The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

The discovery of Artaxerxes by Thomas Arne was a nice surprise for Joseph Haydn, who was unaware that such operas existed in England. Performed practically without interruption in London from 1762 to 1830, it was probably also seen by the young Mozart. At any rate, this is a likelihood suggested by the conductor Ian Page, a great connoisseur of British musical life in the eighteenth century, who has released this album with his ensemble The Mozartists.

Adapted into English from the libretto of Metastasio’s Artaserse, which was probably written by the composer himself, this ‘opera seria’ premiered at Covent Garden in 1762 to great acclaim before falling into obscurity until it was revived two hundred years later at the St Pancras Festival. The work is bursting with virtuoso arias, some of which have remained in circulation among singers.

This recording was made in 2009 following a series of performances to mark the three-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Thomas Arne, at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden where Artaxerxes was created. It was selected as record of the year by Audiophile Audition and BBC Radio 3’s CD review, and was named record of the month by the UK magazine Opera. Thomas Arne wrote around 30 operas, and is seen as a representative of the “gallant style” that extended throughout Europe. His fame was somewhat overshadowed by the ubiquitous output of the “bulldozer” Handel, whose genius reigned over English opera for more than fifty years. – François Hudry

Tracklist:
01. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Overture (Poco più che andante – Larghetto – Gavotta) (05:11)
02. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “still silence reigns around” (Mandane, Arbaces) (00:29)
03. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 1, Duettino: “fair Aurora, prithee stay” (Mandane, Arbaces) (02:16)
04. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “alas, thou know’st That for my love to thee” (Arbaces, Mandane) (01:13)
05. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 2, Air. “adieu, thou lovely youth” (Mandane) (03:21)
06. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “o cruel parting! How can I survive?” (Arbaces, Artabanes) (00:57)
07. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 3, Air. “amid a thousand racking woes” (Arbaces) (04:38)
08. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “be firm, my heart” (Artabanes, Artaxerxes) (01:26)
09. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 4, Air. “behold, on Lethe’s dismal strand” (Artabanes) (03:36)
10. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “stay, Artaxerxes, stay” (Semira, Artaxerxes) (00:29)
11. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 5, Air. “fair Semira, lovely maid” (Artaxerxes) (03:26)
12. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “i fear some dread disaster” (Semira, Rimenes) (01:29)
13. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 6, Air. “when real joy we miss” (Rimenes) (01:59)
14. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “ye Gods, protectors of the Persian Empire” (Semira) (00:36)
15. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 7, Air. “how hard Is the fate” (Semira) (04:01)
16. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “whither do I fly?” (Tutti) (03:23)
17. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 8, Air. “thy father! Away, I renounce the soft claim” (Artabanes) (01:23)
18. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “ye cruel Gods, what crime have I committed” (Arbaces) (00:14)
19. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 9, Air. “acquit thee of This foul offence” (Semira) (01:27)
20. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Recitative. “appearance, I must own, Is strong against me” (Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Rimenes, Mandane) (00:48)
21. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 10, Air. “o too lovely, too unkind” (Arbaces) (04:24)
22. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: Accompanied recitative: “dear and beloved shade” (Mandane) (00:48)
23. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 1: No. 11, Air. “fly, soft ideas, fly” (Mandane) (05:03)
24. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Recitative. “guards, speed ye to the tower” (Artaxerxes, Artabanes) (00:38)
25. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: No. 12, Air. “in infancy, our hopes and fears” (Artaxerxes) (02:12)
26. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Recitative. “so far my great resolve succeeds” (Artabanes, Arbaces) (01:28)
27. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: No. 13, Air. “disdainful you fly me” (Arbaces) (02:46)
28. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Recitative. “why, my dear friend, so pensive” (Rimenes, Artabanes, Semira) (02:05)
29. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: No. 14, Air. “to sigh and complain” (Rimenes) (01:51)
30. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Recitative. “how many links to dire misfortune’s chain” (Semira, Mandane) (01:12)
31. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: No. 15, Air. “If o’er the cruel tyrant love” (Mandane) (03:00)
32. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Recitative. “which fatal evil shall I first oppose?” (Semira) (00:30)
33. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: No. 16, Air. “If the river’s swelling waves” (Semira) (02:34)
34. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Recitative. “ye solid pillars of the Persian Empire” (Tutti) (05:00)
35. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: No. 17, Air. “by That belov’d embrace” (Arbaces) (03:31)
36. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Recitative. “ah me, at poor Arbaces’ parting” (Mandane, Artabanes) (00:46)
37. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: No. 18, Air. “monster, away” (Mandane) (02:36)
38. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Recitative. “see, lov’d Semira” (Artaxerxes, Semira, Artabanes) (01:02)
39. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: Accompanied recitative: “at last my soul has room” (Artabanes) (00:37)
40. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 2: No. 19, Air. “thou, like the glorious sun” (Artabanes) (05:03)
41. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 20, Air. “why Is death for ever late” (Arbaces) (02:57)
42. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Recitative. “arbaces! Gracious Heav’n” (Artaxerxes, Arbaces) (01:13)
43. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 21, Air. “water parted from the sea” (Arbaces) (02:19)
44. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Recitative. “That face, secure in conscious innocence” (Artaxerxes) (00:25)
45. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 22, Air. “though oft a cloud with envious shade” (Artaxerxes) (03:38)
46. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Recitative. “my son, Arbaces… Where art thou retir’d?” (Artabanes, Rimenes) (01:52)
47. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 23, Air. “o let the danger of a son” (Rimenes) (02:15)
48. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Accompanied recitative: “ye adverse Gods!” (Artabanes) (00:41)
49. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 24, Air. “o, much lov’d son, If death” (Artabanes) (05:15)
50. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Recitative. “perhaps the King releas’d Arbaces” (Mandane, Semira) (01:34)
51. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 25, Air. “let not rage, thy bosom firing” (Mandane) (04:24)
52. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Recitative. “what have I done? Alas, I vainly thought” (Semira) (00:24)
53. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 26, Air. “’tis not true That in our grief” (Semira) (04:08)
54. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Recitative. “nor here my searching eyes” (Arbaces, Mandane) (01:20)
55. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 27, Duetto. “for thee I live, my dearest” (Arbaces, Mandane) (03:37)
56. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Recitative. “to you, my people, much belov’d” (Artaxerxes, Artabanes, Semira, Mandane) (02:20)
57. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 28, Air. “the soldier, tir’d of war’s alarms” (Mandane) (03:33)
58. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: Recitative. “behold, my King, Arbaces at thy feet” (Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Mandane, Artabanes) (02:25)
59. The Mozartists & Ian Page – Arne: Artaxerxes, Act 3: No. 29, Finale. “live to us, to Empire live” (Semira, Mandane, Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Artabanes) (03:28)