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| Hands down, Nicolai Gedda was the classiest lyric tenor of the 1950s and '60s (and very early '70s). For the most part he wisely kept away from the after-1860 Italian repertoire: his voice lacked the necessary juice, and with Björling, Bergonzi, Corelli, and del Monaco around, why bother? These CDs offer two hours and 35 minutes of singing--and interpreting--that never tire the ear and never bore.
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| Natalie Dessay has been in the forefront now for well nigh fifteen years and it is not only the usual hype to entitle this album “The Miracle of the Voice”. She certainly has an astonishing technique: bell-like clarity, effortless top notes, sure-footed coloratura and a trill to match. Her pianissimo singing is ravishing and then her tone is smooth as satin. It is a light voice, though she can engender quite a lot of power and then she also finds a somewhat darker timbre. The Mad Scene from Lucie de Lammermoor shows her dramatic abilities and she is obviously a good actor. listening through this two and a half hours offering was a |
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| The most exciting tenor during the first decade of the new millennium has undoubtedly been Rolando Villazón. He has a charming appearance, is a good actor, has a voice that besides brilliance and beauty can also express all kinds of nuance, he has good taste and a versatility that is stunning. In other words he has all the attributes to make him a star performer. More than once his voice has been compared to that of the young Placido Domingo. In certain repertoire, notably on this set in the two zarzuela arias, the similarities are so close that |
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As is usually the case with this estimable record company, I have no reservation in wholeheartedly recommending Opera Rara's latest release. They have to some extent returned to their roots in Entre Nous - Celebrating Offenbach: Excerpts from the Forgotten Operas, since two of their very early recordings (Christopher Columbus and Robinson Crusoe) also captured music by the greatest composer of French comic opera ever to have lived. The recording sparkles from start to finish and makes as good a case as any for the reappraisal of Jacques Offenbach's operas, which have been unjustly neglected.
The life of Jacques Offenbach is fascinating. He wrote something in the order of 110 stage works and went from being an unknown to the toast of Paris - and back again, when several of his later projects were rejected. Born in Cologne into a Jewish family - his father was a Cantor in the local synagogue - Offenbach later converted to Catholicism and became a naturalised French citizen in 1860. He had his own theatre and wrote for several others; he took some of his works to foreign cities such as London, and when his operettas became less popular in the 1870s, he toured America. His masterpiece, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, was left unfinished at his death from gout and was completed posthumously by Ernest Guiraud.
Most of the music on this wonderful two-disc set upholds the view that Offenbach was the red wine to Rossini's champagne. Rossini fizzes a little more, but Offenbach is often warmer and much of his music has a very French uproarious humour that never fails to entertain.
Two tracks stand out for me as particularly amusing. First, the so-called 'Final de la neige' ('snow finale') from Le Voyage dans la lune features the performers literally trilling 'brrrr' on pitch to signify the cold they feel when it starts to snow. The excellent performers in this recording include Jennifer Larmore and Alastair Miles. Similarly entertaining is Offenbach's tribute to Johann Strauss II, whom he had encouraged to write operettas such as Die Fledermaus. The duet 'Ce fut à Londres' from Belle Lurette involves Malicorne telling Marceline how he was born by the Blue Danube, and Offenbach employs Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz as a piece of witty hommage.
There are no serious disappointments in this recording, and far too many highlights to mention them all. Some of the performers merit particular attention, however. Laura Claycomb sings a couple of taxing coloratura arias with astonishing ease; veteran Diana Montague characterises all her singing as vividly as ever; Loïc Félix's contributions are welcome for his idiomatic pronunciation of the language; and Mark Stone proves himself to be a witty Offenbachian.
One or two exposed top notes aside, this is an immaculate recording, and so much fun that you'll not want to put it down for days.--Dominic McHugh
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one has to check who is singing. As can be seen from the track list, we are treated to a large number of the expected standard arias. Few of them have been better sung in recent times. We are also treated to several comparative rarities, which makes this an attractive buy even for those who are already well stocked with the standard stuff. When, for example, did you last hear something from Gounod’s Polyeucte or Massenet’s Le Mage and Roma? The sacred song by Berlioz is also something for the rarity list. Make no mistake: these are high quality pieces that are very likely to become friends to which you will want to return.