Planet Hugill: Divine Impresario – Nicolini on Stage: countertenor Randall Scotting explores the musical world of the primary main castrato to sing in London

Divine Impresario: Nicolini on Stage: Broschi, Gasparini, Handel, Porpora, Mancini, Ariosto, Giaj; Randall Scotting, Mary Bevan, Academy of Historical Music, Laurence Cummings; Signum Classics
Reviewed 3 March 2026

The primary main castrato to sing in London who wowed audiences along with his performances, Nicolini is an intriguing determine and on this disc Randall Scotting weaves an enchanting number of arias written for Nicolini into an attractive recital

Should you confer with an 18th century castrato then the chances are the primary identify to return time thoughts can be Farinelli who triggered a sensation throughout his lifetime and whose status stays. However there have been others, and the primary to trigger a stir in London, singing within the first full Italian opera there, was Nicolò Grimaldi often known as Nicolini. In London, Nicolini is related along with his roles for Handel: the title roles in Rinaldo (in 1711) and Amadigi di Gaula (in 1715). However he was greater than merely a singer, being concerned within the operas themselves.

It’s these facets of Nicolini’s profession that countertenor Randall Scotting‘s new disc on Signum Classics, Divine Impresario: Nicolini on Stage seeks to light up. Joined by soprano Mary Bevan, the Academy of Historical Music and Laurence Cummings, Scotting performs music from Broschi’s Idaspe (Venice, 1730), Gasparini’s Ambleto (London, 1712), Handel’s Rinaldo (London, 1711), Porpora’s Siface (Venice, 1726), Handel’s Amadigi (London, 1715), Gasparini’s Antioco (London, 1711), Mancini’s Idaspe Fedele (London 1710), Ariosto’s Tito Manlio (London, 1717), Gasparini’s Tomiri (London, 1709), and Giaj’s Mitridate (Venice, 1729).

Nicolini made his debut in London with Scarlatti’s Pirro e Demetrio which had almost 60 performances between 1708 and 1717. One other early success was Mancini’s Idaspe fedele, the place Nicolini wowed audiences with a scene the place, carrying a flesh-coloured bodysuit, he wrestled with a lion. A scene so common it needed to be encored. Nicolini had introduced the rating of Idaspe with him to London, however it was tailored for London in response to his needs with the music organized by Johann Christoph Pepusch (of Threepenny Opera fame). 

Nicolini had created the position of Idaspe in Mancini’s Idaspe fedele in 1705, so when he got here to London the opera was clearly a favorite he wished to revive. And nonetheless, in 1730 in Venice he would return to the position of Idaspe for the fourth time, this time in Ricardo Broschi’s Idaspe (initially written for Broschi’s brother, Farinelli).

Portray of a rehearsal for Scarlatti’s Pirro e Demetrio by the Venetian grasp Marco Ricci from round 1709; Nicolini stands poised on the middle of the scene.

Opera historian Angus Heriot claims that along with his arrival in London, Nicolini was “maybe greater than every other single particular person liable for the recognition of Italian opera in England”. Nicolini was primarily based in London from 1708 to 1712, then for the following 4 years he iterated between Italy and London, returning for Handel’s Amadigi and Ariosti’s Tito manlio. By the 1720s he’s a considerably mature, extra elder-statesman performing in Europe however appears to have had one thing of a golden season in Venice in 1729 and 1730. The disc displays these two, the London operas and the late Venetian ones.

We start with the vocal virtuosity of Broschi’s 1730 Idaspe after we can think about our portly hero in a flesh bodysuit – nearly! Subsequent comes Hamlet, within the type of Gasparini’s Ambleto, not primarily based on Shakespeare. This was one other position that Nicolini had already premiered, in Venice in 1706 so we are able to think about that right here too, Nicolini arrived in London with the rating and Pepusch made changes for him. We hear a considerate, but not undramatic aria the place Ambleto considers dissonance between his internal fact and the façade demanded by his circumstance. A sinfonia introduces Handel’s Rinaldo the place we hear the hit quantity ‘Cara sposa’ that Nicolini held audiences so spellbound with.

Randall Scotting, Mary Bevan, Laurence Cummings  at recording classes (Picture: Simon Wall)

With Porpora’s Siface we transfer to Venice in 1726, with a duet from late within the opera the place Mary Bevan’s dignified Virate is confronted with Scotting’s extra intensely dramatic Siface. Porpora was Farinelli’s instructor and his operas had been at all times designed to indicate singers off to their greatest. 

Handel’s Rinaldo was such a terrific success, with no less than 37 performances in London from 1711 to 1717. It was adopted up with Amadigi, one other magic opera, additionally with Nicolini who was singing his final opera for Handel. We hear the enchanting night time scene, Oh notte!… Notte amica.

We then return to Porpora’s Siface for a typical showy simile aria a few ship in stormy climate. A hackneyed machine in opera seria however one which Porpora handles with elan and intelligence together with some positive horn writing. Gasparini’s Antioco is one other opera set in classical instances. It was premiered in Venice in 1703 (as Il più fedel fra i vassalli) and was presumably renamed in London to flatter Nicolini within the title position! We hear a somewhat elegant duet, with Bevan and Scotting as star-crossed lovers bidding one another farewell. 

The scene we hear from Mancini’s 1710 Idaspe fedele will not be the dramatic lion one however one thing gentler as he remembers his beloved in a touching aria with solo violin. It’s maybe necessary to do not forget that when Nicolini sang ‘Venti turbini’ from Handel’s Rinaldo in 1711, London audiences had in all probability heard little virtuosity prefer it. The singer was at his prime and was famend each for his musicality and his performing. Right here, Scotting does a positive job in carrying us away along with his personal vivid efficiency.

Like Handel, Ariosto was one of many composers that the Royal Academy of Music delivered to London for its opera season. So whereas Gasparini’s scores in all probability got here by way of Nicolini’s suitcase, Ariosto wrote Tito Manlio for the singer. The librettist was the London-based Italian Nicola Haym who additionally labored with Handel. We hear a fairly intimate aria which makes a sleek distinction to the previous Handelian bravura on the disc. Gasparini’s Tomiri was a pasticcio created with a libretto by Peter Anthony Motteux, a French-born English creator, playwright, and translator who was a big determine within the evolution of English journalism in his period. The aria includes a fast paced bass line which provides the piece added pleasure supplies help for Scotting’s virtuosity. We return to Gasparini’s Antioco for an aria from Act Three which sees out hero despairing in jail. The music has one thing of a sublime sway to it with Scotting bringing a delightful pathetic factor.

For the penultimate aria on the disc we return to Venice in 1729 with Mitridate by Giovanni Antonio Giaj (or Giay) who was in command of the Cappella Regia in Turin. Right here now we have an engagingly vivid sense of drama and a few bravura components. We finish with a return to London for the Act Two duet between Amadigi and Melissa which Scotting and Bevan throw off with the requisite bravura and fascinating allure, supported by some pretty perky orchestral enjoying.

Once I interviewed Randall Scotting in 2022 we targeted on his disc of arias written for Senesino and Scotting [see my interview] he talked about how he loved the extra tutorial facets of music of this era, researching in libraries and creating his personal editions. It’s clear that one thing of this has fed into this fascinating but pleasant disc which not solely supplies a deep dive into the profession of one of many early architects of Italian opera in London, however creates a most satisfying and different recital. And impressively, 9 of the tracks are first recordings.

The disc is threaded by way of with highlights from Handel’s two operas for Nicolini, however the remaining choices are equally partaking. The usual of efficiency is, as we might anticipate, very excessive however there’s additionally the sensation that every one the performers are having fun with themselves, being engaged with the topic and the music.

Divine Impresario: Nicolini on Stage
1. Mostro crudel che fai? from Idaspe – Riccardo Broschi (c. 1698-1756)
2. Porto piagato in petto from Ambleto – Francesco Gasparini (1661-1727)
3. Sinfonia from Rinaldo – George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
4. Cara sposa from Rinaldo – G.F. Handel
5. Spiegami il tuo desio from Siface – Nicola Porpora (1686-1768)
6. Oh notte!… Notte amica from Amadigi – G.F. Handel
7. Come nave in mezzo all’onda from Siface – N. Porpora
8. Per te bell’idol mio from Antioco – F. Gasparini
9. È vano ogni pensiero from Idaspe fedele – Francesco Mancini (1672-1737)
10. Venti turbini from Rinaldo – G.F. Handel
11. Nò, non piangete nò from Tito Manlio – Attilio Ariosti (1666-1729)
12. Sì, t’intendo o core amante from Tomiri – F. Gasparini
13. Questo conforto from Antioco – F. Gasparini
14. Pensa se ancor from Mitridate – Giovanni Antonio Giaj (1690-1764)
15. Crudel tu non farai from Amadigi – G.F. Handel
Randall Scotting (countertenor)
Mary Bevan (soprano)
Academy of Historical Music
Laurence Cummings 
Recorded 18 – 21 November 2024 at St Jude On-the-Hill, Hampstead, London
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD986 1 CD [78.37]