Album

Vivaldi's first opera, Ottone in Villa (loosely, Ottone's Vacation), is something of an anomaly in the composer's output of largely tragic, heroic works: a pastoral comedy. Written in 1713 when the composer was 35, Ottone demonstrates Vivaldi's instinctive grasp of the operatic form and his gifts for characterization and dramatic development. Naïve continues its admirable series, The Vivaldi Edition, with this outstanding recording of the opera, a real gem. Giovanni Antonini leads Il Giardino Armonico, which plays with gleaming transparency. The performance is wonderfully lively and the opera's dancing energy is conveyed with high spirits and humor. Vivaldi is not a composer usually associated with comedy, so Ottone surprises with its wealth of delightful, sly wit. The cast Antonini has assembled seems to be made up entirely of natural comedians; every role is strongly and lovingly delineated, but soprano Roberta Invernizzi in particular stands out for the almost manic humor she beings to the character of Tullia. All of the roles are written for coloraturas, and the soloists are simply dazzling in the sheer sensuous beauty of their voices and their effortless mastery of Vivaldi's daunting and extravagantly ornamented vocal lines; this is a dream cast for the opera. There is only one male role, Decio, written for a tenor and executed with clarity and grace by Topi Lehtipuu. The soprano role of Caio Silio was written for a castrato, and it is sung here by Julia Lezhneva. The part might have had more verisimilitude if it had been taken by a counter tenor, but given how sumptuous Lezhneva's voice is, it would be ungrateful to complain. As the Emperor Ottone, a part that was actually originally conceived for a female contralto, Sonia Prina comes across as impressively testosterone-driven and her voice is notable both for its substance and its agility. Soprano Verónica Cangemi, as Cleonilla, sings with simply radiant loveliness. Naïve's sound is characteristically clean, clear, and warmly ambient, but doesn't do much to create a sense of theatrical space.

© Stephen Eddins, Rovi

CD 1 of 2
Antonio Vivaldi Composer Ottone in villa, RV729 (opera) Work 2:14:35 Roberta Invernizzi Soprano, Il Giardino Armonico Ensemble, Topi Lehtipuu Tenor, Veronica Cangemi Soprano, Julia Lezhneva Soprano, Sonia Prina Contralto, Giovanni Antonini Conductor
1	Sinfonia: Allegro #1.	2:33			$0.99
2	Sinfonia: Larghetto	0:54			$0.99
3	Sinfonia: Allegro #2.	0:38			$0.99
4	Act I Scene 1: Recitative: Nacqui a gran sorte … (I was born to greatness … ) (Cleonilla)	1:21			$0.99
5	Act I Scene 1: Aria: Quanto m'alletta (How alluring) (Cleonilla)	4:09			$0.99
6	Act I Scene 2: Recitative: Caio … (Caio … ) (Cleonilla, Caio)	0:45			$0.99
7	Act I Scene 2: Aria: Sole degl'occhi miei (Light of my eyes) (Caio)	3:21			$0.99
8	Act I Scene 2: Recitative: Ma Cesare qui vien … (But here comes Caesar … ) (Caio, Cleonilla)	0:12			$0.99
9	Act I Scene 3: Recitative: Cleonilla, a te ne vengo … (Cleonilla, I come to you … ) (Ottone, Cleonilla, Caio)	2:18			$0.99
10	Act I Scene 3: Aria: Caro bene (Beloved) (Cleonilla)	1:42			$0.99
11	Act I Scene 4: Recitative: Piu fido amante, e chi miro giammai? … (Has there ever been a truer lover? … ) (Ottone, Caio)	0:48			$0.99
12	Act I Scene 4: Aria: Par tormento, ed e piacer (It seems a torment yet is a pleasure) (Ottone)	2:49			$0.99
13	Act I Scene 5: Recitative: Quanto di donna amante … (Just how cunnning a mistress can be … ) (Caio, Tullia)	2:18			$0.99
14	Act I Scene 5: Aria: Chi seguir vuol la costanza (He who insists on being constant) (Caio)	2:51			$0.99
15	Act I Scene 6: Recitative: Ah! Traditor t'intendo … (Ah! Traitor, I know what's in your mind … ) (Tullia)	0:44			$0.99
16	Act I Scene 6: Aria: Con l'amor di donna amante (My love, being that of a loving woman) (Tullia)	2:44			$0.99
17	Act I Scene 7: Recitative: Quanto m'alletti, o cara … (How I love, my dearest … ) (Ottone, Cleonilla, Decio)	1:22			$0.99
18	Act I Scene 7: Aria: Frema pur, si lagni Roma (Let Rome fret and fume) (Ottone)	4:25			$0.99
19	Act I Scene 8: Recitative: Grande ho, Decio, il desio … (I am extremely curious to know, Decio … ) (Cleonilla, Decio, Tullia)	0:58			$0.99
20	Act I Scene 8: Aria: Il tuo pensiero e lusinghiero (You are living in a fool's paradise) (Decio)	2:32			$0.99
21	Act I Scene 9: Recitative: Porgimi il manto, caro … (Hand me my robe, dear boy … ) (Cleonilla, Tullia)	2:47			$0.99
22	Act I Scene 9: Aria: Che fe, che amor (I swear that faith, that love) (Cleonilla)	2:01			$0.99
23	Act I Scene 10: Recitative: E Caio aborriro per fin ch'io viva? … (Hold Caio in abhorrence for as long as I live? … ) (Caio, Tullia)	0:32			$0.99
24	Act I Scene 10: Aria: Si, si, deggio partir (Yes, yes, I must be off) (Tullia)	2:10			$0.99
25	Act I Scene 11: Recitative: E Caio aborriro per fin ch'io viva? … (Hold Caio in abhorrence for as long as I live? … ) (Caio)	0:30			$0.99
26	Act I Scene 11: Aria: Gelosia (Jealousy) (Caio)	3:16			$0.99
27	Act II Scene 1: Recitative: Spinto Signor son' io … (I am urged, my lord … ) (Decio, Ottone)	1:54			$0.99
28	Act II Scene 1: Aria: Come l'onda (Like a wave) (Ottone)	2:58			$0.99
29	Act II Scene 2: Recitative: A Cesare tradito io dir non volli … (I decided not to tell the deceived Caesar … ) (Deccio, Caio)	1:04			$0.99
30	Act II Scene 2: Aria: Che giova it trono al Re (What good is his throne to a king) (Decio)	3:10			$0.99
31	Act II Scene 3: Recitative: Parli Decio che vuol … (Decio can say what he likes … ) (Caio, Tullia)	2:25			$0.99
32	Act II Scene 3: Aria: L'ombre, l'aure, e ancora il rio (The shadows, the breezes, and even the stream) (Caio, Tullia)	7:02			$1.49
33	Act II Scene 4: Recitative: Qual duolo, o Caio, frenetico ti rende? … (What grief, O Caio, has provoked this frenzy? … ) (Tullia, Caio)	0:27			$0.99
34	Act II Scene 4: Aria: Su gl'occhi del tuo ben (To your beloved) (Caio)	2:20			$0.99
35	Act II Scene 5: Recitative: Disperato e l'infido … (The deceiver is desperate … ) (Tullia)	0:28			$0.99
36	Act II Scene 5: Aria: Due tiranni ho nel mio cor[e] (Two tyrants have I in my heart) (Tullia)	4:31			$0.99

CD 2 of 2
1	Act II Scene 6: Recitative: Felice e il volto mio … (My face looks happy … ) (Cleonilla, Caio)	1:09			$0.99
2	Act II Scene 6: Aria: Leggi almeno, tiranna infedele (Read at least, O faithless tyrant) (Caio)	5:35			$0.99
3	Act II Scene 7: Recitative: Che mai scrisse qui Caio? … (Whatever has Caio written here? … ) (Cleonilla, Ottone)	2:58			$0.99
4	Act II Scene 7: Aria: Tu vedrai (You shall see) (Cleonilla)	3:02			$0.99
5	Act II Scene 8: Recitative: Cesare, io gia prevedo … (Caesar, I foresee … ) (Decio, Ottone, Cleonilla)	0:32			$0.99
6	Act II Scene 8: Aria: Povera fedelta (Poor constancy) (Cleonilla)	2:11			$0.99
7	Act II Scene 9: Recitative: Ah Decio, i tuio ricordi … (Ah Decio, your report … ) (Ottone, Decio)	0:31			$0.99
8	Act II Scene 9: Aria: Ben talor favella il Cielo (Very often heaven speaks) (Decio)	2:43			$0.99
9	Act II Scene 10: Recitative: Oh! qual error fec'io … (Oh, how mistaken I was … ) (Ottone, Caio)	1:52			$0.99
10	Act II Scene 10: Aria: Compatisco il tuo fiero tormento (I sympathise with your great grief) (Ottone)	4:39			$0.99
11	Act II Scene 11: Recitative: Quanto Cleonilla e scaltra … (How shrewd Cleonilla is! … ) (Caio)	0:34			$0.99
12	Act II Scene 11: Aria: Io sembro appunto (I am just) (Caio)	3:14			$0.99
13	Act II Scene 12: Recitative: Ah, che non vuol sentirmi il traditore … (Ah, the deceiver will not listen to me … ) (Tullia)	0:44			$0.99
14	Act II Scene 12: Aria: Misero spirto mio (My suffering spirit) (Tullia)	4:25			$0.99
15	Act III Scene 1: Recitative: Signor … (My lord … ) (Decio, Ottone)	0:45			$0.99
16	Act III Scene 1: Aria: Tutto sprezzo, e trono, e impero (I care for nothing, not my throne nor empire) (Ottone)	2:28			$0.99
17	Act III Scene 2: Recitative: Gia di Ottone preveggo … (I foresee Ottone's … ) (Decio)	0:47			$0.99
18	Act III Scene 2: Aria: L'esser amante (To be a lover) (Decio)	3:45			$0.99
19	Act III Scene 3: Recitative: Cerchi in van ch'io t'ascolti … (I am deaf to your pleas … ) (Cleonilla, Caio)	0:24			$0.99
20	Act III Scene 3: Aria: No, per te non ho piu amor, no (No, I no longer love you, no) (Cleonilla)	1:59			$0.99
21	Act III Scene 4: Recitative: Cleonilla … (Cleonilla … ) (Tullia, Caio, Cleonilla)	1:19			$0.99
22	Act III Scene 4: Aria: Guarda in quest'occhi (Look into my eyes, and hear) (Caio)	4:19			$0.99
23	Act III Scene 5: Recitative: Quant'ha di vago Amor nel suo gran regno … (All the charms that Love possesses … ) (Cleonilla, Tullia)	0:47			$0.99
24	Act III Scene 5: Aria: Che bel contento (What sweet contentment) (Tullia)	1:48			$0.99
25	Act III Scene 6: Recitative: Piu soffrir non poss'io … (I can bear this no longer … ) (Caio, Cleonilla, Tullia)	0:36			$0.99
26	Act III Final Scene: Recitative: Caio infierito … (Caio in a rage … ) (Ottone, Decio, Cleonilla, Caio, Tullia)	3:42			$0.99
27	Act III Final Scene: Grande e il contento (Great and heartfelt) (Chorus)	0:48			$0.99