LA SENA FESTEGGIANTE,
Buxton Festival, Buxton Opera House
Adrian Chandler’s
tireless work in reviving glorious music by Vivaldi (and others) bore fruit in
a beautifully executed performance of the Red Priest’s serenata, La Sena
Festeggiante, by specialist ensemble La Serenissima and three top-class
soloists in the Buxton Festival.
The piece is
effectively an extended cantata, with introductions, recitatives, arias and a
final tutti to each of two halves, celebrating Louis XV for the French
community in Venice, probably in 1726. There’s no scenery or action, but the soloists
are allegorical figures and the text, though a completely over-the-top orgy of obsequious
boot-licking to our ears, has a certain charm in its elaborate contrivances.
The fount of it all is
the figure of the River Seine in Paris, and bass singer Henry Waddington made a
magnificent job of personifying this Ol’ Man River of the 18th
century, characterful and demonstrative in his recitatives and eloquent in his
arias.
The spirit of The
Golden Age was represented by soprano Gillian Keith (a good friend of the
Buxton Festival), and her aria comparing herself to a nightingale, with its
imitative effects in both ritornello and voice part, was a charmer. The other
figure is Virtue, and Hilary Summers’ pure and even contralto matched the role
perfectly, especially since Vivaldi was clearly determined to show that the
Devil does not have all the best
tunes, in this context.
The two girls also
made a lovely tonal blend in their duets. It’s entertainment music, made to lend
a bit of class to a posh celebration, and Adrian Chandler’s merry band, bringing
out the sheer bounce and élan of Vivaldi’s inspiration, delivered that in
spades.
****
The staff here is actually competent and friendly, unlike other places with their pretentious staff guys. The place was magnificent and modern, and the seating was comfy. Truly, the food at Chicago event venues was heavenly and as a visitor I am glad for finding this one.
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