Falvetti: Il diluvio universale Cappella Mediterranea, Choeur de Chambre de Namur & Leonardo García Alarcón

• Michelangelo Falvetti (1642 - 1692): Il diluvio universale, Act I "In Cielo":
• 1Prologo "Sinfonia"02:13
• 2Troppo, ah troppo soffersi00:49
• 3A’ miei cenni ubbidienti00:19
• 4O Giustizia Divina01:02
• 5Seguaci del mio volere01:58
• 6Scoppijn gravidi01:31
• 7Gli protervi nel mar00:11
• 8Del tuo divino impero00:21
• 9Le nubi funeste02:19
• Il diluvio universale, Act II "In Terra":
• 10Dolce sposo Noè06:09
• 11Il Gran Dio di pietà04:17
• 12Divin Monarca01:20
• 13Motor Divino03:14
• 14Sì mie potenze armatevi01:10
• 15I tuoi decreti01:46
• 16Dal naufragio comune00:33
• 17Grazie a la man tonante02:08
• 18Empij mortali01:23
• Il diluvio universale, Act III "Il diluvio":
• 19Sinfonia di tempeste (A fuggire)01:27
• 20Da le caverne oscure02:31
• 21E chi mi dà aita04:17
• 22La morte ingoio04:08
• 23Son pur’io (No’l vedete)01:59
• 24Apritemi il varco a la Morte01:45
• 25Ahi che nel fin02:50
• 26Ho pur vinto03:00
• Il diluvio universale, Act IV "In l’arca di Noè":
• 27Placati Dio di bontà01:46
• 28Mio core festeggia01:16
• 29Cangia dolce mio Dio01:02
• 30Ecco l’Iride paciera03:00
• 31Or se tra sacre Olive02:47
• Total Runtime01:04:31

Info for Falvetti: Il diluvio universale

What image is more powerful than the Great Flood for a composer from a city ravaged by earthquakes and tidal waves? In 1682, this was the theme that inspired Messina resident Michelangelo Falvetti to write his oratorio Il Diluvio Universale. The subject is splendidly suited to dramatic treatment, and librettist Vincenzo Giattini and Falvetti take full advantage of this throughout the piece. Leonardo García Alarcón is regarded as one of the key artists of the new generation of conductors specializing in Baroque music. In 2005 he founded Cappella Mediterranea, which he directs here.

"Leonardo García Alarcón's 2011 recording of Michelangelo Falvetti's 1682 oratorio Il Diluvio Universale is a reminder, if one were needed, that there are untold treasures of Baroque repertoire waiting to be discovered. The story of The Flood is told economically, but with enough peculiar diversions from the Biblical story to keep listeners on their toes about what's going to happen next. There are personifications of Divine Justice, Human Nature, Water, Fire, Land, and Death (a smugly self-satisfied character who sings a triumphant, gleeful little gigue once humanity has been wiped out). This is the first recording of any work by Falvetti and it's a knock-out. Having performers like Leonardo García Alarcón, Cappella Mediterranea, and Choeur de Chambre de Namur in your corner perhaps gives any composer a hand up, but the exceptional quality of the score itself is also easy to discern. The work defies the conventions of its times and often astonishes with its originality and the richness of its inventiveness. Its many delightful quirks begin when Divine Justice, bringing charges against Mankind for its many failings, peremptorily breaks into the overture, bringing it to a grinding, premature halt. For all its strangeness, it's remarkably astute dramatically, and is typical of Falvetti's gift for odd but wonderfully apt musical gestures. Another moment: when the shrieking multitudes are being swept away by the deluge, they are engulfed mid-word, leaving silence except for the rushing of the wind. The score is also full of moments of breathtaking loveliness. Noah's duets with his wife, "Il Gran Dio di pieta," "Motor Divino," and "Placati Dio di bontà," sung radiantly by tenor Fernando Guimarães and soprano Mariana Flores, are as achingly poignant and sumptuous as anything out of Cavalli, perhaps even Monteverdi. Alarcón and his orchestral, choral, and vocal forces deliver virtuoso performances that quiver with musical vibrancy and dramatic conviction. The soloists are consistently superb; besides Guimarães and Flores, contralto Evelyn Ramirez Munoz and sopranos Magali Arnault and Caroline Weynants are standouts. Arnault delivers what can only be described as a jaw-dropping coloratura performance as Water in "Le nubi funeste," and then the choir joins in singing similar material with similar facility; it's simply astonishing. Complementing the standard instrumental ensemble, Iranian percussionist Keyvan Chemirani uses Arabic folk instruments that would have been familiar in countries around the Mediterranean basin to provide color and rhythmic energy. The sound of the Ambronay CD is clean, detailed, and warmly present. Il Diluvio Universale is a quirky piece and is not likely to supplant Messiah in popularity, but it deserves the attention of anyone who loves the byways of the Baroque and ought to leave scholars scurrying in search of other Falvetti scores. Highly recommended." (Stephen Eddins, AMG)

Choeur de Chambre de Namur
Cappella Mediterranea
Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, conductor

The Ensemble Cappella Mediterranea
was founded in 2005 by Leonardo Garcia Alarcón.

As indicated by his name, this ensemble is originally impassioned by the music’s of the Mediterranean basin, and intends to propose another approach of the Latin Baroque music.

10 years later, the repertory of Cappella Mediterranea considerably widened.

With more than 45 concerts per year, the ensemble explores, amongst others, the madrigal, the polyphonic motet and opera. A mixt which gives a very particular style,pervaded by a rare complicity between the director and his musicians.

The enthusiastic encounters of Cappella Mediterranea with some neglected scores, its original reading of the repertory, its concerts mixed with theatre and dance and it’s recordings are highly regarded.

The success in 2010 of Il Diluvio Universale by Michelangelo Falvetti was an outstanding moment. It widened considerably the audience of the ensemble and of Leonardo García Alarcón.

Cappella Mediterranea performs in prestigious venues and festivals: Ambronay, Festival of Saint Denis near Paris, Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Château de Versailles, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Canergie Hall in New-York, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires…The list is endless.

Cappella Mediterranea won great acclaim in 2013 at the opera Festival of Aix-en-Provence with Cavalli’s opera Elena.

Since then, Cappella Mediterranea is considered one of the main ensemble for opera productions and receives many invitations to leading opera houses.In 2016, Cappella introduced Cavalli to the repertory of the National Opera of Paris at the Palais Garnier with Eliogabalo, which was also given at the Opera of Amsterdam in 2017. In 2017, the ensemble also performed again at the opera Festival of Aix-en-Provence, the Royal Opéra of Versailles and the Grand Théâtre of Geneva with Erismena or Il Giasone by Cavalli. In 2018, Cappella Mediterranea will start a residence at Opéra de Dijon for several years.

The discography of Cappella Mediterranea includes around twenty titles on various labels: Ricercar, Naïve, Ambronay and Alpha Classic.

Its recordings of music by BarbaraStrozzi, Giovanni Giorgi, Giuseppe Zamponi and Michelangelo Falvetti are regarded as benchmarks. They gained many awards: Editor’s Choice of BBC, Diamant d’Or of Opéra Magazine, Choc for Classica, Diapason d’Or, ffff forTélérama, etc...

Strozzi Virtuosissima Compositrice has been nominated at the MidemClassical Awards in 2010, Sogno Barocco with Anne Sofie Von Otter was nominated for the Grammy Awards 2013 in Los Angeles. I 7 Peccati Capitali was nominated in the «best recording category» for Les Victoires de la Musique 2017.

The ensemble Cappella Mediterranea receives support from the Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication- DRAC Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, the Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the city of Geneva, and a private foundation in Geneva.

Cappella Mediterranea is member of the Fevis and the Bureau export. L’Institut Français, Spedidam, Leenaards foundation, La Caisse d’Épargne Rhône-Alpes and the Club cap’ med’ supported Cappella Mediterranea's projects in 2017.

This album contains no booklet.