Francesco Bartolomeo Conti (1682-1732)
Bravo! Bene! – Arie con varie strumenti
Hana Blažíková (soprano), Valer Sabadus (countertenor), Franz Vitzthum (alto), Florian Götz (baritone)
nuovo aspetto
rec. 2022, Reitstadel, Neumarkt/Oberpfalz, Germany
Texts and translations included
Reviewed as a download
cpo 555 552-2 (67)

From the 16th to the late 18th century, the imperial court in Vienna was one of the musical centres of Europe. The emperors attracted the best performers and composers, and music took an important place in courtly life. Music was not only a means of representation; the emperors were real lovers of music, and in the late 17th and early 18th centuries they sometimes participated in performances and acted as composers.

One of the stars at the court during the first third of the 18th century was Francesco Bartolomeo Conti. He was born in Venice and was educated as a theorbo player. He soon was recognized as one of the great virtuosos on his instrument, and played in this capacity in Florence, Ferrara and Milan. His reputation resulted in his appointment as theorbist at the court in Vienna in 1701. In 1708 he was appointed first theorbo player, in 1713 he became also court composer. After these appointments he was one of the highest paid musicians in Vienna. As a result he was able to perform his own works with the best singers, since he could pay them well. After falling ill in 1726, he returned to Italy, but in 1732 he returned to Vienna to introduce some new works. It is an indication of his reputation that his successor as court composer, Antonio Caldara, had to step aside to make place for Conti. Shortly thereafter Conti died.

Given that Conti was a theorbo virtuoso, is does not surprise that his vocal works include arias with obbligato parts for his instrument. The theorbo was very common, both as a solo instrument and as part of the basso continuo. Obbligato theorbo parts in vocal music were rather rare. Conti also played the mandolin; between 1703 and 1707 he performed in London on this instrument, which also appears in obbligato parts in his oeuvre. However, it was not just the wish to shine himself in such parts which may have inspired him. It seems to have been part of a general preference for unusual scorings, as the present disc impressively documents. In the programme we get arias in which the singers are joined by strings and basso continuo, but also by theorbo, mandolin, psaltery, harp, chalumeau, baryton and viola da gamba, and sometimes a couple of them. This results in sounds that are pretty unusual.

In the recitative and aria from the cantata Fra queste umrose piante we meet the combination of transverse flute and chalumeau. The latter instrument enjoyed quite some popularity from around 1700 to the mid-18th century, when it was overshadowed by the clarinet. This combination is unusual, but the B part of the aria keeps an additional surprise in store: the harpsichord starts to act as an obbligato instrument, accompanying the singer without the participation of other instruments. In an aria from the opera Archelao, re di Cappacia we get the first obbligato part for the theorbo, alongside the cello. It is quite possible that the latter part was played by Conti’s colleague Caldara, who was a professional cellist. Another aria with an obbligato part for the theorbo is taken from the opera Creso.

From Penelope, we get an extract from a comical plot: at the end of the second act Tersite, played by the imperial buffo bass Pietro Paolo Pezzoni, reacts to the sound of the psaltery: “Bravo! Fine! Better! Good! O what a hand! What a delightful sound! La le re ra la le re ra le ra. It makes me want to dance. A nice arpeggio! A pleasant trill! Tontoron, tontoron, tontoron. I fall to pieces, I melt. And I feel it: I step to glory’s beat.” This indicates that Conti used instruments not just because he liked them, but with a dramatic intention. That also goes, in a very different way, for ‘Volgendo al nido il volo’ from the opera Sesostri. It is a lament, whose character is perfectly illustrated by chalumeau and viola da gamba in their obbligato parts. The viola da gamba had become obsolete in Italy, and it was on its way out in other parts of Europe, but as the emperors had a rather conservative musical taste, it was still held in high esteem in Vienna. Even music for a consort of viols was still played in Vienna, when it had become something of the past in England. It is therefore no surprise that the sinfonia from the oratorio Il trionfo della grazia by Antonio Maria Bononcini (Vienna, 1707) includes two viola da gamba parts. It is performed here as an introduction to an aria from Conti’s oratorio Il Gioseffo, in which the mandolin has an obbligato part.

Bononcini settled in Vienna in 1700, and received his first commission to write music for the court in 1705. In his opera Feraspe he included an obbligato part for theorbo and mandolin for Conti. In the A section he had to play the theorbo, and had to switch to the mandolin in the B part. Through the inclusion of a ritornello between the two sections Conti was given the opportunity to change the instrument.

Probably the most unusual combination of instruments turns up in the aria ‘Dei colli nostri’ from Il trionfo dell’amicizia e dell’amore, a dramma pastorale, first performed during Carnival 1711. Here the soprano is accompanied by an ensemble which includes two harps and two mandolins, playing in alternation with two barytons, with cello and double bass in the basso continuo.

This disc proves that Conti was a quite fascinating and original composer. Although he is well-known by name, his music is not that well represented on disc. Let me suggest some other recordings which are well worth investigating. This disc includes an instrumental piece from David, an azione sacra from 1724; the entire oratorio has been recorded by Alan Curtis (review). Bernarda Fink recorded some cantatas with Ars Antiqua Austria under the direction of Gunar Letzbor (review). A few other cantatas were recorded by Ulrike Hofbauer and the Neue Hofkapelle München (ORF, 2006). An example of his sacred music is the Missa Sancti Pauli, recorded by György Vashegyi (review).

This disc is a very interesting addition to the discography, and the ideal way to get to know Conti. The mixture of arias of different character and some instrumental pieces guarantees variety. However, it is especially Conti himself who makes sure that there is no dull moment here. As the instrumental scoring is in fact the main subject of this recording, the performances of the instrumentalists take most of the attention. They deserve unequivocal praise for their technically brilliant and musically engaging performances. Michael Dücker and Stefan Maass need to be especially mentioned, as they play the crucial parts for theorbo and mandolin.

The instrumental performances should not overshadow the role of the singers. Florian Götz is outstanding in the comical role in the aria from Penelope. It is not easy to realize such a role in a short extract, without the dramatic context, but here it is done very well. Valer Sabadus is always described as a male alto but here for some reason as countertenor); however, his tessitura allows for the performance of soprano roles and here he sings parts that are a scored for that voice type. He delivers outstanding performances; the ornamentation and cadenzas are never exaggerated. A good example of his approach is the aria ‘Se mai dal crudo artiglio’ from Archelao, re di Cappacia. It is about two swallows – depicted by theorbo and cello – which are threatened by a falcon. In his candenza Sabadus nicely imitates the fluttering of the birds. Franz Vitzthum is best-known for his performances of sacred music, but his contributions here are entirely convincing, especially the lament from Sesostri.

From every angle, this is a disc which deserves the attention of every lover of baroque music. A Conti revival would be most welcome.

Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
https://bsky.app/profile/musicadeidonum.bsky.social

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Contents
Francesco Bartolomeo Conti
Fra queste umrose piante:
Voi dunque ardite – Scelta idea di nobiltà, rec & aria
Archelao, re di Cappacia: 
Se mai dal crudo artiglio
Creso:
Non lascio no d’amar
Penelope:
Ora un suono udirai, rec
Preludio
Bravo bene, aria
Sesostri:
Volgendo al nido il volo
Antonio Maria Bononcini (1677-1726)
Feraspe:
Mare irato
Fugue in F minor
Giuseppe Porsile (1680-1750)
[Introduction to ‘Dei colli nostri’]
Francesco Bartolomeo Conti
Il trionfo dell’amicizia e dell’amore:
Dei colli nostri
David:
Preludio
Galatea vendicata:
Cor constante, ed umil, introduzione & aria
Antonio Maria Bononcini
Il trionfo della grazia: 
Sinfonia vaga, e suave
Francesco Bartolomeo Conti
Il Gioseffo: 
Bramo un core