La Colpa Originale CD

Three years ago, we released a new discovery in our catalogue bearing the exuberant title Bravo Bene! Introducing listeners to the fascinating Baroque figure Francesco Bartolomeo Conti. He was born in Florence and was brought to the Imperial Court in Vienna by the Medici. There he rose from a stand-in theorbo player to court composer and in doing so produced quite a few surprises. Around two dozen operas are attributed to the artist, who according to Johann Joachim Quantz was an innovative and fiery, albeit somewhat bizarre composer and indeed can hardly be better described. His grand oratorio Original Sin (La colpa originale), first performed in 1718, is more than a fitting testament to this. While it may not be too great a challenge to have the biblical 'original sinners' Adam and Eve, sing their recitatives and arias, the physical appearance of the anthropomorphic Lord and his adversary Lucifer must have required a very refined sense of taste, as Conti reveals in every number of this extensive work. In doing so, he constructs a plot that is practically born for the stage, which, combined with the inspired music, guarantees an entertaining recounting of the Fall of Man.