Ercole Amante - Francesco Cavalli (2009)
2 DVD ISO | 720x480 | MPEG-2 DVD | LPCM 2.0, DTS 5.0 | Language: Italian | Subtitles: EN, FR, IT, GER, NL, ES | 261 MIN | 13.9 GB
Artists: Luca Pisaroni, Veronica Cangemi, Jeremy Ovenden, Anna Maria Panzarella, Anna Bonitatibus...
Stage direction : David Alden | Conductor: Ivor Bolton | Direction : Misjel Vermeiren | Recording Date: 11 Jan 2009 | Place of recording: Het Musiektheater Amsterdam
Originally commissioned by Cardinal Mazarin to celebrate the marriage of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and Marie Therese of Spain, Cavallis Ercole Amante took two years to complete and was first performed at the Tuileries in Paris, France, on 7 February 1662. It is Cavallis only opera written for Paris. With an Italian libretto by Francesco Buti based on Sophocles The Trachiniae and the ninth book of Ovids Metamorphoses, Ercole Amante tells the story of Ercole (Hercules) (Luca Pisaroni) who lusts after Iole (Veronica Cangemi), but she hates him for having killed her father. She instead is in love with Ercoles son Hyllo (Hyllus) (Jeremy Ovenden), who in turn is in love with her. Ercole, finding this out, wants to kill his son, but he relents, only after Iole agrees to marry him. Ercole instead imprisons his son in a high dungeon. Meanwhile, Ercoles wife and Hyllos mother, Deianira (Anna Maria Panzarella) sees Hyllo, in despair, plunge to the depths of the river Styx from his high dungeon and, believing him dead, seeks the aid of Licco (Marlin Miller) who promises to help her and Iole get revenge on Ercole. Just as Ercole is about to marry Iole she saves herself by giving him an enchanted shirt and Ercole is instantly killed. This production at the Het Musiektheater Amsterdam with the Concerto Kцln and Chorus of De Nederlandse Opera by stage director David Alden and set designer Paul Steinberg is filled with quaint intentional anachronisms that add to the operas humor, such as an oddly placed mobile phone, a six-pack of Heineken mini-kegs or Ercoles pro-wrestler action-figure costume. Also making this revival of Cavallis baroque opera a grand and marvelous achievement is the informed conducting by Ivor Bolton, beautiful vocal performances by Anna Maria Panzarella and Veronica Cangemi along with a charismatic performance by Luca Pisaroni as Ercole...
Ercole Amante is rarely performed and not often thought of as one of the great operas, but this oft-forgotten opera is and was responsible for influencing the French classical scene for decades after. De Nederlandse Opera and Opus Arte are to be applauded for this stupendous and immeasurably enjoyable revival.
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