Humanita E Lucifero

I've already reviewed the original 1995 release, but I'd forgotten it. I have a shamefully large collection of CDs. I'm only moderately annoyed at buying a CD I already own, since this one will make a nice gift for my sister's upcoming birthday. She's a judge; she needs to hear Humanity's plea. Here's my old review:

"Humanity and the Devil! Alessandro Scarlatti and Fabio Biondi, the greatest Italian composer of his era and the greatest Italian violinist of ours! What could promise more? Perhaps it's the over-sized expectations that make me less than 100% satisfied with this CD, a dissatisfaction I'm expressing in giving it only four stars.

Scarlatti's oratorios are essentially chamber works for the chapels of the the powerful and rich. They are not the huge public oratorios of later composers like Pachelbel and Handel. Despite the flashy cover of the CD, Humanita e Lucifero is a modest work, an exchange of taunts between the allegorical figure of Humanity and the defiant Lucifer. Don't expect fireworks! Except for the subdued trumpets that accompany Lucifer, musically this is a restrained sort of conflict. Scarlatti had a period of a decade or so, according to the notes, when he attempted to simplify his musical vocabulary, and H&L comes from that effort. It's "easy listening" Scarlatti, in other words, but I for one miss the intense intellectuality and bold inventiveness of his usual difficult style.

Because the oratorio is hardly more the forty minutes in length, this CD is extended by the inclusion of two sonatas by Arcangelo Corelli. The inclusion is appropriate both historically and musically, and Europa Galante performs the two sonatas with consummate skill. Unfortunately, though Fabio Biondi fiddles as elegantly as ever, he over-interprets the Corelli pieces shamelessly. I'll hazard a guess that Corelli is the one Baroque composer that Biondi will never play well. Corelli's music requires a kind of lyrical understatement, a willingness to "let the notes speak for themselves", that is quite uncharacteristic of his era. My favorite Corelli performance, if you want to verify my assertions, is the Naxos CD of the Opus 5 violin sonatas, played by Lucy van Dael with Bob van Asperen accompanying on organ.

Soprano Rossana Bertini sings for Humanity with poise and charm. I might have preferred a counter-tenor in the role, however, who would have argued our case with more passion. Ironically, Lucifer's recitations are blustery and self-righteous, rather like those of a Christian censervative. But according to the Bible and to Milton, Lucifer is supposed to be the most beautiful of the heavenly host, a seductively potent presence. Tenor Massimo Crispi sings him as something of a whiner. Crispi's voice is not dark and sumptuous enough for the role; a proud Spanish tenor - Villazon or Florez - would have delivered Lucifer's defiance with more sprezzatura.

All in all... a very fine disk, and one I'm glad to have, but not the equal of either Scarlatti's or Biondi's finest."

In retrospect, I think I was ungenerous. It's really an excellent piece of music and performance, so this time I'm giving it all five stars.

› Go to Amazon.com to see the review  5.0 out of 5 stars