Genius Music Friends is about what Mozart and Haydn had in common. They both immensely admired Nancy Storace (see picture) the English opera diva they wrote and arranged music for. The search for such an arrangement by Mozart led to Armida, one of Haydn’s operas. This was the reason for programme maker and host Thijs Bonger to listen to the opera in its entirety and to select the best parts. So today, we play these parts of Haydn’s opera Armida, splendidly performed by, among others, Cecilia Bartoli and Christoph Prégardien. Diva Nancy Storace was on his mind when Mozart started Lo Sposo Deluso KV 430, an opera he never completed. From this opera, we hear for instance a magnificent terzetto, which heralded the operas he wrote later on.
Joseph Haydn: Armida
From the 2nd act:
- Recitativo accompagnato ‘ by Rinaldo and Ubaldo: ‘Armida…Oh affano’
- Aria van Rinaldo: ‘Cara, è vero, io sono tiranno’
- Recitativo accompagnato of Armida: ‘Barbaro! E ardisci ancor’
- Aria van Armida: ‘Odio, furor, dispetto’.
Armida: Cecilia Bartoli, soprano
Rinaldo: Christoph Prégardien, tenor
Ubaldo: Scot Weir, tenor
Concentus Musicus Wien conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
- Joseph Haydn: Armida
From the 3rd act:
- Recitativo accompagnato by Rinaldo: ‘Questa dunque è la selva’
- Aria van Zelmira: ‘Toma pure al caro bene’
- Recitativo accompagnato by Rinaldo: ‘Qual tumulto d’idee m’eccita in seno’
- Aria by Armida: ‘Ah, non ferir:t’attesta’
- Recitativo accompagnato by Rinaldo and Armida: ‘Che inopportuno incontro!’
- Presto van Rinaldo: ‘Oh Dio! Dove mi trovo?’
- Aria by Rinaldo: ‘Dei pietosi, in tal cimento’
- Recitativo accompagnato by Rinaldo: ‘Ed io m’arresto’
Zelmira: Patricia Petitbon, soprano
Armida: Cecilia Bartoli, soprano
Rinaldo: Christoph Prégardien, tenor
Concentus Musicus Wien conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
- Joseph Haydn: Armida
Overture.
Concentus Musicus Wien conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Lo Sposo Deluso KV 430
Aria van Eugenia: Nacqui all’aura trionfale tr 3 3’33
Leonie Schoon, soprano
Choir and orchestra of the Kameropera Antwerpen Transparant conducted by Hans Rotman
5 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Lo Sposo Deluso KV 430
Terzetto van Eugenia, Asdrubale and Bocconio: ‘Che accidenti’ tr 5 3’29
Leonie Schoon, soprano
Bernhard Loonen, tenor
Herman Bekaert, bass-baritone
Choir and orchestra of the Kameropera Antwerpen Transparant conducted by Hans Rotman
