Haydn: L'isola disabitata - Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, André Morsch, Anett Fritsch, Krystian Adam, Sunhae Im, Bernhard Forck

After their acclaimed recording of Telemann’s Miriways, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin returns to PENTATONE with Joseph Haydn’s opera L’isola disabitata, together with an excellent quartet of vocalists. Officially called an azione teatrale, L’isola is a serious opera about love, loss and misunderstanding with a happy ending, set on an exotic deserted island. Special about this opera is that Haydn chose orchestral accompaniment for the entire work, with colourful and dramatic accompagnato recitatives. In Haydn’s printed score, many of the elaborate instrumental sections were deliberately cut, because he feared that they demanded too much from the players, and that some audiences may not have been cultured enough to fully appreciate them. Special about this recording is that these parts have all been reinstated, using a recent edition by Thomas Busse. The seasoned players of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, led by Bernhard Forck, play this lavish score with fervour and swing, while Anett Fritsch (Costanza), Sunhae Im (Silvia), Krystian Adam (Gernando) and André Morsch (Enrico) offer an equally virtuosic vocal delivery.

1        Overture    7:00
Part 1    
2        Recitative: Qual Contrasto Non Vince    2:39
3        Recitative: Ah Germana! Ah Constanza!    6:55
4        Aria: Se Non Piange Un’Infelice    3:45
5        Recitative: Che Ostinato Dolor!    2:16
6        Recitative: Ma Sarà Poi, Gernando    4:14
7        Aria: Chi Nel Cammin D’Onore    3:42
8        Recitative: Che Fu Mai Quel Ch’Io Vidi!    1:37
9        Aria: Fra Un Dolce Deliro    3:42
Part 2    
10        Recitative: Ah Presaga Fu L’Alma    6:12
11        Aria: Non Turbar Quand’Io Mi Lagno    4:06
12        Recitative: Non S’Irriti Fra’ Primi    6:00
13        Aria: Come Il Vapor S’Ascende    3:16
14        Aria: Ah, Che In Van Per Me Pietoso    4:15
15        Recitative: Giacché Da Me Lontana    0:21
16        Arietta And Recitative: Giacché Il Pietoso Amico    2:35
17        Recitative: Ignora Il Caro Amico Le Sue Felicità    4:30
18        Recitative: Costanza, Costanza    3:53
19        Quartet: Sono Contenta Appieno    9:45