MORE ABOUT ORMINDO

The story
The audiences in Cavalli’s Venice loved exotic comedies with complicated stories! There always had to be at least two love triangles, characters in disguise, men dressed up as women, servants who know better than their masters, supernatural visitations, and crazy plot twists. And let’s not forget the compulsory lieto fine—that’s “happy ending” in Italian. It was all pure escapism and lots of fun!

You can read a partial synopsis by clicking HERE.
This is one of the few times we may be able to surprise you, so we’re not going to give away the ending!

Style of the music
Ormindo was written in 1644 by one of the most famous composers of the 17th century, but you have probably never heard a note of Cavalli’s music. Or maybe you have! The Pittsburgh Opera Center has recently mounted two productions by Claudio Monteverdi: Ulysses (1640) and Poppea (1642). Monteverdi, Cavalli’s mentor, was near the end of his life when he wrote these operas, and scholars believe that Cavalli wrote or edited a good portion of the music. So if you have heard Ulysses or Poppea, or even Monteverdi’s earlier Orfeo (1607), you will have a good idea of the style. (See Recordings)

Still need some help? Much of this music will remind you of the madrigals and dance music that were so popular around the turn of the 17th century. Unlike later Baroque works (think Handel’s Messiah) with big show-off arias that repeat small bits of text over and over, Ormindo has a pretty even mix of recitative (the speech-song of opera) and dance-like arias. In fact, Cavalli was one of the first composers of arias.

Both the arias and the recitatives change tempo (speed) and rhythm frequently. It’s some of the most flexible and naturally-flowing music ever composed. The texts are almost never repeated, so it’s a lot like seeing a play set to music.

The orchestral instruments
Cavalli was not only the composer, he was the director (impresario) of the theater, so he was trying to make a profit! A good way to save money is to have a small orchestra. Scholars have dug up the pay records for Cavalli’s orchestras, so we know exactly how many players were employed. Between 8-10 players was the norm. Ormindo has only bowed string instruments (violins, violas, viola da gamba, violone) and chord-playing instruments that are plucked (guitar and lutes, including the theorbo) or played by keyboard (harpsichord and organ).

Continuo
If you’ve seen a Mozart opera, you’re familiar with the sounds of the harpsichord accompanying the singers in their rapid, speech-like recitatives. The harpsichord player improvises the accompaniment based on a musical short-hand called figured bass. You might also hear a cello playing the bass line with the harpsichord.

This kind of improvised accompaniment is called continuo. It’s short for the Italian term basso continuo—the bass line that “continues” throughout the music. It’s also called thoroughbass in English.

The continuo playing in Mozart’s day pales when compared to the incredibly rich and diverse sounds of the early Baroque continuo. Rather than a single instrument taking part, there will be multiple players on different kinds of instruments.

 If the mood is somber or otherworldly, you might hear the spooky sounds of the organ. If things are getting amorous, then it could be the lutes. The harpsichord can add power and majesty for a regal pronouncement or convey sprightliness during a comic scene. All of the players listen carefully to the singers to judge the right moment to play the chords. To keep everything together, the continuo players keep their eyes on the harpsichord player, who serves as conductor.

Everybody is looking at the same music, but each player “realizes” it differently. In some ways, it’s a lot like paying jazz. You know the melody and the chords, but how it all turns out is up to each group that plays it.

When you attend an early Baroque opera like Ormindo, listen for the different kinds of sounds you hear from the continuo players. If you can, watch the orchestra to see how the conductor at the harpsichord shapes the performance through hand gestures, subtle glances—even expressive breathing. It’s a more collaborative way of accompanying opera than the traditional model of the baton-wielding maestro on a podium.

Singers
Back in Cavalli’s day, singers didn’t have to cope with 80-piece orchestras, enormous opera houses, and Verdi’s treacherous high notes! Most of the music could even be sung by a gifted amateur. The audiences expected the melodies to be pleasing and graceful, while still having the rhythms of natural speech.  Today’s singers can find it challenging to strip away some of the traditional “opera sound” we’ve inherited from the 19th century. They also have to learn a whole new way of approaching the music through the wonderfully musical and graceful Italian text. As Artistic Director Christopher Hahn put it, “There are very few directions from the composer in the score, so the singers have to find the essence of something that isn’t on the page. As a result, each production is like doing a world premiere. It’s tremendously exciting.”

Recordings
There is no complete recording of Ormindo available that meets up to today’s standards of historical authenticity. Your options if you want to sample the music:

• Go to Amazon.com and listen to the audio samples for a lovely Naxos CD entitled, Francesco Cavalli: Arias and Duets. Tracks 8-13 are excerpts from Ormindo, performed in the latest “authentic” early Baroque style. These excerpts give a false picture of the opera, though—they’re mostly slow and serious. Ormindo has many comic numbers full of high spirits and beautiful dance-like arias. Check out some of the other tracks to get a better picture of Cavalli’s sparkling, entrancing music.

• Raymond Leppard’s 1969 recording on LP is only available in libraries. This version, heavily edited and filled out with music by other composers, is played by the London Philharmonic as if they were playing Brahms—not a good thing if you’re interested in historical authenticity! But if you want to give it a try, click here to find a copy in a library near you.

Libretto
There is no libretto available in print at this time.

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