Antonio de Literes: Jupiter y Semele.(Sound Recording Review)

[] Almajano, Cardoso, Casariego, Ardid; Ricart; Al Ayre Espanol, Lopez Banzo. Texts and translations. Harmonia Mundi HMI 987036.37

The Spanish zarzuela has a history as distinguished as, and even longer than, the American musical comedy. This specimen, from the early eighteenth century, is of a Handelian cast, save for a few stretches of spoken dialogue. Handelian, too, is the way in which a sequence of solo arias and secco recitatives can blossom into music drama. Midway through Act I, there is a two-soprano duet for Juno and Cupid in rapid parallel thirds, all the while advancing the plot in a conversational manner. The whole zarzuela, of course, doesn't operate on this level--it's not a feature of the era in any event--but Literes has also structured Act II to lead to a remarkable eleven o'clock number, Jupiter's "!Semele! Mas ya murio." Here the voice is anchored in long note-values, while quicker figures wind around the accompaniment, as in a Bach recorder obbligato. Odd that a composer capable of this moment would relegate the main action of the piece, Semele's request to see Jupiter in all his godly glory, to the spoken dialogue. But the work is consistently ...