Wicked souls in dark times - baroque opera in Saturday Matinee

Baroque specialist and conductor Andrea Marcon, together with his La Cetra Barockorchester, knows in the opera seria Catone in Utica of Vivaldi (1678 - 1741) to weave a fine lacework, on which, among others, German soprano Anett Fritsch, Swedish mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg and striking Italian mezzo-soprano Francesca Ascioti shine like precious jewels.

The international cast of Catone in Utica seduces the audience with expression and voyant voices during this Saturday Matinee at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. From the very first bars, the Swiss baroque orchestra La Cetra (the zither) led by Vivaldi specialist Andrea Marcon attracts attention and moves the audience present in the hall to Utica. As this late opera by Vivaldi has only partially survived, during the sinfonia, played as an overture, appears L'Olimpiade (1734) by Vivaldi a brief summary via the surtitles and then an emotional rollercoaster of jealousy, power, betrayal and emotion begins.

As if guided by an invisible hand from above, Vivaldi embroiders a veritable needlework between Metastasio's libretto and simple harmonic formulas. The inventively composed voice roles in this classical opera seria lend essence and layering to all six characters. You imagine yourself in the city of Utica , where the stiff-necked statesman Catone wields his power. His anger is palpable in every note. He hates Cesare for his unfair power politics but especially for his habit of seducing his opponents' wives. When Catone discovers that Cesare has also stolen the heart of his own daughter Marzia, developments kick into genially orchestrated musical gear.

Italy's Francesca Ascioti, mezzo-soprano, surprises with a saturated and agile voice, credibly portraying Marzia's drama. Powerful too is Anett Fritsch in the role of the arrogant Cesare. But the peerless sound of Swedish mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg remains the supreme treat. It is a pity that Swiss tenor Emiliano Gonzales Toro as Catone occasionally forces his voice, losing the tension. Similarly, Spanish countertenor Carlos Mena, though excellent in his expression, is texturally less easy to follow. Roberta Invernizzi performs Prince Arbace stage-wise with dark-toned mezzo-soprano, so the small role still stands out well.

Today's year-old Marcon shows craftsmanship in his conducting, effortlessly fusing the dynamics of the voices with the structure of the orchestra. Vitality oozes from the orchestral musicians throughout the opera. The many recitativi cantandi do not disturb, on the contrary. Marcon uses them to generate the emotions to bring them to a climax and release them in the arias. He leaves the discharge entirely to the singers. The impression that it is not Marcon but the music that is in charge soon sets in. And although Vivaldi's Catone in Utica composed heavily on language and therefore the stage setting remains difficult, the desire to experience this cast in costumes on the opera house stage after today is stronger than ever.

Antonio Vivaldi, Catone in Utica, opera

Andrea Marcon - conductor
La Cetra Barockorchester Basel
Cesare - Anett Fritsch, soprano
Catone - Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, tenor
Emilia - Ann Hallenberg, mezzo-soprano
Arbace - Roberta Invernizzi, soprano
Fulvio - Carlos Mena, countertenor
Marzia -Francesca Ascioti, mezzo-soprano

NTR Saturday Matinee at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on 06-02-2016

Rating ****