Philippe Jaroussky, Julia Lezhneva, Jakub Józef Orliński, Brundo de Sá, Carlo Vistoli, David Hansen, Les Accents, directed by Thibault Noally
91:90 (2 CDs)
Erato 5021732399045
The Latin oratorio Serpentes ignei in deserto (Fiery Serpents in the Desert) was a product of Johann Adolf Hasse’s connections with the Ospedale degli incurabile, one of four orphanages for girls in Venice. Although undated it probably belongs to the period when he was maestro di capella at the Incurabile between 1735 and 1739, though the not particularly informative notes provided with the present recording opt for c.1733-35.
The story, an unusual choice for an 18th-century oratorio, concerns the episode related in the Old Testament book of Numbers (chapter 21) in which the Jews lose faith in Moses’s leadership in the desert. To punish them God sent snakes to bite and kill until the people repented. God then told Moses to make a bronze serpent; all those bitten that looked on it would be cured. The libretto by Bonaventura Bonomo follows the biblical tale closely, with the exception of the introduction of an Angel (Julia Lezhneva) who acts as an intermediary between God and Moses. The oratorio is scored for six voices, three sopranos and three altos, though in contrast to the original cast, which would obviously have been all-female, Thibault Noally has here opted to use four countertenors and a male sopranist (Bruno de Sá), who sings the role of Joshua. Since the score demands the utmost vocal virtuosity it is probably fortunate that the star-studded line-up of countertenors includes Philippe Jaroussky as Moses, Jakub Józef Orliński as Nathaniel, Carlo Vistoli as Eleazar, a repentant Israelite and David Hansen as Eliab, an agitator.
The style is very much that employed at this time by Hasse in operas such as Cleofide, which although originally written in 1731 for Dresden (Bach was almost certainly present at the first performance) was heard in several productions in Venice during the 1730s. Such is the flamboyant brilliance, and virtuoso demands of a number of the arias the listener is given cause for wonderment as to how they were sung by the young ladies of the Incurabile. In addition to the arias there is a sumptuous duet for Eleazar and Joshua – sung with empathetic understanding by Vistoli and de Sá, while there are also some impressive accompagnato recitatives, which dominate, there being hardly any plain recitative.
The vocal honours are stolen by the only woman. Lezhneva is in dazzling voice, as can be heard in the Angel’s second aria, a coloratura showpiece, with perfectly placed rapid passaggi and so exuberant that in the ornamentation of the da capo she comes perilously close to vulgarity. But it in is the lyrical outpouring of the exquisite earlier aria in which the Angel acts as mediator that her technique and musicality are truly exploited to the full, the music sweetly cajoled and moulded in lines shaped to melt any heart. Never afraid of employing subtle touches of rubato or expressive portamenti, this is singing that surely comes as close as is possible to the manner in which the great singers of the 18th century wooed and seduced their audiences, constantly surprising and delighting them. Listen, for example, to the opening of the da capo repeat, where Lezhneva produces a perfect messa da voce on the opening word ‘Caeli’ (Ye heavens) that is in addition gracefully decorated. She draws the aria to a reluctant end with several bars displaying a ravishingly lovely pianissimo. I write reluctant because despite it being a long aria (12 mins in this performance), you may find–as I do – that you want it to go on for all eternity.
None of what I’ve written about Lezhneva’s performance of this aria should be taken to suggest the stellar counter-tenor team falls short in any significant way. Especial praise should go to Carlo Vistoli for his performance of another spell-bindingly graceful aria, ‘Dolore pleni’, a lyrical outpouring of penitence that is exquisitely shaped and touchingly expressed. It must also be noted that Vistoli is the only member of the cast – always of course excepting Lezhneva – who seems comfortable with trills. The only other real cause for criticism is the poor diction of de Sá and Hansen. The oratorio is well played by the strings of Les Accents, while their founder and conductor Thibault Noally finds a good measure of the Italianate warmth and lyricism that so endeared Hasse to his Italian patrons and audiences. A splendid rediscovery, elevated to the level of unmissable by Lezhneva’s unforgettable contribution.
Brian Robins