05 Whitbourn AnneliesJames Whitbourn - Annelies (from The Diary of Anne Frank)
Arianna Zukerman; Westminster Williamson Voices; Lincoln Trio; James Jordan
Naxos 8.57307

The passages librettist Melanie Challenger has chosen from the writings of the highly intelligent, insightful and inspiring Anne Frank with added biblical passages have been set to a tender yet powerful score by composer James Whitbourn. He offers two versions: both for soloist and chorus, one with full orchestra, the other for piano trio plus clarinet. This recording is of the latter, which offers such a poignant, personal characterization that one is immediately drawn into an almost unbearable intimacy with the tragic events. Rather than straight accompaniment, it seems each instrument has several roles to play in the drama, for example, the clarinet as the voice of Jewish tradition, the violin and cello deep emotion and the passage of time with piano as chiming clock. Of course, the voices have many changes to portray: soprano Arianna Zukerman sings with a supremely controlled tone that never strays from pure beauty, but sublimely imparts the contrast of isolation vs. devotion and buoyant hopefulness.

The choir, Westminster Williamson Voices led by James Jordon, is superb and they are flawless in the delivery of passages that range from terror and alarm to prayerful and even a chorale on Anne’s Ich danke dir für all das Gute und Liebe und Schöne (Thank you God, for all that is good and dear and beautiful) that appears more delightfully Mozartian in character than one harmonized by Bach. This first choral setting of The Diary of Anne Frank certainly proves worthy.

 

06 Iolanta PersephoneTchaikovsky – Iolanta; Stravinsky – Persephone
Teatro Real Madrid; Peter Sellars; Teodor Currentzis
Teatro Real TR97011DVD

Artists dispute the trope that the greatest art comes from great suffering, but one can be excused for thinking that it does when listening to Iolanta, Tchaikovsky’s last opera. A period of immense suffering, resulting in the composer’s suicide, was triggered by an absolute rejection by the object of his obsessive love, his teenage nephew Bob. It was 1891 and Tchaikovsky’s homosexual desire for the 18-year-old was not something that Russian society, nor indeed Tchaikovsky himself, was ready to accept. Plagued by guilt and shame, the composer spiralled into a debilitating depression. In the process he composed Iolanta, a one-act work of haunting beauty and rare daring. Years before Stravinsky’s winds-dominated Rite of Spring caused a riot at the occasion of its premiere, Iolanta’s overture was scored exclusively for winds, followed by a first scene with a string quartet and four voices only. Judged a failure at its Russian performances, Iolanta received deserved appreciation when staged for the first time in Hamburg, with Gustav Mahler conducting. Tchaikovsky, alas, did not see that triumph – he was too sick to travel.

In this recording, Peter Sellars, the ground-breaking theatrical and operatic director, skilfully highlights the beauty of the music, while reducing superfluous stage movement and letting the austere set be the backdrop for a beautiful interplay of shadow and light. The singing is superb throughout, with special accolades reserved for Ekaterina Scherbachenko (Iolanta) and Dmitry Ulianov (King Rene).

In contrast, Stravinsky’s Persephone is a result of a curious collaboration – that of a resolute White Russian and a French communist poet, André Gide. Their collaboration did not last long; nor did Gide’s fascination with the new Soviet regime (” When we were hoping for a dictatorship of the proletariat, we were not hoping for just a dictatorship,” he wrote.). Nonetheless the result is a lasting contribution to the theatrical repertoire. In this production, Dominique Blanc plays the role of the Greek goddess who forsakes her worldly kingdom and enters Hades, only to re-emerge each spring. This superb DVD is an early contender for the ranks of the best of 2013.

 

01 Vinci ArtaserseLeonardo Vinci – Artaserse
Radiotelevisione Svizzera; Concerto Köln; Diego Fasolis
Virgin Classics 5099960286925

In 2008 the soprano Simone Kermes recorded Lava,a disc of arias from 18th-century Naples, which included two scenes from Leonardo Vinci’s Artaserse. Since then both Cecilia Bartoli and Karina Gauvin have recorded arias by Vinci and now we have this recording of all of Artaserse. It features a cast of six: five countertenors and one tenor. I heard Alfred Deller, who revived the countertenor voice, in recital 50 years ago and I liked what I heard. All the same, the differences in sheer virtuosity between the early pioneer and modern practitioners like Philippe Jaroussky and Franco Fagioli is staggering.

Artaserse was first performed in Rome in 1730. The performance was truncated, since it coincided with the death of the Pope and, once that death was announced, the performance could not proceed. The opera was, however, revived in Vienna and in a number of Italian opera houses in the 1730s. In the Papal States women were not allowed on the stage and consequently the soprano and mezzo parts were sung by castrati. Where this restriction did not apply female singers like Francesca Cuzzoni and Vittoria Tesi took part in these early revivals.

Brilliant though the singing is on these discs, I found myself longing for a woman’s voice well before the first act was over. We no longer have castrati but the modern practice of combining women’s voices with those of countertenors works well.

02 Handel Giulio CesareHandel – Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Marie-Nicole Lemieux; Karina Gauvin; Romina Basso; Emoke Barath;
Il Complesso Barocco; Alan Curtis
Naïve OP30536

Still remembering the brilliant pairing of soprano Karina Gauvin and contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux with “Il Complesso Barocco” on the CD of Handel duets Streams of Pleasure, one is overjoyed at the prospect of hearing them together as the main characters of a full (over three hours) Handel opera. This is one of Handel’s best and the performance is nothing short of glorious! Lemieux is superb at portraying Julius Caesar’s commanding presence as is Gauvin with Cleopatra’s seductive wit and bravado. The two handle the characters’ romantic moments equally well. For example, Lemieux is a veritable cyclone spewing Caesar’s fierce vengeance in “Quel torrente,” but demonstrates such playful tenderness in “Se in fiorito,” where the composer provides a delightful interplay between the singer and the violin (as a little bird). Gauvin captures Cleopatra’s sensual nature beautifully in “Tutto puo donna”and “Venere bella” while her controlled and softly sustained tones characterize a sense of resignation in “Piangerò.”

There is some marvellous casting of the second leads, notably contralto Romina Basso who evokes the depth and regal bearing perfect for a noblewoman in mourning who is, nonetheless, pursued by no fewer than three suitors in her time of grief. Countertenor Filippo Mineccia displays an impishly evil tone in his portrayal of the murderous Ptolemy. The orchestra has some great moments, with sinfonias enhancing the sensuality of Cleopatra’s staged appearance in Act II as well as the triumphal entrance during the finale.

03 Haydn CreationHaydn – The Creation
Amanda Forsythe; Keith Jameson; Kevin Deas; Boston Baroque; Martin Pearlman
Linn Records CKD 401

Although The Creation was a great success when it was first performed, it was almost forgotten by the end of the 19th century, outside Vienna at least. The first recording dates from 1949; now there are about 70 recordings available. They divide into two groups: those with modern instruments and symphony orchestras and, on the other hand, performances with period instruments that are attentive to late 18th-century performance style such as this CD. Tafelmusik recorded the work in 1993. I like the soloists on that recording (especially the soprano, Ann Monoyios) but the conducting by Bruno Weil is unimaginative.

By contrast, Martin Pearlman’s conducting has the right momentum. The soloists are very good. The tenor, Keith Jameson, has the right lyricism. The soprano, Amanda Forsythe, sings with lightness; yet her voice is full and warm. The bass-baritone, Kevin Deas, sings with a great deal of vibrato in a manner that might seem more appropriate for Porgy and Bess or the Brahms Requiem, bothofwhich are in his repertoire, but that is less important than the power and the sonority that he brings to the part. Just listen to his account of the dangerous creeping worm in Part II, a premonition of what will destroy the bliss achieved at the end of the work. If you are looking for a historically informed performance with period instruments which also shows passion and drama, I would recommend this version.

04 Philippe SlyIn Dreams
Philippe Sly; Michael McMahon
Analekta AN 2 9836

This is bass-baritone Philippe Sly’s first recording for Analekta. It’s a well-chosen program and presents him with several stylistic challenges that he handles impressively.

Every young singer needs to conquer the repertoire standards, so it’s no surprise to find Sly singing the Schumann Dichterliebe, Op.48. Here Sly captures the essence of Heine’s poems so well that we understand why they inspired Schumann and others to song writing. Wonderfully supported by accompanist Michael McMahon, Sly is free to engage his vocal line with the piano to create the kind of partnership the composer intended. The happy product of this is what every lieder performing duo seeks — those moments of indescribable oneness where separate parts cease to exist. Sly and McMahon achieve this many times throughout this 16-song cycle, but no more convincingly than in “Allnächtlich in Traume.”

The Guy Ropartz settings of six Heine poems call for a very different approach reflecting almost a century of art song evolution. Sly is very comfortable moving from Schumann into the more modern French style and honours the same poet’s muse with a new musical and textual language. Never demanding much of the chesty operatic voice, the Ropartz songs show the lighter, truly lovely mid and upper range of Sly’s voice.

The disc’s most interesting tracks are the Three Tennyson Songs by British composer Jonathan Dove. Written for Sly after their first meeting in Banff in 2009, Dove’s songs seem perfectly suited for Sly’s voice, which sounds more at home in these contemporary works than anywhere else on the disc. They are, among other things, a reminder of how wonderfully suitable the English language can be for art song.

07 Strauss ArabellaStrauss – Arabella
Emily Magee; Genia Kuhmeier;
Tomasz Konieczny; Michael Schade; Vienna State Opera; Franz Welser-Most
Electric Picture EPC03DVD

The creative spark between a composer and a librettist can result in masterpieces and lasting and memorable collaborations. Da Ponte and Mozart, Piave and Verdi, Gilbert and Sullivan; and, of course, Hofmannsthal and Strauss. The two hit it off after Strauss saw Hofmannsthal’s Electra in 1906. “Your style is so very similar to mine!” enthused the composer. “We were born for each other.” There were magical projects for the two men, who corresponded frequently until Hofmannsthal’s death. The obvious one is Der Rosenkavalier, easily the duo’s best opera and their most lasting legacy. In Arabella, the somewhat familiar device of a young, beautiful aristocrat trying to marry the right man to prop up the family’s sagging fortunes gets complicated by a bit of “Shakespearean” cross-dressing and lover-swapping. This particular staging is worth seeing not just for the fine singing, but also superb acting by the principals. Tomasz Konieczny as Mandryka is every director’s dream of a singing actor and Emily Magee as Arabella successfully defies stereotypes of youth and beauty — no suspension of disbelief is needed. Genia Kuehmeier is particularly touching as the younger sister Zdenka, forced to appear dressed as a man. For the writing duo, with Arabella the Viennese magic was back. As Strauss wrote in his condolences to Hofmannsthal’s widow, “No one will ever replace him for me or for the world of music!”

05 Verdi I LombardiVerdi – I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata
De Biasio; Pertusi; Theodossiou; Meli; Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma; Daniele Callegari
Cmajor 720608DVD

In glorious sunshine over the city of Jerusalem and in the background a row of devout Orthodox Jews praying at a Wailing Wall that extends full width across the stage, a rapt chorus in the foreground sings one of Verdi’s most inspired choral creations – Gerusalemme! Gerusalemme! Thus begins the third act of I Lombardi, young Verdi’s fourth opera for La Scala, from 1843.

The core of the story is the tragic love between a Moslem man and a Christian girl elevated by some of the most beautiful singing the not yet 30-year-old Verdi had written so far. The youth, the tenor, unfortunately only sings in two acts of the four, but the role is so rewarding that both Pavarottiand Domingoshone in it. Here, a young Italian, Francesco Meli provides some enchanting moments while the girl (daughter of the leader of the Crusade), Giselda, the dramatic-soprano lead, sung by the formidable Dimitra Theodossiou,soldiers magnificently through all four acts from breathtaking pianissimo solos to fortissimo outbreaks with shattering high notes as in the finale of the second act. To top it all she displays such vocal acrobatics in her fourth act cabaletta that even the brilliant conductor, Daniele Callegariseems visibly delighted.

Choruses feature heavily in this opera, more so than in Nabucco. To my mind Verdi impresses most by these early efforts at ensemble writing he later perfected in Macbeth, Rigoletto and La Traviata, etc. Most notable here is the supremely beautiful trio at the end of Act Three that gives me shivers of pleasure every time I hear it. The underpinning voice in the trio is the lead baritone, Michele Pertusi,the evil brother turned hermit (sung at the Met by Samuel Ramey) whose voice of stentorian power and great sensitivity is so magnificent that all I can say is: “Oh, brother, can he ever sing!!” Overall a memorable production, worthy of Verdi.

 

01 Ann HallenbergArias for Marietta Marcolini (Rossini's First Muse)
Ann Hallenberg; Stavanger Symphony Orchestra; Fabio Biondi
Naïve V5309

Noted Swedish mezzo soprano Ann Hallenberg’s new disc on the French naïve label is an interesting collection of arias written originally for a great diva who “set Verona ablaze” with her artistry in the 1810s and 20s, Maria Marcolini. By a fortunate coincidence she entered the life of the teenage Rossini who was just beginning his career and provided such an inspiration and forward momentum that the mezzo-soprano lead became the raison d’etre of his early operas, first and foremost L’Italiana in Algeri, the comic masterpiece from his Venetian period. Marcolini however was an already established singer and she sang in many of the works of Rossini’s contemporaries who in hindsight were never as good as the master himself. Nevertheless, in order to a give a fuller perspective of the period Hallenberg has included a few arias from those operas as well.

Such names as Mayr, Weigl, Paer, Mosca and Coccia are likely to be totally unknown for most listeners but the selections are not without merit and sung with dedication, perfect intonation and technical brilliance.

Generally the same is true for the Rossini arias. In one of my favourites, Per lui che adoro (“The Man I love” – Rossini version), the beautiful espressivo, the lyrical vocal line, the coquettish charm and sensuality, so important in Isabella’s character in L’Italiana, come out well and certainly there is no lack of brilliance in the devilishly difficult Rossinian fioraturas either. Her power, especially in the high registers is glorious. She receives stylish accompaniment from the Norwegian ensemble under Fabio Biondi’s direction.

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