Nicola Porpora is mostly known for being
Haydn's teacher, but his own music, which took him to many European countries, is largely forgotten. He was a near contemporary of
Handel, and while one might pick
Handel between the two if forced, it was a first-among-equals situation. One could not ask for a better introduction to
Porpora's operatic music than this 2023 release. The opera
Carlo il Calvo ("
Carlo the Bald") was composed in 1738 and is an opera seria dealing with a succession struggle in the medieval Holy Roman Empire. This recording, although made in Athens (and very well recorded at the Athens Concert Hall), is based on a 2021 production at Germany's Bayreuth Baroque Festival, spearheaded by countertenor
Max Emanuel Cencic and set in 1920s Cuba. Hence the distinctly un-medieval sets shown in the booklet. It is an absolute vocal festival.
Porpora's instrumental introductions are shorter than
Handel's; he favors getting right to the main attraction. The three leading male roles, all for soprano voices, were all sung by castrati, women singers having been outlawed by papal decree at the time. It is a joy to hear the contrasting voices of the three leads here, silvery
Cencic, sweetly rounded
Franco Fagioli (an ideal pick for the long notes with which
Porpora liked to begin arias such as "Taci, oh Dio," from Act II), and the unique
Bruno de Sa, who shuns the term countertenor and prefers male soprano or sopranista; his voice is almost like that of a female soprano. They are matched by
Susanne Jerosme as the scheming queen Giuditta and
Julia Lezhneva as her daughter Gildippe. Hear
Lezhneva rip through the striking decorative encrustations of the aria "Se veder potessi" in Act II. The other singers have joys of their own to offer, and the orchestral accompaniment by conductor
George Petrou and his
Armonia Atenea historical instrument group has admirable clarity and economy, just the thing to set off the vocals. This recording, fully realizing all-but-unknown music with top-notch singers, made classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023. ~ James Manheim
