Album insights
An oil painting by Philip Mercier at the National Portrait Gallery in London depicts a concert in Kew Gardens around 1733, with notable musicians including Frederick Louis (the Prince of Wales) on the cello, his sister Anne at the harpsichord, and Princess Caroline Elisabeth playing the mandolin, while Princess Amelia listens attentively. Frederick, besides cricket, was fond of music, being a key supporter of the Opera of the Nobility in competition with Handel's King's Theatre. The renowned castrato Farinelli praised the royal prince for his musical favors and collaboration on the cello and in singing.
The prince and the castrato spent many hours making music together. They may have performed the twelve cantatas by Nicola Porpora, possibly included in their repertoire, as evident from Farinelli's account of their shared musical pursuits. Saverio Mattei, a well-rounded Neapolitan lawyer corresponded with Metastasio and mentioned copying twelve cantatas from Porpora's manuscripts, exciting hints at the close relationship between the composers during specific periods in their careers.
Though the London edition of 1735 lacked author attribution for the cantata texts, the poetic quality of Metastasio's verses remained undeniable, contrasting with his initial disregard for his own early cantata texts. Despite this, the cantatas, appearing in Porpora's possession before printing, showcased a higher grade of poetry for the mid-18th century. The successful musical realization of these cantatas for alto voice struck a balance between the intimate chamber setting and the vocal virtuosity of Neapolitan operas popular in London.
The vocal demands of the cantatas emphasized ornamentation technique, rhythmic flexibility, and breath control over mere vocal acrobatics, allowing performers to excel in executing various vocal embellishments, as seen in the elaborate trills and sustained notes mentioned in specific cantata arias. The accompaniment, featuring a robust cello bass line and harpsichord accents, highlighted compositional diversity in recitatives, ranging from simple secco to arioso, enriched by descriptive effects and word painting to accentuate the text.
One of the collection's peaks, Cantata No. 9, stood out for its dramatic monologue-like recitative and dense harmonic textures, indicating the necessity for additional instruments like violins, flute, oboe, or bassoon in some pieces. Metastasio's included pastoral themes often called for enriching the fundamental instrumentation. The structure of Cantata No. 8 uniquely framed a comparative narrative between a lover and the mythological figure of Nymphe Klytie, offering Porpora the opportunity to craft a poignant, melancholic arioso, showcasing his intricacy and stirring emotional impact in his compositions.