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Gioachino Rossini - Il pianto d'Armonia sulla morte di Orfeo (1808) - "Quale i campi Rodopei" - No. 1. Sinfonia, Chorus, Recitative & Cavatina (Paul Austin Kelly)

4,809 views · Published 4 January 2009 · 10:14 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: LindoroRossini · 2009 · Music

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As a point of interest, I'm uploading two complete early Rossini cantatas for a soloist and chorus, as well as two excepts from a more mature work, again in the form of cantata. 

"Il pianto d'Armonia sulla morte di Orfeo", in which Harmony (tenor) and attendant nymphs (sung, possibly unintentionally humorously, by a male chorus) mourn the death of Orpheus, master of harmony, was Rossini's first major cantata (1808). Even more interesting, the piece was written as an exercise (which won a prize) at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna and premiered there on the 11 August 1808, when Rossini was some months short of his eighteenth birthday. All this comes as a shock when one has an opportunity to hear the piece itself,  attesting to the rhythmic and lyric talent which would define the composer's style in the decade to come. The text (was it chosen by Rossini or "set" by his teachers?) is a turgid piece by one Girolamo Ruggia but, as so often was the case later, the inadequacies of a libretto dont seem to hamper Rossini at all. 

The piece is divided classically into the succession of sinfonia - chorus - recitative - aria - recitative - aria. Truth be told, not everything is what one could call music of the highest order but there is much to admire. A rich, theatrical Sinfonia with an unusually uplifting central section gives way to a light (almost classicist) choral narrative, accounting Orpheus' poor fate. The succeeding recitative is as evocative, opening and incorporating a particularly detailed accompaniment, lead by the sighing violins, as Harmony laments the death of his greatest prophet. A rather placid but well sustained cavatina allows Harmony to appeal to the gods, asking the latter if Orpheus' death was truly necessary. A striking solo for the cello opens and appears throughout the next recitative where we find Harmony resolved to keep Orpheus' flame always, even if his death comes as great pain to him. The aria that closes the cantata is graced by a virtuoso horn solo but is rather ordinary, when we get past the prelude, in spite of some excitement formed by the chorus' and Harmony's "duet". Thus, we are faced with a school-boy piece of unflagging invention if not Rossini at his best. Given the ephemeral nature of the pieces Rossini made no bones about lifting bits of unsuccessful previous operas, or re-utilising the best bits in later works (the Sinfonia is used, for example, in the next presented cantata).

Paul Austin Kelly, in spite of some nasal singing, makes for a fine Harmony, believable in his gentle lament upon the death of the Arcadian poet. Hope you'll enjoy :).

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