Vivaldi: “Farnace”, 1738 version

Vivaldi's operas were virtually unknown until the late decades of the 20th century, but by the early years of the 21st more and more were coming to light, on recordings if not to the same extent on-stage, and some have been recorded multiple times, thanks to the dedicated research of early music specialists and the emergence of a spate of first-rate counter tenors. Such is the case with Farnace, which receives its second recording on the Virgin Classics label with counter tenor Max Emanuel Cencic leading an extraordinary cast of soloists. Diego Fasolis conducts the period instrument orchestra I Barocchisti and Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera, Lugano, in a vibrant reading of the score. Not among the smallest revelations of Vivaldi's operas is the inventiveness of his orchestration when the music is tailored to drive the drama; his writing is ingeniously varied and subtly nuanced, and the performances Fasolis draws from his players and singers are attentive to the details of the score and bristling with energy.
Interpreti
Max Emanuel Cencic, haute-contre
Ruxandra Donose, mezzo soprano
Ann Hallenberg, mezzo soprano
Karina Gauvin, soprano
Daniel Behle, tenore
Emiliano Gonzales Toro, tenore
II Barocchisti
Diego Fasolis, direzione
Tracklist
Farnace, RV 711
DISCO 1
- Sinfonia, 1. (without tempo indication)
- Sinfonia, 2. Andante
- Sinfonia, 3. (without tempo indication)
- Act 1 Scene 1: Recitativo, "Benché vinto e sconfitto" (Farnace, Tamiri)
- Act 1 Scene 1: No. 1, Aria, "Ricordati che sei" (Farnace)
- Act 1 Scene 2: Recitativo, "Ch'io mi tolga col ferro" (Tamiri)
- Act 1 Scene 2: No. 2, Aria, "Combattono quest'alma" (Tamiri)
- Act 1 Scene 3: No. 3, Coro, "Dell'Eusino con aura seconda" (Chorus)
- Act 1 Scene 3: Recitativo, "Del nemico Farnace quest'è l'impero" (Gilade, Berenice)
- Act 1 Scene 4: Recitativo, "Amazzone regal del'oriente" (Pompeo, Berenice, Gilade)
- Act 1 Scene 5: Recitativo, "Guerrieri, eccovi a fronte" (Pompeo)
- Act 1 Scene 5: No. 4, Coro, "Su campioni, su guerrieri" (Chorus)
- Act 1 Scene 5: Recitativo, "In sì gran punto ancora" (Farnace)
- Act 1 Scene 6: Recitativo, "Signor, s'anche fra" (Selinda, Aquilio, Gilade, Pompeo, Berenice)
- Act 1 Scene 7: Recitativo, "A' nostri danni armata" (Selinda, Gilade, Aquilio)
- Act 1 Scene 7: No. 5, Aria, "Nell'intimo del petto" (Gilade)
- Act 1 Scene 8: Recitativo, "A sorprendermi il cor, bella Selinda" (Aquilio, Selinda)
- Act 1 Scene 8: No. 6, Aria, "Penso che que' begl'occhi" (Aquilio)
- Act 1 Scene 9: Recitativo, "Qual sembianza improvvisa" (Selinda)
- Act 1 Scene 9: No. 7, Aria, "Al vezzeggiar d'un volto" (Selinda)
- Act 1 Scene 10: Recitativo, "Figlio, non v'è più scampo" (Tamiri)
- Act 1 Scene 10: No. 8, Recitativo accompagnato, "O figlio, o troppo tardi" (Tamiri)
- Act 1 Scene 11: Recitativo, "Fermati ingrata" (Berenice, Tamiri)
- RV 711, Act 1 Scene 12: Recitativo, "Signor, costei ch'audace empie le vene" (Berenice, Tamiri, Pompeo)
- RV 711, Act 1 Scene 12: No. 9, Aria, "Da quel ferro ch'ha svenato" (Berenice)
- Act 1 Scene 13: Recitativo, "Donna, la tua fortuna" (Pompeo, Tamiri)
- Act 1 Scene 13: No. 10, Aria, "Or di Roma forti eroi" (Tamiri)
- Act 1 Scene 14: Recitativo, "Come ben fa veder la donna eccelsa" (Pompeo)
- Act 1 Scene 14: No. 11, Aria, "Non trema senza stella" (Pompeo)
DISCO 2
- Act 2 Scene 1: Recitativo, "Principessa gentil" (Gilade, Aquilio, Selinda)
- Act 2 Scene 1: No. 12, Aria, "Lascia di sospirar" (Selinda)
- Act 2 Scene 2: Recitativo, "Tempo miglior si scelga" (Gilade, Aquilio)
- Act 2 Scene 2: No. 13, Aria, "Alle minacce di fiera belva" (Aquilio)
- Act 2 Scene 3: Recitativo, "Di Farnace del figlio" (Berenice, Gilade)
- Act 2 Scene 3: No. 14, Aria, "Al tribunal d'amore" (Berenice)
- Act 2 Scene 4: Recitativo, "No, ch'amor non è fallo in cor guerriero" (Gilade)
- Act 2 Scene 4: No. 15a, Aria, "Quell’usignolo che innamorato" (Gilade)
- Act 2 Scene 5: Recitativo, "No, che ceder non voglio" (Farnace)
- Act 2 Scene 6: Recitativo, "Pupille, o voi sognate" (Tamiri, Farnace)
- Act 2 Scene 6: No. 16, Aria, "Perdona, o figlio amato" (Farnace)
- Act 2 Scene 7: Recitativo, "Olà, queste superbe memorie" (Berenice, Tamiri)
- Act 2 Scene 8: No. 17, Recitativo accompagnato, "Quest'è la fé spergiura" (Farnace, Tamiri)
- Act 2 Scene 9: No. 18, Recitativo accompagnato, "Dite, dite che v'ho fatt'io" (Tamiri)
- Act 2 Scene 9: No. 19, Aria, "Dividete o giusti dèi" (Tamiri)
- Act 2 Scene 10: Recitativo, "Ah s'egli è ver che m'ami" (Selinda, Gilade)
- Act 2 Scene 10: No. 20, Aria, "Quel tuo ciglio languidetto" (Gilade)
- Act 2 Scene 11: Recitativo, "Dove mai ti trasporta" (Selinda, Farnace)
- Act 2: "Gemo in un punto e fremo" (Farnace)
- Act 2 Scene 12: Recitativo, "Dell’iniquo Farnace eccoti il figlio" (Berenice, Selinda, Aquilio, Pompeo)
- Act 2 Scene 12: No. 22, Aria, "Roma invitta ma clemente" (Pompeo)
- Act 2 Scene 13: Recitativo, "Fra le libiche serpi" (Selinda, Aquilio, Berenice)
- Act 2 Scene 13: No. 23, Aria, "Amorosa e men irata" (Berenice)
- Act 2 Scene 14: Recitativo, "Aquilio, e ben, pensasti?" (Selinda, Aquilio)
- Act 2 Scene 14: No. 24, Duo, "Io sento nel petto … Io sento nell’alma" (Selinda, Aquilio)
DISCO 3
- Act 3 Scene 1: Recitativo, "Gilade … Gran regina" (Berenice, Gilade, Aquilio, Pompeo)
- Act 3 Scene 1: No. 25, Aria, "Non trova mai riposo" (Berenice)
- Act 3 Scene 2: Recitativo, "Signor se la clemenza" (Tamiri, Pompeo)
- Act 3 Scene 3: Recitativo, "Quanto mai fu crudele" (Farnace, Tamiri)
- Act 3 Scene 3: No. 26, Aria, "Forse, o caro, in questi accenti" (Tamiri)
- Act 3 Scene 3: Recitativo, "Sì, qualche nume o qualche stella al fine" (Farnace)
- Act 3 Scene 3: No. 27, Aria, "Quel torrente ch s'innalza" (Farnace)
- Act 3 Scene 4: Recitativo, "Gilade, il tuo pensiero ali non ha" (Selinda, Gilade)
- Act 3 Scene 4: No. 28, Aria, "Scherza l'aura lusinghiera" (Gilade)
- Act 3 Scene 5: Recitativo, "Aquilio, il braccio forte" (Selinda, Aquilio)
- Act 3 Scene 5: No. 29, Aria, "Ti vantasti mio guerriero" (Selinda)
- Act 3 Scene 6: Recitativo, "Oh stelle! Qual impresa da romano guerriero" (Aquilio, Pompeo, Farnace
- Act 3 Scene 7: Recitativo, "Regina, in costui riconosci un tuo custode?" (Pompeo, Berenice, Farnace)
- Act 3 Scene 8: Recitativo, "Oh dio! Fermate" (Tamiri, Farnace)
- Act 3 Scene 8: No. 30, Quartet, "Io crudel? Giusto rigore" (Berenice, Pompeo, Tamiri, Farnace)
- Act 3 Scene 9: Recitativo, "Farnace, i numi alfine" (Berenice, Farnace)
- Act 3 Scene 10: Recitativo, "Possibile, o regina" (Tamiri, Berenice)
- Act 3 Scene 11: Recitativo, "Regina, il Ciel talora" (Pompeo, Berenice)
- Act 3 Scene 12: Recitativo, "Berenice morà" (Gilade, Selinda, Berenice, Pompeo, Farnace, Tamiri)
- Act 3 Scene 12: No. 31, Coro, "Coronata di gigli e di rose" (Chorus)
- Act 1 Scene 14: No. 11a, Aria, "Sorge l'irato nembo" (Pompeo)
- Act 2 Scene 5: No. 15b, Aria, "Gelido in ogni vena" (Farnace)



