The Sixteen continues its exploration of Henry Purcell’s Welcome Songs for Charles II. As with Robert King’s pioneering Purcell series begun over thirty years ago for Hyperion, Harry Christophers is recording two Welcome Songs per disc.
In February this year, Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho made a highly lauded debut recital at Wigmore Hall - a concert which both celebrated Opera Rara’s 50th anniversary and honoured the career of the Italian soprano Rosina Storchio (1872-1945), the star of verismo who created the title roles in Leoncavallo’s La bohème and Zazà, Mascagni’s Lodoletta and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.
Collapsology. Or, perhaps we should use the French word ‘Collapsologie’ because this is a transdisciplinary idea pretty much advocated by a series of French theorists - and apparently, mostly French theorists. It in essence focuses on the imminent collapse of modern society and all its layers - a series of escalating crises on a global scale: environmental, economic, geopolitical, governmental; the list is extensive.
Amongst an avalanche of new Mahler recordings appearing at the moment (Das Lied von der Erde seems to be the most favoured, with three) this 1991 Mahler Second from the 2nd Kassel MahlerFest is one of the more interesting releases.
If there is one myth, it seems believed by some people today, that probably needs shattering it is that post-war recordings or performances of Wagner operas were always of exceptional quality. This 1949 Hamburg Tristan und Isolde is one of those recordings - though quite who is to blame for its many problems takes quite some unearthing.
The voices of six women composers are celebrated by baritone Jeremy Huw Williams and soprano Yunah Lee on this characteristically ambitious and valuable release by Lontano Records Ltd (Lorelt).
As Paul Spicer, conductor of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir, observes, the worship of the Blessed Virgin Mary is as ‘old as Christianity itself’, and programmes devoted to settings of texts which venerate the Virgin Mary are commonplace.
Ethel Smyth’s last large-scale work, written in 1930 by the then 72-year-old composer who was increasingly afflicted and depressed by her worsening deafness, was The Prison – a ‘symphony’ for soprano and bass-baritone soloists, chorus and orchestra.
‘Hamilton Harty is Irish to the core, but he is not a musical nationalist.’
‘After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music.’ Aldous Huxley’s words have inspired VOCES8’s new disc, After Silence, a ‘double album in four chapters’ which marks the ensemble’s 15th anniversary.
A song-cycle is a narrative, a journey, not necessarily literal or linear, but one which carries performer and listener through time and across an emotional terrain. Through complement and contrast, poetry and music crystallise diverse sentiments and somehow cohere variability into an aesthetic unity.
One of the nicest things about being lucky enough to enjoy opera, music and theatre, week in week out, in London’s fringe theatres, music conservatoires, and international concert halls and opera houses, is the opportunity to encounter striking performances by young talented musicians and then watch with pleasure as they fulfil those sparks of promise.
“It’s forbidden, and where’s the art in that?”
Dublin-born John F. Larchet (1884-1967) might well be described as the father of post-Independence Irish music, given the immense influenced that he had upon Irish musical life during the first half of the 20th century - as a composer, musician, administrator and teacher.
The English Civil War is raging. The daughter of a Puritan aristocrat has fallen in love with the son of a Royalist supporter of the House of Stuart. Will love triumph over political expediency and religious dogma?
Beethoven Symphony no 9 (the Choral Symphony) in D minor, Op. 125, and the Choral Fantasy in C minor, Op. 80 with soloist Kristian Bezuidenhout, Pablo Heras-Casado conducting the Freiburger Barockorchester, new from Harmonia Mundi.
A Louise Brooks look-a-like, in bobbed black wig and floor-sweeping leather trench-coat, cheeks purple-rouged and eyes shadowed in black, Barbara Hannigan issues taut gestures which elicit fire-cracker punch from the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
‘Signor Piatti in a fantasia on themes from Beatrice di Tenda had also his triumph. Difficulties, declared to be insuperable, were vanquished by him with consummate skill and precision. He certainly is amazing, his tone magnificent, and his style excellent. His resources appear to be inexhaustible; and altogether for variety, it is the greatest specimen of violoncello playing that has been heard in this country.’
Baritone Roderick Williams seems to have been a pretty constant ‘companion’, on my laptop screen and through my stereo speakers, during the past few ‘lock-down’ months.
Melodramas can be a difficult genre for composers. Before Richard Strauss’s Enoch Arden the concept of the melodrama was its compact size – Weber’s Wolf’s Glen scene in Der Freischütz, Georg Benda’s Ariadne auf Naxos and Medea or even Leonore’s grave scene in Beethoven’s Fidelio.
Had Plato been a 19th century opera fan, would the philosopher have been so sure that there exists an ideal version of each and every opera, in the way that all chairs come from one immutable concept of "chair"?
The vagaries of putting on new operas meant cuts and additions, transpositions and rescorings, and even translations. Can there be a true, original performing edition?
Well, the Platonists at Opera Rara feel they have the Don Carlos that composer Giuseppe Verdi intended: five acts, in the original French, and with all the music composed before rehearsals revealed the opera was over-long. Don Carlo, the later Italian version in four acts, has dominated the performance history since the opera found new popularity post-WWII. But the French original has enjoyed a resurgence, in particular with an outstanding production captured on DVD, with Antonio Pappano conducting Roberto Alagna, Karita Mattila, Jose van Dam, Waltraud Meier, and Thomas Hampson.
The recent Opera Rara set comes from an early 1970s' series of BBC radio broadcasts of early versions of Verdi's works. MacBeth, Les Vespres Siciliennes, La Forza del Destino, and Simon Boccanegra have already been released. The deluxe packaging, typical of Opera Rara, is spread over four CDs, each illustrated with a historical portrait of a main character (Posa does not make the cut). The ample size of the booklet is somewhat deceptive. Because of large print, the synopsis and libretto ( in four languages) take up over 250 pages. An Andrew Porter essay covers the relevant issues of the performing edition. Strangely, and sadly, no performer biographies are included.
At the substantial cost Opera Rara asks, the purchases receives a very satisfying performance, recorded live before a small audience in acceptable if not first-class sound. The leads are French-speakers, and the BBC Concert orchestra, under John Matheson's leadership, sound impassioned and idiomatic. The women impress the most. Edith Tremblay's Elisabeth meets the role's challenges and captures both the beauty and pathos of her character. With a hint of the great Dolora Zajick in her husky voice, Michelle Vilma sings a fine Princess Eboli. Although some strain at the top never quite disappears, Andre Turp's Don Carlos manages to be more of a put-upon hero than the annoying whiner the character can and has become with some other performers. Joseph Rouleau is a satisfactory Philip II, but Robert Savoie's Rodrigue has too much roughness where strength is needed.
As for the additions, they are mostly brief, except for an extended postlude to Rodrigue's death that Verdi later reshaped into part of his Requiem. When San Francisco Opera used the French version a few seasons back, this section was included. Although lovely, it also holds up the action as the opera is building to its climax. Sometimes the dramatic instincts of a composer are best honored by understanding the reasoning behind certain cuts.
In any event, for all but the most dedicated Verdi completists, that excellent Don Carlos DVD, at about half the cost of this Opera Rara set, will provide more reward, with its fine cast not only singing but acting at a high level, in a handsome and thoughtful production.
Naxos, in the meanwhile, has released a highlights disc from a complete Don Carlo recorded at the Royal Swedish opera between December 1999 and January 2000. Sadly, the only highlight here is a Rodrigo, in the person of Peter Mattei, leagues beyond Opera Rara's Rodrigue. Lars Cleveman struggles as Don Carlos, and the other leads perform seemingly at the limit of their abilities. Alberto Hold-Garrido gets an acceptable performance from the RSO orchestra, but there is too much competition from great recordings of the Italian version for this to be of much interest to anyone, despite the budget cost.
If this opera hasn't entered one's collection in any language, the recommendation here would be the Pappano DVD for Don Carlos and the Giulini CD set for Don Carlo.
Chris Mullins