This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.
The 32 Piano Sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven are often referred to as the ‘New Testament’ of the keyboard literature, following on the ‘Old Testament’ of J.S. Bach's 48 preludes and fugues in the Well-Tempered Clavier. Composed over a period of almost three decades, from 1795 to 1822, the sonatas constitute a fascinating panorama of an artistic career which underwent numerous changes – not to say upheavals – but nevertheless remained remarkably consistent. Ever since the first recording of the entire cycle, by Artur Schnabel in the 1930s, a number of the world's leading pianists have given us their performances of this monumental collection on disc. One of the latest cycles is that of Ronald Brautigam, released on single discs between 2004 and 2010. Performed on the fortepiano, as part of a series of Beethoven's complete solo keyboard works, Brautigam's recordings have been described as ‘riveting’, ‘compelling’ and ‘revolutionary’. The eight discs with the 32 sonatas are now being released as a boxed set, along with a ninth disc containing the early, unnumbered sonatas. Contributing factors to the ‘refreshing directness’ that reviewers have experienced in these performances are the widely praised recorded sound and the carefully selected instruments, built by Paul McNulty after originals from 1788-1819 by the foremost Viennese makers of fortepianos. For this boxed set, the original SACD format has been retained – along with the possibility of listening to the performances in surround – thus offering the opportunity of sharing the experience of one reviewer: ‘One has almost the impression of being a contemporary of Beethoven’s: one of the first, infinitely startled – not to say shocked – witnesses to this music’ (Süddeutsche Zeitung).
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REVIEW:
Much of the playing here is sensational. Notice the pronounced rhetorical emphasis yet intensely focused dotted rhythms in the Pathétique’s introduction, or the revelatory continuity from one variation to the next in Op 14 No 2’s uncommonly quick central movement. Those who think that even Brautigam’s sturdy fortepiano cannot approximate an orchestra should check out Op 22’s first movement, where the full-bodied octaves and brilliantly judged ‘Rossini’ crescendo just before the recapitulation make a pulverising impact.
And what about the Moonlight finale’s controlled fury and slashing momentum that remain musical to the core, or how those Op 10 No 1 and 2 finales rock and roll while retaining maximum linear clarity? Few others rightly feel Op 10 No 3’s Minuet as one beat to a bar and effectively spin out the left-hand counterlines. Among the heroic middle-period works, perhaps Brautigam’s Waldstein and Appassionata make a cogent case for period instruments in regard to textural differentiation between registers, shorter pedal resonances, and being able to truly perceive rather than merely infer each pitch within low-lying chords and runs, abetted by Brautigam’s subtle yet expressively powerful tempo modifications and telling accents.
Brautigam’s late sonatas are never less than masterful.
Carlos Acosta’s first venture directing one of ballet’s 19th century classics was eagerly anticipated, as was his own starring role in the production as Basilio, opposite the Argentinian Royal Ballet principal Marianela Nuñez (Kitri). Packed cinemas for the live relay, as well as sold-out houses for his performances, testified to the draw the great Cuban dancer still exerts—and the audiences were not disappointed. Still built on Petipa’s original choreography, Acosta’s clear dramatic structure and vivid stage action gave the “boy gets girl despite her father” story a more convincing air than usual, with Don Quixote’s parallel obsession with Dulcinea-Kitri coherently woven into the plot. Acosta’s and Nuñez’s performances were peerless; Tim Hatley’s stage designs vivid and apposite; this production is surely destined to be a perennial Royal Ballet favorite.
Ludwig Minkus DON QUIXOTE
Kitri – Marianela Nuñez Basilio – Carlos Acosta Don Quixote – Christopher Saunders Sancho Panza – Philip Mosley Lorenzo – Gary Avis Gamache – Bennet Gartside Espada – Ryoichi Hirano Mercedes – Laura Morera
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Martin Yates, conductor
Carlos Acosta, director and choreographer (after Marius Petipa)
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, October 2013
Bonus: - Introduction to Carlos Acosta’s Don Quixote - Cast gallery
Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: LPCM Stereo 2.0 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Running time: 125 mins No. of DVDs: 1
R E V I E W: 3812370.az_MINKUS_Don_Quixote.html
MINKUS Don Quixote & • Martin Yates, cond; Marianela Nuñez (Kitri); Carlos Acosta (Basilio); Christopher Saunders (Don Quixote); Philip Mosley (Sancho Panza); Ryoichi Hirano (Espada); Laura Morera (Mercedes); Bennet Gartside (Gamache); Gary Avis (Lorenzo); Christina Arestis (Dulcinea); Royal Op House O • OPUS ARTE 7143 (Blu-ray: 137.00) Live: London 10/2013
& Interviews: Cast and Crew; Introductions to acts II and III
Ludwig Minkus’s Don Quixote has held a place in the repertoire since its premiere at the Bolshoi Theater in 1869. The music is charming and well orchestrated, but persistently a little bland. There are plenty of melodies, but none of them are particularly distinctive. This is certainly not Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev. The poor boy meets rich girl love story interwoven with the fantastic adventures of Don Quixote has attracted the biggest names in ballet over the years, with Marius Petipa’s original classical production being followed by Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and George Balanchine. Now, it is Carlos Acosta’s turn. His choreography is based on Petipa, but he has modernized it with his trademark physicality, and some new unclassical sounds (clapping, vocal exclamations) from the corps de ballet on stage.
Ultimately, the success of Don Quixote depends on the two principals. Acosta and Marianela Nuñez are the ideal pair to light a fire in this production. Acosta’s charisma is well known, and Nuñez matches him step for step with her amazing leaps and twirls, and the two have remarkable stage chemistry. They really do sizzle as much as that is possible in a classical ballet. The best is saved for last with their exquisite and joyful final pas de deux. In fact, the whole supporting cast and corps de ballet seem to have been inspired by Acosta. Everyone appears to be having a grand good time, and this is clearly projected to the audience.
The sets are magnificent and the colorful costumes are dazzling on Blu-ray. Martin Yates’s arrangement and orchestration of the Minkus score matches the bright visuals, and his conducting is surprisingly dynamic. The music comes to life as I have never heard it do before, especially in the excellent surround sound. I have not seen any of the older versions of Don Quixote, but it is hard to imagine any of them matching this one, musically or technically. If you are a ballet fan, don’t hesitate to enjoy this sumptuous visual feast.
Boyer: Symphony No 1 / Boyer, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Naxos
CD
$19.99Feb 25, 2014
Peter Boyer is one of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation, widely admired not least for his GRAMMY®-nominated Ellis Island: The Dream of America (Naxos 8.559246). The composer writes, “The five works included on this recording represent a cross-section of my orchestral music. Three Olympians reflects my interest in mythology and history. Often I have received invitations to compose music for celebratory concerts, and three of the works included here – Silver Fanfare, Festivities and Celebration Overture – were created for such occasions.” Symphony No. 1 is a lyrical and rhythmically charged work, dedicated to the memory of Leonard Bernstein.
R E V I E W S of some of the recordings that make up this set:
It's always fascinating to go back to the early recordings of artists who are firmly ensconced in the classical music pantheon. Such is the case with this recording of the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius concertos made by Itzhak Perlman in the late 1960s. The Tchaikovsky concerto was written for virtuoso violinist Leopold Auer who actually thought the work unplayable. The young Perlman brings passion and flash to the concerto; his playing is suitably poetic in its sentimental moments and fiery in its finale. Sibelius's concerto was written about the same time that he wrote his second symphony. Perlman grasps the concerto's romantic soul while standing up to its demanding modernist technical challenges. As an added bonus the recording includes Dvorák's Romance, a gentle idyll that displays Perlman's lovely legato playing. -- MUZE [review of RCA 63591]
This album continues the tribute to classic film music from John Williams and Itzhak Perlman's CINEMA SERENADE disc. It is an undeniably old-fashioned and romantic album, befitting the era the music is drawn from. On "As Time Goes By" from CASABLANCA, Perlman proves that he's still one of the world's premier concert violinists, playing the theme with palpable ache. Most of these compositions are by the classic film composers--Alfred Newman, Miklós Rózsa, Max Steiner--with one notable exception. William Walton's theme for HENRY V gets a suitably regal, yet restrained, treatment. Perlman sounds as if he's having a good time with the sprightly Irish motifs of "The Quiet Man." The orchestrations are rich and dramatic, and the recording quality is superb. This album is highly recommended to anyone who remembers when a soundtrack was more than just a bunch of flavor-of-the-month pop tunes. -- MUZE [review of SONY 60773]
Prokofiev's F minor Sonata—surely his greatest chamber work—opens bleakly, then flowers to harmonic richness before switching to a sharp-edged Allegro brusco, a deeply introspective Andante and a closing Allegrissimo that recalls (or anticipates, depending on its precise chronology in Prokofiev's thinking) the finale of the great Eighth Piano Sonata... Perlman's is an immensely assured, sweet-centred reading, delicate where needs be (the ''wind in a graveyard'' passages of the first movement, for example) and yet with a Heifetzian resilience that both sonatas willingly respond to... When it comes to the delightful Second Sonata—of rather less import, and a second-hand utterance (the original was for flute and piano)—Perlman and Ashkenazy play with astonishing virtuosity and here their visceral virtues win hands down, especially in the Scherzo... the playing has real class, the recording is clean and there's a substantial bonus in Perlman's accomplished 1966 version of the Second Violin Concerto, where Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony trace and characterize the score's every subtle detail—especially among the woodwind. That, for me, is the disc's most indelible interpretative feature. -- Gramophone [review of RCA 61454]
Odette / Odille – Marianela Nuñez Prince Siegfried – Thiago Soares The Princess, Siegfried’s mother – Elizabeth McGorian An Evil Spirit / Von Rothbart – Christopher Saunders The Tutor – Alastair Marriott Benno – David Pickering
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Valeriy Ovsyanikov, conductor
Anthony Dowell, stage director Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, choreographers
Recorded at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on 16 and 24 March 2009
Bonus: - Illustrated synopsis - Cast gallery - Interview with Anthony Dowell - Four Swan Queens - Exclusive 30-minute conversation on the demands of dancing the role of the Swan Queen with former Prima Ballerinas - Dame Beryl Grey, Dame Monica Mason, Lesley Collier and current principal Marianela Nuñez
The Nutcracker
The Sugar Plum Fairy – Miyako Yoshida Nephew / Nutcracker – Ricardo Cervera / Steven McRae The Prince – Steven McRae Drosselmeyer – Gary Avis
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Koen Kessels, conductor
Peter Wright, choreographer and director (after Lev Ivanov)
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, November and December 2009
Bonus: - Cast gallery - Rehearsing at White Lodge - Peter Wright tells the story of The Nutcracker
The Sleeping Beauty
Princess Aurora – Alina Cojocaru Prince Florimund – Federico Bonelli King Florestan XXIV – Christopher Saunders His Queen – Elizabeth McGorian Cattalabutte – Alastair Marriott Carabosse – Genesia Rosato Lilac Fairy – Marianela Nuñez
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Valeriy Ovsyanikov, conductor
Marius Petipa, choreographer
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 5 December 2006
Bonus: - Cast gallery - Illustrated synopsis
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Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Subtitles (bonus): French, German, Spanish (Nutcracker) + Italian (Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty) Running time: 7 hours 37 mins No. of DVDs: 3
The Chants of Mary / Gloriae Dei Cantores Men's Schola
Gloriae Dei Cantores
SACD
$20.99Aug 01, 2012
Gloriae Dei Cantores Men's Schola sings these Gregorian chants of love and devotion to Mary, the Mother of God, the Theotokos, the Star of the Sea. While our names for her are as varied as the traditions that surround her being, one thing remains constant: she invariably points us to her own Son, teaching us to greet Him with that same "yes" by which she opened herself to Him, body, soul and spirit. May we all receive the blessing of her example, told through these ancient songs of faith.
This SACD features the Stabat Mater, the Marian antiphons for Compline, and selected propers from the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception, the Nativity of Mary, the Annunciation, the Visitation, and the Assumption.
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker / Kaptsova, Ovcharenko, Bolshoi Ballet
BelAir Classiques
DVD
$29.99Apr 24, 2012
TCHAIKOVSKY The Nutcracker • Pavel Klinichev, cond; Nina Kaptsova (Marie); Artem Ovcharenko (Nutcracker Prince); Denis Savin (Drosselmeyer); et al.; Bolshoi Ballet; Bolshoi Th O & Children’s Ch • BELAIR BAC 073 (DVD: 103:00); BAC 473 (Blu-ray: 103:00) Live: Moscow 12/2010
"The Bolshoi Ballet is celebrating the 85th birthday of choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, a subject of veneration in his homeland even though his talent outside Russia has always been questioned. In addition to such original works as Spartacus and Ivan the Terrible, Grigorovich has also attacked several 19th-century classics with limited success, of which his Nutcracker is an example. It is difficult to know how much of Petipa and Ivanov’s choreography survives, as few versions are comparable, though one might assume that Balanchine comes close in many respects as do the versions that descend from Sergeyev’s notation. For some reason each of the character dances in the second act here is given to a couple, rather than varying between soloist, couple, or trio or larger group. The final pas de deux is—as usual in Soviet versions—disfigured by the use of a male corps that separates the dancers while hoisting them aloft for the music’s climax so that they are separated rather than joined in communion.
Within this framework, Nina Kaptsova and Artem Ovcharenko stand out for their enthusiasm and brilliance, while Denis Savin as Drosselmeyer is given far more dance movement than in other versions of the ballet. Pavel Klinichev and the Bolshoi Orchestra are entirely at home in this music, glowing throughout."
The international award-winning octet, VOCES8, has established itself at the forefront of British a cappella. Performing a repertoire ranging from Renaissance polyphony to unique Jazz and Pop arrangements, the group has been praised for stunning performance, exquisite singing and creating a sound that spans the entire range of vocal color.
REVIEW:
Voces8 offer polished and well-nigh flawless singing. The tone, however, seems rather ‘white’; frequently I found myself longing for a bit less studied technical perfection and a bit more by way of grit and feeling; much of this disc seems too smooth and effortless.
Alice – Lauren Cuthbertson Jack / Knave of Hearts – Sergei Polunin Lewis Carroll / White Rabbit – Edward Watson Mother / Queen of Hearts – Zenaida Yanowsky Father / King of Hearts – Christopher Saunders Magician / Mad Hatter – Steven McRae Duchess – Simon Russell Beale
Royal Ballet Royal Opera House Orchestra Barry Wordsworth, conductor Christopher Wheeldon, choreography
Bob Crowley, designs Nicholas Wright, scenario Natasha Katz, lighting design
Recorded live from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 9 March 2011.
Bonus: - Cast Gallery - Documentary – Being Alice
Picture format: NTSC 16:9 anamorphic Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish Running time: 120 mins (ballet) + 30 mins (bonus) No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)
R E V I E W:
A stimulating production.
It is a brave company that is prepared to take such a surrealist novel and turn it into a stage show. Where film can provide the visual trickery necessary to give visual magic, theatre machinery is cumbersome and pedantic in comparison. Yet the development of technical resources and video projection can help. With ballet, a large part of the stage must be kept free of obstructions to allow ballet routines to progress unimpeded. To then faithfully transfer to a video medium without high level on-line visual trickery may not ideally help the viewer. So how then has Covent Garden fared in bringing about a stimulating production?
Very well, in fact. The prologue where Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) is taking photographs of the family group works excellently. It is set in a realistic deanery garden. Bob Crowley’s backdrop painting in faded Victorian hues is in keeping. In this opening scene we are introduced to the personalities that later appear as stereotypes in the fantasy world Alice uncovers. The only odd thing in a private deanery garden is having a nurse wheel a perambulator across the stage as if in a busy street.
Some of the settings contain more subtlety than might at first sight be noticed. Monotone backdrops, the Cheshire Cat and a paper boat are styled on the engravings found in Carroll’s first edition book. As the ballet progresses the settings become more flamboyant and graphically modern.
Particularly stunning is the Playing Cards scene. Choreography and costumes strike just the right note. A clever routine with a segmented Cheshire Cat allows believable animation.
As one might expect, the dancing is up to the exacting standards of the corps with a Covent Garden reputation. The problem of having Alice change size was well contrived and Lauren Cuthbertson’s acting is excellent. The character of the White Rabbit is extremely officious throughout I noticed, yet pales before the bombastic pomp of the Queen of Hearts (Zenaida Yanowsky).
The orchestra plays well under the secure direction of Barry Wordsworth, a conductor not seen enough of nowadays. Talbot’s music has facets of talent and although classical harmony is mainly maintained, it is heavy, strongly percussive and is often reminiscent of the fight scene of West Side Story. One could hardly call the music melodious which is a pity as it misses out in appealing to the younger generation for whom the story is intended. I find the scoring unnecessarily heavy and is an ill fit with the elegance of classical ballet choreography.
The DVD is divided into play chapters, and contains a gallery photographs of the key dancers. It has the bonus of a well compiled and informative BBC documentary ‘Being Alice’. In it we see the planning, realisation and execution of the staging through the eyes of the principal dancer, Lauren Cuthbertson. Subtitles are provided in English, French, German and Spanish. In-depth background production notes with synopsis by David Nice are written in English, French and German.
150 German Folksongs / Prey, Schreier, Dresden Kreuzchor, Thomanerchor Leipzig
Capriccio
CD
$21.99Aug 30, 2011
A festive concert of great voices, this Volkslied-Edition offers on 5 CDs the most famous and most beloved German folksongs, performed by well known singers like Hermann Prey, Peter Schreier, and famous choirs, especially boys choirs, such as the Dresden Kreuzchor, Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Regensburger Domspatzen. A well done edition for all friends of choir music offered for a verys special price!
Mozart: The Magic Flute / Levine, Polenzani, Huang, Gunn, Pape
Sony Masterworks
DVD
$19.98Aug 16, 2011
• The inaugural broadcast of the Peabody and Emmy®-award winning series The Met Live in HD. • The Magic Flute has delighted audiences of all ages for centuries. Julie Taymor’s dazzling English-language production brings one of Mozart’s greatest works to life as never before. • James Levine leads a cast that includes Ying Huang as Pamina in her Met debut, Nathan Gunn, Matthew Polenzani, Erika Miklosa and Rene Papa. • Taken from the December 30, 2006 live performance. • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Giuseppe Verdi LA TRAVIATA (Blu-ray Disc Version) Violetta – Renée Fleming Alfredo Germont – Joseph Calleja Giorgio Germont – Thomas Hampson Baron Douphol – Eddie Wade Doctor Grenvil – Richard Wiegold
Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra Antonio Pappano, conductor Richard Eyre, stage director
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, June and July 2009.
Bonus: - Cast gallery - Antonio Pappano interviews Renée Fleming
Picture format: 1080i High Definition Sound format: LPCM 2.0 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Menu language: English Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian Running time: 135 mins No. of Discs: 1 (Blu-ray)
R E V I E W:
3525240.az_VERDI_La_Traviata_Antonio.html
VERDI La Traviata • Antonio Pappano, cond; Renée Fleming (Violetta); Joseph Calleja (Alfredo); Thomas Hampson (Germont); Royal Op House Ch & O • OPUS ARTE OA 1040 D (DVD); OA BD7076 D (Blu-ray: 154:00) Live: Covent Garden 6/27 & 30/2009
Back in Fanfare 34:1 I reviewed the recent DVD of La traviata with Angela Gheorghiu, Ramón Vargas, Roberto Frontali, and Lorin Maazel at La Scala. To summarize that briefly, my verdict was: excellent staging, superlative Gheorghiu, good Vargas and Maazel, hapless Frontali and comprimario singers. I also provided an extensive overview of other versions of the opera on DVD; all are flawed, but the best alternatives are the 1968 film version on VAI with Anna Moffo, Franco Bonisolli, Gino Bechi, and Giuseppe Patané; a 1972 Tokyo staging starring Renata Scotto, José Carreras, Sesto Bruscantini, and Nino Verchi, also on VAI; and the 2006 Los Angeles Opera production on Decca with Renée Fleming, Rolando Villazón, Renato Bruson, and James Conlon. Opus Arte now brings us a new version with Renée Fleming, and while it too is not without its flaws, it joins the aforementioned entries in the top rank of La traviata performances on video.
At the risk of seeming like a gaggle of geese nibbling this DVD to death, I will state up front that this version of the opera is carried by a few great strengths over multiple secondary weaknesses. The strengths are easy to state: All the principal roles are securely sung, a top-notch conductor is on the podium, and the staging is sensible. In particular, Joseph Calleja is one of the greatest Alfredos ever to record the role. While not ideally handsome and dashing in physical appearance, he has the ringing tenor voice, secure technique, heartbreaking plangency of timbre, and interpretive imagination for the ideal Alfredo. Every time he opens his mouth, you simply don’t want him to close it again. He is also an effective actor whose facial expressions, postures, and gestures harmonize with his singing.
After Calleja, however, the “yes, but” element of this review enters in for everyone and everything else, beginning with the Violetta of Renée Fleming. Doubtless she is a very good Violetta, and superior to many rivals, but I do not think she is a truly great one. Compared to her Los Angeles performance from three years earlier, her interpretation is considerably deeper but her vocal technique (particularly in “Sempre libera”) is more labored and the sound less creamy. Thankfully, she does far less of the distracting grimacing and bizarre grinning than before, though sometimes it still intrudes (someone needs to tell her to rehearse in front of a mirror). However, my greater concern is that her acting is too calculated and external to the character rather than indwelling it; she expends too much energy portraying, rather than being, Violetta. The gestures and movements all seem too self-conscious; instead of just picking up a champagne bottle, or flitting a handkerchief, or sitting down in a chair, one can almost see her thinking, “Now I’m supposed to pick up the champagne bottle,” “Now I should flit my handkerchief,” “Now I should sit down in this chair.” Again, I would prefer to emphasize the real improvement in her characterization in just three years, but this dimension is present and it does matter.
Next there is the Germont of Thomas Hampson. The good news is that he is in steady and secure voice here—not always the case recently—which is more than can be said for much of his painfully superannuated competition. The less than ideal news is that, in order to keep the voice steady, he constantly forces it so that every syllable is pushed out at a forte with a hard, unyielding tone that limits him to a single mode of expression, one of preemptive sternness. His acting and facial gestures are similarly limited and wooden; when Violetta pleads for his fatherly embrace he remains stock-still and ignores her, and displays equal unconcern for his son at “Di Provenza il mar.” In an unintentionally comic sartorial aspect, the light green piping on his brown suit unavoidably conjures up a chocolate sundae with mint drizzle icing, while his stiff posture and lumbering gait in an over-padded full-length fur coat keep bringing to mind actor Fred Gwynne (aka Herman Munster). Again, I don’t want these smaller details to override the fact that Hampson’s Germont trumps that of many lesser singers, but again they are present and do matter.
The rest can be summarized more briefly. One always expects fine Verdi conducting when Antonio Pappano is in the pit, and so it proves here; but this time he seems a bit too deferential to his singers and the performance lacks the extra frisson found in his very best interpretations, and I actually find myself preferring Maazel overall despite his occasional eccentricities. The comprimario singers are uniformly excellent to a rare degree—every one of them could easily be singing a principal role in a major opera instead—and the deft stage direction makes their momentary interactions contribute far more to the cogency of the plot that I have ever experienced before. The recorded sound and film quality are quite good, with the quality of the Blu-ray disc only marginally superior to that of the regular DVD; the camerawork is sensible if not exceptional; the costumes are of the period and (Hampson’s suit and coat excepted) attractive and elegant; the ballet sequence at Flora’s party is nicely staged.
My one other major reservation concerns the production’s sets, which are quite pedestrian. Act I is set in a round room with brown wood paneling and a single large window with blinds in the back, with a small round settee and semicircular padded backless benches around it—no banquet table, chandelier, or anything else to indicate either elegance or the intended significance of Violetta in the round. While not the awful Willy Decker sofa and clock, it’s a major disappointment. The villa interior for act II, scene 1 is painted a drab eggshell blue and has no furniture other than a long work table and a few chairs. Several paintings—whether waiting to be hung or sold is not clear—are stacked on the floor to one side, and several little squares painted with stripes—color swatches, perhaps?—rest in a row on the wall molding halfway off the floor. It’s not very attractive, and simply leaves one baffled regarding the desired effect. By contrast, Flora’s party in act II scene 2 is appropriately elegant, marred only by garish red stage lighting, a huge modern dome light fixture hanging from the ceiling like an oversized cafeteria heat lamp hovering over sandwiches. Act III has an appropriately simple setting of a bare room outfitted with a bed, a dresser, and a couple of chairs, but again is marred by two enormous windows with blinds, against which inexplicably tall shadows (up to 30 feet) of carnival revelers are cast after Violetta finishes “Addio del passato.” Compared to the high-class La Scala staging for Gheorghiu, this is an impoverished country cousin.
So, once again, we still await the ideal La traviata. In the best of all possible worlds, I would be able to take the La Scala production, replace its wretched comprimario singers with their Covent Garden counterparts, swap out Vargas for Calleja, and replace Frontali with almost any other baritone from another DVD. (Leonard Warren, where are you when we need you?) Barring such a pleasing impossibility, however, this production is as good as any other and better than most, and is recommended accordingly.
The Chants of Angels / Gloriae Dei Cantores Schola
Gloriae Dei Cantores
SACD
$20.99May 10, 2011
REVIEWS:
This chant schola, made up of members of the choir on Cape Cod, has recorded chant under Mary Berry and Richard Pugsley. For their two latest discs, the members of the schola divided the programs among themselves and took turns preparing and directing the chants. Seven men of the schola are on the latest disc, while seven women join them for the earlier disc. In the first (but newer) disc, the 24 selections range from the most familiar Marian chants to three unrecorded pieces. The latter include the responsory Benedicta et venerabilis, the Assumption hymn O prima Virgo prodita, and the antiphon Beata es Virgo Maria Dei genitrix, as well as only the second recording of the responsory Repleta est Spiritu Sancto. The familiar chants include the four final antiphons, distributed through the program in pairs (simple and solemn settings).
The excellence of interpretation is not surprising, for the first members of Gloriae Dei Cantores spent some time at Cambridge studying chant with Mary Berry in the 1980s, and she came to Cape Cod for many summer sessions until her lamented passing. Her influence has endured in the skillful semiological interpretations of these chants. All of the hymns are sung complete and the graduals include the repeat of the respond. It would be hard to single out a few pieces for special praise, but the sequence Stabat mater, which ends the program, is superbly executed through its five-minute length. The verses of the offertory Ave Maria, too, are expertly rendered; not only is this one of the most frequently recorded chants, but it is also one of the most frequently recorded offertories with verses.
In the other disc, released a year ago, the 18 selections include another three first recordings, the hymn Festiva vos, the antiphon Angelis suis, and the alleluia Benedicite Domino. The hymn Custodes hominum has only its second recording. The offertory Immittet Angelus is recorded with all three verses for the first time, and the offertory Stetit Angelus has its single verse. This program has few of the most familiar chants. The two scholas, men and women, sing most of the selections separately, joining to alternate in the verses of hymns and only rarely concluding a chant with octave singing.
The recordings, among the first Super Audio productions on this label, were made in the new Church of the Transfiguration, which the ecumenical community built on the grounds of their complex. The surround sound provides a nice sense of space around the singers. Since thematic programs focused on chants of the Blessed Virgin and the angels are so common, these discs are notable for containing some unusual selections. While I have always approved the schola’s chant recordings, these two discs attain a new height of excellence, the best chant singing of any American choir. The booklets are attractively printed, too. Both discs will grace any chant collection.
Keeping Christmas: Beloved Carols & The Christmas Story / Patterson, Gloriae Dei Cantores
Gloriae Dei Cantores
CD
$18.99Dec 01, 2010
Each year at Christmas, Gloriæ Dei Cantores celebrates the "dawn of redeeming grace" with a traditional candlelit Service of Readings and Carols, retelling the stories of Christ's birth that stir us with memories and hopes for peace and love. Just for a time as you listen to these carols and stories, let your heart fill with gratitude for our many blessings, and with goodwill toward others. Gloriæ Dei Cantores offers this recording with a prayer that the joy of the season brings you renewed hope and a fresh sense of wonder!
![Verdi: La Traviata / Pappano, Fleming, Calleja, Hampson, Wade [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1844810.jpg?v=1788384224&width=800)
![Verdi: La Traviata / Pappano, Fleming, Calleja, Hampson, Wade [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/81QpY2W53dL.jpg?v=1788384224&width=800)
![Verdi: La Traviata / Pappano, Fleming, Calleja, Hampson, Wade [Blu-ray]](http://arkivmusic.com/cdn/shop/files/1844810.jpg?v=1788384224&width=400)
