SIFACE
L’amor castrato

Arias and instrumental pieces by Pietro Simone Agostini, Giovanni Battista Bassani, Francesco Cavalli, Antonio Giannettini, Carlo Ambrogio Lonati, Carlo Pallavicino, Bernardo Pasquini, Henry Purcell, Alessandro Scarlatti, Alessandro Stradella

Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682)
01 Ouverture
02 Recitativo “Amiche selve” [Role: San Giovanni]
03 Aria “Deste un tempo” [Role: San Giovanni]
(San Giovanni Battista. Rome, 1675)

Carlo Pallavicino (c.1630-1688)
04 Aria “È pur caro il poter dire” [Role: Tito]
(Vespasiano. Venice, 1678)

Alessandro Stradella
05 Aria “Voi donzelle che studiate” [Role: Testo]
(La Susanna. Modena, 1681)

06 Aria “Soffin pur rabbiosi” [Role: San Giovanni]
(San Giovanni Battista. Rome, 1675)

Bernardo Pasquini (1637-1710)
07 Ouverture
(La Sete di Cristo. Rome, 1689)

Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676)
08 Aria “Hora si ch’assai più fiero” [Role: Siface]
(Scipione Africano. Rome, 1671)

Alessandro Stradella
09 Aria “Io per me non cangerei” [Role: San Giovanni]
(San Giovanni Battista. Rome, 1675)

Carlo Pallavicino
10 Ouverture
(Il Bassiano. Modena, 1683)

Pietro Simone Agostini (1635-1680)
11 Recitativo “Hor ch’in sopor profondo” [Role: Ostilio]
12 Aria “Sorgi o bella da le piume” [Role: Ostilio]
(Il ratto delle Sabine. Venice, 1680)

Carlo Ambrogio Lonati (c.1645-c.1712)
13 Aria “Tremino, crollino” [Role: Costanzo]
(I due germani rivali. Modena, 1686)

Giovanni Battista Bassani (1647-1716)
14 Ouverture
(La tromba della divina misericordia. Modena, 1676)

Antonio Giannettini (1648-1721)
15 Recitativo “Languia d’amor” [Role: Curzio]
16 Aria “Con un bacio” [Role: Curzio]
(Ingresso alla gioventù di Claudio Nerone. Modena, 1692)

Bernardo Pasquini
17 Aria “D’una fede al vivo zelo” [Role: Giosuè]
(I fatti di Mosè in Egitto. Modena, 1696)

Alessandro Stradella
18 Ouverture
19 Aria “Ma folle è ben chi crede” [Role: Testo]
(La Susanna. Modena, 1681)

Giovanni Battista Bassani
20 Aria “Core misero” [Role: Giona]
(Il Giona. Modena, 1689)

Pietro Simone Agostini
21 Aria “Voglio guerra” [Role: Tacio]
(Il ratto delle Sabine. Venice, 1680)

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
22 My song shall be alway (London, 1689)
23 Sefauchi’s Farewell (London, 1689) [for harpsichord]

Bernardo Pasquini
24 Aria “Ma nostre voci flebili” [Role: Giosuè]
(I fatti di Mosè in Egitto. Modena, 1696)

Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725)
25 Aria “Dormi o fulmine” [Role: Nutrice]
(La Giuditta. Rome, 1697)

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About this album

With Siface: l’amor castrato, countertenor Filippo Mineccia, together with Javier Ulises Illán and Nereydas, presents a short imaginary pasticcio opera reflecting the music-making and life of the contralto castrato known by that stage name. Born Giovanni Francesco Grossi in 1653 in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Siface was acclaimed for his exciting musical performances, yet who became famous also for the tragedy of his love life. He was called upon to sing in operas and oratorios by the likes of Stradella, Pasquini, Bassani, Pallavicino and Agostini. For a long time in the service of Francesco II d’Este in Modena, Siface was an active member of the musical “ducal circuit” in the Italian peninsula, even, on one occasion, additionally being sent to England, where he performed before monarchy, and met and impressed Henry Purcell.

Filippo Mineccia brilliantly captures the kaleidoscopic rush of emotions coursing through this selection of arias, which reflects the torrid and spectacular musical pace of life in late seventeenth-century Italy (as well as mirroring Siface’s own downfall on the road from Ferrara to Bologna).

The Spanish ensemble Nereydas fully enter into the spirit of this, by turns, colourful, heartfelt, poignant and vivid celebration of vocal and instrumental music, which also features works by Alessandro Scarlatti (the emotive lullaby Dormi o fulmine), Francesco Cavalli and Purcell (My song shall be alway). Elena Bernardi puts flesh on still little understood aspects of the early stages of opera in the late Seicento.