I Puritani (Bonynge, Nuova Era)

This Puritani is from a live performance from Catania in 1989. Conducted by famed bel canto conductor Richard Bonynge, it boasts Italian soprano Mariella Devia in one of her few commercially available recordings of a complete opera.

To get the more mediocre out of the way first, Paolo Washington is no great shakes as Giorgio. He's not bad, but the tone is only intermittently steady and he can't maintain an even line in his aria 'Cinta di fiori' which ends up sounding more clumsy than graceful. He is more effective in the 'Suoni la tromba' duet with Riccardo. The Riccardo, Christopher Robertson, does very well in his aria, shaping the melodic line nicely and making a good stab at the florid divisions. He perhaps doesn't have the most distinctive voice, but is able to contribute arguably a more refined performance than several better-known baritones.

Devia is a memorable Elvira. She is completely unfazed by coloratura writing, adding idiomatic embellishments in both the Mad Scene cabaletta and the earlier 'Son vergin vezzosa' ensemble. She probably doesn't have an instantly recognisable timbre and she certainly doesn't create as expressive a characterisation as Callas, but her performance here impresses me as probably the most well-sung rendition of Elvira's music that I have heard. The voice is full and round in all registers, doing full justice to slow, lyrical music as well as the more florid cabalettas. Surprisingly, hearing Devia's more recent performances on Youtube, the voice doesn't seem to have aged much at all.

Matteuzzi easily nails the (in)famous high F in the finale, even managing to include it in a perfectly sculpted legato line. It's a small-ish reedy sound, quite pleasantly plangent to my years but perhaps unsatisfying to those used to a big glowing tenor sound a la Pavarotti or di Stefano in the role. On the other hand, his approach is much more musical than the latter, elegantly phrasing rather than bawling his way through "A te, o cara" (still, nothing approaches Lauri-Volpi's version of this aria for the best of both worlds).

To be honest, Bonynge isn't really my favourite conductor in any repertoire, but he holds up his side here without being ever really inspiring. It's somewhat less episodic than his earlier recording with Sutherland but also lacks a degree of propulsiveness. The orchestra sound slightly under-rehearsed but not devastatingly so. There is some audience noise and occasionally a bit of distortion where singers are probably turning away from the microphones.

On balance, alongside the Muti with Caballe and Kraus, this might be the most consistent Puritani available.

New Clavichord Premiere Recital (James Tibbles) 10/08/2014

Thanks to the generosity of Anna Nathan, the University of Auckland has a brand new clavichord and thanks to the enthusiasm of the University's James Tibbles the public were able to hear it at Gus Fisher Gallery. A small, box-like instrument, the current model is a copy of a late 18th century instrument built by Friderici. With its rather plain exterior, it made quite a contrast with the various colourful works adorning the Gallery and acoustically was truly flattered by the venue.

What an intriguing sound the little clavichord makes! Unlike the harpsichord, the strings are not plucked but instead struck by small brass "tangents" attached to the end of the keys. This is a similar mechanism to the modern piano though the felt-covered hammers of the modern instrument produce much greater volume. Indeed, it takes some time to get used the volume of the clavichord. Even in such a small space as the Gus Fisher Gallery, the listeners really were made to concentrate in order to be drawn into the instrument's soundworld. The clavichord is also notable for its ability to vary dynamics unlike the harpsichord. The player can also create vibrato effects by shaking the keys up and down. It was amazing to hear the variety of sounds that could emerge from what I'd always assumed was a severely limited instrument.

But what of the music and performances here? We opened with a section devoted to the music of Georg Bohm, a composer who was a great influence on the music of Bach. The Praeludium in G started off with some rather staid block chords that sounded if perhaps they'd be more at home on the organ. However, there was more to this work than there appeared at first glance and it soon segued into some fairly substantial counterpoint which the clavichord handled with wonderful clarity. Bohm also wrote suites of dances for keyboard and here we were presented with his Suite in F sounding all the world like proto-Bach. Tibbles's playing in these pieces was elegance itself.

A real change of mood took place between the Baroque formalities of Bohm and the ensuing Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello diletissimo by Bach. A rare programmatic piece for Bach, the solemn first movements farewelling a departing brother lead into a cheery little aria imitating a posthorn and then a fugue in imitation of this. The most gorgeous moments of the whole afternoon were in the slow third movement, its restrained sorrow suiting the clavichord's sound perfectly. Tibbles finished the first half with a C.P.E. Bach Fantasia, a piece wild in both form and harmony. Sudden pauses and strange dissonances abounded throughout this jolly number. It utilised the full range of the clavichord, from surprisingly boomy low notes to a very ghostly light upper register.

Father Bach re-appeared at the opening of the second half in the form of his Toccata, BWV 913.
The soft, slow section in the middle sounded truly improvisatory in the hands of Tibbles. The last fugue section was thrillingly shaped although there were some split notes and slightly awkward passagework here and there. While Tibbles noted that Turk's sonatas should stand in the company of Mozart, Haydn, or C.P.E. Bach's works in the same genre, for this listener the Sonata in Eb featured here sounded significantly less substantial musically than any of the three mentioned. However, it was still a pleasure to hear with its highly decorated melodic line, particularly refreshing for those who only know Turk for his beginner piano pieces. We finished with Haydn, the Sonata in D Hob XVI:19. Haydn was one composer who really bridged the periods of clavichords/harpsichords and the fortepiano. This sonata is a relatively early work that was probably written for clavichord (or perhaps harpsichord). Some of Tibbles's issues with accuracy re-occurred here and in the preceding Turk piece and I felt that perhaps he had a little less sympathy with the early classical style than with the Baroque earlier in the concert.

As noted above, I have some reservations occasionally about the technical finish of Tibbles's playing but it must be said that throughout this recital he was in the main stylistically very much on point. Particularly in the Baroque field he has an understanding that makes for very illuminating listening. Perhaps one could say an hour and a half was as much clavichord sound as you could take in one stretch but it was still an immense privilege to have the rare chance to hear this music played on this instrument.

Werther (Met Live in HD Encore)

Last week found me at the local encore of the Met in HD Werther. For some reason these get to us here in New Zealand weeks after they are shown elsewhere. Werther doesn't always work for me; the title character seems to spend an agonising amount of time moping around (after all, most of us have loved sometime who didn't love us back and most of us get over it). However, in this case I was mostly engrossed, particularly in the second half and probably largely because of the contributions of the principal singers.

Director Richard Eyre moves the setting forward to the time of the opera's composition. There were some pretty touches to the production, but overall it neither particularly enlightened the work but nor actively offended in any way, though one might question why Albert's house has a harpsichord at the turn of the 20th century.  I found it all pretty unrelievedly dark onscreen, though the characters were always well-lit. I guess this added to the sombre nature of the proceedings but a little more light contrast couldn't have hurt. The sound in the Rialto Cinemas Newmarket was sometimes aggressively loud, particularly noticeable on Kaufmann's high notes.

Jonas Kaufmann's rich, rather baritonal sound works well in this brooding role. He certainly didn't stint when it comes to the money notes and he appeared able to ride Massenet's orchestration with ease. His rendition of the famous "Pourquoi me reveiller" was heart-stirringly powerful, the difficult high A-flats ringing out with obvious ease. Kaufmann is a master of mezza voce too; this showed throughout the last act as Werther's strength petered out. Additionally, the elegance that can come from such a powerful, dark-timbred voice is quite marvellous. Kaufmann acted his heart out (Richard Eyre's conviction that he is as great as any of the stage actors he's worked with seemed borne out here); great attention is paid to the text and his performance was notable for his interaction with, and indeed reactions to, the other characters. For once the death scene didn't seem too long at all.

At first, Sophie Koch seemed to be a rather cold and distant Charlotte, but I began to see the point from the third act. Starting from the Letter Scene, it was as though all of the emotions she had kept in check were being released little by little. The solo "Les larmes qu'on ne pleure pas" was searing in its intensity. The voice can sound a little strained on the top notes - the role of Charlotte seems to verge on soprano territory for much of the second half of the opera. This was compensated by a richness, if not warmth, in the middle of the voice.

Usually I find Sophie to be one of the most annoying of operatic characters but Lisette Oropesa was an utter delight throughout; in fact, she managed to be extremely moving in the part. Her vocalism was well-nigh faultless, sparkling through the light-hearted "Du gai soleil" and summoning great warmth in the exchanges with her sister. David Bizic was a solid and relatively sympathetic Albert.

The comprimarios were decent, but no matter how good a singer no one can save Schmidt and Johann from being totally insufferable. Jonathan Summers was good, if a bit on the gruff side as Charlotte's father and the younger children playing Charlotte and Sophie's siblings made a pleasant impression in their Christmas carol.

Alain Altinoglu's close familiarity with the score was well-shown; there was an effortless narrative flow to the proceedings that made the musical journey from the beginning through the final tragedy seem inevitable. Even the loudest, most dramatic moments didn't stray from a basic sense of French grace and elegance. All in all, it was a worthwhile experience in the cinema which has helped me enjoy Werther a little more than I probably ever had before.

Il Corsaro (NZSM, 28/07/2013)

Thomas Atkins (Corrado), Isabelle Moore (Gulnara), Christina Thurston (Seid), Elisabeth Harris (Medora), Te Koki New Zealand School of Music Orchestra, Kenneth Young

Who would've thought that anyone in New Zealand would ever mount a production of Verdi's Il Corsaro? I certainly wouldn't have. But as it turns out, the current director of the New Zealand School of Music, Professor Elizabeth Hudson, is a specialist in Verdi and the editor of the critical edition of Il Corsaro published by the University of Chicago Press and this past weekend I flew down to Wellington to see it, after spending a couple of hours among the impressionists at Te Papa. The Wellington Opera House where Il Corsaro was performed evidently seats over 1300 people, but it seems much smaller and the acoustic means voices carry superbly even at lower volume levels. This was ideal for this student performance and we were treated to young voices in full bloom filling out Verdi's vocal lines.

The plot of Il Corsaro is certainly not the most inspiring to have ever been set to music. In short, the titular corsair Corrado leaves his lover, Medora, to fight some Muslims. He is captured while saving the sultan's harem women from their burning home and then sentenced to death by the sultan. However, Gulnara, one of the women from the harem falls in love with Corrado and murders the sultan so they can escape together. When he returns home, Medora has taken poison thinking that he would never return. She expires and he throws himself off a cliff while Gulnara stands around awkwardly. This NZSM production was pretty aggressively traditional, with director Sara Brodie choosing to emphasise the Romantic (the literary movement) elements of the plot. While sets were minimal (mainly consisting of a divan in some scenes and a rocky outcropping in others) they were always effective in setting the scene. The only liberty was the appearance of the very dishy Jack Blomfield as Lord Byron himself, evidently penning certain scenes as they occurred onstage.

I'd previously heard and quite liked Thomas Atkins in the role of Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte but would never have considered him a candidate for Verdi roles outside of perhaps Fenton. However, it was almost as though he was a different singer on this occasion. The voice sounded quite Italianate and had much more heft than in the Cosi. I also really liked the very natural-seeming way in which he shaped Verdi's lines and the way his voice blended beautifully with Medoras in their duet together. In her first appearance as Medora, Elisabeth Harris sounded more mezzo than soprano (the programme lists her as having performed Orlofsky and Thomas' Ophelie among other things!). I hate to think of what it must be like to come out on stage and sing 'Non so le tetre immagini' essentially straight off the bat - Harris seemed a little affected by nerves and some of the higher notes were a shade under pitch. She recovered really well for the ensuing duet with its wide-ranging vocal line. When she re-apepared in the last act she was even better, voice and face full of pained expression. Her warm, full voice simply soared over the ensemble for a stunning close to the opera - it's just a shame that Medora doesn't have more music.

Gulnara was played by soprano Isabella Moore. In her aria she was called on to change costume behind a blanket held aloft by chorus members. She is the one signer I am convinced would have no problems with this role even in a much larger venue. The voice is large and gleaming from top to bottom with a formidable chest register where appropriate. The coloratura in her aria was wonderfully accurate and also very exciting (I usually feel there's a compromise between the two in performances of early Verdi), as was the interpolated high E-Flat (I think) at the end of the cabaletta. This was kind of confident, slightly over-the-top singing I just love to hear in early Verdi! Additionally, she had a fantastic presence on stage that made Gulnara's character seem much more plausible than it probably is in reality. Baritone Christian Thurston was probably the least-suited of the four principals for his role. Nothing wrong the voice per se; it just didn't quite bloom in the upper third of the voice like a Verdi baritone should - he could sound a little dry on his high notes though they were certainly there. I could imagine him being much more at home in a role with lighter voice requirements though.

Kenneth Young brought plenty of swinging vigour to the score which was occasionally a little too balletic for me - I would've preferred a little more depth at times. The orchestra played superbly and the chorus sang with great vigour, if rather odd Italian. The comprimarie were always adequate. I don't think Il Corsaro deserves the bad press it usually gets (not least from Verdi himself). It may be by no means a lost masterpiece, nor even equal to some of the other lesser known works from Verdi's galley years (I'd still take it over Un Giorno di Regno or Alzira any day though). And even though the story is utter crap, there's really never a dull moment (the drama really moves along). A lot happens for such a brief piece of music. Still, though it lacks the last bit of memorability - the only thing that really sticks in your mind afterwards is Medora's first act aria. Nevertheless, I throughly enjoyed this performance and look forward to going back down to Wellington to see whatever opera the New Zealand School of Music produces in the future.

Nabucco (New National Theatre Tokyo, 25/05/2013)

Lucio Gallo (Nabucco), Marianne Cornetti (Abigaille), Mutsumi Taniguchi (Fenena), Tatsuya Higuchi (Ismaele), Konstantin Gorny (Zaccaria), Fumiko Ando (Anna),  New National Theatre Chorus, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Paolo Carignani

Last week I went to see Nabucco at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. As I entered the theatre the curtain was open revealing the set - a reproduction of two floors of a high-end shopping mall complete with escalators. As the work began it was clear that the mall was the Hebrews' temple and they themselves hyper-consumerist shoppers (illustrated by the choreography with shopping bags during the overture). When the Babylonians arrive, they are modern, anarchist terrorists with guns and face masks. Zaccaria appears as some sort of doomsdayer complete with sandwich board sign though it is not clear why he belongs with the well-heeled shopping crowd or why he is in fact their leader. Despite these reservations, it cannot be denied that the staging was stunning to look at, but as the sparkling, high-class mall of the first act and the heavily damaged and vandalised version of the later acts.

For me Nabucco really stands or falls on the strength of the singer portraying the evil Abigaille and here Marianne Cornetti showed off a powerhouse of a voice in that role. I was constantly amazed by her ability to fit her warm mezzo voice to this absolute killer of a soprano part. The big aria at the beginning of Act 2 ('Anch'io disgiuso') was more mellifluous than I've perhaps heard elsewhere, the weird florid divisions in the cavatina rendered accurately and more importantly, were beautifully phrased too. Being a mezzo, one might suspect that it would a stretch for Cornetti to reach the high notes in the recitative and cabaletta (one verse only) but remarkably they were there, on pitch and actually quite astonishingly loud. Temperamentally, she wasn't as gloriously demented as Paoletta Marrocu in Auckland last year (the chest register, while formidable, wasn't quite dug into as forcefully) but still held her own as a central character though she was rather unflatteringly costumed. Her appearance in the final scene was very touching, the vocal line floated effortlessly through the house.

Lucio Gallo sometimes seems overstretched by Verdi roles on recordings but happily, this was predominantly not the case in this Nabucco. His "mad scene" after being struck by lightning was well-judged with some beautiful quiet singing. His is perhaps not the most individual baritone sound but it largely encompassed the role with relative ease. 'Dio di Giuda', while slightly hoarse at the top was nonetheless authoritatively sung. Acting-wise he did extremely well, his different emotions perceivable in both voice and physicality during the big duet with Cornetti.

The Fenena, Mutsumi Taniguchi, was a major surprise. While she made a mostly neutral effect in the first act trio, her last-act prayer was simply gorgeous, dusky mezzo blooming stunningly on the high notes. This prayer is truly a lovely little piece; Taniguchi's rendition made me realise this for the first time as most other performances seem to undercast this role.

Konstantin Gorny wasn't quite up to the task as Zaccaria. While he certainly has all the notes, there is an unsteady, throaty quality to the sound that didn't sit well with Verdi's long legato lines. Nor could he make the most of his big scenes with the chorus, where he tended to be overwhelmed - he simply didn't seem to have enough heft. He also didn't really radiate the authority inherent in the role; vocally and dramatically he played second fiddle to the other characters. Tatsuya Higuchi as Ismaele has a virile tenor voice and some squillo though the voice is not always ideally steady and the top somewhat constricted. However, he always sang with passion made an exciting effect in his scene justifying himself to the Jews he betrayed.

New National Theatre Chorus were mostly a stunning chorus, making the most of their opportunities in this work. They have a nice rich sound and there is no hint of mushiness in their singing - the vocal lines were ideal in their clarity. The famous "Va, pensiero" came off curiously lightly - I think the louder moments really require a little more muscle. Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra evidently have a real feel for Verdi. There was a fantastic sense of propulsion in the Overture. Paolo Carignani's interpretation was on the barnstorming side which was great in maintaining a sense of energy and momentum so important for this early Verdi piece.

Der Rosenkavalier (Solti, Decca, 1968-69)

Overall, this is probably my favourite recording of Rosenkavalier. The cast is headed by great French soprano Regine Crespin as the Marschallin. Surely this is the most gorgeous, melting 'silberne Rose' to complete Act 1 on any complete recording. Crespin opens the trio with luscious tone and is able to rise to a full B-flat at the climax without audible effort. My only quibble is that hers is not really a glowing Strauss sound in the manner of della Casa or Janowitz - lines like "Heut' oder Morgen" in the first act which should shine radiantly over the orchestra just don't. However, what she does bring to the role that della Casa or Janowitz don't (as far as I've heard) is a strong ability with word-painting. There is a very special dignity to this Marschallin but the underlying emotions come through clearly. Every word she utters seems spontaneous, a far cry from the mannered "over-interpreted" approach of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf on the Karajan set.

Helen Donath is absolutely radiant as Sophie, perfectly poised in the high-flying lines of the Presentation of the Rose scene. The characterisation is beautiful, too. She sounds perfectly naive and idealistic at her first appearance with a hint of sorrow as she talks about her dead mother. We can see why Octavian is so taken with her as she is utterly charming in the little exchange following the Presentation of the Rose, teasing out his nickname "Quinquin". She also possesses great spunk in the following scenes with Ochs, sounding absolutely horrified by his behaviour.

Minton is one of the best Octavians I have heard anywhere. The voice is rich and varied in expression and her diction is superb. In the final scene of Act 1 she is alternately wooing and disgruntled with the Marschallin. The weird thing is that every time Minton goes for a high note, the acoustic suddenly changes - she suddenly sounds as though she is singing in a much more resonant space. Not quite sure what effect the sound engineers were going for here, but it's rather disorienting.

Manfred Jungwirth is a top-class Ochs, making the most of the text. Diction is clear and he is very funny. The voice is quite baritonal, so some of the very lowest notes seem a bit of a stretch, but he gets there. He indulges in less vocal mugging than some other Barons and, unlike most, does some beautiful singing when it is called for.

Otto Wiener is a stodgy-sounding Faninal; based on this, I hate to think what his complete Hans Sachs sounds like on the commercial recording with Keilberth. The young Pavarotti is easily the best Italian Tenor I have heard - at this stage of his career it is all spectacularly effortless. Moreover, he clearly sees no irony in the setting or in the music (I love the Italian tenor being played perfectly straight - Strauss' point comes over much more clearly). Mention must also be made of Anne Howells's spectacular Annina, equally adept when reading the letter as when yelling accusations at the Baron. There is some spectacular casting in some of the smaller roles as well such as Anton Dermota as the Landlord, and the young Arleen Auger makes an appearance as one of the Three Orphans! Veteran Alfred Jerger (who sang Ochs as long ago as 1917) is the Notary.

The Vienna Philharmonic play like gods, the wind beautifully inflected, the strings with their usual burnished tone. Even were the singing not so good, this performance would still be necessary listening for the gorgeous orchestral playing and little touches of tone-painting. There is one cute moment in Act 3 where the orchestral musicians sing along with Annina's coloratura cadenza at the words "Die Kaiserin muss ihn mir wieder geben!". Solti's view of the score is fairly expansive. Occasionally he can be a little bombastic - has the chord at Octavian's entrance in Act 2 ever been louder? Still, he never lets the tensions sag - even the sections in Act 3 that can drag in other performances seem to pass by relatively quickly here.

In terms of comparisons, I think this Solti recording wins out over the famous Karajan and Kleiber sets. First of all, the sound is still pretty spectacular. But also, despite their authoritative (but very different) conducting, neither of the two older sets can match Solti's cast. Ludwig is a great Octavian for Karajan but that can't make up for Schwarzkopf's mannered Marschallin and Stich-Randall's weird legato-less Sophie. And while the Sophie-Octavian pair of Gueden and Jurinac do match Donath and Minton, Maria Reining's Marschallin for Kleiber is just dull.

5 Reasons to be excited about the APO's 2013 season

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra were kind enough to invite me to their 2013 Season Launch last night. We heard the orchestra play various snippets from their upcoming season and got to find out a bit more about what they will be performing and also about a lot of their very admirable work in the community. Here's five reasons to be excited about their upcoming season:

1. The Rake's Progress - Next year's Westpac Opera in Concert is, unexpectedly, Stravinsky's Rake's Progress in its Auckland premiere (it hasn't been seen in New Zealand at all since the late 1960s). This is one of my favourite 20th century operas and the APO are assembling a fine cast including the wonderful young New Zealand soprano Madeleine Pierard as Anne Trulove. She performed Anne's aria last night and it was stunning - clearly enunciated with effortless coloratura. The APO's lean, clear sound should suit Stravinsky's core down to the ground. Cannot wait to hear the whole work!

2. Madeleine Pierard - Ms Pierard will also be appearing in Mahler's 4th Symphony singing the last movement's vision of Heaven. I make no secret of my admiration for Ms Pierard and to have her singing another of my favourite works next year should be a total delight. The Mahler is coupled with the world premiere of Ross Harris's Symphony No. 5, with Australian mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell.

3. Natalia Lomeiko - After her absolutely stunning Berg Concerto last year, Natalia Lomeiko will be returning to Auckland, this time in Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1. While I can't claim it's my favourite concerto, it should be a crowd-pleaser and I'm keen to hear Ms Lomeiko playing it.

4. War Requiem - In collaboration with the Auckland Festival, the APO will be putting on Britten's monumental requiem with Orla Boylan, Timothy Robinson and Ivan Ludlow in the solo parts. The occasion is the fiftieth anniversary of the Coventry bombing that it commemorates and also the one-hundredth anniversary of Britten's birth.

5. Zemlinsky, Hindemith and Martinu - OK, this is three separate concerts but I'm thrilled to find out we'll be getting one work from each of these unjustly neglected composers next year. Jun Markl will conduct Zemlinsky's Sinfonietta (coupled with the Four Last Songs and Schubert 9), Music Director Eckehard Stier will take on Martinu's Julietta suite (with Rach Concerto No. 2 and the Korngold Symphony in F# (!!)) and we'll hear Hindemith's Cello Concerto played by Johannes Moser in a programme devoted to music of the 1940s. Excruciatingly exciting for a mid-20th century classical music fiend like myself.

This is only scratching the surface of what the APO is offering next year (Steven Osborne, Cameron Carpenter, Nikolai Demidenko and Amy Dickson will all be making appearance, among others). What I really admire about the APO is their adventurous programming (adventurous for New Zealand anyway) - almost every concert has at least one thing I haven't heard live before. You can find out more about their 2013 season on their website here: http://apo.co.nz/concert-events

In other news, I recently went to see New Zealand Opera's Bartered Bride and reviewed it for Bachtrack. You can check that out here: http://www.bachtrack.com/review-new-zealand-opera-bartered-bride-slater