Scherza infida - Joyce DiDonato LIVE 2007 in Geneva - Ariodante - Handel

Joyce DiDonato - Mezzosoprano


LIVE in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov 2007
G.F. Handel: Ariodante, London 1735
Video Trailer of this production:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=l5GyahMzuzQ


Scherza infida is on the Furore CD, and there exist some live radio broadcasts from the Furore tour in December 2008, at least Madrid and Paris. As the aria is too long for yt, I had to cut out around 2 min end of part A (sorry GFH).


Total cast:
Joyce DiDonato ............. Ariodante
Patrica Petibon ................ Ginevra
Varduhi Abrahamyan .... Polinesso
Amanda Forsythe ............ Dalinda
Charles Workman .......... Lurcanio
Antonio Abete .... King of Scotland
Kenneth Montgomery, conductor


Joyce DiDonato about this role on her website:
http://www.joycedidonato.com/englishjournalarch1-33.html
"This Prince has long been at the top of my list of 'dream roles', and in a way it's a bit sad to move it from the unknown, virginal stage of "maybe one day I'll get to sing it" to the reality of premiering such an iconic role, knowing that there is only one 'first time'. I have high hopes for this role, as artistically it feels like a perfect fit, and I am surely challenged in every single way with the demands of the role. But the hardest part as I go into Sunday's premiere is that I want it to be so, so good. I want people to breathe each breath along with Ariodante, to feel his naive and unfiltered jubilation at the start of the piece, to walk with him as the poison of doubt enters his veins, as his heart breaks in two when he believes his love to be untrue, not to mention when the realization erupts in him that ultimately he, himself, is the only one to blame for the betrayal, and finally coming full circle to joy again -- but this time, a joy which bares the wounds of his mortality, that shines through the scars of his all too human nature. I want people to take this journey with him, so that at the end of the (nearly) 4 hour evening, they will have experienced a rich odyssey of human fraility. I also want them to be completely absorbed by the almost painfully beautiful music Handel created for his masterpiece, for this is truly, a masterpiece."


Aria of ARIODANTE
************
Scherza infida in grembo al drudo.
Io tradito a morte in braccio
Per tua colpa ora men vo.

Ma a spezzar l'indegno laccio
Ombra mesta, e spirto ignudo,
Per tua pena io tornerò.
************
Sport, faithless one, in your lovers's embrace.
Because of your betrayal I now go forth
into the arms of death.

But to break this vile bond
I will return to haunt you
as a gloomy shade, a mere wraith.
************


I've uploaded 6 Ariodante arias from this production:
- Tu, preparati a morire
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9048-HyQDGM

- Dopo notte
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oYLqmc1u0ck

- Con l'ali di costanza
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L-uZZEbNXpk

- Cieca notte
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2B4a-BeDdA

- Numi! lasciarmi vivere
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3brcxVfPqWs

- Scherza infida
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CSKPc0UXOo

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Scherza
• infida
• Joyce
• DiDonato
• Ariodante
• Handel

[onieshka]

Why did you cut it ? Do you know where I can find the whole aria please ? (I mean by Didonato) Thank U very much.

[Gudrun74]

The aria is over 12 minutes long and youtube allows only 10 or 11 min. Scherza infida is on JDD's Furore CD. I'll send you all live recordings I have (from Ariodante plus the Furore tour) by mail in a couple of days.

I don't know whether it's a rumour, I've heard DiDonato will RECORD an Ariodante CD. That would be another milestone.

[vitellia]

I find the tempo way too dragging. This got to be the slowest interpretation of this aria ever (12-plus minutes!), easily topping Anne Sofie's recorded version. I also find her voice just way too feminine for this character.

[Gudrun74]

The whole aria is 12:40 long. For my ears not too slow, it's probably my fav.

Her most delicate high notes around 9:05, then her pianissimi ... and this from a non-cut and non-manipulated 4 hrs live Ariodante. I'm always stunned by DiDonato's mere physical power, and this combined with most delicate baroque sining incl. real TRILLS. From all singers I've ever heard, nobody comes close in this respect, except Genaux and Bonitatibus.

[daniel15671]

Only Handel, it seems, knew how to write such radiantly sad music in a major key. This is a stunningly beautiful rendering of this aria. DiDonato captures all the heartache that is embodied in this music. A tremendous baroque singer.

[SENAFOREVER]

Cette dame est tout simplement géniale.

[GabrielPadecopeo]

Demasiado sobreactuado, es un exceso Joyce. ¡Más naturalidad! Por favor.

[GlobalJukebox]

@vitellia Anne Sofie's version on the Minkowski CD is how I came to love this aria. I love that versions slow and brooding sound.

I was surprised, having only heard that version for so many years (before youtube took off) to discover there were versions of this Aria that sounds like they are 45rpm records being played at the 78rpm setting by mistake.

This aria just does not work AT ALL for me at higher tempo.

Anne Sofie's recording is still way out ahead for me.

[GlobalJukebox]

Ahh this is more like it. I much prefer this Aria slow and brooding, like Minkowski's version.

[olympicfreak678]

Perhaps the conductor learned his lesson after the sped up con l'ali di costanza. DiDonato's impeccable technique is able to triumph either way!

[jphd81]

I was there and it was amazing. She is the best with Anne Sophie von Otter (both are very diffent but excellent)!

[KirstyGriffiths]

The evidence of Joyce's amazing technique & talent are the fact that she can sing at such a terribly slow tempo! She has a wonderful voice but someone should shoot the person who imposed this tempo-fortunately DiDonato has a voice that keeps the intensity throughout but imagine how brilliant it would have been at Handel's written tempo! Someone needs to go to the library and read D. Wynn Jones thesis, papers research etc on Handel and take a look at the original manuscript!

[trickmastermonkey]

Bravuraaaaaaaa~~~!!!

[IlCaroSassone]

BRAVA! This is AMAZING! Joyce DiDonato is one of my favorite opera singers today, especially her Handel. Ariodante fits her like a glove. This and her Dejanira in Hercules are my two favorites. Is there a complete recording of this opera performance? Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this video with us here on YouTuibe!