Arne - Artaxerxes / Bott, Spence, Robson, Partridge, Edgar-Wilson, Hyde; Goodman

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Essential Recording
Artaxerxes is a strange work. It was composed by Englishman Thomas Arne, who was a generation younger than his great operatic rival, Handel. Arne is best known for the tune "Rule Britannia," from the "masque" Alfred. He composed Artaxerxes from an Italian libretto that Arne himself had translated into English. It's chock full of shortish arias in stilted English, but there are tunes galore; Arne had an ear for the punchy musical statement, and this performance is a delight. Patricia Spence in the pants role of Arbaces brings a warm, vibrant tone to her music; as her (his) beloved, Mandane, soprano Catherine Bott almost walks away with the show. Her final aria, "The Soldier Tir'd"--with its insanely complicated vocal line, octave leaps, and breath-defying runs--is a knockout. Ian Partridge and Christopher Robson are also excellent, and Roy Goodman leads with great energy. This is a rarity--and probably will remain one--but it has a lot to offer. --Robert Levine

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: Overture: Poco piu che andante - Larghetto - Gavotta
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: Still Silence Reigns Around (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Duettino: Fair Aurora, Pr'ythee Stay (Mandane, Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: Alas, Thou Know'st That For My Love Of Thee (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: Adieu, Thou Lovely Youth (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: O Cruel Parting! (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: Amid A Thousand Racking Woes (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: Be Firm My Heart (Artabanes)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: Behold, On Lethe's Dismal Strand (Artabanes)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: Stay, Artaxerxes, Stay (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: Fair Semira, Lovely Maid (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: I Fear Some Dread Disaster (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: When Real Joys We Miss (Rimenes)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: Ye Gods, Protectors Of The Persian Empire (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: How Hard Is The Fate (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: Where Do I Fly? (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: Thy Father! Away, I Renounce The Soft Claim (Artabanes)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: Ye Cruel Gods, What Crime Have I Committed? (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: Acquit Thee Of This Foul Offence (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit: Appearance, I Must Own, Is Strong Against Me (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: O Too Lovely, Too Unkind (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Recit (Accomp): Dear And Beloved Shade Of My Dead Father (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 1, Air: Fly, Soft Ideas, Fly (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Recit: Guards, Speed Ye To The Tower (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Air: In Infancy, Our Hopes An Fears (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Recit: So Far My Great Resolve Succeeds (Artabanes)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Air: Disdainful You Fly Me (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Recit: Why, My Dear Friend, So Pensive, So Inactive? (Rimenes)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Air: To Sigh And Complain (Rimenes)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Recit: How Many Links To Dire Misfortune's Chain! (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Air: If O'er The Cruel Tyrant Love (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Recit: Which Fatal Evil Shall I First Oppose? (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Air: If The River's Swelling Waves (Semira)

Tracks:

Artaxerxes: Act 2, Recit: Ye Solid Pillars Of The Persian Empire (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Air: By That Belov'd Embrace (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Recit: Ah Me! At Poor Arbaces Parting (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Air: Monster, Away! (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Recit: See, Lov'd Semira! (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 2, Air: Thou, Like The Glorious Sun (Artabanes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Arietta: Why Is Death For Ever Late (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit: Arbaces! (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Air: Water Parted From The Sea (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit: That Front, Secure In Conscious Innocence (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Air: Tho' Oft A Cloud, With Envious Shade (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit: My Son, Arbaces - Where Art Thou Retir'd? (Artabanes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Air: O Let The Danger Of A Son (Rimenes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit (Accomp): Ye Adverse Gods! (Artabanes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Air: O, Much Lov'd Son, If Death (Artabanes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit: Perhaps The King Releas'd Arbaces (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Air: Let Not Rage Thy Bosom Firing (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit: What Have I Done! Alas, I Vainly Thought (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Air: 'Tis Not True, That In Our Grief (Semira)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit: Nor Here My Searching Eyes Can Find Mandane (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Duetto: For Thee I Live, My Dearest (Arbaces, Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit: To You, My People, Much Belov'd, I Offer (Artaxerxes)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Air: The Soldier, Tir'd Of War's Alarms (Mandane)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Recit: Behold My King, Arbaces At Thy Feet (Arbaces)
Artaxerxes: Act 3, Chorus: Live To Us, To Empire Live

Amazon.com Essential Recording

Artaxerxes is a strange work. It was composed by Englishman Thomas Arne, who was a generation younger than his great operatic rival, Handel. Arne is best known for the tune "Rule Britannia," from the "masque" Alfred. He composed Artaxerxes from an Italian libretto that Arne himself had translated into English. It's chock full of shortish arias in stilted English, but there are tunes galore; Arne had an ear for the punchy musical statement, and this performance is a delight. Patricia Spence in the pants role of Arbaces brings a warm, vibrant tone to her music; as her (his) beloved, Mandane, soprano Catherine Bott almost walks away with the show. Her final aria, "The Soldier Tir'd"--with its insanely complicated vocal line, octave leaps, and breath-defying runs--is a knockout. Ian Partridge and Christopher Robson are also excellent, and Roy Goodman leads with great energy. This is a rarity--and probably will remain one--but it has a lot to offer. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Native English-language baroque opera!.......2003-07-21

Thomas Arne is best known for anthems "God Save The King" (if it was really he that wrote it) and "Rule Britannia" as well as his Shakespeare settings "Where the bee sucks" and "Under the greenwood tree". Some may even have heard or read somewhere that Rule Britannia is lifted from an opera or masque called "Alfred". The association of the English language with baroque opera, excepting Henry Purcell's "Dido & Aeneas" and Handel's "Semele" (and his "Hercules" as well as Blow's "Venus & Adonis" for those who've heard of them), probably comes as somewhat of a surprise to most people. But Thomas Augustine Arne was committed to writing opera in English and produced several during his career. Artaxerxes is one of two now represented on disc, the other being Alfred.

In its construction (opera seria) and tunefulness Artaxerxes is equal to many of Handel's Italian operas, in my opinion. Perhaps I'm overly influenced by the joy and novelty of discovering a baroque opera written for and performed in my native tongue. But just listen, for example, to "Fair Aurora, pr'ythee stay", "Amid a thousand racking woes", "Thy Father! away, I renounce the soft Claim", "O too lovely, too unkind", "By that belov'd Embrace", "Water parted from the Sea", "Tho' oft a Cloud, with envious Shade", "'Tis not true, that in our Grief" and "The Soldier tir'd of War's Alarms" and see if you don't find yourself inclined to say the same. These are some of the most beautiful and thoughtfully moving, gentle, most fiery and dramatic, determined tunes I have heard.

Dramatically this is a fast-moving and exciting opera, expressing quite a wide range of changing emotional states. The plot is one of palace intrigue, misjudgement, confused or mixed loyalties - the dilemmas faced by Arbaces, his sister Semira and his lover Mandane - and even by Arbaces' ambitious and disconent father Artabanes - are thoughtfully explored. Each character is well portrayed in the libretto and, needless to say, Thomas Arne's settings are always appropriate - he, like Purcell, evidently did not take the problem of setting words to music lightly. The libretto is well-balanced between dialogue and aria, flowing seamlessly and yet creating appreciated variety and motion, thanks in no small part to Arne's musical ability, and nothing is amiss.

Now, the soloists: given that at the present time this is the only recording of it in existence, one had better hope they do the opera justice. Well, they certainly do (and they're not the singers that I usually look for when it comes to choosing recordings). Patricia Spence portrays the sensitive and loyal Arbaces brilliantly - she is truly impressive, deeply moving in arias such as "O too lovely, too unkind" and "By that belov'd Embrace". Catherine Bott, a most skillful singer, excels herself here, to my surprise (the only other recording I know I like her in is Pickett's recording of John Blow's "Venus & Adonis"); her recitatives demonstrate her involvement in the part as much as do her arias. And one has to admire her effortless performance of "The Soldier tir'd of War's Alarms". As for the resplendent duet between Arbaces and Mandane, "Fair Aurora, pr'thee stay", it's a joy to hear, it really is!

Though I'm not a great fan of countertenors, Christopher Robson, as Artaxerxes, is in good voice and at least he's tolerable (unlike many countertenors) - and dramatic. He's not got the voice of Daniel Taylor, of Lawrence Zazzo or of David Daniels but, having said that, they don't always give shining performances (and at least he's better than James Bowman). The presence of a decent countertenor sometimes adds to rather than distracts from the variety of voices and can be surprisingly effective in some instances - in fact Robson blends in very well on this recording.

The two tenors - there are no basses - Ian Partridge and Richard Edgar-Wilson, singing the role of Artabanes, Arbaces' father and favourite of the Royal Family, and Rimenes, an army general and confidante of Artabanes - fulfil their roles. Ian Partridge does a particularly good job of Artabanes, even if he's not in possession the most interesting of voices. Richard Edgar-Wilson is unremarkable in my opinion. Philippa Hyde sings Semira, Artabanes sister and lover of Artaxerxes, well and certainly isn't the weak link in the chain. I don't think there is a weak link as such, my main uncertainty being Rimenes or perhaps the feeling that one of the tenor roles should be a baritone, or at least not quite so similar to the other.

Roy Goodman's conducting, the Parley of Instruments' playing and Hyperion's recording are clear, well-balanced and precise and let down neither the soloists, the plot nor the individual musical numbers. All-in-all, unless one knows one has a particular aversion to Arne (which is unlikely) or to any of the soloists, this recording cannot possibly disappoint.

If only someone had taken up opera in English where Thomas Arne left off! If only he had written more, or if only there were more than just Artaxerxes and Alfred currently on record! And, for anyone who is still in doubt about the worthiness of this native English opera, let me quote from Holman's sleeve notes: "Haydn, who saw it in 1791, was delighted with it, and reportedly said he 'had no idea we had such a opera in the English language'. Few people in modern times can have said anything else."

More English Opera Please!.......1998-11-26

Being an enthusiast of 18th century opera, I was pleasantly surprised when a new recording of Thomas Arne's Artaxerxes was made. Until then I was only familiar with the score and an old vinyl recording done years ago. I must say that I am "wowed" by this effort. The sound is very clean and clear and the voices sound magnificent. I especially enjoyed Patricia Spence and Catherine Bott's rendition of Arbaces and Mandane. Their colaratura was, if not flawless, then close to perfection. I shudder to think at the practice needed to sing "Amidst a thousand racking woes" and "Fly, Soft ideas Fly" and yet make it sound effortless. The re-creation of the recitatives and the final coro was thoughtful and stylistically correct. And the requisite winds that were played well added that touch of colour to the pre-classical style. A very nice job of reviving Arne's masterwork indeed! Now if only there were more 18th century English operas like this! Or to extend the wish, more 18th century opera, period. Hasse's Artaserse would be a nice start!

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

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