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Pedro Antonio AVONDANO (1714 - 1782): Morte d'Abel
Raquel Camarinha (Abel), Ana Vieira Leite (Caino), Valentina Varriale (Eva), soprano;
Filippo Mineccia (Angelo), alto;
Sergio Foresti (Adamo), bass
Divino Sospiro
Dir: Massimo Mazzeo
rec: Feb 28 - March 3, 2022, Lisbon, Academia Militar (Capela da Bemposta)
Glossa - GCD 923538 (© 2023) (2.32'50")
Liner-notes: E/D/F; lyrics - no translations
Cover, track-list & booklet
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Manuel Granatiero, Anna Gambino, transverse flute;
Fabio D'Onofrio, José Carvalho, oboe;
Anna Maria Barbaglia, bassoon;
Paulo Guerreiro, Ermes Pecchinini, horn;
Iskrena Yordanova, César Nogueira, Regina Yugovich Medina, Ilaria Marvilly, Elisa Bestetti (leader), Daniela Godio, Pietro Battistoni, violin;
Nuno Mendes, Lúcio Studer Ferreira, viola;
Rebeca Ferri (leader), Ana Raquel Pinheiro, cello;
Pedro Wallenstein, double bass;
Pietro Prosser, lute, theorbo, guitar;
Lucia Adelaide Di Nicola, harpsichord, organ
Pietro Metastasio was the most prominent author of librettos during the 18th century. He has become best-known for his opera librettos, but he also wrote the texts for oratorios. In his time there was little difference between the two genres, and one could rightly call oratorios 'sacred operas'. Apart from Passion oratorios, Metastasio wrote librettos on dramatic biblical subjects. One of them was La morte d'Abel, which was set by several composers, among them Antonio Caldara, Leonardo Leo and Pietro Antonio Avondano.
Avondano was born in Lisbon into a family of Italian descent. His father had moved from Genoa to Lisbon in 1711, where he entered the Royal Chapel of King João IV as first violinist. Little is known about his formative years. In 1742 he is first documented as a composer: in that year his opera Berenice was performed in Macerata in Italy, which suggests that he has studied in Italy.
In the 1750s he attempted to establish a public opera house. It is a sign of his wish to break away from the boundaries of courtly life. From 1758 he lived in a house where he organised public concerts - the first in Portugal. Here he also organised the so-called Assembly of Foreign Nations, where foreigners and the Portuguese elite met. It is due to these gatherings that Avondano became acquainted with a wide circle of illustrious figures in Portuguese society. In the 1760s he reorganised the Brotherhood of Saint Cecilia, the earliest guild of professional musicians in Lisbon; he acted as its director.
Avondano's oeuvre is not large, and a substantial part of it has been lost. That goes for all but one of his operas; from some others only fragments have survived. He composed at least six oratorios; of two of them only the libretto is known. Three oratorios have been preserved complete, all on librettos by Metastasio. It is notable that all of them have been found in German libraries. This is due to the fact that two brothers in Hamburg, Johannes and Jacob Schuback, supported the performance of his oratorios in the 1760s. Johannes owned a shipping business, was actively engaged in trade with Portugal, and became Portuguese Consul-General in Hamburg. Jacob was a lawyer, but also studied music with Georg Philipp Telemann, became an amateur composer, directed a choir and organized public concerts in Hamburg. All three extant oratorios by Avondano were performed in the Konzerthaus in Hamburg between 1762 and 1765. After the brothers' death their large musical collection was acquired by Georg Daniel Poelchau, a collector of musical manuscripts, whose inheritance landed in the Prussian Royal Library.
Metastasio wrote the libretto of Morte d'Abel in 1732. It is based on the story of Cain and Abel in the Old Testament book of Genesis. However, librettists in the 18th century always took biblical episodes with considerable freedom, both for dramatic and theological reasons. In many episodes from the historical books of the Old Testament one does not find many dialogues between different characters. Often librettists invented characters to make a story more dramatic. That is not the case here. The oratorio has five characters, as was the standard at the time. Four of the five are known from Genesis: Cain and Abel and their parents Adam and Eve. However, in the biblical narritive of the conflict between the two brothers, the parents don't play any role. Their participation is inspired by the wish to make the event more dramatic. The third person in the biblical story is God, who is here embodied by an angel.
There were also theological reasons to treat a biblical episode with some freedom. Oratorios were mostly performed during Lent, and that means that they are in one way or another connected to the Passion of Christ. In this oratorio that is made clear right at the start. In the very first aria, 'Quel buon Pastor son io', Abel sings: "I am a gentle shepherd and tend my flock well, offering for its salvation my very self. My flock, beloved and gentle, is known to one and all: recognized am I as the tender shepherd". This text indicates that Abel is portrayed here as type of Christ, who called himself "the good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep" (John 10). Metastasio pointed it out in his preface: "In the death of Abel, the subject of this sacred composition, the Holy Fathers recognise that of the Saviour more clearly than elsewhere."
The metaphoric treatment of the characters in the story does not stop there. Cain and Abel represent to types of people: Jews vs Christians and sinners vs believers respectively. The central character is Cain, who represents humanity as a whole. Metastasio was a representative of the Enlightenment, and that has left its mark in his libretto. "The lack of divine grace is transformed into a loss of harmony with nature: Cain does not see the signs that God sends to Abel. Thus, he is cut off from the physical world and consumed by envy. The drama continues with the demonstration of Cain's contrasting feelings, always accompanied by metaphors of nature (...). An analogy of the faithful Christians is Abel's flock of sheep, as well as the characters of Eve and Adam which present all imperfections and faults of mankind. In the figure of Eve, Metastasio proposes the metaphor of the Catholic Church, which has devout (Abel) and unbelieving (Cain) sons." (booklet) And then we have the character of the angel. His role specifically reflects Metastasio's enlightened philosophy. When he confronts Cain about his anger and envy towards Abel, he says: "Your sin festers within you: you alone can conquer it by free will. You can redeem yourself, you alone. (...) You accuse the innocent stars for your fate, and abuse thereby the Lord's gift of freedom (...)".
In the course of time oratorios became a musical entertainment, just like opera. Even so, they did not lose their spiritual intention. That comes to the fore in the closing choruses, which include a moral message to the audience. In this case, they are reminded that each human being is a sinner. Everyone abhors Cain, "and does not see him in himself".
The oratorio is divided into two parts, as was common in such works. The first includes dialogues, successively between Cain and Abel, the angel, Eve and Adam. It is in the second part that he actually kills his brother, but that is not specified. He suggests at first that he wants to make amends with Abel, and Eve believes that the conflict will be solved. Adam doesn't and suspect what is going to happen. The deed itself is not mentioned, but only indicated: when Cain meets Eve, he is alone, and there is blood on his clothes. Eve senses what has happened. In an aria Cain recognizes his errors, but does not hope for mercy. The emotional highlight is Eve's lament, the last aria of the oratorio.
It is a big shame that the booklet includes the libretto, but omits an English translation. I searched on the internet, but to no avail. I only could find translations of some arias, but that is hardly enough to thoroughly analyse the libretto and the way Avondano has set it. For the first I have used the liner-notes and what I could find on the internet. Even so, it is clear that Avondano was an excellent composer, and having listened to this oratorio I conclude that it is a real tragedy that a substantial part of his oeuvre has been lost. It would be great if the two other extant oratorios were going to be recorded in the future, hopefully with translations of the libretti.
This work confirms the closeness to opera of 18th-century oratorios. The arias would not be out of place in an opera; they are long and virtuosic. The soloists explore that character in their interpretation, for instance with regard to ornamentation and cadenzas. The latter tend to be exaggerated, in that they cross the tessitura of the respective parts. Otherwise I have nothing but praise for all participants. The casting is exactly right: in a work with three sopranos is not easy to make sure the listener can tell them apart, and especially Raquel Camarinha and Ana Vieira Leite are quite close in colour, but thanks to the way they realise their part, the differences are clear enough. Valentina Varriale's voice is a little darker; the way she sings Eve's last aria is very impressive. Filippo Mineccia's performance of the role of the angel is spot on; the one in the second part is the most dramatic, and here his operatic credentials are paying off. Adam's role is far less dramatic, and he is the least emotional. Sergio Foresti does everything right. The performances of the singers are of a remarkably stylistic consistency. The orchestra delivers colourful performances, and is dramatic where it is needed, especially where the secco recitatives turn into accompanied recitatives.
This recording is not only musically compelling, but also a substantial contribution to the oratorio repertoire and to our knowledge of Portuguese music of the 18th century.
Johan van Veen (© 2024)
Relevant links:
Raquel Camarinha
Ana Vieira Leite
Filippo Mineccia
Divino Sospiro