(ESZTERHAZA OPERA CYCLE ''HAYDN'') Il Mondo Della Luna

ESZTERHÁZA OPERA CYCLE HAYDN
"IL MONDO DELLA LUNA"
Hob: XXVIII no.7

Mathis / Augér / Von Stade
Alva / Rolfe Johnson
Trimarchi / Valentini-Terrani

Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
ANTAL DORATI

Notes & Reviews

"It is the ladies who are given the best music in this delicately scored opera: Arléen Auger shines with Edith Mathis and Frederika von Stade contributing valuably."

    Several composers had set Goldoni's Il mondo della luna before Haydn, whose perfunctory Third Act, however, departs from the original. There had been problems with the casting, for the ranges of three roles had been changed more than once, but he obviously thought well of the music, since no fewer than eight numbers were re-used (as the first movement of Symphony No. 63, as the Benedictus of the Mariazell Mass, and in the flute trios). It is the ladies who are given most of the best music here: Auger in particular shines in her tremendous coloratura ''Ragion nell'alma'', but Mathis and von Stade also contribute valuably. Terrani in almost the last of Haydn's castrato roles, however, is less than ideally steady. A special feature of the score is its delicate and unusual instrumentation. This disc comes with an addition which Philips have so far been keeping from us: eight Haydn arias beautifully sung by Mathis with the orchestra under Armin Jordan. In some, the singer is indignant or cynical about the deception of men, and of these the lovely D'una sposa meschinella is of particular interest for its oboe obbligato; but also here are the 1790 dramatic opera seria aria Miseri noi about the sack of (presumably) Troy, and the 1798 setting of Petrarch's Sonnet No. 28.

-- Lionel Salter, Gramophone [6/1993]

 

    "Il mondo della luna is a well-known comedy, splendidly treated by Haydn, and one in which a strong cast prove equally impressive. Recitative and instrumental interludes feature strongly. Domenico Trimarchi sounds almost Leporello like in his blustering La ragazza col vecchione and Luigi Alva returns to the Haydnesque fray as Ecclitico, the fake astrologer, spinning his wares with insouciant and soothing charm (all false of course) in the (nevertheless) delightful Act I aria Un poco di denaro. Arleen Auger is impeccable and enormously characterful as Flaminia (sample Act I’s Ragion nell’alma siede) The scheming of Cecco, taken by the honeyed tenor of Anthony Rolfe Johnson is well conveyed through thought-process registral leaps and a conversational manner and Edith Mathis certainly takes her place in the sun in Act II with her powerfully sensitive singing of Quanta gente che sospira. The smaller interpolations into other works are gallantly done and similarly successful...The performances still sound fresh and convincing in most important areas and will repay close scrutiny."

- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International