Gluck / Il Complezzo Barocco / Curtis- Demofoonte

Demofoonte dates from the early ‘Milan years’ of Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787), long before the radical ‘reform operas’ for which he is most famous and his break with opera seria and the librettos of Pietro Metastasio. Gluck arrived in the northern Italian city in 1737 and was mentored there by composer Giovanni Battista Sammartini. Though Sammartini primarily composed symphonies and music for the church, Milan boasted a vibrant opera scene, and Gluck soon formed an association with one of the city’s up-and-coming opera houses, the Teatro Regio Ducal. His first opera, Artaserse, on a libretto by Metastasio, premiered there on 26 December 1741 and opened the Milanese Carnival of 1742. Gluck went on to compose an opera for each of the next four Carnivals at Milan, Demofoonte being the second of these and his third opera overall, premiering on 6 January 1743. In celebration of Gluck’s 300th birthday, the early music scholar and harpsichordist Alan Curtis (1934-2015), founder of Il Complesso Barocco and leader of the period music ensemble for nearly four decades, prepared Demofoonte for performance. All of the arias had been preserved, but nearly all of the secco recitatives were lost. Curtis composed new recitatives in Gluck’s style, using Gluck’s earliest fully extant opera, Ipermestra, written less than two years after Demofoonte, as a model. This modern revival was given it’s first performance on 23 November 2014 in Vienna and was recorded with the same excellent cast of singers the week before, in Northern Italy.

Tracklist:

1. Gluck, Wq.3, Sinfonia: I. Allegro
2. Gluck, Wq.3, Sinfonia: II. Andante
3. Gluck, Wq.3, Sinfonia: III. Presto
4. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena I: I. Credimi, O Padre (Dircea Matusio)
5. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena I: II. O Pi Tremar Non Voglio (Matusio)
6. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena II: I. Se Il Mio Principe Almeno (Dircea Timante)
7. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena II: II. In Te Spero, O Sposo Amato (Dircea)
8. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena III: I. Ma Viene Il Real Genitor (Timante Demofoonte Adrasto)
9. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena III: II. Per Lei Fra L’armi (Demofoonte)
10. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena IV: I. Ma Che VI Fece, O Stelle
11. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena IV: II. Sperai Vicino Al Lido (Timante)
12. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena V: I. Marcia
13. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena V: II. Ma Che T’affanna, O Prence? (Creusa Cherinto)
14. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena V: III. T’intendo, Ingrata (Cherinto
15. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena VI: I. Dove? Ferma (Creusa Cherinto) Dimmi Cherinto. Questa La Frigia Principessa? [
16. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena VII: II. Non Curo L’affetto (Creusa)
17. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena VIII: I. Oh Dei! Perch Tanto Furor!
18. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena VIII: II. Il Suo Leggiadro Viso (Cherinto)
19. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena IX: I. Ol Ministri (Adrasto Matusio Timante Dircea)
20. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena IX: II. Padre, Perdona Oh Pene! (Dircea)
21. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena X: I. Appresso A Lei (Timante Matusio)
22. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 1, Scena X: II. Gemo In Un Punto E Fremo (Timante)
23. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena I: I. Creusa Intendo (Demofoonte Creusa Adrastro)
24. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena I: II. Tu Sai Chi Son (Creusa)
25. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena II: I. Che Alterezza Ha Costei! (Demofoonte Timante)
26. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena II: II. Prudente Mi Chiedi? (Timante)
27. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena III: I. Dunque M’insulta Ognun?
28. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena III: II. Se Tronca Un Ramo (Demofoonte)
29. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena IV: I. L’unica Speranza (Matusio Timante)
30. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena IV: II. Soccorso D’incognita Mano (Matusio)
31. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena V: I. Ah Principessa (Dircea Creusa)
32. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena V: II. Se Tutti I Mali Miei (Dircea)
33. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena VI: I. Che Incanto La Belt! (Creusa Cherinto)
34. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena VI: II. No, Non Chiedo, Amate Stelle (Cherinto)
35. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena VII: I. Se Immaginar Potessi
36. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena VII: II. Felice Et Dell’oro (Creusa)
37. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena VIII: I. Santi Numi Del Cielo (Dircea Timante), Scena IX. I. Indegno. Non Fuggirmi.
38. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena IX.: II. Perfidi! Gi Che In Vita (Demofoonte)
39. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena X: I. Sposo/Consorte
40. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 2, Scena X: II. La Destra Ti Chiedo (Dircea Timante)
41. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena I: I. Taci (Timante Adrasto)
42. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena I: II. Non Odi Consiglio? (Adrasto)
43. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena II: I. Perch Bramar La Vita? (Timante Cherinto)
44. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena II: II. Nel Tuo Dono Io Veggo Assai (Cherinto)
45. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena III: I. Oh Figlio, Oh Sposa (Timante Matusio)
46. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena III: II. Ah Che N Mal Verace (Matusio)
47. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena IV: I. Misero Me! (Timante)
48. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena V: I. Timante/’ah, Principessa
49. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena V: II. Misero Pargoletto (Timante)
50. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena VI: I. Sieguilo, Adrasto
51. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena VI: II. Odo Il Suono De Queruli Accenti (Demofoonte)
52. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena VII: I. E Tu Dircea, Che Fai? (Creusa)
53. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena VII: II. Che Mai Risponderti (Dircea)
54. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena VIII: I.Qual Terra Questa!
55. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena VIII: II. Non Dura Una Sventura (Creusa)
56. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3, Scena IX: I. Il Re Per Tutto Ti Ricerca (Adrasto Timante Matusio Dircea). Scena X
57. Gluck, Wq.3, Pt. 3: I. Par Maggiore Ogni Diletto (Coro)