Porpora's Cantatas op. 1 were highly successful and widely appreciated throughout the 18th century, with figures like Handel's biographer John Mainwaring and Prince Beloselsky praising them.
Composition History
Porpora's Cantatas op. 1, a collection of twelve Italian chamber cantatas, were published in 1735 and dedicated to Prince Frederick, heir to the British throne.
Composition History
Nicola Antonio Porpora, the composer, arrived in London in 1733/34 to help launch a new theatrical company, 'The Opera of the Nobility', aimed at challenging Handel's opera monopoly.
Interpretation
The performers on this album incorporate historically informed vocal graces (Manieren) that were common in Porpora's time but are often neglected today, developed in collaboration with Dr. Livio Marcaletti.
Cultural Impact
Porpora's Cantatas op. 1 remained popular for centuries, appearing in 19th-century German Hausmusik anthologies and even in evening concerts for the Italian royal family between the 1870s and World War I.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Cantatas op. 1 were deliberately planned by Porpora to showcase his diverse expressive, formal, and stylistic skills, using the typical large-scale alternating structures of the genre.
Compositional Technique
Porpora's cantatas are notable for their natural vocal lines and pleasant modulations that closely follow the meaning of the words, especially in the recitatives.
