Antonio Montagnana

Antonio Montagnana was an Italian bass opera singer who gained widespread acclaim during the Baroque period for his powerful voice and dramatic performances. Born in Italy, Montagnana established himself as one of the foremost vocalists of his time, captivating audiences across Europe with his exceptional talent and commanding stage presence. He is best known for originating several large and famously difficult roles in operas by Georg Friedrich Händel.

Life

The specific birth and death dates of Antonio Montagnana remain elusive. It is known that his career flourished during the period of 1730 to 1750. Documentary evidence indicates his earliest recorded performances in Rome in 1730. Montagnana’s retirement around 1750 suggests a probable birth date around the turn of the century.

Historical records indicate that several of Montagnana’s earliest documented appearances were in productions of operas composed by Nicola Porpora. Porpora, a renowned composer and voice instructor who often cast his own students, such as the famous Farinelli, in his productions, leading some to conclude that Montagnana was Porpora’s pupil. During this era, being associated with Porpora as a student bestowed considerable prestige upon a singer, as Porpora’s students were celebrated for their exceptional vocal abilities and musical competence.

During the the 1730’s, Montagnana rose to prominence as a bass opera singer, renowned for his powerful voice and dramatic performances. He achieved recognition for his exceptional vocal range, control, and expressive qualities, which set him apart as a singer of remarkable skill. Montagnana’s career took him to various musical centers throughout Europe. He performed extensively in renowned opera houses in cities such as Venice, Vienna, and London, captivating audiences with his commanding stage presence and captivating interpretations of roles in operas and oratorios.

His basso profondo voice and colour combined with a suprisingly solid high range was very attractive to composers such as Georg Friedrich Händel, who wrote several roles specifically for Montagnana. From these roles we can learn a lot about Montagnana’s vocal range and timbre.

Despite his musical success, Montagnana faced the competitive nature of the opera world, which often led to rivalries among singers. Reports suggest that he engaged in vocal battles and physical altercations with fellow performers, demonstrating his passionate and occasionally volatile temperament.

From 1740 to 1750, Montagnana sang at the royal chapel in Madrid, mainly at the Buen Retiro where he took part in several operas and cantatas. Antonio Montagnana’s professional life came to an end in 1750, leaving behind a legacy of exceptional vocal artistry. ^[1]

Collaboration with Händel

Montagnana joined Händel’s King’s Theater roster in November 1731, how and when he came to London is unknown, but it is likely he was already accepted by Händel before he made the journey. He had several parts in Operas by Händel and likely had many other smaller singing engagements in London during that time. He left Händel’s company in June 1733 to join Porpora’s newly formed Opera of the Nobility, a rival company in London, likely breaking his contract in doing so. After the Opera of the Nobility closed in 1737, Montagnana re-joined Händel’s group, which was now located at Covent Garden. ^[2]

King’s Theater in London

In total, Händel wrote three big roles in Operas specifically for Montagnana. He played Varo in the premiere of Ezio, Altomaro in the premiere of Sosarme and Zoroastro in the premiere of Orlando, the first two in 1732 and the third in 1733. During this time Händel also wrote several new arias for him in revivals of Poro, Admeto and Tamerlano which had been premiered several years earlier. It is unknown why he didn’t receive any leading roles when he returned to Händel in 1737. The aria’s written for Montagnana are notoriously difficult and virtuosic, which has driven interest in their originator. They not only span a large vocal range, but make almost comically large leaps within that range which demand incredible accuracy to perform well.

Musicologist Reinhard Strohm states that the placement of arias within Händel’s operas can be seen as an indication of the singer’s status within his company. The first and last arias of the opera were the highest regarded and usually went to the best known and most important singers. Slightly lower, but still highly regarded were the arias that opened or closed an act. Librettists were even asked to make changes in the source material to account for this. Of the three Händel operas that Montagnana premiered, in two he has the last aria and in the other he has the first, signifying the respect and admiration he commanded.^[3]

Voice

Antonio Montagnana was known for his exceptional range and the solidity of his sound production. By analysing pieces written for him specifically we learn he had a usable range of at least D to f#’. He could sustain the lowest notes in his range for full bars and still be heard over an orchestra. Due to the rare surviving first hand accounts we learn he had a sizable voice with an impressive volume. One ear witness of a performance of Orlando said:

Montagnana sung with the noise like a canon. ^[4]

Title page of Ezio by Händel

The roles that Händel wrote for Montagnana are infamous for their large range leaps and taxing lines and are among Händel’s most difficult roles. As an example; in the aria Nasce al bosco from Ezio the singer has to span two octaves in as many bars and perform quick trills on high as well as low notes. In the same piece extensive and fast colloraturas are sung on the word dominar with a full and strong voice to rise over the orchestra. All of this indicates that Montagnana had incredible control and accuracy while sacrificing nothing in volume or resonance.

References