Georg Friedrich Haendel’s RINALDO An opera seria in 3 acts.

This is an audio CD of a live opera performance recorded at Teatro La Fenice in Venice in 1989.

Premiered in London in 1711, Rinaldo’s libretto by Giacomo Rossi is based on Aaron Hill’s adaptation of Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered. This fantasy opera is set in 1099 Jerusalem during the last days of the siege that ended the 1st Crusade. The plot is convoluted and doesn’t hold any water, but that’s not what we listen to operas for, is it? This opus is so full of wonderfully melodic arias that I wonder if the reason opera composers today can’t think up any aria to put in their works is because Haendel, Mozart, and the bel canto composers have used up all the possible melodies in writing their music. There are more catchy tunes in 30 minutes of Rinaldo than in the entire 3+ hrs of Alban Berg’s Lulu!

The opera opens with a rather unremarkable overture that does serve the function of settling you down (via sedation) to be ready for the opera proper, a feast of florid singing from beginning to end. There are also tons of beautiful majestic virtuoso brass writing that should please lovers of Baroque brass music.

The short of the story is, Goffredo, the leader of the Christians during the 1st Crusade, promises his daughter (Almirena)’s hand to her beloved knight Rinaldo, whom Goffredo is entrusting with leading the Christians to a triumphant battle to win back Jerusalem. The Saracen Arabs’ leader Argante and his sorceress wife Armida try to foil them by kidnaping Almirena, prompting Rinaldo and Goffredo to a rescue mission. Armida tries unsuccessfully to seduce Rinaldo, who, with the help of a Christian magician (hey, that’s really what’s written, mate!), successfully retrieves his beloved. The Christians then easily rout the Arabs in the final battle over the city.

There are magic, sirens, dragons, tempests,..., etc that keep the short story from staying short in performance. I’ll say this, though... I’ve only sat through an entire Giulio Cesare in Egitto once and even though the wonderful Ewa Podles was singing Cesare, it was a boring affair after 2 hrs. Rinaldo, on the other hand, is so full of contrasting music that I can listen to the whole thing in 1 go twice a day and not get bored with it.

MAIN CAST:
Rinaldo (Christian knight) ::: Marilyn Horne (mezzo-soprano)
Goffredo (Christian Crusade leader) ::: Ernesto Palacio (tenor)
Almirena (Daughter of Goffredo, loves Rinaldo) ::: Cecilia Gasdia (soprano)
Argante (Saracen King of Jerusalem) ::: Natale de Carolis (baritone)
Armida (Argante’s sorceress mistress) ::: Christine Weidinger (soprano)
Mago Cristiano (Christian magician!) ::: Carlo Colombara (baritone)
Conductor: John Fisher / Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice di Venezia

This performance of the long opera is so heavily cut it is almost like a highlights from rather than the entire show... which I find merciful. Though perhaps more care should have been taken with the editing as it doesn’t take much sophistication to know when a scene was jumped in this recording. Sound quality is so up close and personal it is as if the thing was recorded from the creaky stage floor ... with the singers occasionally stepping on the mic. Then there is this weird muffling of the 1st march of the 3rd act that makes it sound like we are temporarily teleported to the farthest wing of the opera house for 45 seconds before landing back on the stage floor and being stepped on again. An unsettling effect, really.

The American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne is arguably the greatest singer of the latter half of the 20th Century. She had everything required of Rinaldo highly demanding music. A humongously big and heroic voice that was absolutely even over a very wide range (can’t tell where she changes from head voice to chest voice, able to retain the same vocal timbre in high notes as in low ones), and wonderful technique that allowed for very fast coloratura (florid singing) and great breath support (can sing long lines without running out of air). I wonder if Nicolini, the star castrato for whom this role was written, sounded as good.

At 59 (in 1989), Marilyn Horne is no longer in her prime, but she still is very impressive. This performance still stands up well against the new ones of younger singers in their prime (like Vivica Genaux or Teresa Berganza). Her voice is heroic and her personality imposing, making this Rinaldo a larger than life legendary warrior (you wouldn’t want to mess with this Rinaldo... unless you’re Armida the Sorceress and then only because the script demands it).

The unfortunate thing is Maestro John Fisher is having a dictatorial day and often sets an inflexibly unrealistic pace with the orchestra (that is often playing too loud). Sometimes it seems the only reason I can hear Ms Horne because she has a HUGE voice... anyone else would have disappeared beneath Fisher’s blaring brass and strings!. And because she is audible, the fact that even the agile Ms Horne has to struggle mightily to try to keep pace with Mr Fisher in the fantastic little Act II martial aria ‘Il tricerbero umiliato (Cerberus shall bend in shame before my sword)’ is all too plain to hear(he leads as if in deadly need of a bathroom break). She falls behind early in the repeat of the first phrase, and, getting no help whatsoever from Fisher, is almost a full beat lagging after the orchestra by the end of the number. On the other hand, Mr Fisher sets such a slow tempo during Almirena’s big hit aria Lascia ch’io pianga, mia cruda sorte (Let me weep for my black fate) (the hit tune from the film Farinelli: il Castrato and popularized by Sarah Brightman), that it almost sounds like Almirena is singing in slow motion. This isn’t my favorite conducting of the work, but I’ll still give the maestro a point for originality. He doesn’t sound like he had heard the opera done by anyone else before.

Back to Ms Horne, the marathon (10:30 mins long) Act II solo ’Cara sposa, amante cara (Dear spouse, my sweet love)’ is marvelously done from the perfect full mezza voce (holding the same long note while sliding only the volume from very soft to loud to soft again) on the opening note to the last, and is reason enough in itself to spend money on this set. She is wonderfully florid and heroic in Act III fanfare ’Or la tromba (Now the festive trumpet notes), though the coloratura is more showy than consistent with the scene and the trumpet virtuoso obbligato (the singer’s florid runs are mimicked by a trumpet soloist). I can only wonder what it would be like to hear her sing this music when she was in her prime.

As the temperamental sorceress Armida is the fresh-voiced Christine Weidinger. She is wonderful! A forcefully radiant voice with tight vibrato and a metallic top who injects real temperaments into Armida’s music (though her vibrato is so quick and prominent that it’s hard to tell if she is holding a single note or trilling it at times). Haendel apparently loved sorceress... they get all the ...er... hot music in his opera. Frau Weidinger’s forceful personality, passionate portrayal, and metal-topped voice is perfect for Armida’s gorgeous Act I ’Molto voglio, molto spero (Much I desire, much I hope)’ and Act II ’Ah, Crudel! (Ah, cruel one!).’

Singing Rinaldo’s lover Almirena is Cecilia Gasdia. This is the character that sings the popular tune Lascia ch’io pianga. Her voice is so similar to Weidinger’s that it’s hard to tell them apart sometimes, though. A passionate performance in slow and fast numbers alike. All the females in this cast are quite assertive in their interpretation (it doesn’t quite fit Fisher’s orchestration, but I rather like it).

The tenor Ernesto Palacio holds his own as Goffredo (transposing the music originally written for a contralto down an octave). His voice isn’t quite agile enough for this florid score, but provides a nice contrast to the rest of the cast. Natale de Carolis is a bit light voiced for the music of Argante, sounding like a wimp next to his wife Armida.

All in all, the only reason I’m recommending this CD is Marilyn Horne, even though the voice is past her prime since this is the only recording of this legendary singer in this role. Not that the others aren’t good, they are... but there are equals or betters for them in other recordings of the work which are much more complete (this one features some really rough cuts of the performance to fit 2 CDs).

2 CDs (130min). Booklet contains short history of the work, synopsis, and libretto in Italian and English.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends