Handel: Armida abbandonata, Apollo e Dafne
Kathryn Lewek (soprano), John Chest (baritone)
Francesco Corti / Il Pomo d’Oro (Pentatone)
(scroll down for English review)
本碟收錄兩首韓德爾的「意大利清唱劇」，是他年青時常寫的一種體裁，當然這不同於巴哈的宗教清唱劇，而是以古典神話為題材的世俗清唱劇。我覺得聽韓德爾歌劇或神劇，多少要面對太長的問題，例如聽《竌撒大帝》不剪的話要四小時，三小時的作品是家常便飯。這些清唱劇就是勝在夠短，但也有炫技的歌唱可聽。
收錄兩首，第一首（軌二至八）是被拋棄女子的哀鳴，可以當成一首寫長了、有不同段落的詠嘆調。聽韓德爾歌劇的詠嘆調，動輒八分鐘、十分鐘，往往緊守於ABA形式，為的是展現明星歌手的唱功。但韓德爾清唱劇這些詠嘆調就較自由，軌十至28的《阿波羅與達芙妮》即是阿波羅求愛不遂，逼到對方寧願變成月桂樹也不願屈服那個神話故事。劇力不斷加強，直至最後一曲阿波羅對着月桂樹懊悔不已。
The Italian cantatas of Handel are a long-neglected treasure chest, and they might be seen as an excellent vehicle for Handel’s perfecting his craft in operas. Sometimes I feel daunted by the sheer length of a Handel opera or oratorio, all those dacapo arias that drag on… These cantatas usually follow a freer form and have more than enough vocal fireworks.
Francesco Corti picked two cantatas, the first one, Armida abbadonnata (tracks 2-8) might be heard as an extended aria with multiple sections. Apollo e Dafne (tracks 10-28) is an extended scene with Apollo pursuing Daphne. While other composers could have turned the story into a full-length opera, Handel here wrapped up everything in less than 40 minutes, and you could hear the tension escalating until Apollo is forced to regret his obsession when Daphne turns herself into a laurel.