Thomas Arne (1710-1778) ist heute vor allem als Schöpfer der inoffiziellen englischen Nationalhymne Rule Britannia bekannt, doch ist sein ?uvre weitaus umfangreicher und vielfältiger. Als einer der erfolgreichsten englischen Theaterkomponisten seiner Zeit hat er beispielsweise 1762 mit Artaxerxes eine der frühesten englischsprachigen Opern ganz im Stil der italienischen Opera seria vorgelegt. Die Qualität der Musik überzeugte später selbst Joseph Haydn, der erstaunt ausgerufen haben soll, ihm sei gar nicht bewusst gewesen, dass eine solche Oper in englischer Sprache existiere. 2009 spielte Ian Page eine hochgelobte Aufnahme des Werks ein, die hier wiederveröffentlicht wird.
CD 1 | |||
1 | Artaxerxes | ||
2 | Recitative: "Still silence reigns around" (Mandane, Arbaces) | 00:00:29 | |
3 | No. 1, Duettino: "Fair Aurora, prithee stay" (Mandane, Arbaces) | 00:02:16 | |
4 | Recitative: "Alas, thou know'st that for my love to thee" (Arbaces, Mandane) | 00:01:13 | |
5 | No. 2, Air: "Adieu, thou lovely youth" (Mandane) | 00:03:21 | |
6 | Recitative: "O cruel parting! How can I survive?" (Arbaces, Artabanes) | 00:00:57 | |
7 | No. 3, Air: "Amid a thousand racking woes" (Arbaces) | 00:04:38 | |
8 | Recitative: "Be firm, my heart" (Artabanes, Artaxerxes) | 00:01:26 | |
9 | No. 4, Air: "Behold, on Lethe's dismal strand" (Artabanes) | 00:03:36 | |
10 | Recitative: "Stay, Artaxerxes, stay" (Semira, Artaxerxes) | 00:00:29 | |
11 | No. 5, Air: "Fair Semira, lovely maid" (Artaxerxes) | 00:03:26 | |
12 | Recitative: "I fear some dread disaster" (Semira, Rimenes) | 00:01:29 | |
13 | No. 6, Air: "When real joy we miss" (Rimenes) | 00:01:59 | |
14 | Recitative: "Ye Gods, protectors of the Persian Empire" (Semira) | 00:00:36 | |
15 | No. 7, Air: "How hard is the fate" (Semira) | 00:04:01 | |
16 | Recitative: "Whither do I fly?" (Tutti) | 00:03:23 | |
17 | No. 8, Air: "Thy father! Away, I renounce the soft claim" (Artabanes) | 00:01:23 | |
18 | Recitative: "Ye cruel Gods, what crime have I committed" (Arbaces) | 00:00:14 | |
19 | No. 9, Air: "Acquit thee of this foul offence" (Semira) | 00:01:27 | |
20 | Recitative: "Appearance, I must own, is strong against me" (Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Rimenes, Mandane) | 00:00:48 | |
Weitere 11 Tracks anzeigen | |||
21 | No. 10, Air: "O too lovely, too unkind" (Arbaces) | 00:04:24 | |
22 | Accompanied recitative: "Dear and beloved shade" (Mandane) | 00:00:48 | |
23 | No. 11, Air: "Fly, soft ideas, fly" (Mandane) | 00:05:01 | |
24 | Recitative: "Guards, speed ye to the tower" (Artaxerxes, Artabanes) | 00:02:12 | |
25 | No. 12, Air: "In infancy, our hopes and fears" (Artaxerxes) | 00:01:28 | |
26 | Recitative: "So far my great resolve succeeds" (Artabanes, Arbaces) | 00:02:46 | |
27 | No. 13, Air: "Disdainful you fly me" (Arbaces) | 00:02:05 | |
28 | Recitative: "Why, my dear friend, so pensive" (Rimenes, Artabanes, Semira) | 00:01:12 | |
29 | No. 14, Air: "To sigh and complain" (Rimenes) | 00:03:00 | |
30 | Recitative: "How many links to dire misfortune's chain" (Semira, Mandane) | 00:00:37 | |
31 | No. 15, Air: "If o'er the cruel tyrant love" (Mandane) | 00:01:51 | |
CD 2 | |||
1 | Recitative: "Which fatal evil shall I first oppose?" (Semira) | 00:00:31 | |
2 | No. 16, Air: "If the river's swelling waves" (Semira) | 00:02:34 | |
3 | Recitative: "Ye solid pillars of the Persian Empire" (Tutti) | 00:05:00 | |
4 | No. 17, Air: "By that belov'd embrace" (Arbaces) | 00:03:31 | |
5 | Recitative: "Ah me, at poor Arbaces' parting" (Mandane, Artabanes) | 00:00:46 | |
6 | No. 18, Air: "Monster, away" (Mandane) | 00:02:36 | |
7 | Recitative: "See, lov'd Semira" (Artaxerxes, Semira, Artabanes) | 00:00:37 | |
8 | Accompanied recitative: "At last my soul has room" (Artabanes) | 00:04:58 | |
9 | No. 19, Air: "Thou, like the glorious sun" (Artabanes) | 00:01:02 | |
10 | No. 20, Air: "Why is death for ever late" (Arbaces) | 00:02:57 | |
11 | Recitative: "Arbaces! Gracious Heav'n" (Artaxerxes, Arbaces) | 00:01:13 | |
12 | No. 21, Air: "Water parted from the sea" (Arbaces) | 00:02:19 | |
13 | Recitative: "That face, secure in conscious innocence" (Artaxerxes) | 00:00:25 | |
14 | No. 22, Air: "Though oft a cloud with envious shade" (Artaxerxes) | 00:03:38 | |
15 | Recitative: "My son, Arbaces... where art thou retir'd?" (Artabanes, Rimenes) | 00:01:52 | |
16 | No. 23, Air: "O let the danger of a son" (Rimenes) | 00:02:15 | |
17 | Accompanied recitative: "Ye adverse Gods!" (Artabanes) | 00:00:41 | |
18 | No. 24, Air: "O, much lov'd son, if death" (Artabanes) | 00:05:15 | |
19 | Recitative: "Perhaps the King releas'd Arbaces" (Mandane, Semira) | 00:01:34 | |
20 | No. 25, Air: "Let not rage, thy bosom firing" (Mandane) | 00:04:24 | |
Weitere 8 Tracks anzeigen | |||
21 | Recitative: "What have I done? Alas, I vainly thought" (Semira) | 00:00:24 | |
22 | No. 26, Air: "'Tis not true that in our grief" (Semira) | 00:04:08 | |
23 | Recitative: "Nor here my searching eyes" (Arbaces, Mandane) | 00:01:20 | |
24 | No. 27, Duetto: "For thee I live, my dearest" (Arbaces, Mandane) | 00:03:37 | |
25 | Recitative: "To you, my people, much belov'd" (Artaxerxes, Artabanes, Semira, Mandane) | 00:02:20 | |
26 | No. 28, Air: "The soldier, tir'd of war's alarms" (Mandane) | 00:03:33 | |
27 | Recitative: "Behold, my King, Arbaces at thy feet" (Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Mandane, Artabanes) | 00:02:25 | |
28 | No. 29, Finale: "Live to us, to Empire live" (Semira, Mandane, Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Artabanes) | 00:03:36 |