VIVALDI | Cantata ad Alto solo con Istromenti | Cessate omai cessate, RV 684 | Original manuscript

[@giuseppegullo717]

@Del Vivaldi - Thank you VERY much for this upload. “Cessate, omai cessate” has been a big favorite of mine since I was a teenager and I do believe that it’s a true gem and one of the greatest masterpieces of the genre. Having heard a great many recordings and live renditions of this cantata over the years, I quite like Anne Sofie von Otter’s approach, especially her declamato in the recitatives and her wise and balanced use of the chest voice throughout. Her vocality appears well befitting to a piece that at every bar makes me think of Anna Giro’s hallmark vocal qualities: preference for parlanti (“speaking”) arias, moderate to little virtuosity, high dramatic content of the arias as well as the recitatives, sudden changes in mood and dramatic tone, etc. Not to mention one of the cleanest vocal manuscripts by Vivaldi, probably indicating highly curated composition and performing circumstances. Even though not historically proven, I’ve always liked to imagine this cantata sung by Anna, with Vivaldi himself playing the one violin “coll’arco” of the first aria! However, I’d like to make a few comments on some aspects of this recording that I think might be interesting to discuss more in detail with you and the other Vivaldians who follow your channel. I'll try my best to be as objective as possible in relation to the autograph score. - In the opening accompagnato (tempo Largo e sciolto) there’s no suggestion whatsoever that the semiquaver after the dot should be played staccato or spiccato. Actually, every time this rhythmic figure appears in the recitativo, the staccato mark is clearly on the first note of the group (the quaver with the dot), thus indicating where the strong accent should fall. Making the hard-to-understand choice of playing staccato both the quaver and the semiquaver has remarkable consequences, as it creates a sort of “lame” and anti-dramatic rhythms that goes against the composer’s intentions as they are transmitted by the manuscript. - The first aria (“Ah ch’infelice sempre”) has two different tempo indications in the Part A and Part B - Larghetto and Andante molto, respectively - thus indicating a slow-faster-slow arc for the A-B-A aria form. The performers’ choice (once again, difficult to understand for me) of a tempo for Part A that is much faster than what suggested by the manuscript (and faster than any other recording I’m aware of) flips this structure with the result that Part B, also owing to the different writing and meter, is inevitably perceived as slower than Part A. Once again, this paradoxical choice seems to go intentionally against the composer’s intentions. - In vocal music from the first half of the 18th century, and all the more so for secular cantatas, one of the golden rules was that the last lines of the recitative served as a bridge to the aria that followed and set its emotional mood (as well as the key, in most cases). With this in mind, the way the closing lines of the second recitative (“…il mio tormento in voi resti sepolto”) are performed in this recording before the very dramatic syllabic aria "Nell'orrido albergo" is simply unconceivable, and not just for someone like me who’s an Italian native-speaker. Singing those lines piano (if not pianissimo) almost as a falling asleep, is not only a misunderstanding of one of the pivotal balancing factors between recitatives and arias, but also a fundamental betrayal of the meaning of the recitative lines (“…among you may my anguish be buried.”) in relation to the following aria, and of all the instruments “col basso”, which in Vivaldi’s writing almost invariably is meant to emphasize once again the text. I have to say that Von Otter is in very good company about this, as a lot of interpreters make the same mistake, including Andreas Scholl’s almost ridiculous rendition of that recitative, notwithstanding his marvelous voice. I’m sorry for the long comment - it tends to happen when I write about Vivaldi! Thank you again for all you’ve done so far - and hopefully you’ll keep doing for a long time - for all of us indefatigable Vivaldians.

[@DelVivaldi]

First thanks for the detailed appreciation of the composition and manuscript. As for the interpretation, it has many strong points, some of which are vindicated by the manuscript, and also some strange choices as you pointed out. Here are a few remarks for what they are worth. 1) The strange accents in the opening figure (and subsequently). Could it be the conductor’s interpretation of ‘Largo e sciolto’, i.e. detached, not legato? However, in this specific context it could mean the very opposite if ‘sciolto’ is understood as relaxed, not strict. In any case the accent is clearly exaggerated. It seems to purposefully avoid double-dotting (the French manner). However it does not seem to be in explicit contradiction with the manuscript, because I see no accent notated in these figures. The only accent marks visible on the first page are those of the first Forte. All other dots pertain to note-length and those that appear above the notes were simply put there because Vivaldi forgot to write them in in the first place. Instead of cramming them between the two notes, he uses the space above, as he often does also with alterations. The same pattern appears at the start of the Beatus vir RV 597, and the dots are similarly placed (rather haphazardly). 2) The Larghetto (‘Ah ch’infelice sempre’). Surprising because every other recording takes a much more (to our ears) sensible tempo, but what do you make of the notation and the metre? It is in common time and the bass is in quavers. Consequently, that brisk-sounding tempo is exactly Larghetto in modern terms. If the composer wanted a slow tempo, but for some reason thought this short-value notation more practical, why use ‘Larghetto’ and not ‘Largo’ or even ‘Largo molto’? To allow for a slow tempo here, you have to assume that Vivaldi meant ‘Larghetto’ not as an indication of speed, merely of mood. Which could very well be the case. In the following Andante molto in triple metre, the conductor does exactly that. I am not familiar enough with the use of tempo markings in the very large corpus of secular vocal music to make a judgment, but I suspect that Vivaldi’s usage is less straightforward than in the instrumental music, both because of the dramatic element and the more complex structure. 3) The Recitativo. Interesting observation. For what it’s worth, I know of some Italian conductors who let their French alto girlfriends fall asleep at the end of rectitativos.

[@kanelbullenochkakan2322]

Thanks to both of you, I love learning about these things!

[@liliaesperanza4436]

Muy bonito. Las partituras llaman la atención porque en su mayoría son muy limpias. Directo de la cabeza al papel. Este gran compositor tenía un talento excepcional para componer tanto que sus contemporáneos decían que escribía más rápido de lo que ellos podían copiar la partitura. Eso es una genialidad. Vivaldi era un genio. Gracias por compartir estás obras tan bellas 😊 siempre es un placer verlas.

[@mereyeslacalle]

Tanta belleza , sólo Vivaldi pudo crearla. Este portal me emociona profundo , al contemplar las partituras escritas de su puño y letra . Gracias por esta maravilla !

[@kanelbullenochkakan2322]

Ohhh RV 684... Very nostalgic! Also the new thumbnail idea looks amazing!

[@smilingmushroom]

Using anne sofie von otter's voice is an excellent choice!

[@smilingmushroom]

Anyway, since i don't understand italian i always using google translate to help me understand the lyrics, and... I can't stop laughing when google translated "nell'orrido albergo ricetto di pene". Isn't it too straightforward for a priest?

[@nehemiasalves9312]

​@@smilingmushroom I found this strange too, but I think it's a character's speech.

[@serenissimus1678]

@@nehemiasalves9312 Here "pene" is feminine plural of "pena" (pain), not masculine singular. Google Translate probably confuses the two occurrences.

[@nehemiasalves9312]

​@@serenissimus1678 Oh, i didn't know that, interesting, thank you!

[@smilingmushroom]

@@serenissimus1678 thanks a lot!

[@Jean_Angelo_SaezCompositor]

¡Gracias como siempre Del Vivaldi!

[@johnnynicolacruz2970]

Magistral ❤

[@mrJohnDesiderio]

Love it!

[@miquelegiorgio]

¡Gracias!

[@Kasi23]

Thank you for full score!

[@fuadjada4155]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!

[@Asiek]

What vivaldi used to write?

[@trashbagsmiley1999]

Thank you for your channel! Could you make a video with the glorious RV407 next time?

[@DelVivaldi]

You're welcome. I don't have a manuscript source for RV 407 unfortunately.

[@serenissimus1678]

ENGLISH (FREE) TRANSLATION [Recitativo] Cease, oh! cease for ever, cruel memories of a tyrant passion; once with barbarous ruthlessness you turned my peaceful days into a boundless misery. Cease, oh! cease for ever to tear my breast, to pierce my very soul, to rob my heart of its tranquillity. Poor wounded and deserted heart, you are robbed of piece by a tyrant passion, for cruelty alone harbours and feeds a pitiless glance and faithless heart. [Aria] Why does the ungrateful Dorilla wish nothing but my grief? Why, ever stonier-hearted, cause my poor tears to flow? For my woes there is no cure, nor any hope. My savage martyrdom and all my pains can only find relief in death. [Recitativo] To you, then, I have recourse, gloomy caves, haunts of dread silence, lonely resorts and friendly shades, to you I bring my grief, because from you I hope for that pity not to be found in Dorilla's cruel bosom. To you I come, beloved caverns, to you, welcome caves, that all my pains and I myself in you may buried lie. [Aria] Here in this horrid site I'll find a refuge from my pains, and here give free rein to all my grief. Here I will cry aloud on my heartless love, faithless Dorilla, here I will die. On Acheron's dark bank I'll pass and dye his stream with innocent blood crying for vengeance, a wandering shade, and vengeance will be mine. [Adapted from a translation by Martin Cooper, 1978]

[@nurrasyid14_]

Can you please upload RV 432?:)

[@kanelbullenochkakan3118]

Is everything alright, or are you just busy with stuff? I am not asking for more videos, I'm just a little concerned, best regards from me!

[@DelVivaldi]

I have been very busy. Moving house and some other stuff. Things should be happening here again soon, thanks.

[@kanelbullenochkakan3118]

@@DelVivaldi Oh I see, good luck!

[@serenissimus1678]

I would like to point out a common and annoying mispronunciation that foreign singers usually make in performing this cantata, and which unfortunately reflects on the Italian substitles at times 6:22 and 7:02. The correct word "spechi" (written as such by Vivaldi and representing the plural of "speco", which means "cavern") mistakenly becomes "specchi" (plural of "specchio", which means "mirror"). Actually, the two short and consecutive sentences "Vengo, spelonche amate" and "Vengo, spechi graditi" have exactly the same meaning; the variant "specchi" would be meaningless here.

[@DelVivaldi]

Thank you. But what is the meaning of "affine meco in volto"? Sometimes Vivaldi misspells, but I don't know if "specchi" makes sense (as in a pool of water = mirror?).

[@serenissimus1678]

@@DelVivaldi It is true that Vivaldi sometimes misspells, in particular when he drops one of two consecutive consonants, as is typical in Venetian pronunciation: an example is also here, at time 1:09, when he writes "trafigermi" instead of "trafiggermi". However, in the case of "spechi", I think that Vivaldi's writing is correct, according to the global meaning (the necessity of hiding one's own pain in gloomy and unsettling places) of the second Recitativo, which I copy here for the reader's convenience: A voi dunque ricorro, orridi spechi, taciturni orrori, solitari ritiri ed ombre amiche, tra voi porto il mio duolo, perchè spero da voi quella pietade, che Dorilla inumana non annida. Vengo, spelonche amate, vengo, spechi graditi, affine meco involto il mio tormento in voi resti sepolto. In the first occurrence, "orridi spechi" appears together with "taciturni orrori, solitari ritiri ed ombre amiche": the whole context (and, in particular, the reference to "ombre"= "shadows") suggests that "spechi" is most probably to be translated as "caverns" rather than "pools of water". The latter meaning could be considered as possible only assuming that Vivaldi misspells the word "specchi" as "spechi" and at the cost of a less natural interpretation of the text. In the second occurrence, as I wrote in my previous comment, the two consecutive sentences "Vengo, spelonche amate" and "Vengo, spechi graditi" have exactly the same meaning, which supports and confirms the correctness of the spelling "spechi": indeed, in general, the anonymous author of the literary text (certainly not a great poet) seems to like repeating several times the same concept with different words. Actually, when the content in itself is very poor, this "repeating strategy" is almost obliged. Finally, the sentence you cited should be "affine meco involto" and not "affine meco in volto": note that Vivaldi (cf. time 7:08), writes "in= =volto" in the page break, which means that "involto" is a single word. A paraphrase in modern Italian of the two last verses of the Recitativo might be the following: "Affinché il mio tormento, inscindibilmente legato con me stesso, resti sepolto in voi". The two verses could be freely translated as follows: "[In order] that all my pains and I myself in you may buried lie" [quoted from the Archiv booklet attached to the CD containing cantatas RV 684, 685, 683, performed by René Jacobs and Complesso Barocco, dir. Alan Curtis].

[@DelVivaldi]

@@serenissimus1678 Thanks a lot Riccardo.

[@serenissimus1678]

@@DelVivaldi For me it's a real pleasure and honor to give some (small) contribution to your wonderful channel!