Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
's short comic opera
La serva padrona
("
The Maid Who Becomes a Mistress
") of 1733 was one of the turning points of music history with its natural dialogue and satirical high spirits, pointing the way to the future amid a landscape of heavy, heroic opera seria. Recordings of the work are abundant, but this 2025 release has several factors to recommend it. Not least is the presence of a second short opera by
Pergolesi
in the same vein, the somewhat darker
Livietta e Tracollo
, that is rarely heard. This is unaccountable in view of its similarities to
, including the presence of a clever peasant girl (or woman in
) in the comic lead role and the common origin of the two operas as front-of-the-curtain entertainment inserted as an intermezzo between the acts of heavier fare. The performance by the
Boston Early Music Chamber Ensemble
, with musical directors
Paul O'Dette
and
Stephen Stubbs
and conductor
Robert Mealy
, opts for one instrument per part, a bit sparse but certainly possible given the original setting. The productions, recorded in Bremen, Germany, in 2023, had already been given live several times in the U.S., and the pacing is spot on. Best of all are the sparkling performances, without which no performance of
can succeed; soprano
Amanda Forsyth
as the witty and wily Serpina in
is a standout. There are also two relevant
overtures and a possibly superfluous but attractive comic aria by
's little-known contemporary,
Leonardo Leo
. With its inclusion of
, this is an essential entry in libraries of early 18th century music and an enjoyable listen for anyone. ~ James Manheim