United Kingdom Jommelli – a celebration: Fflur Wyn (soprano), Ambroisine Bré (mezzo-soprano), Hugo Brady (tenor), The Mozartists / Ian Page (conductor). Wigmore Hall, London, 18.9.2024. (CC)
Niccolò Jommelli (1714-74)
Ricimero, re de’ Goti: ‘Vidi il mar tutto in procella’
Ezio: ‘Se il povero ruscello’
Merope: ‘Io già sento nel mio petto’
Didone abbandonata: Final scene
Il Vologeso: ‘De’ miei desiri ormai … Che farò’
Demofoonte: ‘La destra il chiedo’
Fetonte: ‘Ombre che tacite qui sede’
La critica: Heureuse paix tranquille
Armida abbandonata: ‘Fra l’orror di notte oscura’
Ifigenia in Tauride: ‘Prendi l’esremo addio’
Il trionfo di Clelia: ‘Sol del Tebro in su la sponda’
Armida abbandonata: ‘Misera Armida … Odio, furor, dispetto’
This concert was a triumph in and of itself; but it was also a triumph over adversity. First, tenor Stuart Jackson cancelled, replaced by Hugo Brady. That one made the evening’s programme, but an insert told the story of another exit: soprano Emily Pogorelc was replaced by Fflur Wyn.
It is unfair to speculate what might have been, but it is the case that both substitutes flourished. The third soloist was Ambroisine Bré, in on the party from the off: celebrated in France, Bré has previously impressed as Calliope/Iris/Syrinx/Hébé in Lully’s Isis at Versailles in December 2019. She also featured in Christophe Rousset’s Tragic Handelian figures (with a pared-down Talens Lyriques) at Wigmore Hall in 2022.
But the star of the show was Niccolò Jommelli (1714-74). This was quite the anniversary celebration (he died 250 years ago). Jommelli’s expertise with accompanied recitative is one of his defining strengths, but so is an imaginative ear for scoring, and real melodic grace. The programme presented works in broadly chronological order. Previous Jommelli performances reviewed on Seen and Heard International include an aria from Cerere placata (Mozartists, Cadogan Hall, 2022), an excerpt from Armida abbandonata (Cadogan Hall, 2020), and Chiara Skerath in an aria from Fetonte (Wigmore Hall, 2018). One should also not forget the Signum Classics release of a complete Jommelli opera, Il Vologeso (whose cast included the originally programmed Stuart Jackson, there as Lucio Vero).
The good news is that this concert was being recorded, so one hopes for a rapid reacquaintance with this music. With some 80 operas by Jommelli in total (some setting the same text a number of times with completely fresh music), there is plenty more to explore.
Born in the same year as Gluck, Jommelli enjoyed huge success in his own time. His active career spanned nearly four decades. Hearing Ian Page’s pre-concert talk, it is clear there is no-one better equipped to present Jommelli’s cause: Page researches thoroughly on the one hand; on the other, his enthusiasm knows no bounds. It is a great combination.
There is a huge imagination on display in this music. The evening began with an aria from Jommelli’s 1740 opera Ricimero, re de’ Goti: ‘Vidi il mar tutto in procella’ (‘I saw the sea all in a storm’). This was Jommelli’s first opera seria, premiered in Rome and this is Teodolinda’s opening aria – she is the sister of the titular heroine. As Page points out, it is amazing to think this music pre-dates Handel’s Messiah. Although Jommelli often set Metastasio, the libretto here is jointly written by Apostolo Zeno (1668-1750) and Pietro Pariati (1665-1731). The two stanzas of Teodolinda’s aria are maximally contrasting, their difference nicely underlined here (the first meditates on the weather – relevant as stormy seas delay the arrival of Teodolinda’s beloved – and the second presents hopes that emerge as the result of his nearing). Wyn sang with a beautifully pure tone and fine pitching and enjoyed the floridity of the lines of the return to the opening stanza. This was a chance for Wyn to really display her talents, and it was a triumph: she has previously impressed as both Vivetta in Cilea’s L’arlesiana at Opera Holland Park in 2019 and as the titular character in Delibes’s Lakmé again at OHP, but back in 2015.
Hugo Brady is a name new to me. He sang one of the Pilgrims in Britten’s Curlew River in Deborah Warner’s production at Aldeburgh this year, and clearly has much more ahead of him. This is no reedy tenor: Brady’s voice has body, and heft. His lower register is full, and he is involving to listen to. His first aria was ‘Se il povero ruscello’ (‘If the paltry stream’) from Ezio (1741, the first of Jommelli’s settings of Metastasio’s text). The orchestral contribution here was fabulous, but the real discovery was Brady, focused, lyrical, lusciously toned and impeccably stylish. Jommelli’s imagination really shines in the aria, full of orchestral colour, a triumph from all concerned.
Jommelli turned to Zeno again for Merope of 1741. This was Ambroisine Bré’s first aria of the concert and was (surprisingly) unsettled – she seemed to struggle to focus in Trasimede’s aria (originally sung by the castrato Porporini). There were lovely moments, some perfect ‘placings’ of words, but this was not Bré at her finest. Jommelli’s writing was though – wonderfully alive lines and textures.
It was Wyn again who dominated in the final scene from Jommelli’s 1963 opera Didone abbandonata (text Metastasio). This is the final scene from the Stuttgart setting of Didone (there are different settings he wrote for Rome, 1747 and Vienna, 1749). Didone was sung by Wyn, while Bré took the smaller role of Osmida. Dido here launches herself into the burning remains of a palace in sort of pre-Wagnerian immolation, the orchestra (pardon the pun) absolutely alight. There was no doubting Jommelli’s keen ear for scoring, nor the effectiveness of his accompanied recitative and arioso. A multi-disc set of all three versions of the opera would be fascinating, but that will I am sure live in a fantasy world inside my head: let’s just be grateful to hear this much. Bré was now on top form, placing her contributions perfectly; Wyn was completely engaged with the furioso ‘Ah! Che dissi infelice!’ (‘Ah, what have I said, unhappy me?’).
We did get an aria from Il Vologeso, sung here by Hugo Brady: ‘De ’miei desiri ormai … Che farò’ (‘Now I see myself … What shall I do?’). This is a sighing recitativo accompagnato followed by a Cavatina, the opening replete with sinewy overlappings and scrunchy harmonies. Brady’s diction in recitative is perfect – there really is no need to follow the text. The short ‘Che farò’ continues the feel of the opening while opening out into a more lyric sphere (‘Dei mio ben’ provided a wonderful moment of expansion from Brady).
Nice to have a duet next: ‘La destra il chiedo’ from Jommelli’s 1764 setting of Demofoonte (the third of his four settings of Metastasio’s libretto). Bré and Wyn worked brilliantly together when in parallel intervals; Jommelli this time gave us vocal overlappings of unutterable beauty. A great finale to the first part of the concert.
Launching the second part was ‘Ombre che tacite qui sede’ (‘Shadows that are silently seated here’) from Fetonte (1768, the 26th of 27 operas Jommelli composed for Duke Karl Eugen). The libretto is by Mattia Verazi (a longtime collaborator of Jommelli’s) after Quinault (a librettist well known to Lully and indeed this is after Quinault’s libretto for Phaeton). Here, Bré’s vocal line unfolded beautifully; she sang the next aria also, the first of the evening to a French text, ‘Heureuse paix tranquille’ (‘Happy peacefulness’) from the 1766, one-act La critica. This is Gioconda’s aria, a French insert into an Italian opera. Bré’s runs were stunning, as was her sense of legato; Jommelli’s use of suspension is particularly expressive here.
Back to Italian, and Hugo Brady in ‘Fra l’orror di notte oscura’ from the 1770 setting of Armida abbandonata. Again, Brady’s voice was laudably strong throughout his registers. This is no easy aria, with wide leaps and much mobility; Brady took it all in his stride, and more.
Having been lucky enough to catch an Ifigenia in Aulide in Bayreuth recently (by Porpora), Jommelli’s setting of ‘Prende l’estremo addio’ (‘He is taking his final farewell’) in his opera Ifigenia in Tauride was the icing on the Ifigenian cake. Bré sang the part of Oreste in this Wigmore Hall performance of an aria from an opera written for Naples in 1771. Both Wyn and Brady were also involved here, but the focus remained on Bré for the aria, its sudden changes in pace well-realised thanks to Page’s clarity of beat.
Penultimately, an extract from the 1774 opera Il trionfo di Clelia (the evening’s pieces were broadly chronologically presented). Brady took the almost Mozartian line of Porsenna’s aria ‘Sol del Tebro in su la sponda’ (‘The sun above the banks of the Tiber’) with real authority coupled with silken legato and a sweet tone. Bravo.
Finally, then, Wyn as Armida and presenting her revenge aria from Armida abbandonata. Written originally for the celebrated soprano Anna Lucia de Amicis, this was heard in an exceptional performance, Ian Page counts silent rests perfectly (his is by no means the norm) underlining drama and underlying pulse; technically, Wyn was remarkable, her staccato passages in unison with violins jaw-droppingly accurate. Plus, Wyn was at times simply resplendent.
One encore. to this feast of Jommelli, and a BOGOF at that: Bré in a sleep aria (appropriately) leading smoothly to a ‘Requiem aeternam’ featuring all three soloists.
A miraculous evening, one that will not be forgotten for a long time. Page’s enthusiasm for Jommelli translates into musical gold. Let’s hope for more full operas …
Colin Clarke
