Scena di Berenice ("Berenice, che fai?")
Libretto from Metastasio's Antigono
For soprano with 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons and strings
Program Notes by Martin Pearlman
Haydn's two visits to London late in his life were among the highlights of his career. Not only was he celebrated as the greatest living composer, but he managed to make a considerable amount of money from his compositions. One of the most celebrated successes of his second visit was a benefit concert which he produced for himself on May 4, 1795, in which some of the greatest artists in the world performed. Among other works, the program included the premieres of Haydn's last symphony (No. 104) and his dramatic cantata Scena di Berenice, the latter written for the most famous prima donna of the day, Brigitta Giorgi Banti. One anonymous listener wrote comments on his program. "Very noisy" was his only remark about the symphony, but he was a bit more informative about Brigitta Banti's singing in the cantata. "Banti," he wrote, "has a clear, sweet equable voice, her low & high notes equally good. Her recitative admirably expressive. Her voice rather wants fulness of tone; her shake [trill] is weak & imperfect." Haydn too seemed a bit disappointed with his prima donna. In his diary he wrote (in English), "she sang very scanty." Of the concert in general he was more enthusiastic: "The whole company was thoroughly pleased and so was I. I made four thousand Gulden on this evening. Such a thing is only possible in England."
The Scena de Berenice (Berenice's scene) is one of the great eighteenth-century concert arias. The text is taken from an opera libretto by the poet Pietro Metastasio. The complete opera, Antigono, had first been set to music by Hasse in 1743 and subsequently by Galuppi, Piccinni, Paisiello and many other composers throughout the century. Haydn chose a single scene out of the libretto, which occurs near the end of the opera, just before the denouement. Berenice has been separated from her lover, Demetrio, and, as he is about to die, she becomes overwhelmed and delirious. The first section of the scene mixes free dramatic recitative and short ariosos, and the work ends with a dramatic aria in F minor. The form, though irregular, is found in many dramatic concert arias of the time, including Beethoven's Ah, perfido! which is directly modeled on this work.
Boston Baroque Performances
Scena di Berenice, ("Berenice, che fai?")
March 4 & 5, 2016
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloist:
Ann Maria Labin, soprano
May 6 & 7, 2005
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloist:
Lauren Skuce, soprano
February 22, 1991
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloist:
Lorraine Hunt, mezzo-soprano