For those of you who know me personally, you will know that bel canto is not exactly "my thing"… It isn't that I dislike it, I think it has its place and some of the vocal writing is, naturally, some of the most beautiful, however, I have never really felt a connection with the bel canto repertoire like I have with many other styles of opera.
With that said, there are times when nothing can satisfy like a frivolous frolic through an Opera Buffa by Rossini or Donizetti. It was time to tackle a review of a bel canto opera. I thought it best to start with the Grandfather and essentially the creator of what we know as Italian Opera- Gioachino Rossini. When looking at his works, how could you start anywhere but the 1916 super hit, Il Barbiere di Siviglia?
When deciding on which recording to review, I had some major issues (different issues, that is, than the ones that usually preside in my daily life). There are a lot of recordings I listen to on a regular basis, all for different reasons.
One of my absolute favourites is Sir Neville Marriner's stylish 1982 reading with Sir Thomas Allen, Francisco Araiza, Agnes Baltsa, and Robert Lloyd. Thomas Allen rocks the role of Figaro, and Araiza sings Almaviva like a God. Baltsa dances through the opera with that lean tone and glistening high notes we expect from her.
The 1975 recording by James Levine for example is always a solid choice. With singers like, Sherrill Milnes, Nicolai Gedda, and (possibly the greatest Rosina) Beverly Sills, how can you go wrong?
The 2008 live set by Miguel Gómez-Martínez with Nathan Gunn, Elina Garanča, and Lawrence Brownlee is also fun. The first recording of the opera in over a decade, it is live, which is always a draw, and Lawrence Brownlee gives what is possibly the best sung Almaviva in 50+ years. However, while Gunn is incredibly charming, he does lack some of the required bravado to my ear, and Garanča, whose voice has been described as "smoky and voluptuous" doesn't exactly fit the mold of what should be a spirited young girl. She is more of a petulant, young temptress.
Also, one mustn't omit the Leinsdorf recording with Roberta Peters, Robert Merrill, Cesare Valletti and Giorgio Tozzi!
Those are a few examples of many, but to get to the point, I had to chose one. I had decided on the 1962 Glyndebourne set by Vittorio Gui with EMI. Victoria de los Angeles, Sesto Bruscantini as Figaro, and Luigi Alva as Almaviva. Fabulous singing. Wonderful conducting. Possibly lacking in some of the "fun" as it is essentially a come scritto performance that is true to the score for recording purposes, but the conducting is swift and energized and the intent is all in the right place, it is inherently Italianate and who could ask for much more?
At the last minute, I had a change of heart. When all is said and done, I just couldn't bring myself to chose a recording where the Rosina is sung by a soprano. I am, at the core, a huge purist, and while some of the greatest Rosinas have been sopranos, and I would argue that MOST of the recorded documentation is sung by sopranos, we shan't forget that Rossini wrote it FOR a mezzo and it should be cast accordingly. Therefore when push came to shove, I chose this one.
The 1989 Decca disc conducted by Giuseppe Patanè very shortly before his untimely death in München. The cast is Italian and nearly unbeatable.
Figaro - Leo Nucci
Rosina - Cecilia Bartoli
Il Conte d'Almaviva - William Matteuzzi
Bartolo - Enrico Fissore
Basilio - Paata Burchuladze
Ochestra e coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Leo Nucci, perhaps NOW known more for his Verdian singing, shines here as Figaro. A few years before he started in with the heaviest Verdi roles, his voice sounds healthy and effortless. His high As pop off in his entrance aria with precision and plenty of that expected bravado. He plots his way through this score with the confidence that we all wish we had at times, making it more than apparent that he is a native speaker. Constantly playing with the language and colouring the words with every twist and turn of the plot, keeping even the most Italian-impared eager and enthralled.
William Matteuzzi perhaps doesn't have a voice that appeals to everyone, however his light Italian tenor is suited perfectly to the Rossini and Donizetti repertoire. He uses the voice to act the role from his most noble moments as Count Almaviva to his most silly and drunken moments as Lindoro and his buffo characterization of Basilio in that ridiculously star-crossed voice lesson. In his first act arias, his ornaments gently dance like the flickering flame of a candle and his top notes resonate with ease and charm. It is a shame that for whatever reason he did not sing the final aria on this reading. Cessa di più resistere is by and large one of the most thrilling and challenging bel canto arias for tenori and it is not surprising or unusual that this aria to be cut. Most tenors just simply cannot sing it. I highly encourage you to look up the recording of Francisco Araiza, or more recently, Lawrence Brownlee singing this aria. Their energy and accuracy will amaze you and the shimmering ring of their top notes will leave you nearly speechless.
The bassos are wonderfully sung by Paata Burchuladze (Basilio) and Enrico Fissore (Bartolo) in an admirably buffo style. They bumble and bounce around the score with adequate mischief while trying to foil the romantic intentions of these young lovers. Burchuladze's comic accomplishments are balanced by his vocal prowess, seen with his high G at the end of La calunnia - reminding us that he focuses much of his time, not with the Buffo roles of Rossini, but the roles of Verdi and the old Russian masters. The equally adept Fissore performs with style the (also often cut) A un dottor della mia sorte with comic flare and relatively clean diction, which is not an easy feat.
At the heart of this blithe and convivial romp of an opera, is the, then, 23 year-old Cecilia Bartoli. You will not hear the Cecilia here that we all know with her bright, glistening voice that glides through high tessituri with a soprano-like brilliance, but a much more "mezzo-like", rich colour. Her dark, young, taffy-like tone trills and parades through this score with such leisure that one might think it was written for her. Her occasional ornament into her upper-extension is a clear sign as to what her career would eventually become and the low Gs that litter the role are all solid enough. While most mezzos find it difficult to sound youthful and perky, Bartoli seems to manage without the slightest trouble. Her voice, in truth, doesn't have the subtlety and consistency that it has now, but she was 23 and a role recording of this caliber would be a triumph for any 23 year old.
Ultimately what makes this recording so excellent is the fun that they are having. Led by Giuseppe Patanè, we can tell that everyone involved in this recording is truly having a blast doing it. Because the cast (and orchestra) is dominated so heavily by Italians, the words come to life in a funhouse of twisting and twirling that reminds one what Opera Buffa is all about… what Opera is all about… what music is all about.
Joy.
Even the most ängstlich of music is truly about the joy of communicating and relating in some way to the audience. Without that joy of reaching out and touching others, why are we doing this?
This is a fabulous recording. For anyone who isn't a Mezzo or for that matter, a crippling purist like myself, I would HIGHLY recommend the wonderful 1963 recording by Gui with de los Angeles and Bruscantini and Luigi Alva. But one recording that is easily equal, and more accurate historically to what the composer originally intended (which I really support, see: René Jacobs), is this gem. Check it out if you want a good time. ;)
-Christopher Michael Kelley
P.S. Next month... FRENCH!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
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