Niccolò Porpora

Niccolò Porpora

Source: Into Classics

Born on 17 August 1686 in Naples, Niccolò Porpora (Nicola Antoine) wrote largely cantatas, perhaps four dozen operas and sacred works including motets and settings to 'Psalms'. He was highly literary, a poet, and able to read and write in multiple languages. Though he came by a number of opera patrons in his early years, and collaborated with famed librettist, Metastasio, he remains better regarded as a voice teacher at the Naples Conservatory, instructing several big names. Though he himself would die too poor to pay for his own funeral, the prima donnas and primo uomos whom he trained would live like, well, prima donnas. The soprano in opera, especially, was the rock star of Porpora's day and, like anyone rich in our own times, there was much ado about opera singers accumulating more wealth than commensurate with their real worth. Regardless, what one hears with Porpora is the fade of the baroque, its last flickering before the douter descends on the period. Porpora's secular cantatas receive "S" numbers 1-132 which are an alphabetical listing by Vern (Everett Lavern) Sutton published in 'The Solo Vocal Works of Nicola Porpora: An Annotated Thematic Catalogue' in 1974/78/80. Despite his preoccupation with song and voice, some find his arias to be competent but everyday in comparison to instrumentals esteemed the better. Porpora's thirty-one instrumental works accounted certain include twenty sonatas for violin or cello, seven cello concertos, one flute concerto among possible others, one overture for winds and two fugues for harpsichord.

Porpora was a graduate of the Naples Conservatory of Music, Poveri di Gesù Cristo. His first opera, 'Agrippina', premiered on 4 November 1708 for the royal court at the Palazzo Reale in Naples, supplied with its libretto by Nicola Guivo. His opera, 'Berenice', was the first to be performed in Rome, that for Carnival in 1718 with libretto by Antonio Salvi. His 'Damiro e Pitia' with text by Domenico Lalli premiered in Munich on 12 October 1724. He was back in Venice to perform his first version of 'Siface' with libretto by Metastasio on 26 December 1725, then performed its second version in Milan on 26 December 1726.

Purpora worked in Venice, Turin and Rome for the next several years. His initial version of 'Semiramide Riconosciuta' with libretto by Metastasio had premiered in Venice on 26 December 1729. Popora would present its second version in Naples ten years later on 20 January 1739.

'Semiramide Riconosciuta'   Version 1   Opera by Niccolò Porpora

Premiere 26 Dec 1729 at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice

Libretto: Metastasio

Accademia Bizantina / Stefano Montanari

Purpora was invited to London in 1733 to form an opera company in competition with Handel. This was his Opera of the Nobility v Handel's Royal Academy of Music. Porpora's 'Arianna in Nasso' premiered on 29 December 1733 in London with libretto by Paolo Antonio Rolli. Several operas followed to as late as January of 1736 including 'Polifemo' which premiered at the King's Theatre on 1 February 1735 with libretto by Paolo Antonio Rolli. Although Porpora's company in London was an initially promising rival to Handel the enterprise ended in bankruptcy. Along with operas Porpora is thought to have completed a number of trio sonatas and concertos in London.

'Cello Concerto'   G major   Movements 1-2 of 4   Niccolò Porpora

Probably sometime 1733-36 in London

L'Ensemble 415 / Chiara Banchini   Cello: Gaetano Nasillo

'Cello Concerto'   G major   Movements 3-4 of 4   Niccolò Porpora

Probably sometime 1733-36 in London

L'Ensemble 415 / Chiara Banchini   Cello: Gaetano Nasillo

'Dolci fresche aurette'   Aria set by Niccolò Porpora

'Sweet fresh breezes'

From Act 2 of 'Polifemo' premiering at the King's Theatre in London 1 Feb 1735

Libretto: Paolo Antonio Rolli

Coloratura mezzo-soprano: Vivica Genaux

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin / René Jacobs

Returning to Venice from England, Porpora also staged operas in Rome and Naples. His original version of 'Il trionfo di Camilla' premiered at the Teatro di San Carl in Naples on 20 January 1740 with text by Silvio Stampiglia. Porpora's revision of this arrived to the same theatre twenty years later on 30 May 1760.

'Va per le vene il sangue'   Aria set by Niccolò Porpora

'Blood runs through the veins'

From Version 1 of 'Il trionfo di Camilla'

Premiere at the Teatro di San Carl in Naples 20 Jan 1740

Libretto: Silvio Stampiglia

Alto soprano: Andreas Scholl

Accademia Bizantina / Ottavio Dantone

Porpora revisited London to stage 'Temistocle' at the King's Theatre on 22 February of 1743, that with another libretto by Metastasio. Soon back in Venice and Naples, 'Salve Regina' in F major arrived in 1744 [Cantata Editions], one of multiple Marian hymns by Porpora [see 'Salve Regina'].

'Salve Regina'   F major   Marian antiphon set by Niccolò Porpora

'Hail Queen'

Text by anonymous sometime Middle Ages

Orchestra da camera del Teatro del Giglio di Lucca / Gianfranco Cosmi

In 1747 Porpora headed to Dresden where he became kapellmeister to the Elector of Saxony 1748. In 1752 Porpora visited Vienna where he taught young Franz Joseph Haydn who remembered him as an "ass" and "rascal" (not a term of affection in Porpora's time) but a master musician, especially as to composition and song. Porpora returned to Naples in 1759 where he staged his second version of 'Il trionfo di Camilla' in 1760, twenty years after its original version with libretto by Silvio Stampiglia at the same Teatro di San Carlo in 1740. Another latter work was 'Ouverture Royale in D major' appearing in 1763 for orchestra.

'Ouverture roiale'   D major   Royal overture by Niccolò Porpora

1763

Orchestra da camera del Teatro del Giglio di Lucca / Gianfranco Cosmi

Purpora died in Naples on 3 March 1768. After half a century of producing operas he was yet unable to pay for his own funeral, a concert therefore given to raise funds.