Tomáš Král, Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra, Jarosław Thiel
AP278 - 1CD - 66' - Sep 9, 2022
Tomáš Král brings Northern European Baroque to life, from masterpieces to hidden gems.
Northern Europe proved to be a fertile ground for opera. Memorable historical figures from the North turned out to be good subjects, and during the Baroque period many masterpieces were produced by composers hailing from those parts. Handel and Bach immediately spring to mind, of course, but we must not forget Heinichen, Schürmann and Keiser, as well as Telemann, whose operatic compositions, though brilliant, are so rarely performed. Many of them portrayed monarchs, terrible or majestic, in their operatic works and, unlike their southern colleagues, they did not hesitate to entrust those parts to the low tessituras.
Here the baritone Tomas Kral, who has been performing to great acclaim on the international stage for several years now, takes on many different roles with greatest of ease, depicting now the torment of a remorseful Nero (“Ach! Nero ist nicht Nero mehr!... Erstaune, sichrer Kreis der Welt”, from Reinhard Keiser’s Octavia), now the despair of Sigebert (“Ich muss schweigend von dir gehen”, from the same composer’s Fredegunda) or the ridiculous fatuity of Telemann’s imaginary tyrant, Damon (“Ihr krachenden Klüfte...”, from Die Satyren in Arcadien). Including not only famous arias from the repertoire (Rodelinda, Almira, Riccardo Primo ...) but also little-known gems, the young baritone and the musicians of the Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra present a recital that is truly first-rate!
THOMAS AUGUSTINE ARNE (1710-1778)
1. Alfred (1740): Overture
GEORG FRIEDRICH HANDEL (1685-1759)
2. Rodelinda, regina de’ Langobardi HWV 19 (1719)
“Tirannia gli diede il regno” (Garibaldo)
JOHAN HELMICH ROMAN (1694-1758)
3. Festa musicale BeRI 32 (1725): “Datti pace, alma reale” (Federico I di Svezia)
GEORG CASPAR SCHÜRMANN (c1672-1751)
4. Ludovicus Pius, oder Ludwig der Fromme (1726)
“Dich soll der Freiheit Gold bekrönen” (Ludovicus Pius)
REINHARD KEISER (1674-1739)
5. Fredegunda (1715): “Ich muss schweigend von dir gehen” (Sigibert)
GEORG FRIEDRICH HANDEL
6. Almira HWV 1 (c1705): Courante
JOHANN DAVID HEINICHEN (1683-1729)
7. La pace di Kamberga S.19 (1716): “Si teme” (Primislao)
ATTILIO ARIOSTI (1666-1729)
8. La fede ne’tradimenti (c1701): “Questo mar” (Garzia)
GEORG FRIEDRICH HANDEL
9. Ottone HWV 15 (1722): Concerto
10. Riccardo primo, re d’Inghilterra HWV 23 (1727)
“Dell’empia frode il velo” (Berardo)
REINHARD KEISER
11. Croesus (c1711): “Gotter, übt Barmherzigkeit!” (Croesus)
GEORG FRIEDRICH HANDEL
12. Almira HWV 1: Menuet
REINHARD KEISER
13. Octavia (c1705)
“Ach! Nero ist nicht Nero mehr!... Erstaune, sichrer Kreis der Welt” (Nero)
GEORG PHILIPP TELEMANN (1681-1767)
Der neumodische Liebhaber Damon TWV 21:8 (1719-24)
14. Chaconne comique
15. “Ihr krachenden Klüfte” (Damon)
16. Pastorelle en musique TWV deest (c1704): Intrada
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
17. Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten! BWV 214 (1733)
“Kron und Preis Gekrönter Damen”
