Recently in Reviews

ETO Autumn 2020 Season Announcement: Lyric Solitude

English Touring Opera are delighted to announce a season of lyric monodramas to tour nationally from October to December. The season features music for solo singer and piano by Argento, Britten, Tippett and Shostakovich with a bold and inventive approach to making opera during social distancing.

Love, always: Chanticleer, Live from London … via San Francisco

This tenth of ten Live from London concerts was in fact a recorded live performance from California. It was no less enjoyable for that, and it was also uplifting to learn that this wasn’t in fact the ‘last’ LfL event that we will be able to enjoy, courtesy of VOCES8 and their fellow vocal ensembles (more below …).

Dreams and delusions from Ian Bostridge and Imogen Cooper at Wigmore Hall

Ever since Wigmore Hall announced their superb series of autumn concerts, all streamed live and available free of charge, I’d been looking forward to this song recital by Ian Bostridge and Imogen Cooper.

Henry Purcell, Royal Welcome Songs for King Charles II Vol. III: The Sixteen/Harry Christophers

The Sixteen continues its exploration of Henry Purcell’s Welcome Songs for Charles II. As with Robert King’s pioneering Purcell series begun over thirty years ago for Hyperion, Harry Christophers is recording two Welcome Songs per disc.

Treasures of the English Renaissance: Stile Antico, Live from London

Although Stile Antico’s programme article for their Live from London recital introduced their selection from the many treasures of the English Renaissance in the context of the theological debates and upheavals of the Tudor and Elizabethan years, their performance was more evocative of private chamber music than of public liturgy.

Anima Rara: Ermonela Jaho

In February this year, Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho made a highly lauded debut recital at Wigmore Hall - a concert which both celebrated Opera Rara’s 50th anniversary and honoured the career of the Italian soprano Rosina Storchio (1872-1945), the star of verismo who created the title roles in Leoncavallo’s La bohème and Zazà, Mascagni’s Lodoletta and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

A wonderful Wigmore Hall debut by Elizabeth Llewellyn

Evidently, face masks don’t stifle appreciative “Bravo!”s. And, reducing audience numbers doesn’t lower the volume of such acclamations. For, the audience at Wigmore Hall gave soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn and pianist Simon Lepper a greatly deserved warm reception and hearty response following this lunchtime recital of late-Romantic song.

Requiem pour les temps futurs: An AI requiem for a post-modern society

Collapsology. Or, perhaps we should use the French word ‘Collapsologie’ because this is a transdisciplinary idea pretty much advocated by a series of French theorists - and apparently, mostly French theorists. It in essence focuses on the imminent collapse of modern society and all its layers - a series of escalating crises on a global scale: environmental, economic, geopolitical, governmental; the list is extensive.

The Sixteen: Music for Reflection, live from Kings Place

For this week’s Live from London vocal recital we moved from the home of VOCES8, St Anne and St Agnes in the City of London, to Kings Place, where The Sixteen - who have been associate artists at the venue for some time - presented a programme of music and words bound together by the theme of ‘reflection’.

Iestyn Davies and Elizabeth Kenny explore Dowland's directness and darkness at Hatfield House

'Such is your divine Disposation that both you excellently understand, and royally entertaine the Exercise of Musicke.’

Ádám Fischer’s 1991 MahlerFest Kassel ‘Resurrection’ issued for the first time

Amongst an avalanche of new Mahler recordings appearing at the moment (Das Lied von der Erde seems to be the most favoured, with three) this 1991 Mahler Second from the 2nd Kassel MahlerFest is one of the more interesting releases.

Paradise Lost: Tête-à-Tête 2020

‘And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven … that old serpent … Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’

Max Lorenz: Tristan und Isolde, Hamburg 1949

If there is one myth, it seems believed by some people today, that probably needs shattering it is that post-war recordings or performances of Wagner operas were always of exceptional quality. This 1949 Hamburg Tristan und Isolde is one of those recordings - though quite who is to blame for its many problems takes quite some unearthing.

Joyce DiDonato: Met Stars Live in Concert

There was never any doubt that the fifth of the twelve Met Stars Live in Concert broadcasts was going to be a palpably intense and vivid event, as well as a musically stunning and theatrically enervating experience.

‘Where All Roses Go’: Apollo5, Live from London

‘Love’ was the theme for this Live from London performance by Apollo5. Given the complexity and diversity of that human emotion, and Apollo5’s reputation for versatility and diverse repertoire, ranging from Renaissance choral music to jazz, from contemporary classical works to popular song, it was no surprise that their programme spanned 500 years and several musical styles.

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields 're-connect'

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields have titled their autumn series of eight concerts - which are taking place at 5pm and 7.30pm on two Saturdays each month at their home venue in Trafalgar Square, and being filmed for streaming the following Thursday - ‘re:connect’.

Lucy Crowe and Allan Clayton join Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO at St Luke's

The London Symphony Orchestra opened their Autumn 2020 season with a homage to Oliver Knussen, who died at the age of 66 in July 2018. The programme traced a national musical lineage through the twentieth century, from Britten to Knussen, on to Mark-Anthony Turnage, and entwining the LSO and Rattle too.

Choral Dances: VOCES8, Live from London

With the Live from London digital vocal festival entering the second half of the series, the festival’s host, VOCES8, returned to their home at St Annes and St Agnes in the City of London to present a sequence of ‘Choral Dances’ - vocal music inspired by dance, embracing diverse genres from the Renaissance madrigal to swing jazz.

Royal Opera House Gala Concert

Just a few unison string wriggles from the opening of Mozart’s overture to Le nozze di Figaro are enough to make any opera-lover perch on the edge of their seat, in excited anticipation of the drama in music to come, so there could be no other curtain-raiser for this Gala Concert at the Royal Opera House, the latest instalment from ‘their House’ to ‘our houses’.

Fading: The Gesualdo Six at Live from London

"Before the ending of the day, creator of all things, we pray that, with your accustomed mercy, you may watch over us."

OPERA TODAY ARCHIVES »

Reviews

02 Aug 2017

Santa Fe: Mad for Lucia

If there is any practitioner currently singing the punishing title role of Lucia di Lammermoor better than Brenda Rae, I am hard-pressed to name her.

Lucia di Lammermoor at the Santa Fe Opera

A review by James Sohre

Above: Brenda Rae as Lucia [All photos copyright Ken Howard, courtesy of Santa Fe Opera

 

Ms. Rae not only has all the fireworks in her arsenal to effortlessly negotiate the roulades, trills, arpeggios, embellishments and melismas, but also has a poised, polished, bell-like soprano, freely produced and serenely secure. While hers is not an overly large lyric instrument, the clarity of her technique gives it great impact in the house.

Her attractive physical presence lends for a totally believable, love torn young woman, and she can suggest a tortured victimization and highly affecting fragility. Brenda finds every dramatic nuance in a generous, musically faultless realization, in short, a wholly winning traversal of one of the repertoire’s “gold standard” roles. Having scored successes in Frankfurt, Munich and now, Berlin, Brenda Rae seems to be on a career trajectory that echoes, without mimicking Diana Damrau. Ms. Rae offered exceptional singing.

Offering even more in the way of an individualized, characterful role assumption, bass Christian Van Horn gave his finest performance that has reached my ears to date as Raimondo Bidebent. Just as Mr. Van Horn physically towers over the other performers, his rolling, eloquent bass asserts itself with an imposing, visceral presence. His every appearance was a cause for bel canto celebration.

Zachary Nelson finds a very happy fit for his gleaming Italianate baritone as the manipulative brother Enrico Ashton. Mr. Taylor offers ear and eye candy in his second, um, appearance, as a comforter is turned down on his bed, revealing his reclining buff upper torso, prompting much raising of binoculars. Zachary’s potent stage presence was wedded to mellifluous singing deployed with focused dramatic intent.

Lucia_SantaFe4.pngBrenda Rae as Lucia,
Mario Chang as Edgardo

I quite liked Mario Chang’s Edgardo, which featured a warm, pointed lyric sound, and a good sense of line and phrasing. If Mr. Chang pressed a little hard at times, or lumbered a bit through the occasional high lying passage, this was nonetheless a commendable take on a treacherously difficult role. I encourage Mario to take a lesson from other tenors of similar physical type, and cultivate a more engaging vocal charm that will elevate the romantic exchanges into more meaningful theatre.

Three Apprentice Artists covered themselves in glory: Sara Coit’s warm, solid mezzo and Carlos Santelli’s gleaming tenor shone in solo lines and added immeasurable depth to the famous sextet. The role of Normanno was well-served by tenor Stephen Martin’s poised singing. Chorus Master Susanne Sheston’s chorus was musically pleasing and dramatically engaged.

Conductor Corrado Rovaris led an incisive, propulsive interpretation. At first, I thought it might be a little too restless and driving, but the Maestro knew exactly how to balance the evening’s set pieces. Rovaris flawlessly partnered with his soloists to relax and indulge the romantic revelry and reflective solos, even as he turned up the heat again for some riveting dramatic confrontations. The orchestra played with stylistic acumen. Worthy of special mention is Friedrich Heinrich Kern’s atmospheric playing of the glass harmonica, a rare treat in the Mad Scene.

The design seemed to straddle two worlds. Riccardo Hernandez has crafted a rather simple, 21st Century set design consisting of two large side walls creating a V-shape that can retract to reveal another wall up stage center. They are imbedded with well-concealed rows of large doors that occasionally open to create a colonnade effect. Alas, in an attempt to make them into a seamless wall when desired, the doors seem to have been tightly fitted, producing recurring scrunching sounds that get unwanted titters from the audience.

There are cockeyed images of wooden ceiling panels on these walls, suggesting the oppressive, skewed atmosphere of rigid Scottish political intrigues. Peter Nigrini has designed some effective projections overlaid on these panels, evoking greenery, blood, graveyard and more, all of which augmented Christopher Akerlind’s effective lighting, which featured moody washes and meaningful specials. The walls provided excellent reflective surfaces to give the singers even more presence.

With the addition of a clear modern acrylic fountain in Scene Two, and with the look beginning to suggest a B&B Italia showroom, costumer Emily Rebholz kept the piece grounded in tradition with a sumptuous interpretation of palace attire. You had to squint a bit for any touches of plaid (they were there) but, oh my, what a visual feast. The women’s gowns were especially eye-catching and the color palette was suitably luxuriant.

Ron Daniels provided clear, efficient direction. While there were no jarring innovations, neither were there any startling revelations. Mr. Daniels trusted the piece and the luxury of helming some of today’s top interpreters, and kept it simply effective. Lucia’s brandishing of the bloody bed sheet, and her appearance to Edgardo as a bridal spirit after his suicide were nice touches.

Santa Fe Opera seemed to embrace the concept of “yesterday’s opera today.” Traditional elements and stellar performances were married to inventive 21st design components that made for a smoothly integrated, highly engaging rendition of this Donizetti masterpiece.

James Sohre


Cast and production information:

Normanno: Stephen Martin; Enrico Ashton: Zachary Nelson; Raimondo Bidebent: Christian Van Horn; Lucia, Brenda Rae; Alisa: Sara Coit; Edgardo, Mario Chang; Arturo: Carlos Santelli; Condctor: Corrado Rovaris; Director: Ron Daniels; Set Design: Riccardo Hernandez; Costume Design: Emily Rebholz; Lighting Design: Christopher Akerlind; Projection Design: Peter Nigrini; Chorus Master: Susanne Sheston

Send to a friend

Send a link to this article to a friend with an optional message.

Friend's Email Address: (required)

Your Email Address: (required)

Message (optional):