Bach "WTC" - Jacobs "Figaro" - White "Screwdriver" - "Take me'"
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Date: Sat, 5 May 2007
Subject: Dresden 3 - Serse 2
EuroArts' DVD of George Frederick Handel's Serse (as in Xerxes, king of Persia) is a dazzling array of voices. Handel opera edges towards the silly side, which the sets follow with an extended, tall, leather couch, with enough room for a hockey team, let alone two sisters. Nevertheless, given a chance to listen to a sterling show from Paula Rasmussen, as Serse, this is hot.
The band, Talens Lyriques, has a lovely depth of sound. Led by Christophe Rousset, they are tight and a treat to hear. Handel's tutti style is begging for line separation and while they were a tad on the homogeneous side, what can one do? Talens Lyriques are excellent.
Sandrine Piau sings Atalanta - the schemer - a largely comedic role that she plays to the hilts. Piau has an adorable voice. She freshens up the stage with her appearances.
Serse's brother Arsamene is sung astutely by Ann Hallenberg. She has a wonderful sound. Playing the second banana, Hallenberg craftily goes for the sweeter surfaces of her songs and comes across as the character everyone is pulling for. For example, the split aria - Io le diro/Tu le dirai - Rasmussen starts with clear, clean, kingly tones. Lovely phrasing! Hallenberg counters with a passionate take, emotionally charged, yet fluid. Lovely phrasing! Hallenberg is an amazing mezzo.
Paula Rasmussen is Serse, and the woman of the match. She makes it sound so easy. Her rounded notes have a crystalline ring to them. Rasmussen softly hammers "Ombra mai fu" - Handel covering Cavalli - that's right, a tree's shade is everything! Her entrance to that aria is superb, as she comes in on the backbeat, off the band's fade, and builds her elongated phrases into something lovely. This kid is brilliant in her trouser role. BTW - if you get a chance to hear her sing Cherubino (Figaro), go for it, as she is the cat's pajamas - no one comes close. It is ridiculous how remarkable a voice Rasmussen has. Her final aria "Crude furie" is extraordinary!
***
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007
Subject: BAC TCE 7 - Figaro 10
At long last, Bel Air Classiques has released a DVD of the Jun 2004, Theatre des Champs-Elysees (Paris), Rene Jacobs/Concerto Koln performances of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. Those productions along with the ones in Oct 2001 were a treat to attend and having a DVD of the 2004 event is a dream come true. You too can see Jean-Louis Martinoty's cluttered set look, the highly raked stage (yes it was that steep) and hear, a band (Concerto Koln) with tremendous tone, dynamics and an insanely great horn section, not to forget, the ultimate Conte - Pietro Spagnoli.
Figaro is mostly an orchestra opera, and with Concerto Koln, Mozart and Jacobs have the instrument parfait. During the overture and sleigh ride, when CK is on the paddle, you want to get up and dance, or skate. They have such a charged sound that produces this rumble. It can be a delicate touch, or, a full force grumba. Regardless, it binds together the score in a glorious manner. Concerto Koln's wind section is sublime. The oboe soli during Dove sono are bewitching. The bassoons are a gift all on their own. The horn section resonant their basso continuo parts and nail their highlighting, for even more musical passion. Meanwhile, the basses and cellos underscore and lift Mozart's work to new heights. Nicolau de Figueiredo's pickup riffs on the pianoforte make delightful appetizers. Jacobs brings this all together with a musicality rarely achieved.
Luca Pisaroni sounds great as Figaro on this DVD. He works so well with Susanna (Rosemary Joshua). A very serious Figaro, Pisaroni's deep, strong voice lends nice diction to the role. Joshua is a good partner, making many passages flow. The brilliant part of Cherubino is played with some intrepid phrasing by Angelika Kirchschlager.
Mora, mora! The man of the match is Il Conte, Pietro Spagnoli. From his entrance just before Cosa sento!, Spagnoli proves there is a singer who can easily hang with the full gusto Concerto Koln. His Act III solo "Hai gia vinte" (I don't even like that aria) is emotionally charged and sung devastatingly good. Spagnoli's long, alluring climbs near the end of that aria are ooo-la-la! What makes this Il Conte special is his ensemble work. He is there for his mates and leads by example with lovely riffs.
That naturally brings us to, the sleigh ride (last 33 minutes of Act II). Mozart's idea of a fun time: solo drifts into duet, into trio, thru quartet, up to quintet, until the big septet finish. It is a spell of extreme energy, building, reverberating as Jacobs leads Concerto Koln and the singers thru the slippy hills and valleys that makes it so remarkable.
***
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005
Subject: TRM 4 - Barber 2
Decca's 2005 DVD release of the Teatro Real, Madrid production of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia is an attractive performance. So, "what's up in Seville?" The episode revolves around a younger Conte d'Almaviva, therefore a tenor, who is wooing Rosina and needs all the help he can get from southwest Spain's ingenious barber, Figaro.
The Teatro Real sets and costumes are elegant and intelligent in black and white tones. They successfully let the stage crew and actors move the spectators into various creamy shades that aid the standard Rossini reprising score. The striking contrasts - a DVD blanc - are highly effective. Il Conte's opening jacket and waistcoat are particularly snazzy.
The Madrid house band is ok. They hold the work together, though at times their conductor lets things drag. Their quick, pulsing segments are excellent.
Doctor Bartolo is sung with precision by Bruno Pratico. He maintains his comic role with lovely tones and well-balanced expression. That is a tricky exploit, however Pratico pulls if off with style.
The woman of the match is Rosina. Maria Bayo is extraordinaire. Her clear sounds and exquisite articulation reverberate through her phrasing parfait. Bayo is a treat to the ears.
Pietro Spagnoli is the Barber of Seville. His rendition of "Largo al factotum" is dazzling. It is a showboat event and Spagnoli enjoys himself to no end. Figaro is the impresario that makes this opera go, and Spanish, with his powerful voice, is outstanding.
Some of the finest tracks of this DVD are when Bayo and Spagnoli are on together. Their mind-blowing duet Dunque io son while fiddling around, under and on a table is the stuff that makes entertainment.
***
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005
Subject: A late gem from Handel
Andreas Spering - Handel - Imeneo - CD
Wow! Why has this beauty been languishing in obscurity? Particularly in this era of near Handel-mania in vocal recordings. Thank you Mr. Spering and Capella Augustina (comprised of many members of Concerto Koln in their usual exquisite form) for bringing our ears this treat, superbly performed.
This opera is comprised of one beautiful aria after another. None of the singers are "stars" or household names. Well, you can have your stars and household names, I'll take singers with young rich voices who know the value of ensemble and understand the composer's intent. Ann Hallenberg shines brightest in her arias. We will definitely be hearing more from her. Hallenberg and Capella Augustina are phenomenal with their electrifying attack during "Sorge nell'alma mia."
Interestingly enough, my two Handel "must haves" come from the beginning and end of his career. This and Concerto Italiano's amazing "Il Trionfo del Tempo..." could keep me happy for a long time. This is the way Handel was meant to be played. Luscious baroque timing that makes it hard to sit still while listening. Please Mr. Spering and Mr. Alessandrini, bring on more! -cw
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Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004
Subject: TCE 7 - Figaro 10
Thursday night's reprise of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris was incredible. With an augmented cast of singers joining two robust returnees and Concerto Koln rocking, the result was pyrotechnical.
Let's cut to the chase - Rene Jacobs' sexed up sleigh ride (last 33 minutes of Act II) was even better than in October 2001. The addition of Rosemary Joshua, as Susanna, added tremendous top notes to Pietro Spagnoli's Conte and Alessandro Svab's Antonio. Add in Concerto Koln in full dance mode and you have a total grumba performance. Ooo-la-la!
Cherubino and the Contessa were insipid. They both tended to bail out on their solos, and were lousy at partnering. La Comtesse is usually a liability and blew "Dove sono", which was only partially saved by the superb CK oboe riffs. As is also standard, Cherubino didn't get that she's singing top 10 hits - you have to go for it, like Michael Jackson.
Pauline Courtin as Barbarina and Svab had wonderful sounds and excellent musicality. They were top shelf partners.
Figaro, sung by Luca Pisaroni, had a strong, rich voice and lovely tone. He did have a penchant for making late entrances. However, he was into his role and had refined phrasing.
The woman of the match was Rosemary Joshua. Her Susanna was super spunky. She worked so well with the other singers and saved the "Take a letter" duet with the Contessa by providing perfect support and elegant return phrases. Joshua helped make this a memorable production.
Concerto Koln remain exquisite. The higher strings played it a tad safe and lacked their edge at times. Nevertheless, these guys are awesome. Mozart's continuo (bass, cello, pianoforte, bassoon and horn) is a delicious world all its own in the Marriage of Figaro. Nicolau de Figueiredo's keyboard dramatics were subtle, yet divine. The CK basses added so much depth and power to the musical palette. The bassoon's playful forays were fabulous. The horn section was sublime. They were a treat to hear! Werner, de cello, Matzke's segments were superior. His delightful touches and tender support made the score soar. Concerto Koln are a great band.
The man of the match was Pietro Spagnoli. After 2001, one would think that presentation was the best possible count Spagnoli, or anyone else would ever do. Wrong. We got the A+++ voice and a positively electrifying Il Conte. Spanish was always there for his mates and made Figaro hum. His articulation, musicianship, and sense of timing were sensational. With Spagnoli on a roll, Figaro exploded with a multitude of luscious, vibrating tones that was stunning.
***
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003
Subject: Jacobs 3 - Gassmann 1
The difference between Fellini's 8 1/2 and Florian Leopold Gassmann's L'Opera Seria is, 8 1/2 has much better music. Rene Jacobs' production, at Paris's Theatre des Champs-Elysees, was tightly performed, but rarely created any interesting musical lines. As a play - a comedic farce about putting on a grand opera - it was extremely amusing.
The cluttered stage look continued to be all the rage at Friday evening's showing. The sets, props and costumes all worked exceptionally well. The stage directions, especially for Act 2 - the rehearsal - were worthy of an Oscar Wilde play, producing hilarious setups that completely hooked the audience.
Concerto Koln was in fine form. The horns, oboes and bassoons executed some brilliant passages, however, the entire ensemble was superb. They play with a clarity and elan that is rarely achieved. Concerto Koln was parfait!
On stage, the lead hooty tenor, Ritornello, played by Mario Zeffiri, was a gas. He was the perfect primo, stylishly in love with himself. Riccardo Novaro, as the dancer master, had a powerful, clear voice and was a treat to hear. Porporina, one of three prima donnas, was sung with gusto by Janet Williams. She has an excellent, intelligent sound and really got into her role.
The man of the match was Pietro Spagnoli, as Fallito. His intense tones, superior projection and Acresesque diction were sublime. Spanish gets full marks for his ironic portrayal of the failing producer. This guy has a great voice.
The woman of the match was Smorfiosa, sung by Miah Persson. Her divine phrasing lifted the otherwise insipid score. Persson managed to combine her comic / sickly / jealous / high maintenance part so well, you knew this chick. She was fantastic.
All of which begs the question, why waste all this musical talent on Gassmann?
***
Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2001
Subject: TCE 7 - Figaro 10
Sunday evening at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Rene Jacobs' fabulous production of Le Nozze di Figaro was a treat to hear. W.A. Mozart's exquisite opera was given a striking performance primarily because of the superb phrasing of Concerto Koln.
TCE, just across the Seine on the Parisian right bank, is an interesting study in art deco. The theatre has great sight lines, dead sound, and is hot as Hades. The costumes and staging were fairly good. However, the sets and props were insipid and often got in the way of the action.
Sadly, three key roles, Figaro, Susanna and Cherubino, fell to singers with poor voices. Figaro's diction was horrendous - which meant all of Mozart's brilliant arias were left wanting. Susanna had a pleasant sound, but was weak. She had a penchant for never being there for her mates, which resulted in duets, trios et cetera missing a part. The biggest tragedy was when Cherubino's two incredible solos were aspirated away into oblivion.
Fortunately there were some fine supporting role singers. Barbarina (Carla di Censo) had a strong, clear sound and in what seems to be a Marriage of Figaro standard, would have made a superior Susanna. Antonio (Alessandro Svab) was stellar as the conte's gardener. His articulation and depth of tone would have been exceptional for the part of Figaro. Don Basilio (Peter Hoare) was excellent in his role and demonstrated perfect partnering.
That brings us to those wild and wacky Almavivas. Veronique Gens sang the contessa's part. Gens had a strong and sometimes lovely voice. However, she tended to get lost when it came to pitch and her miserable embellishments were laughable. Note to Gens: Sing it where it's written, not where it's rotten.
The voice of the match was easily Pietro Spagnoli, as the conte. You want to talk about stage presence, pure singing power and impeccable diction; that's our man Spagnoli. He is a full professional. There were times when Spagnoli carried the cast with his full-bodied undertones cementing the vocal structures. His adventures during the sleigh ride (last 20 minutes of Act II) took that grand passage to delightful heights. Mozart filled Figaro with tons of Steph Acres moments and Spagnoli nailed his. Ooo-la-la!
The man of the match was Concerto Koln. Wow. These guys have a wonderfully creamy tone. The intense Figaro overture they played with perfectly pulsed phrasing. Hearing all the lines so clearly weighted and yet with a sharp edge that brought out all the resonances of the score was divine. Concerto Koln had such tight ensemble they reminded me of the Middlebury Women when attacking at their savage best. The result was a tremendous, thundering Figaro.
Overall, an intoxicating evening of music in the Fields Elysian.
***
Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000
Subject: Paris Opera 3 - Flute enchantee 9
Saturday evening at the Palais Garnier, the Opera National de Paris put on a fair performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Die Zauberflote. What holds the Paris Opera back is the dreadful orchestra and poor singing by the company regulars. Despite that, the brilliance of the Magic Flute came through because of the composer's delicious score.
The Garnier is drop-dead gorgeous. It has great acoustics and extremely good sight lines. The set design and costumes were top shelf and added to the charm of Mozart's Singspiel. The tech crew gets full marks for the illusions they created, especially the skill to produce characters out of and into thin air. Visually the production was outstanding.
To me, La Flute enchantee soars or drags on the role of Papageno. Now you can't always have Olaf Bar (the Steph Acres of Papagenos), however Markus Werba made a poor job of it. He is a fine comic. His off the action acting was very humorous. Werba has an interesting voice with nice tone. Unfortunately, his diction was atrocious and he was often lost in his partnering. What made it more tragic was that Gaele Le Roi was more than up to her role as Papagena. Sadly the delectable "Pa-pa-pa" duet at the end of the opera was left wanting, despite Le Roi's clear sound.
That brings us to Monostatos, whose singing part was spoken. The result was we lost the ominous undercurrents of one of Mozart's finest villains. Therefore the tremendous duet at the start of the finale between Monostatos and the Queen of the Night (who was so horrendous, I don't even care to discuss it), did not happen. How pathetic.
Luckily, the Drei Knaben (lads from the Tolzer Knabenchor) were excellent. Their clean pitches were woven together to perfection. Their quartet in the second half with Pamina was a stunner.
Werner Gura sang Tamino with exceptional touch. His refined voice was perfect for the wimpy hero. Gura blended his lovely tones superbly. His partnering brought out the best in other singers and highlighted the colors in the score.
The woman of the match was Inger Dam-Jensen, as Pamina. Her striking pitch and powerful presentation were sensational. Dam-Jensen made the most of her mates and lifted the performance. Pamina was a treat.
Overall, Mozart's enchanting opera remains a delight.
***
Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999
Subject: Jacobs 7 - Cosi 8
The reason other productions of Cosi don't cut it is this 1999 Harmonia Mundi CD recording by Rene Jacobs and Concerto Koln. W.A. Mozart's Cosi fan tutte is loads of fun, however tres difficile. Jacobs presents a stunning version filled with sweet songs and spirited surges - Apollo on form.
Werner Gura is a wonderful tenor. His rendition of Ferrando is superb. Gura has exquisite tone and his phrasing is parfait. His interlacings with Gens are lovely. Gura's top attribute is his genius to blend his subtle tenor voice within the raging twists in Mozart's score, to provide enchanting moments.
Don Alfonso is sung with discerning relish by Pietro Spagnoli. The foil and plotter, he makes his role with terrific intonation and is a polished partner. Saldo amico, finem lauda, finem lauda - why can this baritone turn that passage into an entrancing riff? Musicality. Spagnoli's diminutive solo - Barbaro fato! - reels with all the oil, fear, anxiety and trickery that makes the plot run. Spagnoli = Don Alfonso.
Bernarda Fink is excellent as Dorabella. The perfect sister to Gens, Fink lifts, counters and helps amplify their endearing music treats. Her take of - Smanie implacabili - is remarkably timed. Fink's power during - Stelle, un bacio? - makes Mozart's 1st act finale exceptional.
Fiordiligi is sung brilliantly by Veronique Gens. Her part is a tour de force and Gens is special. She sings - Come scoglio - with long, luscious notes, impeccably expressed. Gens' contribution to the Act One ending is full of force and vocal quality and balanced perfectly with Fink. And then, we come to - Per pieta - which Gens delivers with emotional poise. It is a sensational aria and a great performance by Gens.
The man of the match is Jacobs. He weaves his own spell around the Mozart magic and comes up with the ultimate Cosi. There's a marvelous little thunderstorm that Jacobs brews up toward the end of Act I when the guys supposedly ingest poison. Concerto Koln is amazing the way they billow the cumulonimbi out of the uneasy calm of the girls duet and let it rip within the thundering scene. The horns, bassoons and oboe are mind-blowing. The strings skill at creating tension, and then fading away into silvery shifts is fantastic. The basses and cellos give tremendous depth of sound, while Jacobs controls it all with his hit and get away, bell-like tactics. Together they set the stage and round out the tonality that transform the singers to the highest levels. The Jacobs Cosi remains the first star.