Porpora's Pantry

[False_Dmitry]

Niccolo Porpora (17 August 1686 – 3 March 1768)

Some consideration of the maestro's works in their own right - rather than merely the contemporary of so-and-so - seems more than overdue.

To say that Haydn's teacher and mentor is under-recorded would be putting it mildly.  But to redress the balance, here is snippet from POLIFEMO, "Alto Giove", in which the composr is marvellously served - in live performance - by countertenor Phillipe Jaroussky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7XvxQqKSmM

[Drasko]

I have these two Porpora discs. Gauvin aria disc is fantastic. Porpora definitely can hold his own when compared to Handel. His vocal writing is highly virtuosic (what certainly can be expected from singing teacher of Farinelli and Caffarelli) but most important is that his technical skill doesn't overpower drama and genuine emotion I hear in his music. Haven't listened to Orlando yet, so don't really know how his operas hang together as a whole, but from what I heard this far he certainly should be recorded more.

[The new erato]

I have these two Porpora discs. Gauvin aria disc is fantastic. Porpora definitely can hold his own when compared to Handel. His vocal writing is highly virtuosic (what certainly can be expected from singing teacher of Farinelli and Caffarelli) but most important is that his technical skill doesn't overpower drama and genuine emotion I hear in his music. Haven't listened to Orlando yet, so don't really know how his operas hang together as a whole, but from what I heard this far he certainly should be recorded more.

Two discs on my radar for some time. Please report on the Orlando when you've heard it.

[False_Dmitry]

Haven't listened to Orlando yet, so don't really know how his operas hang together as a whole, but from what I heard this far he certainly should be recorded more.

And please keep me posted once you've heard the ORLANDO too?  I' glad to see Porpora's complete operas (rather than highlight disks, however welcome they might be too!) coming out at last!   But as you say, they are operas for the great soloists of the era,  and they're very demanding technically  - I hope the ORLANDO cast are up to the job?

It would be a pity if this repertoire fell into the hands of the "we're not very good - but we are the only recording" people

[kishnevi]

I don't have a full CD of Porpora, but I do have two CDs which have some of his arias:
Bartoli's Sacrificium, in which five out of fifteen arias are by Porpora (the most by any individual composer on that recording) and Genaux' Arias for Farinelli (now reissued on the HM Gold series), where three out of eight arias are by Porpora--again, the most by any individual composer represented on that recording). 
Presumably when a high level diva like Bartoli, and two excellent singers like Genaux and Gauvin, get interested in him,  we can hope a Porpora opera won't fall into the hands of the "only game in town" folks.