25 Aug 2006
WAGNER: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Some argue that Bayreuth ushered in the modern era of regietheatre in opera productions with its now-legendary centennial Der Ring des Nibelungen, directed by Patrice Chereau.
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Le Monde Reviews Lamento
Cela arrive rarement, le souffle coupé dès les premières notes. Une minute entière à retenir sa respiration dans une apnée d’émotion totale pour recevoir la première phrase du Lamento pour contralto, de Johann Christoph Bach, d’après les Lamentations de Jérémie, son ascension douloureuse, ornée de sanglots, puis les deux accords d’une longue plainte instrumentale, avant l’entrée, magique, de la voix de Magdalena Kozena. “Ach, dass ich Wassers g’nug hätte.” “Ah, si ma tête était remplie d’eau, si mes yeux étaient une source de larmes.” L’insouciance a été jusqu’alors votre lot ? Vous, toi, nous tous, pécheurs, allons connaître ce que pèse le lourd fardeau de nos iniquités – et la récompense de cette connaissance : 7 minutes 22 d’une pure splendeur musicale.
MOZART: Le Nozze di Figaro
Recorded in Tokyo on October 23, 1963, this live recording of Nozze di Figaro boasts fine sound, a top cast, and the leadership of a conductor of great skill and experience. The label, Ponto, has joined the ranks of such other companies as Opera D’oro and Gala in making available broadcast and in-house recordings at affordable prices. Sometimes these releases are not even worth the modest price asked for; this one may well have more to offer than higher-priced studio sets. After a slightly hesitant first few moments, the sound quality settles down and becomes admirably strong and well defined. There is relatively little stage noise, the voices have a natural presence without being too forwardly placed, and Böhm’s orchestral control can be relished. His may be an old-fashioned reading, but it never lags or lacks for humor or beauty. The audience can be heard laughing from time to time at the stage antics; applause only interferes with the musical pleasures at the end of Non piu andrai, when unrestrained clapping covers a bit of Böhm’s ironically happy martial send-off.
WAGNER: Tristan und Isolde
Elsewhere on Opera Today readers can find a recent review of a live recording of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro from the Ponto label, a company that has joined the ranks of Opera D’oro and Gala in offering, at budget price, live recordings of various provenance. At their best, as with that Nozze, these recordings offer in acceptable sound (sometimes better) performances of such quality they rival their more expensive competitors. At less than the best, however, even the budget price becomes exorbitant. This Tristan und Isolde, recorded on January 25, 1967, unfortunately belongs to the latter category. Unless one has a strong personal reason for wanting a keepsake of this company or the artists involved, the recording is unlikely to please most listeners. The primary reason is the sound. While not unlistenable, the recording is clearly an “in-house” affair, and probably from an audience member, as some of the coughing is more up-front than the singing. Worse, during the climax, some audience members are whispering as Isolde enters the Leibestod. One would love for a Jon Vickers to have been present to yell out, “Stop your damn whispering!”
BOLCOM: Songs of Innocence and of Experience
William Bolcom is arguably the preeminent American opera composer of today. His third commission for Lyric Opera of Chicago, A Wedding, recently opened to mostly positive reviews. His previous work in the form, A View from the Bridge, had a successful run at the Metropolitan Opera following its premiere in Chicago.
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BACH: Matthäus-Passion
On an accompanying CD and in the liner notes, interviewer Klaus J. Schönmetzler asks conductor Enoch zu Guttenberg, “Why another St. Matthew Passion?” This is a fair question considering the glut of recordings ranging from the overtly romantic to the idealized “authentic” (and mostly fast) Baroque editions. To his credit, Guttenberg responds to this question by acknowledging an aversion to interpreting Bach overly Romantically while desiring a Baroque sensibility. As a theologian, zu Guttenberg understands an undeniable conviction in Bach’s theology, particularly in the chorales, which he acknowledges can lead to a more Romantic interpretation. Zu Guttenberg’s attempt to capture this devotion coupled with the reality of twenty-first century instruments and performers, produces a St. Matthew stuck in a mediocre middle ground between a Baroque “ideal” and a Romantic interpretation.
Lamento with Magdalena Ko
The imposing figure of Johann Sebastian Bach has loomed large for Magdalena Ko ená throughout her career. It was her first disc of Bach arias on Deutsche Grammophon’s Archiv label that brought the golden-voiced mezzo to the attention of the music world as early as 1997. Word then quickly went round that Magdalena was the perfect choice for Bach recordings. ”This disc that started my international career also was my introduction to the great Baroque conductors, including the wonderful scholar and musician Reinhard Goebel, with whom I’ve worked on my new disc, Lamento.” Although the title may suggest wailing and gnashing of teeth, this is a sublime and eclectic mixture of music by J. S. Bach, his relations and contemporaries. ”There’s a very optimistic feeling to this CD,” says Ko ená. ”Although all these pieces are about how horrible it is on this earth, they are really celebrating how great it will be afterwards. There’s a message of hope throughout.”
Gramophone Reviews Le Comte Ory
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Recordings
Although that may be a gross simplification with a glimmer of truth at its core, it still feels strange to think of that epochal staging after a viewing of this 1981 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, created by the composer's grandson, Wolfgang Wagner. Staged with an orthodoxy of pristine purity, this Meistersinger serves to highlight all that is admirable and regrettable about the so-called "traditional" approach. The clarity of the storytelling comes along with a practiced execution lacking insight or imagination.
The overture plays over a series of zoom ins and outs of a old map of Nuremberg. As with other Bayreuth productions, the actual performance appears to have been filmed without a live audience; the orchestra remains invisible throughout. Yet the action remains stagebound, especially in the long first act. The set here, the least attractive of the four scenes, lacks color to liven its stagnant picture, and props and costumes have an artificial aura. A fine cast works patiently to create character, highlighted at first by Graham Clark's eager, excitable David. Both Siegfried Jerusalem and Mari Anne Häggander (Walther and Eva) appear utterly conventional as the young lovers, and the lesser "mastersingers" make no strong individual impressions. Hermann Prey's well-dressed, smartly coiffed Beckmesser promises more comic energy than he can quite deliver in the first scene, and Bernd Weikl seems merely stolid, rather than patient and wise.
With the second act, things improve considerably. Here the set's realism is heightened by lovely lighting and touches of color. All the performers seem more relaxed, and the act flies by, excitingly culminating with a lively - though no means uncontrolled - mini-riot, captured with cinematic editing by Brian Large.
The first scene of act three, in Sachs' home, really takes the whole performance to another level. Beautifully lit, as in a painting by some Dutch master, the set's starkness is handsome in itself and makes an excellent foil for the opening up to the greenery of the final scene. Weikl really comes into his own here, finding all the shades of the proud, intelligent, and somewhat sad cobbler. Jerusalem has some slight hoarseness at the top, but otherwise makes an appealing Walther, who can come close to being insufferably self-centered as a character at times. Some may join your reviewer, however, in finding an unfortunate reminiscence of Barry Manilow provoked by Jerusalem's fastidiously manicured hair helmet. The quintet at the end does not have the ideal blend of voices, however, and the singers are asked to stand stiffly. Physical direction throughout veers uncomfortably from fairly natural movement at times of action to formal posing during arias and ensembles.
The stage change to the last scene is not seen. Suddenly we are in a green field with a bannered two-level pavilion at the center, built around a huge tree. The festival cavorting may be forced but the chorus sings impeccably. Prey's Beckmesser never quite hits the right comic notes, maybe because he can't help but sing attractively. He does get to smile at the end, acknowledging the universal respect for Sachs that concludes the opera.
With no bonus features and scanty notes in the booklet, this Deutsche Grammophon set captures an enjoyable performance, not exactly fresh but stylish and tasteful. This Meistersinger feels almost like a comic book version with remarkably life-like animation. If anyone has been searching out a version of Wagner's comic opera of that nature, it has appeared.
Chris Mullins