Francesco Scarlatti (ed. Webber)– Il Daniele nel lago de’ Leoni. Handel – Dicit Dominus, HWV 232.
Armonico Consort;, Christopher Monks (conductor).
Wigmore Hall, London, 10 January 2025
The rarest of the rare, perhaps, here: an oratorio by Francesco Scarlatti. And you thought Alssandro’s output was elusive. Francesco Scarlatti (1656-1721) was Alessandro’s brother (and uncle, therefore, of Domenico).
Interestingly, Francesco came to England, and although possibly first performed in Palermo, the score of his Daniele (The Prophet Daniel in the lake [den] of lions) was actually discovered in the library of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge; there is now a performing edition by Dr Geoffrey Webber, who also played organ on this occasion.
The story is the famous one of Daniel and his encounter with lions, and here includes a dragon and a demon (Bel, from the Apocrypha) for good measure. It is told in the manner of Sicilian oratorios of the time, which followed the Roman model in being narratorless and with several solo parts. The arias tend to be of the pre-Bach/Handel variety, with a shot opening section followed by free development of the opening material. There is also an ‘echo aria’ (Daniele’s ‘Poco, poco è la morte’ – Death is of no consequence – effected by some players relocaing the balcony). The libretto is by that most prolific of authors and composers, anonymous.
The story climaxes in Daniel’s rescue from the den by an angel. The setting is Babylon, were Darius is king and who worships the clay idol Bel (better known in contemporary literature as Baal, perhaps) and a dragon-demon. Sacrifices are left each day for Bol, which disappear; but Daniel (Darius’ friend, and a prophet) will not acknowledge the God Baal, much to the chagrin of the Babylonian priests.
The piece was released by the Armonico Consort last year on Signum Records, and it is from that recording the excerpts in this post are taken. Perhaps there were different players, for the busy opening Sinfonia was markedly more scrappy at the Wigmore. A small chorus of the principal singers delivered the brief opening chorus, ‘Alla straggi, alle vendette!’ (To slaughter, to revenge!’). Here’s the Signum, to give you an idea of Alessandro’s sound world:
But it was in some of the solo singing that the enjoyment lay: William Towers’ strong counter-tenor carried Dario’s ‘Di Bello, del Cielo, se miri i portenti’ (Admire the power and strength of Baal and heaven) with real aplomb, balanced by Daniele’s tender ‘Misero, non cader’ (Alas, poor wretched one), rendered with real emotion and pure tone by soprano Hannah Fraser-Mackenzie (one assumes this was a castrato role). Here are those two arias:
The use of organ in the continuo (Geoffrey Webber) was perfect; and Fraser-Mackenzie’s ability to project deep emotion shone also in Daniele’s aria, ‘D’Israele il Dio sovrabo’ (The sovereign God of Israel, a statement of his belief in what he perceives as a ‘truer’ God). Fraser-Mackenzie was superb in the more interior moments: her ‘Non son per credere’ (I am not prepared to believe), a 6/8 siciliano, was a true highpoint. Here, again, this aria in the recording:
In duet, Fraser-Mackenzie’s bright voice against the more burnished alto of Towers worked beautifully.
Tenor Graham Neal excelled as Abacucco (Habbakuk, a prophet), his grand aria ‘Correreper soccorrere’ (Hasten to give aid) garlanded by the shining natural trumpet of Peter Mankerius (who later shone in the duet ‘Per terra’). ‘Correre per soccorrere’ is a particularly Handelian aria in its grander sections; a contrasting passage for tenor with organ continuo is fabulously effective. Neal is a tenor to watch – his interactions with Daniele and the angel later in the oratorio elevated that whole scene. Here’s that aria:
The bass part is that of the demon (demone) and was taken by Alex Jones, who offered subsantive stage and voice presence. His aria ‘La sostanza vi lascio e i sapori’ (I leave you the tasty offerings) is curiously beautiful, with some lovely voice/violin counterpoint:
The casting was clearly carefully considered: as the angel, soprano Billie Robson was clarion-voiced, with a harder edge than Fraser-Mackenzie so the two were nicely differentiated. The recitative ‘Sceso dall’alte sere, alato messaggiero Angel son io’’ (A winged messenger, I have come from the higher spheres) includes some fascinating turns of harmony, by far the most imaginative moment so far from Francesco S; it is as if this twist hangs over and is accentuated by the aria that follows, the beautiful, slow ‘Tutto governa, tutto preveda, ripara tutto l’alto motor’ (He who causes all motion, foresees everything). The aria’s animation in its latter stages is joyous, too, a crescendo of light (and indeed, the line is ‘La luce eterna che tutto vede tenebro e tutto muta in chiaror’ (The eternal light that all sees all darkness turn to light). Robson excelled in the florid aria, ‘Combattere per vincere’ (Can a tender, gentle hand?), even finer than on the recording; the agile string parts were a touch hairy at the Wigmore, though. Here’s the recording:
The work ends with ‘Gloria al Dio d’Israele,’ a bright chorus with trumpet. This probable London premiere (let’s work on the assumption it is) was certainly an event, and it is important to hear this score. There are some fascinating moments, and although much is formulaic, Francesco Scarlatti hints at an individual voice.
It was great to have the full text and translation in the freesheet programme (it feels churlish to complain that a passage for Dario was not credited as such, but instead looked as if it should be sung by Daniele).
The shorter second half held one of Handel’s Latin psalm settings, Dixit Dominus, HWV 232. The composer sets Psalm 102 in virtuoso fashion, probably for the Carmelite Vespers for the feast of Madonna del Carmine in 1707. The Dixit Domnus was the first of the composer’s three settings, and regular readers of Classical Explorer may well remember this fabulous recording of all three from Berlin on Harmonia Mundi. The style is brilliant, and this Wigmore peformance pulled no punches in terms of velocity. That said, the work’s most remarkable moment is a succession of icy chords at the opening of ‘De torrent in via bibet’ (He shall drink of the brook). And musically, Billie Robson’s delivery of ‘Tecum principium’ (In the day of thy power) was a highlight.
A somewhat mixed evening, then, but without doubt a rewarding and informative one.
The Signum recording of Daniele is available here.
