Daily Archives: 17 June, 2014

June CDs/DVDs

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otello

Verdi: Otello

Orchestra & Chorus of La Fenice, Myung-Whun Chung

UNITEL CLASSICA 716508

This production was staged in the courtyard of the Ducal Palace in Venice, where much of the action of the opera is actually set. With the use of highly effective video projections the visual impact is stunning, particularly the starry night sky. The musical side is also very strong, particularly the orchestra under Myung-Whun Chung, and the soloists are effective vocally. Unfortunately the staging is frequently uninspired and the soloists spend much of their time walking around on trestle tables, too close to the reality of the regularly flooded St Mark’s Square for comfort.

I found myself listening rather than watching, which is hardly the point of a DVD. One striking point, given that this is a very recent production, was the heavy black makeup for Gregory Kunde as Otello. I thought we had got past this.

 

sibelius symphSibelius: Complete Symphonies

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, John Storgards

CHANDOS CHAN 10809

I have a large number of complete recordings of the Sibelius symphonies in my own collection and am aware of how many are available. This new set however is a strong contender, taking an uncompromising approach to the dark, turbulent world of so much of Sibelius’ writing, giving a bleakness to the 4th symphony with unusual clarity. It also has, in addition, three tiny late fragments which, while obviously intended for orchestra, may or may not be from the proposed eighth symphony. A glimpse of what might have been.

 

winterreiseSchubert: Winterreise

Gerald Finlay, Julius Drake

HYPERION CDA 68034     74’37

There is always a dichotomy listening to Winterreise. How much do we allow the beauty of the singing to distract from the deep despair of the work itself? Here the glory of Gerald Finlay’s deeply affecting reading allows us to do both. It is almost worth listening twice at least, coming at the cycle from both directions, to indulge both approaches.

 

gringolts

Brahms: String quartets and Quintet

Gringolts Quartet, Peter Laul, piano

ORCHID ORC 100042       68’06

These are surprisingly dark works, given intense performances here. The quartet is joined by Peter Laul for a well-balanced reading of the Piano Quinter in F minor Op34.

 

 

lemminkainen

Sibelius: Lemminkainen Suite; The Wood Nymph

Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Osmo Vanska

BIS 1745               69’37

This is a reissue of a very fine recording made in the Sibelius Hall, Lahti – on of the finest new concert halls and with an acoustic as good as Birmingham Symphony Hall. The Wood Nymph alone makes it worth purchasing as it is a rarity, but the virile approach to Lemminkainen is equally impressive.

ENO: The Pearl Fishers

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pearl fishers

London Coliseum, 16 June 2014

The underwater scenes caused something of a sensation when the production was new four years ago and they are certainly still very impressive. As the brief orchestral introduction unfolds the whole of the Coliseum stage becomes the sea, with gentle sunlight piercing the deep as three divers swim down to collect pearls. They return at key moments, either below or above the water’s surface, and all of the settings reflect the close relationship between the sea and the people. The mix of live performers with subtle video is extremely effective, and far better than video alone.

Within this environment the love triangle is worked out, constantly harking back to earlier events at the temple when the three protagonists had first met.

George von Bergen is not only a virile and dynamic Zurga but a convincing leader of the village. His emotional problems in act three are clearly defined without stretching credibility. It is only a pity that the ending of the opera is so weak musically that it fails to give him the emotional clarity the character needs.

John Tessier’s Nadir is not quite the outsider and his relationship with Zurga is strongly developed as the first act progresses. The famous duet, while beautifully sung here, is also given the uncomfortable edge it rightly needs to carry the narrative forward. The focus of their concern is Sophie Bevan’s Leila. There was an apology at the start as she had been ill earlier in the day but there was little sign of this in her warm and sympathetic approach to the part. She makes it clear that she is an unwilling priestess, as she dangles her feet off the pier.

The only other character is Barnaby Rea’s commanding High Priest, though the production allows him to disappear in the third act, weakening the conclusion.

Most of the evening is beautifully and sensitively lit, though there are moments when the lighting of the chorus was flat and over-bright. Though the choral singing is strong throughout the set does not help them. The long thin horizontal walkways mean the chorus have to shuffle in in single file from the sides and are effectively stuck where they are. Where a Sri Lankan crowd should be volatile and constantly on the move, as the music indicates, these people are static throughout. Needless to say there is no dancing and no room for it.

Jean-Luc Tingaud gives us a full romantic sound from the pit and moves the narrative along while allowing us to indulge in the many purple passages.