In furore giustissimae irae, solo motet for voice, strings & continuo in C minor, RV 626: Aria.L'Atenaide ossia Gli affetti generosi, opera, RV 702: Aria.La fida ninfa, opera, RV 714: Quartetto.Laudate Pueri Dominum (Psalm 112), for voice, flute, 2 oboes, strings & continuo in G major, RV 601: A solis ortu.
Fabio Biondi, leading Europa Galante, provides exceptionally sensitive accompaniments he seems acutely aware of the dramatic arc of each of the arias and makes what could be merely relentless note-spinning into emotionally meaningful narratives. Genaux doesn't have the glossy voice usually associated with this kind of coloratura repertoire she is, after all, a mezzo, with plenty of dark colors along with the light, and she's capable of a weightiness that sometimes recalls Marilyn Horne when the music requires it. A fine example of a more lyrical aria is "Vorrei dirti il mio dolore," from Rosmira fedele, an especially substantial piece sung with deep feeling. In a wise programming move, Genaux mixes this kind of showpiece up with some less agitated arias, which, while providing plenty of pyrotechnics themselves, in this context offer some respite. The album opens with an aria from Catone in Utica that is taken at such a breakneck speed and that makes such merciless technical demands and that flies up and down such a hyper-extended range that the listener may be left exhausted. It's not all about extravagant singing, though Genaux brings emotional depth to these arias, creating convincingly differentiated characters. American mezzo-soprano Viveca Genaux has a remarkable technique, and she pulls off Vivaldi's outrageous vocal requirements (which frequently sound as if he'd forgotten he was writing for a human who has a need to breathe occasionally, and was writing for violin) with bravura and apparent ease. This album is certainly aptly named it would be hard to find a better word to describe this fiery music and these dazzling performances than pyrotechnic.
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