Reinhard Keiser (1674-1739)
Der Angenehme Betrug oder der Carneval von Venedig (1707)
Hanna Zumsande (soprano) – Leonora
Fanie Antonelou (soprano) – Isabella
Anna Herbst (soprano) – Celinde
Geneviève Tschumi (mezzo) – Trintje
Mirko Ludwig (tenor)- Myrtenio/ Brillo
Andreas Heinemeyer (baritone) – Leandro
Matthias Vieweg (baritone) – Rudolfo
barockwerk hamburg/Ira Hochman
rec. 2022, St Johannis Harvestude, Hamburg, Germany
Booklet with notes in German and English
cpo 555581-2 [2 CDs: 121]
Reinhard Keiser was one of several composers who produced opera for Hamburg’s historically famous Goose Market Opera House, which was originally located not far from the current site of Hamburg’s State Opera House. In the early 1700s Hamburg boasted a theater and company which were state of the art for the period and was something that many other cities aspired to replicate. Der Angeneme Betrug oder der Carneval von Venedig (translation: The Pleasant Deception or the Carnival of Venice) became one of Keiser’s most popular works as it was revived regularly during Keiser’s lifetime.
One of the main features of opera at the Gänsemarkt was that operas there were often staged in two languages; Italian for the loftier figures and, what the accompanying booklet refers to as “low German” for those characters from among the ordinary classes. This was because the Gänsemarkt Opera was one of the few really democratic opera companies at that time. Patrons from all social orders were welcomed there, something that wouldn’t become more widely practiced elsewhere until after the French Revolution. It is for this reason that this opera contains music in both languages in a manner similar to Johann Mattheson’s 1710 opera Boris Goudenow (review).
As far as Angenehme Betrug is concerned (The accompanying booklet uses this abbreviation for the title so I will as well), the score survived only in an incomplete form, and even that disappeared during WWII, only to resurface in Eastern Europe in 1991. The manuscript copy is incomplete, lacking several arias, instrumental items and all of the recitatives. Luckily the printed libretto of 1707 has survived, which at least gives a clue as to what the text of the recitatives was. This first recording of the opera includes only arias and orchestral numbers. Some of the missing arias have been filled with vocal works taken from other compostions by Keiser, and in the case of the missing dances, musical numbers have been lifted from other composers of the period to replace them. Most interestingly, a couple of items by André Campra whose 1698 opéra ballet Le Carnaval de Venise provided the basic libretto on which this work was constructed.
As to the recording itself, this has been very well achieved with sound of exceptional clarity and immediacy, so no complaints on that side of things. The arias and other numbers fall quite neatly with those from Acts One and Two on the first disc, and the third act taking up the second disc.
In general terms I find the gentlemen of the cast to be more enjoyable than the ladies. One exception to that is the mezzo Geneviève Tschumi, whose charmingly earthy approach to her single aria fairly leaps out of the sound system. Mores the pity that we don’t get to enjoy her for a longer period. Anna Herbst is also on the plus side of things with her mostly pure-toned vocalizations and zippy coloratura. Fanie Antenolou also makes a lively contribution as Isabella. I am a little less happy with Hanna Zumsande’s Leonora, where the microphones catch some sourness present in her timbre.
Mirko Ludwig leads the male side of the cast with his delightful lyric tenor that is blessed with a light and airy sound; just perfect to represent a young ingénu role like Myrtenio. Andreas Heinemeyer is less successful because of his throaty sound and sometimes uncertain intonation which the close proximity of the microphones unfortunately captures all too well. However, it is the really enjoyable Matthias Vieweg as Rudolfo who wins the prize among this cast. He has a pleasantly grainy baritone with dark, hazel-coloured tone. In addition, along with Tschumi, he makes a real attempt to characterize his music fully, as in his delightful Sicilienne aria (CD 1, track 11).
Ira Hochmann leads the small baroque orchestra and a tiny choir of just four voices with style and verve. Indeed the instrumental numbers are among the highlights of the score, especially as they have been so vividly captured by the engineering team. The booklet provides several articles about the history and genesis of the opera; however, one must go online to download the libretto, which seems to be a new policy for the label.
Mike Parr
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