Tutti: Se Ogni Moglie Fosse Tale
Mozart’s affectionate quotation from Martín y Soler’s Una cosa rara in the Don Giovanni dinner music suggests he admired his Spanish contemporary, whose music was praised by others as ‘sweet’ and ‘graceful’. Such descriptions remain apt for a charming and brilliantly executed performance that’s essential for anybody curious about late 18th-century opera beyond Mozart.
The best operas of his later years were produced in London. La capricciosa corretta was first performed at the King’s Theatre in 1795 under the title La scuola dei maritati; Its plot concerns the marriage of an older man to a young second wife whose excessive vanity and capriciousness makes life miserable for everybody else.
The libretto was by Lorenzo da Ponte. There are illuminating musical and dramatic parallels with, most notably, Così fan tutte and Le nozze diFigaro. ‘Se figli vi siamo’ is a gorgeous lyrical quintet, graced with sensitive woodwind colour, that wouldn’t be out of place in Così. ‘Qui vive, e respira’ is a tender tenor aria in which Lelio softly enthuses about the woman he loves: it’s a striking counterpart of Ferrando’s ‘Un’ aura amorosa’. Valerio’s mock-martial aria ‘Un fucil, un spadon’ is an intriguing close descendant of Figaro’s ‘Non più andrai’, with a lightly scored military accompaniment illustrating a text about taking up a post in the army.
Individual personalities aren’t portrayed to quite such memorable effect as in Mozart, of course, but there’s plenty of distinctive music to overcome the inevitable comparisons.
Christophe Rousset’s cast of relative unknowns deliver a competent and committed team performance.
Les Talens Lyriques savour the music with their customary zest and astute musical intelligence.