Antonio Cesti: Le disgrazie d'Amore

Antonio Cesti's Le disgrazie d'Amour is a comic opera from 1667 that played very well in its day, though not as well as his slightly later Il pomo d'oro, which proved the defining smash of Cesti's short career. Time enough has passed to expunge the repertoire of anything that may have served as a hit to Cesti in the past, and sometimes performing groups have an excellent grasp of what opera from a composer to revive based on the quality of a work itself, rather than its perceived popularity at a given time. Carlo Ipata and Auser Musici's Cesti: Le disgrazie d'Amour on Hyperion is an excellent example of that. This is thoroughly charming, genuinely funny opera that would make for a terrific evening's entertainment in any era. The band sounds great and the rank of solo singers is likewise superlative, though Cristiana Arcari is a standout in the role of Allegria. A complete libretto is included with the disc and the booklet contains a detailed summary; moreover, a video of Auser Musici's production may be found on the web, worth checking out owing to its clever and creative staging. Musically it's such a strong recording that some listeners may not need regular recourse to the libretto for this one; stylistically the work represents opera in a state of being one step forward from Monteverdi and anyone who would be interested in hearing what that sounds like will embrace this with enthusiasm.