Monteverdi: Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (2/3) - Hollweg, Schmidt, Equiluz

High resolution and stereo sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSgUv8GqbQg&fmt=18

Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, SV 153
dramatic cantata (from Book 8 of Madrigals)

Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Text: Torquato Tasso "Gerusalemme Liberata", XII, 52-62; 64-68

In this recording:

Testo: Werner Hollweg, tenor
Clorinda: Trudeliese Schmidt, soprano
Tancredi: Kurt Equiluz, tenor

Concentus Musicus Wien,
conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Teldec, 1984


"To tell the truth, before this radical version of Harnoncourt's, the Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda had not really been brought to life on disc, despite two or three gratifying versions which gave us the illusion that we were seeing clearly or that a veil had been pierced to reveal, more or less, the true genius of Monteverdi's engagement in the 'representative' genre. In fact, Harnoncourt was the first to see in the Combattimento a drama needing the whole of opera's armoury in order to come to life. For him, there is no demarcation line between Orfeo, L'Incoronazione di Poppea and this theatrical cantata (or madrigal). [...] Thus, he chooses for the recitation of the Testo -a role played by a staggering and raving Werner Hollweg -abrupt spoken effects directly borrowed from Sprechgesang." - Roger TELLART

Rest of the article in English:
http://www.goldberg-magazine.com/en/discography/1984/4595.php

Original article in French:
http://www.goldberg-magazine.com/fr/discography/1984/6595.php


Translation of this part, by John Hoole:

57
Thrice in his nervous arm he held the maid;
and thrice elusive from his grasp she fled.
Again with threatening swords resum'd they stood,
and dy'd again the steel with mutual blood:
till, spent with labour, each awhile retir'd,
and faint and breathless from the fight respir'd.

58
Now shines the latest star with fainter ray,
and ruddy streaks proclaim the dawning day:
each views the foe; while, bending on the plain,
the swords revers'd their sinking bulks sustain.
Then Tancred marks the blood that drains his foe,
but sees his own with less effusion flow,
he sees with joy: O mortals blind to fate,
too soon with Fortune's favouring gale elate!

59
Ah! wretch! rejoice not; thou too soon shalt mourn!
Thy boast and triumph must to sorrow turn!
Soon shall thy eyes distil a briny flood,
for all those purple drops of precious blood!
Thus for a while the weary warriors stay'd,
and speechless each the other's wounds survey'd.
At length the silence gallant Tancred broke,
besought her name, and mildly thus bespoke:

60
Hard is our fate to prove our mutual might,
when darkness veils our deeds from every sight:
but since ill fortune envies valour's praise,
and not a witness here our strife surveys,
if prayers from foes can e'er acceptance claim,
to me reveal thy lineage and thy name:
so shall I know, whate'er th'event be found,
who makes my conquest or my death renown'd.

61
Thou seek'st in vain (the haughty maid reply'd)
to fathom what my soul resolves to hide.
Yet, one of those thou see'st (whate'er my name)
who gave thy boasted tower to feed the flame.
At this with rage indignant Tancred burn'd:
In hapless hour thou speak'st (he thus return'd)
alike thy speech, alike thy silence proves,
and either, wretch! my arm to vengeance moves.

62
With rest refresh'd, with wrath inflam'd anew,
again transported to the fight they flew.
What dreadful wounds on either side are given!
Thro' arms and flesh the ruthless swords are driven.
Though faint with blood effus'd from every vein,
their staggering limbs can scarce their weight sustain,
yet still they live, and still maintain the strife,
disdain and rage withhold their fleeting life.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Claudio
• Monteverdi
• Combattimento
• Tancredi
• Clorinda
• Werner
• Hollweg
• Kurt
• Equiluz
• Trudeliese
• Schmidt
• Nikolaus
• Harnoncourt

[MrMarbic24]

Brilliant

[cstmhl]

unparalleled performance.

[Blackthorne369]

Glorious. Thank you so much!

[Blackthorne369]

Glorious. Thank you so much!

[algotalgo]

thanksss!! Wonderful

[karlakarolla]

perfect(L)