Handel's Rodelinda
Harry C
- a piece I don't know at all - and was considereing the recent
recording conducted by Alan Curtis. I'd be grateful for any comments
on this recording, or on any other recording of this piece.
(I did a google search on this, but there doesn't seem to be much in
the archives on this work.)
Thank you very much in advance,
Harry C
Peter Greenstein
"Harry C" <domitius....@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:fb70e84a-5e15-4e76...@l33g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
Harry, I have it and enjoy it greatly. I have pasted in the Gramophone
review below.
We had it done here at San Francisco Opera, but it was a silly production
all in back alleys and trenchcoats. This recording has gone a long way to
clearing my memory of that experience! Fortunately, San Francisco has done
pretty well by Handel over the years. The recent Ariodante was about as
perfect as you can get.
--
peter in oakland,ca.
www.wakefieldjazz.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewed: Gramophone 9/2005, David Vickers
An abundance of good things from Curtis and colleagues
Alan Curtis has done more than most to prove that many of Handel's 42
operas (if we include three early, now lost works composed in Hamburg, and
Muzio Scevola, which included original music by Bononcini) are first-rate
music dramas - his Admeto (Virgin, 2/99) was one of the first complete
recordings of a Handel opera to feature period instruments and all voices at
correct pitch without transpositions - but it is surprising to note that
this is his first recording of an undisputed popular masterpiece.
Rodelinda, first performed in February 1725, is a stunning work dominated by
a title-heroine who remains devoted to her supposedly dead husband Bertarido
and scorns the advances of his usurper Grimoaldo. The potency of Handel's
score was enhanced by the complexity of the villain, whose lust-driven
cruelty gradually crumbles into a desire to abdicate in order to find
spiritual peace. The scene in which the penitent tyrant's life is saved from
assassination by the fugitive Bertarido is among Handel's greatest dramatic
moments. Until now Rodelinda was best served on disc by Nicholas McGegan's
live recording featuring Dominique Labelle and Robin Blaze (alas, only
available to Göttingen Handel Society subscribers; for details, see
www.haendel.org). Michael Schneider's harsh, mechanical performance has
little merit. Nicholas Kraemer's version features attractive singing but is
pale compared to Curtis's vivid interpretation.
Simone Kermes is full of feisty courage, an assertive woman for whom
Bertarido would credibly risk death to be reunited with her. She takes no
prisoners in some extravagant cadenzas, and sings 'Morrai, si' with
thrillingly viscous venom. At the other extreme, 'Ritorna o cara' is simply
gorgeous. There are some weaknesses. Marijana Mijanovic's Bertarido often
slips under pitch on long notes and uses indiscriminate vibrato instead of
singing through phrases. Her deficiencies with tuning and idiomatic
expression are highlighted in two duets with Kermes (one not recorded
before), particularly when Handel demands that they sing sustained notes in
unison. There is a good case for using a fruity female contralto in castrato
roles instead of an angelic countertenor but I cannot understand why Archiv
seem keen to record Mijanovic's inadequate performances of Handel roles for
his star castrato, Senesino. A cursory comparison of Mijanovic's bizarrely
unattractive 'Dove sei' with any of the impressive contributions from fellow
contraltos Marie-Nicole Lemieux or Sonia Prina indicates that either would
have better suited the role.
Otherwise, this has an abundance of good things. Il Complesso Barocco have
sounded undernourished on some previous recordings but here play with
admirable vitality and dramatic subtlety. Curtis has obviously worked hard
to encourage his string players to understand what the singers are
communicating: each aria is impeccably interpreted and intelligently paced.
On the whole, Curtis's passion and experience ensure another typically
persuasive and theatrical vindication of Handel's genius.
Alan Cooper
com:
Did the old Westminster with the fabulous cast (Teresa Stich-Randall, Maureen
Forrester, Helen Watts, Alexander Young) ever make it to CD? Not the latest thing in
performance practice, I suppose, but what wonderful singing! The first baroque opera
recording I ever purchased (together with Seerse from the same source). A couple of
Forrester's arias from Rodelinda are collected in a nice all-Handel recital of hers
on CBC, culled from various complete sets originally on Westminster and Vanguard.
(I know I didn't answer the question :-)
AC
Benjo Maso
"Harry C" <domitius....@yahoo.co.uk> schreef in bericht
news:fb70e84a-5e15-4e76...@l33g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
>I am interested in getting myself a recording of Handel's "Rodelinda"
> - a piece I don't know at all - and was considereing the recent
> recording conducted by Alan Curtis. I'd be grateful for any comments
> on this recording, or on any other recording of this piece.
Then recording is terrific, one the best Handel opera recordings I know. I
have three other Rodelinda's: two of them live (with Sutherland) and
Nicholas Kraemer 's studio recording. It doesn't even come close. To get an
impression of all the virtues of Curtis's recording, just try CD 1, track
22.
Benjo Maso
A. Brain
news:Xns9B8C6CCCA3B85am...@209.197.15.254...
I had and still have "Serse" and I don't think
either ever made it to CD. A few years ago,
I was wondering about the conductor, Brian
Priestman, and it turned out that he was then
at The University of Kansas, of all places.
A few years ago, Dallas Opera did a fine
production, with Ruth Ann Swensen and Ewa
Podles, among others.
There are two competing DVD versions
from Glyndebourne and Munich.
--
A. Brain
Remove NOSPAM for email.
JAC
the most compact and involving of Handel's operas, yet we don't have a
recording of it to match several for others operas. (There's at least
one thoroughly recommendable version, I think, of Giulio Cesare,
Ariodante, Alcina, Orlando.)
I remember the Priestman recording, the only one available during my
college years and a fine introduction to the work and the genre. There
was still, perhaps, room for a better one to be made someday, but I
don't think we've had it. I saw the opera in Amsterdam during the
summer of 1973, and it was a frustratingly uneven experience.
Sutherland was brilliant, and Margreta Elkins (as Eduige) provided
perhaps the most rounded performance of all. But the biggest applause
went to the loathsome Huguette Toureangeau, belting her way through
like Ethel Merman. And Bonynge's edition was weird indeed, messing
around with order and sense, to no purpose.
JAC
Harry C
coming!
I think I'll go out this weekend and get myself the Curtis recording,
which does sound rather attractive - despite the weak link of Marijana
Mijanovic.
Regards,
Harry C
Harry C
> I'm interested in this discussion too, because Rodelinda seems one of
> the most compact and involving of Handel's operas, yet we don't have a
> recording of it to match several for others operas. (There's at least
> one thoroughly recommendable version, I think, of Giulio Cesare,
> Ariodante, Alcina, Orlando.)
>
>
> JAC
I have the Rene Jacobs recording of "Giulio Cesare", and the Marc
Minkowski recording of "Ariodante", and I love them both. (Presumably,
these are among the "throughly recommendable" versions you had in
mind!) I don't as yet have "Alcina" or "Orlando" in my collection. I
don't want to get these right away: I find that if I buy too many
things at the same time, I end up not listening to any of them
properly (and it's also tough on the wallet!) ... but for future
reference, which recordings would you recommend for these?
Thanks,
Harry C
richardbbbb
Christie's recording of Orlando (Erato) is well cast and if you like
his approach to Handel (I do, generally) it's a good example of it.
I heard that Curtis has made (or is about to make) a new recording of
Alcina with Joyce di Donato (!) If it's as good as his recent Tolomeo
it will be terrific - so it's best to wait.
Johannes Roehl
The Hickox/Auger (EMI) has been re-issued cheaply and may still be the best.
It's more complete and has a slightly better cast than the only
alternative one I have heard, Christie's (Erato)
Johannes
JAC
> I have the Rene Jacobs recording of "Giulio Cesare", and the Marc
> Minkowski recording of "Ariodante", and I love them both. (Presumably,
> these are among the "throughly recommendable" versions you had in
> mind!)
Those are exactly the ones I was thinking of, in fact.
< I don't as yet have "Alcina" or "Orlando" in my collection.... for
future
> reference, which recordings would you recommend for these?
I don't know the Erato "Orlando," but I very much like the Oiseau-Lyre
one. Even though I'm not always a fan of Christopher Hogwood, Emma
Kirkby, and James Bowman, I find them well suited to this particular
work. And I always do like Arleen Auger and Catherine Robbin, both at
their best here.
As for "Alcina," Richard is right, a new recording was made in fall of
2007, with Joyce Di Donato. Her online journal includes a daily
session report here http://www.joycedidonato.com/englishjournalarch1-31.html
, though she is careful to give no details of the rest of the cast.
Interestingly, though Ruggiero has been her onstage role in this
opera, for Curtis she recorded the title role instead.
But I've been very happy with the EMI "Alcina" conducted by Hickox,
with the great Arleen Auger in the title role. (Della Jones and
Kathleen Kuhlmann aren't too shabby either.)
JAC
Harry C
> On Jan 8, 3:50 am, Harry C <domitius.enobar...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > I have the Rene Jacobs recording of "Giulio Cesare", and the Marc
> > Minkowski recording of "Ariodante", and I love them both. (Presumably,
> > these are among the "throughly recommendable" versions you had in
> > mind!)
>
> Those are exactly the ones I was thinking of, in fact.
>
> < I don't as yet have "Alcina" or "Orlando" in my collection.... for
> future
>
> > reference, which recordings would you recommend for these?
>
> I don't know the Erato "Orlando," but I very much like the Oiseau-Lyre
> one. Even though I'm not always a fan of Christopher Hogwood, Emma
> Kirkby, and James Bowman, I find them well suited to this particular
> work. And I always do like Arleen Auger and Catherine Robbin, both at
> their best here.
>
> As for "Alcina," Richard is right, a new recording was made in fall of
> 2007, with Joyce Di Donato. Her online journal includes a daily
> , though she is careful to give no details of the rest of the cast.
> Interestingly, though Ruggiero has been her onstage role in this
> opera, for Curtis she recorded the title role instead.
>
> But I've been very happy with the EMI "Alcina" conducted by Hickox,
> with the great Arleen Auger in the title role. (Della Jones and
> Kathleen Kuhlmann aren't too shabby either.)
>
> JAC
That's great - thanks very much for that. That's 2 more items on my To-
Be-Bought list....
Regards,
Harry C
Alan Cooper
news:4b2c86be-a9ae-44e8...@v13g2000vbb.googlegroups.
com:
> On Jan 8, 3:50 am, Harry C <domitius.enobar...@yahoo.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> I have the Rene Jacobs recording of "Giulio Cesare", and the
>> Marc Minkowski recording of "Ariodante", and I love them both.
>> (Presumably, these are among the "throughly recommendable"
>> versions you had in mind!)
>
> Those are exactly the ones I was thinking of, in fact.
And two of my favorites as well, although I still sneak a listen to Rochter's
Giulio from time to time.
> < I don't as yet have "Alcina" or "Orlando" in my collection....
> for future
>> reference, which recordings would you recommend for these?
>
> I don't know the Erato "Orlando," but I very much like the
> Oiseau-Lyre one. Even though I'm not always a fan of Christopher
> Hogwood, Emma Kirkby, and James Bowman, I find them well suited
> to this particular work. And I always do like Arleen Auger and
> Catherine Robbin, both at their best here.
Thanks for this recommendation. I just realized that my only recording of
"Orlando" (not listened to for ages) is the old Handel Society RCA conducted by
Stephen Simon! Some fine singers in the cast (Sciutti, Greevy, Bogard), but I
have no recollection of what it actually sounds like. There is a solution for
that, however :-)
> As for "Alcina," Richard is right, a new recording was made in
> fall of 2007, with Joyce Di Donato. Her online journal includes
> a daily session report here
> http://www.joycedidonato.com/englishjournalarch1-31.html ,
> though she is careful to give no details of the rest of the
> cast. Interestingly, though Ruggiero has been her onstage role
> in this opera, for Curtis she recorded the title role instead.
>
> But I've been very happy with the EMI "Alcina" conducted by
> Hickox, with the great Arleen Auger in the title role. (Della
> Jones and Kathleen Kuhlmann aren't too shabby either.)
I'm a big fan of anything sung by Auger! For Alcina, do you not like the Christie
recording with Fleming, Graham, and Dessay?
AC
JAC
> I'm a big fan of anything sung by Auger! For Alcina, do you not like the Christie
> recording with Fleming, Graham, and Dessay?
I haven't heard it. I'll confess that I've been put off by reports of
Fleming being exceptionally jazzy-slithery in this, but I suppose I
should decide for myself. (This recording has the same Bradamante as
the Auger/Hickox, by the way: Kathleen Kuhlmann.)
Actually, if I were to consider another commercial Alcina recording, I
would be revisiting an oldie of my own, the Bonynge/Sutherland from
the early 60s, on Decca. Sutherland is brilliant at many points
(appropriating Morgana's big aria), though with an odd moment or two
of intonation slippage. But there's strong casting in small roles
(Flagello, very young Freni), the unexpected virtuosity of Monica
Sinclair (who knew?), and most especially a truly great piece of
singing from Teresa Berganza. Her "Verdi, prati," so simple and
exposed and eloquent, ranks as one of the handful of perfect aria
recordings I've heard.
(Harmonia Mundi hasn't yet announced a release date for the Alcina
with Di Donato, as far as I know.)
JAC