In the early 18th century, Naples was the operatic capital of Europe, attracting composers not only from Italy but from the whole continent to write for the army of castrati that populated the city’s stages. Many of the musicians who worked there have slipped from view over time, but their achievements were surveyed by countertenor Max Emanuel Cencic in a Wigmore recital of extraordinary beauty with Il Pomo d’Oro and their harpsichordist-conductor Maxim Emelyanychev.
Cencic combines flamboyance with great intelligence. The man who struts his stuff in dazzling platform gear – skin-tight white trousers and an elaborate brocade jacket – has rescued many Neapolitan composers from obscurity, and single-handedly forced a reappraisal of the music of Leonardo Vinci, whom Handel regarded as a rival. More to the point, he possesses one of the truly great voices, dark in tone and astoundingly agile, enabling him to tackle his chosen repertory with formidable grace and bravura.
An aria from Vinci’s Eraclea displayed coloratura of breathtaking accuracy over a wide vocal and dynamic range. He delivered the long lines of No, Non Vedete Mai from Leonardo Leo’s Siface with impeccable breath control and effortless leaps from his lower to upper registers. He brought the evening to a close with one of his party pieces, Qual Turbine Che Scende from Porpora’s Germanico in Germania, sung with considerable drive and a fierce intensity. Not all of it was showy: an aria from Alessandro Scarlatti’s Il Prigioniero Fortunato, accompanied by continuo and solo viola, was striking in its introverted simplicity.
Il Pomo d’Oro remain a classy period ensemble, though they play with less overt panache since Emelyanychev took over as director from the fiery violinist-conductor Riccardo Minasi. Their contributions, when Cencic was taking a breather, were variable. Hasse’s Grave and Fuga in G minor impressed with its dark, rasping severity. They didn’t quite make the case, however, for Domenico Auletta’s Harpsichord Concerto in D, uneven in inspiration, despite the controlled beauty of its slow movement.
