Flip a coin: if it’s heads, it’s love; if it’s tails, it’s torment. So was the theme of the evening’s program of seventeenth-century Italian music at the Morgan Library’s centennial concert last Thursday, as part of the Boston Early Music Festival’s 2024 series.
Headed by viola da gamba player Cristiano Contadin, the critically acclaimed Italian ensemble Opera Prima performs music of the Renaissance and Baroque on period instruments. American Soprano Amanda Forsythe joined Opera Prima in vividly imaginative interpretations of pieces by Monteverdi, Rossi, Strozzi, and Caccini, as well as other lesser-known composers of the period.
In addition to Mr. Contadin on viola da gamba, the ensemble included Andrea Inghisciano on cornetto, an early wind instrument that is gloriously vocal in its sound but notoriously difficult to play; Mauro Spinazzè on violin; Marta Graziolino, on the triple harp; and Gianluca Geremia on the chitarrone, a large, plucked stringed instrument otherwise known as the theorbo.
Amanda Forsythe, acclaimed for her performances of Rossini as well as a range of baroque repertoire, displayed an elegant and delightfully sweet tone throughout the concert, ably moving between tender and virtuosic passages. The imploring, ornamented lines of Rossi’s “Mio ben” were an excellent introduction to the emotional shape of the music, suffused with longing over a lament bass. The ensemble paired Giulio Caccini’s famous “Amarilli, mia bella” with an anonymous English version, juxtaposing the carefully shaded treatment of the tortured words in each rendition. Caccini’s “Amarilli” is among the most famous from his collection Le nuove musiche, written in 1601 and published in Florence in 1602, exemplifying the innovative style of voice with bass accompaniment that came to dominate the period. “La bella più bella,” by Luigi Rossi, featured a delightful, playful melody accompanied by plucked viola da gamba and chitarrone. One of the highlights was the last piece, “Amanti io vi so dire,” by Benedetto Ferrari. A loving torrent of gorgeously shaped notes exhibited Ms. Forsythe’s expert control and dynamic shaping. Mr. Inghisciano’s cornetto responded with vigorous passagework that melded well with the vocal line. Ms. Forsythe playfully bent the pitch on the line, “ohimè son morto,” “Alas I’m dead!”
The programming was well thought-out, featuring composers in roughly the same circles of in around Venice and Rome. Instrumental interludes connected the sung pieces. As Italian music of the Seicento invites cleverness and spontaneity, the music comes alive when the performers engage in improvisatory dialogue, which the entire ensemble executed with aplomb. Much of the music in this period demands creating harmony above a given bass line, which enables a myriad of possible colors, as a painter might choose on a blank canvas. The ciaccona, an upbeat improvisatory dance with a repeating (“ground bass”) bass line, was a common thread that undergirded several of the pieces, giving unity to the program. Just as a modern band might riff on the same chord progression over and over, so too did Italian musicians in that era.
The ensemble’s sound was crisp and expressive. The soothing nature of the mellifluous cornetto put the woman adjacent to me in a light stupor. As she kept dozing off, her program floated out of her grip like a butterfly. Other instrumental interludes grabbed one’s attention. Ms. Graziolino’s performance of Giovanni Kaspberger’s “Arpeggiata” on harp was particularly moving, for her subtle manipulation of the harp’s dynamics as the notes bobbed up and down in the arpeggios. Kaspberger keeps you guessing which way the harmony might turn, provoking introspection.
The audience fell on the side of love, rather than torment. After enthusiastic applause and many bows, the ensemble rejoined the stage for an encore: Monteverdi’s harmonious and lilting “Si dolce e’l tormento.” Ms. Forsythe’s heartfelt dissonances, elegantly supported by the ensemble, cascade one onto the next, evoking a sense of longing that transcends time and place. This style of music hits directly at the heart and is a gentle—and at times forceful—reminder of the complexities of love and the human spirit, and the performers brought this fully to life.
To view the virtual premiere of Opera Prima’s concert with Amanda Forsythe on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 8pm, view this link.
