In Cuopre talvolta il cielo, Handel uses two violins and bass to depict a sea storm off the coast of Naples, complete with violent gusts of wind, churning waves, and thunder and lightning.
Performer Biography
Raimund Nolte, the bass-baritone on this recording, was an ensemble member of the Komische Oper in Berlin for four years and has performed with major conductors like Nikolaus Harnoncourt and René Jacobs.
Performer Biography
The Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, the ensemble on this recording, was founded in 1993 at the idyllic Schloss Batzdorf near Dresden and is known for exploring unfamiliar repertoire.
Composition History
George Frideric Handel wrote two of his most spectacular bass cantatas, Nell'africane selve and Cuopre tal volta il cielo, in the summer of 1708 during a two-month stay in Naples.
Historical Context
The appreciation for deep bass registers, particularly when paired with a high baritone register, was evident in the 18th century, as shown by singers like Giuseppe Vizzardelli, a 'contrabasso' in the papal chapel.
Compositional Technique
Handel's cantata Nell'africane selve uses onomatopoeia and cumulative diminished seventh chords to linguistically and musically conjure the wild African forests.
Composition History
Dalla guerra amorosa was a 'hit' during Handel's lifetime and remains his most popular bass cantata to this day.
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