Brighton Year-Round 2025
Daria Robertson and Jason Pimblett Recital St Nicholas Church, Brighton
Daria Robertson and Jason Pimblett
Genre: Live Music, Music
Venue: St Nicholas Church, Dyke Road, Brighton
Festival: Brighton Year-Round
Low Down
A rare feast of pure later baroque arias. Soprano Daria Robertson and baritone and pianist Jason Pimblett perform ten small gems of the (mainly Italian) era.
Ten gems delivered by two gem-like musicians.
Review
This is a rare feast of pure later baroque arias. Soprano Daria Robertson and baritone and pianist Jason Pimblett perform ten small gems of the (mainly Italian) era.
They start with one attributed to Giovanni Pergolesi (1719-36) whose short life was so crowded with fame that many spurious pieces were attributed to him. Not least those used by Stravinsky in Pulcinella. This one is linked to Alessandro Parisitti in 1885! ‘Se tu m’ami’ is a ravishing and simple setting with clear melodic x structure and less of the ornate as delivered here by Robertson.
Robertson though a soprano enjoys a lower mezzo range in her rich voice, with plenty of power and majesty not normally associated with one so palpably young and at the start of her career.
Two Handel (1685-1759) arias follow. The late opera 1738 Serse contains ‘’Ombra nai fu’ that love song to a tree or ‘Handel’s Largo’s. It’s a piercing aria here and Robertson inhabits that range of countertenor castrati power seen in the original.
From the opposite end of Handel’s operatic career, ‘Lascia ch’io panga’ from Handel’s first London Opera Rinaldo of 1711 in fact comes from his early years in Rome around 1707. It’s one of the greatest seduction arias Handel of anyone else ever write because it appeals to feeling and even lift too. Robertson delivers it’s languorous line beautifully.
Antonio Caldara (1670-1736) was based in Venice and is now being rediscovered. His ‘Sebben, crudele’ is the usual complaint if a woman not acceding to make desire. It’s effective and spikier melodically than Handel.
Francesco Durante (1684-1755) has gradually emerged since his tercentenary, though always known to singers. His ‘Virgin, totto amor’ is an affecting and simple Hymn to the Virgin. We need to hear more of him.
Claudio Monteverdi’s operas may have totalled ten as that was the number of surviving librettos associated with him. We have only three from the founder of baroque though he may not have written as many as ten. We do know his second, after Orfeo, Arianna (1608) was lost – even in Monteverdi’s lifetime- since the famous Lament survives as well as the libretti, published in 1614. It’s a searing piece of Arianna’s abandonment by Theseus.
From early to mid-baroque with Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and his great opera Dido and Aeneas, dating possibly from 1684 and no later than 1689.
Here Pimblett enters as singer; as this extended section of the opera covers Aeneas’ being hoodwinked into leaving by a witch pretending to be Mercury. ‘Ah Belinda’ covers the opera from Dido’s Act III discovery, her furious exchange with Pimblett’s regally embarrassed Aeneas; who then offers to stay. Dido is too proud having given herself, and of course banishment leads to the famous Lament, in that extraordinary passacaglia underpinning the whole; as Robertson renders a blazing truth and intensity. A remarkable performance by both singers.
Pimblett now offers Robertson a rest after that. He accompanied his own rich firm national voice In Giovanni Bononcini’s (1670-1747) ‘Per La Gloria d”adorarvi’ from his 1718 opera Griselda. It’s tuneful and tells us why Bononcini was regarded not only as Handel’s rival but also someone whom Handel borrowed from. Everyone did, though Handel more than most. Often he drastically improved in the material. With Bononcini it’s clear that he wouldn’t need to do much. This is a virile, clear-cut aria full of resolve and memorable vocal sinew.
Into the Galant or Rococo with Christophe Gluck (1714-1787) and his Orfeo et Eurydice from 1762. The Lament ‘Che faro senza Euridice?’ – what is life without you – is one of those great arias that transcends that uncertain time between baroque and classical which Gluck with CPE Back more or less called into being. Soaring here in Robertsons hands.
Back to Monteverdi for his last opera L’incoronazione di Poppea which appeared in 1643 just after his death. There’s a question mark over this entwined duet of surpassing eroticism was written by Monteverdi. It might be by another hand, like his onetime pupil and now (again) famous opera composer Francisco Cavalli (1602-76); or by someone inspired yet obscure. It’s utterly stunning here ‘Our to moro’ is here in a twining and dining done of choices that is both hypnotic and wonderfully delivered. The highlight of the recital.
The Durante encore ‘Danza danza’ is a magnificent short can-belto roar of a piece delivered here with verve and swerve too. As Robertson noted, it’s one of the famous 24 arias in the songbook, made famous by Pavarotti. So Durnate’s known at least to singers and Italians. Ten gems delivered by two gem-like musicians.
