Selected Reviews

BACH: Cantatas & Arias

Ralph Kohn - Baritone
English Chamber Orchestra
Directed by Ian Watson
Raphael Music RAPHCD006

This very well conceived selection of cantatas and arias contains some of Ralph Kohn's most expressive and sensitive recorded performances.

Throughout, he has the always-attentive English Chamber Orchestra, directed with real appreciation of the singer's love of words by Ian Watson, one of the elite band of English musicians whose work includes opera in Germany and performances as conductor and performer here and in the USA. Among the exceptional woodwind players associated with the ECO, whose musicianship enhances Ralph Kohn's own distinctive baritone, is Neil Black whose superb obliggato in Ich habe genug is for me the musical highlight of this strongly recommended disc.

The CD booklet, with comprehensive notes by Richard Stokes, includes fascinating reproductions of copies of Bach's autograph manuscripts and an autograph draft of a newspaper ad for Bach's St Matthew Passion conducted by Mendelssohn from 1841. Complete texts are included, giving the listener the opportunity to follow Ralph Kohn's particularly fine phrasing in which he seems to find and deliver the essence of the words which inspired Bach himself.

Denby Richards

Birtwistle's Punch and Judy from ENO at the Young Vic

English National Opera's mini-season at the Young Vic may have been modest in number - just two productions: Olga Neuwirth's adaptation of David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway (first performed in 2002), and Sir Harrison Birtwistle's first foray into music theatre, 40 years ago, Punch and Judy. If the latter contributed to establishing Birtwistle as one of the angry young men of British avant-garde music, even now the actions of the sociopathic Punch - who ritually slaughters first the Baby, then Judy, the Doctor and Lawyer and the hangman Jack Ketch - can hardly fail to shock. And Birtwistle's music is the equal both to the violent and the 'soft' sides of Punch - the latter taking the form of his initially spurned attempts to woo Pretty Polly.

On 19 April, the role of master of ceremonies-cum-Greek Chorus, Choregos, was sung by Ashley Holland with more gravitas but less sneering provocation than Jeremy Huw Williams, who took the role for Music Theatre Wales's revival of their own production at the Linbury Theatre the previous month. But Andrew Shore sang and acted Punch with deep-rooted identification with the role, highlighting the joy of killing and the tragedy of his initial rejections from Polly. And a revealing touch from director Daniel Kramer comes when Punch wipes off his clown's greasepaint only to hint that it hides nothing: what lies beneath remains the same, deeply flawed, being. Kramer also has a pit at the rear of the stage where Punch's victims are laid to rest, and introduces six dancers as nightmarish alter egos of Punch, brilliantly choreographed by Quinny Sacks. What is missing is a reflection of the passage of the seasons and of Punch's travels across the points of the compass to woo Pretty Polly. The latter's stratospheric vocal heights, amply scaled by Gillian Keith, were matched by her appearance from atop a fairy-tale tower, from where she shook and thrusted her slim frame in a teasing come-on to Punch. Lucy Schaufer was in fine voice as Judy/Fortune Teller, and Graham Clark and Graeme Broadbent were an effective duo as the Lawyer and Doctor.

ENO's dynamic Edward Gardner drew renewed energy and clarity from Birtwistle's score, producing a musical impression every bit as vivid as the big-top, in-the-round setting on stage - and this in the same week as conducting the UK premiere of Kaija Saariaho's opera Adriana Mater, in a concert presentation.

Edward Bhesania

WNO's Hansel & Gretel

Richard Jones' production of Hansel and Gretel has enjoyed various revivals since it was first seen in 1998, but perhaps none with such a fine pairing of the title roles. On 30 May, Cora Burggraaf's clearly focused Hansel and Rebecca Evans' dulcet-toned Gretel complemented each other perfectly. Evans made her WNO debut in this role in 1990 and the late Kenneth Loveland would have praised her performance in this magazine. Having very early on spotted the talent of both Dames Gwyneth Jones and Margaret Price, he was proud to have discovered another exciting Welsh soprano. He would also have felt suitably vindicated by Rebecca Evans' contribution to Charles Mackerras' recent Grammy-winning recording of Hansel and Gretel.

Eddie Wade and Mary Lloyd-Jones sang the terrible parents with gusto. But it is the witch who tends to steal this particular show and Graham Clark was outrageous, his deft stage business adding an extra panache to the characterisation. Visually, it is the central dream sequence with the sandman and the splendid banquet which continues to captivate and in the pit Thomas Rösner brought an overall integrity to the music which made for a memorable evening on every count.

Rian Evans

Royal Opera's Don Carlos

Great opera houses are designed for great performances of operatic masterpieces involving a great orchestra, a great conductor and, hopefully, a great producer, all working with a handpicked cast and a great chorus to leave an audience grateful that they had been present at a once in a lifetime event. So it was at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden on 6 June.

Since he arrived as Music Director Antonio Pappano is creating an era of music making which my imagination suggests is not too dissimilar from the legendary pre Second World War days when Sir Thomas Beecham brought his genius and his family's money to Covent Garden. Part of the reason for this is the astonishing variety of operatic styles and distinctive personalities of composers with whom Pappano has blended his own musicianship and personality. Now he has brought us Verdi's greatest opera in collaboration with the equally gifted director of the National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner, enhanced by Bob Crowley's wonderful designs, intelligently and sensitively lit by Mark Henderson.

To find seven outstanding singers who are not only ideally suited to their roles but are perfectly attuned to their peers both musically and dramatically is rare indeed. However, this minor miracle was achieved and I can only hope that the audiences in New York's Metropolitan and Norway's National Opera will have the same experience when this co production reaches them.

Rolando Villazón is already accepted as a leading tenor of our time but he should also be praised for his genuine musicianship and sense of theatre. His Don Carlos has grace and elegance while his voice is automatically adjusted to convey his words intelligently, especially in his love passages with Elizabeth of Valois and his filial approach to his father King Philip, Marina Poplavskaya and Ferrucio Furlanetto, both of whom excelled in their individual cameos and ensembles.

Simon Keenlyside obviously relishes his performance as the treacherous Rodrigo, while Sonia Ganassi's Princess Eboli is beautifully presented, vibrantly sung and dramatically convincing. Eric Halfvarson brings genuine mischief to his malevolent portrayal of the Grand Inquisitor: probably Verdi's nastiest villain. Robert Lloyd gave a typically memorable projection of the aging Carlos V.

Shaping and moulding the overall production, Antonio Pappano held the audience in thrall while always providing the perfect backing for his singers. The chorus were at their superb best while the orchestra deserve individual medals.

Truly, a night to remember.

Denby Richards

New York Met's The First Emperor

Have you ever opened up a 'new and improved' box of cornflakes only to discover that they tasted much the same as the unregenerated cornflakes of old? You will then recognize the feeling of mild disappointment provided by the season premiere on 10 May of Tan Dun's The First Emperor, again conducted by the composer. Given its world premiere at the Met last year, with largely the same cast, including the wondrous Plácido Domingo in the title-role of the tyrant ruler who unified China in the 3rd-century BC, Tan Dun has now apparently made many revisions to the score. To my ears' shame they didn't really notice them. Yes, I was aware of a new aria for the emperor's wife (Susanne Mentzer) bewailing the death of her daughter, and, although it didn't seem it, I am told that Tan Dan has reduced the opera's length by about 20 minutes.

Some additions have been made to the major love scene between the emperor's daughter Yueyang (sung with a sweet passion by Sarah Coborn, replacing Elizabeth Futral who sang the world premiere) and Tan Dun has also enlarged the Peking-Opera style scenes, and he has 'aimed to make the story more cinematic, more sensual.' Unfortunately the opera was too 'cinematic' to start with. Tan Dun, best known for his Oscar winning score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, here has also composed a kind of East/West fusion music that would be more suitable backing up a movie than for an opera.

For, more apparent on a second hearing, the music's oddly unassimilated kind of fusion-duality never really attains any consistent manner or voice, 'sensual' or otherwise. It is beautifully performed not just by Domingo, whose voice still gleams with burnished power which dominates the stage like some Boris Godunov, yet with unaffected imperial heroics, but also the tenor Paul Groves, whose fine lyric voice had to maintain some of the opera's sillier moments, such as biting out his own tongue.

The epic-production has been directed by the distinguished Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, with strong assists from designers Fan Yue and Emi Wada. It looks greater than it sounds. In fact when the DVD comes out later this year, I have an impression that if you press the MUTE button you might get a quite impressive silent movie.

Clive Barnes reports on New York Opera. To read all of his reviews subscribe.