Alessandro Scarlatti: Venere, Amore e Ragione: Serenata a 3

Judith L. Schwartz

In the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries numerous large, festive cantatas identified as serenatas were heard at Rome. Performances of these multi-voiced, orchestrally accompanied works took place at public spectacles to celebrate important diplomatic or dynastic events, as well as at private events to commemorate special occasions or to honor distinguished personages. Alessandro Scarlatti composed at least 22 such works, including seven that are associated with Rome and the year 1706.

Owing to the effects of the War of Spanish Succession upon Italian courts, the period 1702–9 was one of great financial and professional insecurity for Scarlatti. Unable to obtain a permanent position commensurate with his abilities, the composer spent much of this period in or near Rome. Here he produced an astounding number of works for a variety of patrons, many of whom were members of Arcadia, a Roman accademia. In recognition of his extraordinary talent and the years of service he had dedicated to various members of the society, Scarlatti was inducted into Arcadia on 26 April 1706. Although documentary evidence that might clarify the details is lacking, it seems likely that this event is connected with the genesis or preservation of Scarlatti’s 1706 serenatas. In the case of Venere, Amore e Ragione, there are good reasons to suspect that it was performed at an Arcadian gathering during that decade in Rome. Most importantly, the libretto, attributed to Silvio Stampiglia (another member of Arcadia), bears associations with the Arcadian Society and also references to contemporary social concerns within the papal city.

The libretto of Venere, Amore e Ragione recounts a dispute between the allegorical figures Venus and Reason over the conduct of Cupid. Venus, distraught over the loss of her son Cupid, finds him among the nymphs and shepherds of the seven hills of Rome a changed being, having come under the influence of Reason. Fearing her son’s loss of power, Venus is at last calmed by the persuasive arguments of Cupid, supported by Reason, who demonstrates that the quantity and quality of his followers has only improved since love has adopted reason as his guide.

Alessandro Scarlatti, Venere, Amore e Ragione, No. 14. Terzetto, final measures. Courtesy of Diözesanbibliothek, Münster, Santini Hs. 3935, fol. 103v.

Despite the key role assigned Reason in the libretto, the serenata is far from an early manifestation of the Age of Enlightenment. Like the Arcadian Society itself, the serenata is a product of the tensions inherent in the Counter-Reformation. Roman society at the time was dominated by powerful men, many of whom had taken vows of chastity, and the proper role of women, love, and the erotic was of constant concern. In fact, the struggle between physical and spiritual love was a frequent theme in Roman oratorio librettos of the era. Because of the “dangers” presented by women, conservative Church fathers looked with disapproval on the mixing of the sexes in Rome. Works such as this one asserted the opposite perspective: a society in which innocent love between men and women prevailed was in complete accord with reason and the Roman Catholic faith. To convey this message, Scarlatti matched his music to the sincere, elegant, and restrained pastoral style of Arcadian poetry. In their lyricism, brevity and simplicity, the 11 arias, duet, and two trios in the two-part serenata resemble the composer’s own pastoral operas and cantatas more than his heroic operas.

Among Alessandro Scarlatti’s 19 surviving serenatas, Venere, Amore e Ragione stands apart for its inclusion of dancing in its action. An exhortation to dance in honor of the newly enlightened Venus is followed by three instrumental balli, which are connected to the subsequent aria in dance meter. French dance idioms in this and other portions of Scarlatti’s score seem to exemplify French cultural influence in Rome that can be documented in the increased use of French dances in the ballrooms, theaters, and Jesuit colleges of Italy during the 1690s.

This edition of Venere, Amore e Ragione derives from a remarkable production of the work inaugurating the annual Evelyn Dunbar Early Music Festival at Northwestern University’s School of Music in 1994. A score prepared by students under Marsha Coffey was the product of the first Dunbar seminar led by William V. Porter. The resulting collaborative performance combined the scholarship of Thomas Griffin, the musical insights of conductor Joshua Rifkin, and the choreographic imagination of director Charles Garth to recreate the intimate atmosphere of a genre rarely experienced or understood today. In performance, this graceful allegory bridges the distance between performers and audience in a manner more nearly reminiscent of the masque than opera or oratorio. Opportunities provided by the text for interaction with audience members help to unite the audience and the performers in paying tribute to honored guests.

A-R’s publication of the work in its apparent first edition makes available music of considerable elegance, charm, and persuasive power. In addition, the historical introduction and commentaries provide vivid descriptions of both the serenata as a genre and the culture in which it functioned. Together, the music and text provide a glimpse of the riches present in this little-known repertory.♦