Libertà!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giovanni Paisiello, Vicente Martín y Soler, Antonio Salieri
Mozart and opera before Da Ponte.
Between Die Entführung aus dem Serail and the advent of the famous ‘Da Ponte trilogy’, Mozart threw himself frantically into the search for the right libretto, capable of taking the spectator to lands still unexplored where the drama and the psychology of the characters would be sublimated by the music. Hence, in the years between 1782 and 1786, he set up a veritable laboratory for dramatic music: a musical corpus of concert arias, sketches, and stylistic exercises like the canon – here brilliantly organised as an imaginary dramma giocoso in three scenes, each heralding in its own way one of the summits to come: Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così.
harmonia mundi
1 hour 44 minutes — 2 CD — November 2019
Awards
La presse en parle
‘This period represents a perfect musical and dramatic laboratory in artistic fields still unknown to Mozart. The composer, with his very precise ideas of an ideal theatrical microcosm, pored over more than a hundred librettos in search of a suitable subject. The artistic honesty and musical quality of the two CDs are astounding. You will also delight in the fresh, noble voices of the young singers, which promise a bright future for Mozartian singing.’ (Ingobert Waltenberger, 2019)
‘This little world comes together in ensembles where theatrical life regains its rightful place, thanks to Pichon’s lively direction and the relentless agility of the repartee. The spirit of comedy and drama also blows through the Ouvertures, where Pygmalion’s generous talent and diverse palette shine through.’ (Emmanuel Dupuy, 2019)
‘French soprano Sabine Devieilhe excels in concert arias, and while the logic of the ensemble may not be purist, it is thoroughly ingenious and brilliantly executed.’ (Nicholas Kenyon, 2019)