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Home »
Italian Composers »
Leo
Leonardo Leo (1694-1744)
Daniel Heartz wrote: "During the 1720s Leo was renowned enough to receive
commissions from Rome and Venice, but he wrote little in the way of serious
opera for Naples. Compare this with Vinci's output, or Hasse's seven operas in
six years for the San Bartolomeo (1725-1731). Only with the death of Vinci in
1730 and Hasse's departure from Naples the same year did the field open wide for
Leo. Also to be taken into consideration is that Pergolesi failed to please in
Naples with his serious operas. These considerations help explain how Leo became
the leading composer of serious opera in Naples, but not until the 1730s.
Although older than Vinci, Hasse, and Pergolesi he became in a certain artistic
sense their successor. His solid craftsmanship and many sacred compositions also
placed him in the succession of Alessandro Scarlatti." from Music in European
Capitals, The Galant Style 1720-1780, page 130.
Links
Leonardo Leo, Compositore
di Musica - Napoli
Portrait of Leonardo Leo (partial image of an anonymous portrait)
Recordings
| Leonardo Leo (1694-1744). Partenope e
l'adorazione dei Magi (Vienna 1725). Glossa. Forthcoming,
recorded in December 2009.
Antonio Florio, Orchestra Barocca Cappella della Pietà de'Turchini. |
| Durante, Leo, Porpora. A voi ritorno: Cantatas &
Instrumental Works from 18th Century Naples. Fuga Libera FUG
570 (1 CD,
June 2010). Giorgio Sasso, violin & director, Insieme
Strumentale di Roma. Raffaella Milanesi, soprano. Leo: Cantata
"Vado dal Piano al Monte"; Porpora: Cantata: "Il Ritiro".
Concertos by Durante & Leo & a sinfonia by Leo.
UK |
FR |
DE |
| Leo, Pegolesi, Scarlatti. Sacred Music from
Naples. dhm 88697539442 (1 CD, February 2010).
Details.
Alan Curtis, Il Complesso Barocco. Mary-Ellen Nesi,
mezzo-soprano; Catherine Jones, cello. This is one of my
favorite recordings of 2010. It includes 2 Salve Reginas
by Leo, 2 by Pergolesi, 1 by Scarlatti, and a cello concerto by
Leo.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
Porpora, Vinci, Leo, Hasse, Pergolesi. Lava - Opera Arias from 18th Century Naples. dhm
88697541212 (1 CD, August 2009).
Details /
CD booklet (pdf) /
Video of
"Manca solletica" from Leo's Demetrio. Claudio Osele, Le Musiche Nove. Simone Kermes,
soprano.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP
Reissued on dhm 88697661232 (March, 2010)
without the booklet:
UK |
FR |
DE |
| Leonardo Leo (1694-1744). L'Alidoro
(Commedia in musica, Naples 1740). Dynamic DVD 33588 (2 DVDs, July 2009).
Details.
Antonio Florio, Orchestra Barocca Cappella della Pietà de'Turchini.
Elisa: Francesca Russo Ermolli, mezzo-soprano; Faustina: Maria Grazia Schiavo,
soprano; Zeza: Valentina
Varriale, soprano; Luigi / Alidoro: Maria Ercolano, soprano; Don
Marcelo: Giuseppe De Vittorio, tenor; Meo: Gianpiero Ruggeri,
baritone; Giangrazio:
Francesco Morace. This is the finest commercially available
musical performance of a Leo opera. There are three
predominately serious roles, Faustina, the prima donna with the
most difficult music, Luigi and Elisa, while the rest are mostly
or wholly buffa. The staging is less objectionable than most.
Sitting on the floor while singing seems to be a prevailing fad
among stage directors.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
| Leonardo Leo, Giuseppe de Majo (1697-1771);
Nicola Ugolino (late 18th Century); Niccolò Grillo (18th
Century); Nicola Fiorenza (c.1700-1764).
Cantate Napoletane del '700. Eloquentia EL 0919 (1 CD,
May 2009).
Details /
Review by Johan Van Veen. Antonio Florio, Cappella della
Pietà de'Turchini. Pino de Vittorio, tenor; Alessandro Ciccolini, violin; Tommaso Rossi,
flute; Ugo Di Giovanni, archlute.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
| Carestini - The Story of a Castrato.
Naïve 00946 3 95242 2 8 (1 CD, October 2007).
Details. Philippe Jaroussky, countertenor. Emmanuel Haïm, Le
Concert d'Astrée. Includes Leo, "Se mi dai morte" from Farnace.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
| Leonardo Leo (1694-1744). Le Nozze di Iole
ed Ercole. ORF 2011768 (2 CDs, November 2008).
Details /
Review by Johan van Veen. Christoph
Hammer, Neue Hofkapelle München. Iole: Susanne Bernhard,
soprano; Ercole: Kai Wessel, countertenor; Alceo/Teseo: Dominik
Wörner, bass.
DE |
| Leonardo Leo (1694-1744). Decebalo (Naples
1743). Bongiovanni GB 2412/13 (2 CDs 2006). Lorenzo
Tozzi, Orchestra Romabarocca Ensemble, Collegio Stravagante
(Bucharest).
Details. Decebalo: Adrian George Popescu, countertenor;
Giulia: Julia Surdu, soprano; Flavio Clemente: Angelo Manzotti,
sopranist; Domiziano: Sorin Dumitrascu, bass; Domizia: Ruxandra
Ibric Cioranu, soprano. This is the worst recording I have heard
in many years. The conducting, the orchestral performance, and
Manzotti's singing are absolutely dreadful, and the two other
male soloists are worse than mediocre. The soloists were close-miked,
except in the overture, when the out-of-tune and out-of-sync
orchestra can be heard in its full incompetence. The plodding
recitative is so deadly dull that I skipped over it after the
first two scenes. Manzotti makes a strong case for those who
would ban falsettists with his smeary squeals and out of tune,
screaming cadenzas. What an embarrassment for all concerned!
It's a great opera, however, and deserves to be revived by those
with the ability to do so competently.
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
 Leonardo
Leo. Miserere: Sacred Music from the Royal Chapel, Naples.
Decca 460 020-2 (1 CD 2002). Christophe Rousset, Les Talens
Lyriques. Sandrine Piau, soprano; Anne-Lise Sollied, soprano;
Hilary Summers, contralto; Jean-François Novelli, tenor; Renaud
Delaigue, bass. Superb performance and recording!
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
 Leonardo
Leo. La Musica per Stanza. Tactus TC693702 (1 CD 2004).
Marcello Gatti, transverso. Cosimo Prontera, La Confraternita
de' Musici.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
 Leonardo
Leo. Serenata e Cantate. Tactus TC693701 (1 CD 2001).
Cristina Miatello & Emanuele Bianchi, sopranos. Cosimo Prontera,
La Confraternita de' Musici.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
| Leonardo Leo. Six Cello Concertos. BIS
CD1057 (1 CD 2001). Hidemi Suzuki, cello. Makoto Akatsu,
Orchestra Van Wassenaer.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP Reissued on CD311057 (2004): US
|
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
 Leonardo
Leo. Six Cello Concertos. Atma 22126 (1 CD 1998). Anner
Bylsma, cello. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
 Leonardo
Leo. Miserere Mei Deus: Sacred Vocal Music. ASV GAU 226
(1 CD 2001). Geoffrey Webber, The Choir of Gonville & Caius
College, Cambridge.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
 Leonardo
Vinci & Leonardo Leo. L'Opera Buffa Napoletana. Opus 111
OPS 30184 (1 CD 1997). Tesori di Napoli, Vol. 3. Roberta
Invernizzi, soprano. Antonio Florio, Capella della Pietà
de'Turchini.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
G.B. Pergolesi,
Leonardo Leo & Domenico Gallo. Salve Regina.
Opus 111 OPS 30-88 (1 CD 1995). Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante.
Barbara Schlick, soprano.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP
Reissued on Naïve Baroque Voices OP30444.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
 Pergolesi,
Leo, Jommelli, Traetta, Galuppi, Paisiello, Piccinni & Sacchini.
Arie del'700 Italiano. Hungaroton HCD 32253 (1 CD 2004).
Details. Mónika González, soprano. Fabio Pirona, Savaria
Baroque Orchestra. Includes comparative settings of "Se cerca,
se dice" from L'Olimpiade by Pergolesi, Paisiello &
Piccinni and "Lieto così talvolta" from Pergolesi's Adriano
in Siria.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
 G.B.
Pergolesi. Messa a 5 Voci. Musique napolitaine des
archives portugaises. K617 159 (1 CD 2004).
Details. Also included: Leonardo Leo, Sinfonia from
Demetrio; Antonio Gallassi (c.1750-c.1790), Te Deum;
David Perez (c.1710-1778), Trio. Luiz Alves da Silva,
countertenor & director; Mathias Weibel, violin & director,
Ensemble
Turicum.
UK |
FR |
DE |
| Gregorio Allegri, Francesco Scarlatti, Giovanni
Moro da Viadana & Leonardo Leo. Miserere. Naïve Astrée
E8846 (1 CD 2001). Graham O'Reilly, Ensemble William Byrd.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
Books
 Daniel
Heartz. Music in European Capitals: The Galant Style,
1720-1780. 1078 pages. Norton, 2003.
Review.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP |
| Reinhard Strohm. Essays on Handel and
Italian Opera. Collection of Strohm's essays, some published
in English for the first time. Cambridge University Press, 1985.
Contents include "Handel's pasticci", among which was Catone
(London 1732), based on Vinci's second setting of Metastasio's
Catone in Utica (Venice 1729).
US |
UK |
FR |
CA |
www.newolde.com/leo.htm
|
|
Leonardo
Leo. Miserere: Sacred Music from the Royal Chapel, Naples.
Decca 460 020-2 (1 CD 2002). Christophe Rousset, Les Talens
Lyriques. Sandrine Piau, soprano; Anne-Lise Sollied, soprano;
Hilary Summers, contralto; Jean-François Novelli, tenor; Renaud
Delaigue, bass. Superb performance and recording!
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP
Leonardo
Leo. La Musica per Stanza. Tactus TC693702 (1 CD 2004).
Marcello Gatti, transverso. Cosimo Prontera, La Confraternita
de' Musici.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP
Leonardo
Leo. Miserere Mei Deus: Sacred Vocal Music. ASV GAU 226
(1 CD 2001). Geoffrey Webber, The Choir of Gonville & Caius
College, Cambridge.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP
Pergolesi,
Leo, Jommelli, Traetta, Galuppi, Paisiello, Piccinni & Sacchini.
Arie del'700 Italiano. Hungaroton HCD 32253 (1 CD 2004).
Details. Mónika González, soprano. Fabio Pirona, Savaria
Baroque Orchestra. Includes comparative settings of "Se cerca,
se dice" from L'Olimpiade by Pergolesi, Paisiello &
Piccinni and "Lieto così talvolta" from Pergolesi's Adriano
in Siria.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP
G.B.
Pergolesi. Messa a 5 Voci. Musique napolitaine des
archives portugaises. K617 159 (1 CD 2004).
Details. Also included: Leonardo Leo, Sinfonia from
Demetrio; Antonio Gallassi (c.1750-c.1790), Te Deum;
David Perez (c.1710-1778), Trio. Luiz Alves da Silva,
countertenor & director; Mathias Weibel, violin & director,
Ensemble
Turicum.
UK |
FR |
DE
Daniel
Heartz. Music in European Capitals: The Galant Style,
1720-1780. 1078 pages. Norton, 2003.
Review.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
JP