Soloists, The Parley of Instruments, Roy Goodman - Thomas Arne: Artaxerxes (2009) 2CDs

A warm welcome to the first recording of this opera, a work of great historical importance and musically fascinating. Thomas Arne, the leading English composer of his time for the theatre, wanted to write serious as well as comic English operas, and decided that Italian opera seria should serve, on the literary side, as his model; he chose the most famous of all the Metastasio librettos, Artaserse, as the basis for his first (and last) attempt at the genre. It is generally supposed that the translation was his own work. He performed the opera at Covent Garden in 1762 with considerable success and it remained a favourite for many years. He never followed up that success, and nor, regrettably, did anyone else. But perhaps there were reasons for that. Metastasio, when translated into English, provides a libretto in rather elaborate, flowery language which is not really very well suited to the kind of music that English composers traditionally wrote for the theatre – and it would have worked even less well had Arne tried a more Italianate style. Arne did not employ the Italian da capo aria but kept, for the most part, to the simpler and more direct forms, even strophic ones, used in the English theatre. English vocal music of this period has quite a distinctive manner, tuneful, rather short-breathed, often with a faintly ‘folky’ flavour. It does not naturally reflect the exalted emotional manner of an opera seria text. This statement possibly has wider implications about the English temperament as well as the English language; but as far as Artaxerxes is concerned the result is a curious hybrid.

Nevertheless, the music is enormously enjoyable, full of good melodies, richly orchestrated, never (unlike Italian operas of the time) long-winded. Several of its numbers became popular favourites in Arne’s time, and for long after – many readers will know the splendid and very brilliant final air, “The soldier tir’d of war’s alarms”, which Dame Joan Sutherland has recorded (Decca, 12/60 – nla). The story of Artaxerxes is a typical Metastasian one, with ‘treasonous designs’ and misunderstandings, and plenty of opportunity for the expression of strong and varied emotion. Much of the best and most deeply felt music goes to Arbaces, originally a castrato role written for the famous Tenducci, at mezzo-soprano pitch: here it is very finely and expressively sung by Patricia Spence. She begins with a big D major air demanding considerable agility and continues with a richly accompanied piece, very original in line: then in Act 2 she has a fine two-tempo air and an eloquent farewell piece as Arbaces is taken off in chains (suspected of regicide); and lastly there is the admired “Water parted from the sea”, a minuet air, very English in style. Spence uses more vibrato than anyone else in the cast but her warmth of tone and expressive power are ample justification. Mandane, Arbaces’s beloved, composed for Arne’s mistress Charlotte Brent, is another rewarding part and is finely sung here by Catherine Bott, bright in tone and true in pitch and scrupulous in her verbal articulation, who can encompass both the charming English ditties and the more Italianate virtuoso pieces – the semiquavers in “The soldier tir’d” are dispatched with real brilliance and precision. The opera begins with a duet for these two that hints at (and indeed could have influenced) Mozart’s “Ruhe sanft” in Zaide.
Philippa Hyde sings very gracefully and charmingly in the role of Semira but does not always bring sufficient clarity to the words. As the conspiring Artabanes, Ian Partridge sings as clearly and intelligently as always. The role of Artaxerxes, the king, is taken by Christopher Robson, an excellent stylist, though this castrato part is bound to be testing for a countertenor and he is often covered by the orchestra. The smaller part of Rimenes, an insinuating traitor, is neatly sung and characterized by Richard Edgar-Wilson.

Arne’s orchestral style here is very rich, with much prominent wind writing; sometimes, as I have indicated, the singers – given less prominence by the engineers than one might expect – do not ride the full textures very comfortably. Roy Goodman’s accompaniments are not generally very subtle or carefully shaded. The original score does not survive complete, a victim (like so many) of the frequent theatre fires of the time; Peter Holman has done a predictably unobtrusive and stylish job of reconstructing some of the lost recitatives for this recording. This is certainly a set that I can recommend warmly to anyone curious about this byway of eighteenth-century opera, and to anyone who is drawn to Arne’s very individual and appealing melodic style.'

Review by Stanley Sadie, Gramophone

Exact Audio Copy V1.1 from 23. June 2015

EAC extraction logfile from 15. September 2016, 22:37

The Parley Of Instruments, Roy Goodman / Arne - Artaxerxes - CD1

Used drive : HL-DT-STDVDRAM GU70N Adapter: 1 ID: 0

Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No

Read offset correction : 48
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000

Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 128 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\Flac\flac.exe
Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "Date=%year%" -T "Genre=%genre%" %source%


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Range status and errors

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Filename C:\temp\CDD22073 - Arne - Artaxerxes\CD1\Arne - Artaxerxes - CD1.wav

Peak level 89.6 %
Extraction speed 2.3 X
Range quality 100.0 %
Test CRC C9CE8918
Copy CRC C9CE8918
Copy OK

No errors occurred


AccurateRip summary

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==== Log checksum 12FE23E91CFEF3679B7D03EE5A6D93F20D594189BD581F1DF0D822BF878D99C0 ====

foobar2000 1.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2016-10-18 15:47:06

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: The Parley Of Instruments, Roy Goodman / Arne - Artaxerxes - CD1
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR13 -5.79 dB -24.14 dB 5:07 01-Overture
DR14 -9.94 dB -28.65 dB 0:28 02-Act I - Recit.: Still silence reigns around
DR13 -5.93 dB -23.47 dB 2:19 03-Act I - Duettino: Fair Aurora, pr'ythee stay
DR15 -9.68 dB -30.88 dB 1:18 04-Act I - Recit.: Alas, thou know'st that for my love of thee
DR16 -7.51 dB -28.35 dB 3:08 05-Act I - Air: Adieu, thou lovely Youth
DR14 -8.89 dB -28.76 dB 1:10 06-Act I - Recit.: O cruel parting!
DR15 -1.40 dB -23.41 dB 4:28 07-Act I - Air: Amid a thousand racking woes
DR16 -9.93 dB -31.47 dB 2:00 08-Act I - Recit.: Be firm my heart
DR13 -9.69 dB -27.54 dB 3:37 09-Act I - Air: Behold, on Lethe's dismal Strand
DR12 -13.25 dB -31.80 dB 0:30 10-Act I - Recit.: Stay, Artaxerxes, stay
DR15 -8.56 dB -29.40 dB 3:07 11-Act I - Air: Fair Semira, lovely Maid
DR15 -8.76 dB -30.49 dB 1:28 12-Act I - Recit.: I fear some dread Disaster
DR15 -7.40 dB -27.21 dB 1:57 13-Act I - Air: When real Joys we miss
DR13 -17.63 dB -37.02 dB 0:33 14-Act I - Recit.: Ye Gods, Protectors of the Persian Empire
DR15 -6.56 dB -26.85 dB 3:39 15-Act I - Air: How hard is the Fate
DR16 -4.77 dB -29.52 dB 3:56 16-Act I - Recit.: Where do I fly?
DR14 -7.73 dB -26.86 dB 1:38 17-Act I - Air: Thy Father! away, I Renounce the soft Claim
DR12 -12.79 dB -30.33 dB 0:18 18-Act I - Recit.: Ye cruel Gods, what Crime have I committed?
DR14 -5.47 dB -27.21 dB 1:32 19-Act I - Air: Acquit thee of this foul Offence
DR12 -4.43 dB -26.00 dB 0:48 20-Act I - Recit.: Appearance, I must own, is strong against me
DR15 -0.95 dB -24.66 dB 4:49 21-Act I - Air: O too lovely, too unkind
DR13 -5.43 dB -24.60 dB 0:47 22-Act I - Recit.: Dear & beloved Shade of my dead Father
DR14 -5.13 dB -24.36 dB 5:20 23-Act I - Air: Fly, soft Ideas, fly
DR12 -11.74 dB -30.99 dB 0:40 24-Act II - Recit.: Guards, speed ye to the Tower
DR12 -9.68 dB -27.09 dB 2:10 25-Act II - Air: In Infancy, our Hopes & Fears
DR15 -9.34 dB -29.36 dB 1:32 26-Act II - Recit.: So far my great Resolve succeeds
DR15 -1.54 dB -22.64 dB 3:00 27-Act II - Air: Disdainful you fly me
DR16 -9.98 dB -31.08 dB 2:11 28-Act II - Recit.: Why my dear Friend, so pensive, so inactive?
DR14 -7.06 dB -25.33 dB 1:51 29-Act II - Air: To sigh & complain
DR13 -6.28 dB -30.48 dB 1:14 30-Act II - Recit.: How many Links to dire Misfortune's Chain!
DR17 -4.36 dB -26.82 dB 2:41 31-Act II - Air: If o'er the cruel Tyrant Love
DR9 -13.79 dB -34.17 dB 0:26 32-Act II - Recit.: Which fatal Evil shall I first oppose?
DR16 -5.90 dB -27.28 dB 2:45 33-Act II - Air: If the River's swelling Waves
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Number of tracks: 33
Official DR value: DR14

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 606 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================

Exact Audio Copy V1.1 from 23. June 2015

EAC extraction logfile from 16. September 2016, 8:41

The Parley Of Instruments, Roy Goodman / Arne - Artaxerxes - CD2

Used drive : HL-DT-STDVDRAM GU70N Adapter: 1 ID: 0

Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No

Read offset correction : 48
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000

Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 128 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\Flac\flac.exe
Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "Date=%year%" -T "Genre=%genre%" %source%


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2 | 5:27.20 | 3:22.07 | 24545 | 39701
3 | 8:49.27 | 0:49.48 | 39702 | 43424
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25 | 64:24.67 | 3:29.53 | 289867 | 305594


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Peak level 86.6 %
Extraction speed 2.2 X
Range quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 33338365
Copy CRC 33338365
Copy OK

No errors occurred


AccurateRip summary

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==== Log checksum 94257D2E0FEB61CA0DFE16A4048DC5CD6B8939ABD7E3C91A0B84ADF84B4D3F1F ====

foobar2000 1.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2016-10-18 15:47:31

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: The Parley Of Instruments, Roy Goodman / Arne - Artaxerxes - CD2
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR16 -3.05 dB -28.37 dB 5:27 01-Act II - Recit.: Ye solid Pillars of the Persian Empire
DR12 -3.91 dB -24.68 dB 3:22 02-Act II - Air: By that belov'd Embrace
DR14 -10.01 dB -30.49 dB 0:50 03-Act II - Recit.: Ah Me! at poor Arbaces parting
DR15 -1.24 dB -22.98 dB 2:34 04-Act II - Air: Monster, away!
DR14 -13.90 dB -32.77 dB 1:55 05-Act II - Recit.: See, lov'd Semira!
DR12 -7.81 dB -25.43 dB 3:24 06-Act II - Air: Thou, like the glorious Sun
DR14 -8.33 dB -28.69 dB 3:04 07-Act III - Arietta: Why is Death for ever late
DR16 -8.21 dB -28.74 dB 1:26 08-Act III - Recit.: Arbaces!
DR14 -3.87 dB -24.32 dB 2:44 09-Act III - Air: Water parted from the Sea
DR9 -17.18 dB -36.19 dB 0:22 10-Act III - Recit.: That Front, secure in conscious Innocence
DR14 -3.68 dB -25.61 dB 3:46 11-Act III - Air: Tho' oft a Cloud, with envious Shade
DR15 -11.60 dB -31.84 dB 2:16 12-Act III - Recit.: My Son, Arbaces - where art thou retir'd?
DR13 -4.44 dB -25.71 dB 2:13 13-Act III - Air: O let the Danger of a Son
DR12 -10.76 dB -27.45 dB 0:46 14-Act III - Recit.: Ye adverse Gods!
DR14 -6.57 dB -26.28 dB 5:19 15-Act III - Air: O, much lov'd Son, if Death
DR14 -8.95 dB -31.03 dB 1:25 16-Act III - Recit.: Perhaps the King releas'd Arbaces
DR16 -6.09 dB -27.91 dB 4:17 17-Act III - Air: Let not Rage thy Bosom firing
DR12 -13.19 dB -33.48 dB 0:26 18-Act III - Recit.: What have I done! alas, I vainly thought
DR13 -7.36 dB -27.18 dB 5:00 19-Act III - Air: 'Tis not true, that in our Grief
DR14 -9.08 dB -28.36 dB 1:13 20-Act III - Recit.: Nor here my searching Eyes can find Mandane
DR14 -2.31 dB -22.26 dB 3:42 21-Act III - Duetto: For thee I live, my Dearest
DR15 -5.62 dB -28.25 dB 2:37 22-Act III - Recit.: To you my People, much belov'd, I offer
DR14 -5.48 dB -24.12 dB 3:27 23-Act III - Air: The Soldier, tir'd of War's Alarms
DR17 -5.53 dB -28.31 dB 2:50 24-Act III - Recit.: Behold my King, Arbaces at thy Feet
DR13 -2.23 dB -19.47 dB 3:30 25-Act III - Chorus: Live to us, to Empire live
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Number of tracks: 25
Official DR value: DR14

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 605 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================