There was a flurry of recent vocal recital discs that could be of curiosity to the members of cher public. First up is Elsa Dreisig’s album Invocation, which brings collectively an interesting assortment of arias and songs beneath the final rubric of invocations. I’ve not heard Dreisig reside, however I’ve been impressed by her recital discs and on-line movies. To this point, her repertoire has been the usual lyric soprano fare. Nevertheless, on this album, she takes on a lot heavier alternatives together with “Casta Diva” and “La vergine degli angeli.” I don’t know if it is a declaration of future intentions or a recording-only sidequest within the spirit of Leontyne Value’s Prima Donna albums. As recorded, she will be able to deal with these arias, even when her brilliant sound isn’t what we usually anticipate. Even with the blending panel wizardry, she doesn’t sound totally comfy within the Norma aria.
Lest I sound too damaging, the opposite choices on the disk greater than compensate, and there are various fascinating decisions that stray from the standard recital chestnuts. They embody the recording premier of an aria from Anna di Resburgo by Carolina Uccelli, arias from Gounod’s Mireille and Sappho, an aria from nineteenth century Danish composer Peter Heise’s Drot og Marsk (King and Marshal) and “Letzte Rose” from Friedrich von Flotow’s Martha. I haven’t encountered that in a recital in fairly some time.
Dreisig isn’t a demented performer, however there’s emotional sensitivity and depth of feeling in every choice. Massimo Zanetti does a really high-quality job main the orchestra and refrain of the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova; they’re relaxed within the many kinds required. I’m very grateful that there’s a refrain on this disk as quite a few the items would fall flat with out them.
Talking of sidequests, Jonas Kaufmann’s newest recital album Magische Töne takes him to Budapest for music from the period of Austro-Hungarian Empire. It incorporates a assortment of arias from the operettas of Emmerich Kálmán, Franz Lehár, and Paul Abraham (with “Magische Töne” from Goldmark’s Die Königin von Saba as a bonus). One oddity of Kaufmann’s profession is that he has recorded a number of operetta recitals, however he has solely appeared lately in a single staged operetta, Die Fledermaus. Judging from this recital, he has an evident affinity for the fabric and evinces the requisite ardor and appeal. His voice reveals the wear and tear and tear that we’ve heard in different latest outings, and there’s the inevitable crooning. Nevertheless, this didn’t compromise the fabric considerably (for me not less than). As all the time with Kaufmann, the diction is exemplary with out sounding compelled. I additionally appreciated the tasteful and applicable use of rubato. He’s very ably supported by maestro Dirk Kaftan main Hungarian State Opera Orchestra. Soprano Nikola Hillebrand companions him very ably of their duets; there’s a good chemistry between the 2 of them. A reputation to look at, I believe.
Kaufmann had a unique associate for many of his stops for his “Magische Töne” live performance tour: soprano Malin Byström. She has a brand new album of her personal German Opera Scenes and Arias the place she is accompanied by Thomas Søndergård conducting the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. This accommodates alternatives from operas by Strauss, Beethoven, Korngold, and Weber. Byström describes herself on Instagram as a “lyrical-dramatic soprano”. Nevertheless unconventional that hybrid might sound, it does match. Her lyric, tender sound that may broaden to have appreciable influence and depth. There are moments of roughness and unsteadiness; that is most notable within the “Zweite Brautnacht!” that opens the recital. Nonetheless, I used to be impressed by the emotional vary she dropped at the alternatives and her incisive dealing with of the textual content. Her finest choice on the disk is the ultimate scene from Salome. It’s genuinely terrifying in the very best manner. She additionally has a brand new full recording of Salome on a completely different label. I’ve not heard that, however am now keen to take action. Søndergård conducting successfully matches her depth and temper.
I used to be initially planning to incorporate Sondra Radvanovsky’s new Puccini Heroines album with this roundup, however I’ve determined to invoke Thumper’s Legislation and keep away from commenting. Maybe one in all you wish to supply your perspective.
Daybreak Fatale
Richard Lynn is a New York Metropolis based mostly opera lover who writes at parterre field beneath the identify Daybreak Fatale. His love of opera began at a really younger age when he used to hearken to the Met broadcasts and obsessively learn again problems with Opera Information in lieu of socializing at household gatherings. In faculty, he majored in Chemistry whereas taking as many music and theater programs as doable. He labored at the Music Library to get entry to the opera recordings that have been off limits to undergraduates. Because the early Nineteen Nineties he has been writing about opera at parterre field and different publications and is especially the evolution of staging and efficiency practices.
