Thursday, April 23, 2009

I Have A Red Dot That Won't Go

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas

No doubt the masterpiece of the genre is English opera Dido and Aeneas , which, in a unified architectural construction and anticipates recalls Monteverdi to Mozart. The music of Purcell (ca. 1659-1695) imbues the modest and libretto by Nahum Tate kaleidoscopic with exquisite passion to restore the nobility and greatness of spirit of the character Virgil.
Your particular language syntax combines a combination of Venetian (with extended passages arioso ), the instrumental model of small operas in the French Manner "traditional harmonic vocabulary and English. The distribution of voices is perfectly balanced, with Dido and her two bridesmaids opposed by the sorceress and his two acolytes, the spirit and the sailor and two messengers, one for each field, and Aeneas as a puppet in the power struggle between the two. Released over three hundred years ago (possibly in the fall of 1684), his courtly status explain the central role of dance in the structure of the work (at least 17 numbers, although the score includes only surviving five). In the manner of classical tragedy, the chorus after each aria discussed in the shade.

Nobody can expect that in 1961 Anthony Lewis (Decca) would pose a Purcell with more orthodox historicism. No But the modern tools of the Inglés Chamber and its wide range of orchestral color glaze effect particularly dramatic and powerful, dark and deep timbre. Already in the beginning there is an effort to get the work of darkness phonographic an overture living and breathing. Herincx is stormy, surly and rude, according to the warrior character, an Englishman would say " male." The contralto Monica Sinclair is a witch singing ugly and messy, theatrically exaggerated, full of evil. The choir surrounds a harsh and evil, without a hint of mockery. All this is in the shadow of Janet Baker, the vibrato permeating voice and warm dark tone feature, unique in the recitatives ariososos diction, sparkling, plausible. If " Ah, Belinda is a dynamic degree model, the final lament instills a noble portrait in their pain, full of dignity in the death of the queen abandoned. The last chorus motet resembles a real service for the dead. The recording, shimmering in the distance, is commensurate with the legendary Decca level in decades 60 and 70.







By registering Parrott (Chandos, 1981) entered the world of historical instruments. Since attempts to reconstruct the representations made in a girls' school in Chelsea in 1689, consequently all roles except Aeneas (the raucous David Thomas at a high level) are sung by females. Emma Kirkby displays its line of song magic, pure and innocent, perhaps more than it shows through the book for the queen of Carthage. The parallel between the court of Dido and the scene of the cave of the witches can be understood as an allegory Protestant on Catholic ritual, giving full meaning to the sinister sorceress Jantina shocking Noorman. The enthusiastic chorus is technically brilliant. The sound (low pitch) is chamber music, stark, desolate, which surely contributes to the digital recording of the first time, cold and distant. The album has an uncomfortable access, with only four cuts.








Based on the so-called Tenbury manuscript (1777), Andrew Pinnock (DG Archiv, 1989) adds oboes and bassoons to the contingent of strings and gives the role of the sorceress the tenor Nigel Rogers, who leads to humorous conception limit. The choice conflicts with the rest of the crew, which underlines the dramatic end, especially Von Otter. No one can sing better than dense Swedish mezzo, but her approach seems too inhumane Olympics. Moreover, if every moment in this work leads inexorably towards the massive regret, (based on the opposition of a vocal melody irregular and ground constant), the light is not adequate tempo chosen. Stephen Varcoe has a particularly candid and compelling portrait taking note that the only obvious weakness of the script is flat and undeveloped character of Aeneas. The choir, polished plaster.








With a completely British cast, Christopher Hogwood (Decca L'Oiseau Lyre, 1992) proposes a reduced set without winds added, which exudes softness, grace and clarity, and emphasizes the continued hearing harpsichord . The differentiation of the female voices (Bott, small and pretty, Kirkby, flute; Baird, velvety) can follow the dialogue clearly. The sensitivity transmitted Ainsley Aeneas and courage. The use of a low as sorceress has been documented historically and is less grotesque than might be expected, on the contrary is untenable scenic degradation midshipman sailor sung by a child. The rest of the intense final chorus of insistent chromaticism ground (literally symbol of the earth and the grave) in a solemn tribute, full of comfort and peace. To highlight the excellent diction, but the transcript is rather flat supernatural. Clean and slightly reverberant sound.






William Christie (Erato, 1994) applies the continental way, not only in the French-speaking cast, but in the accentuation of rhythms, tempi dynamic light and aggressive. The Spartan band (three strings, flute, oboe, theorbo and a harpsichord very present) bubbling with inventive rhythm and flowering. This minimalism is applied to the choir, where only two solo reinforcements to supplement. Claire is a reptilian Brua sorceress, avoiding caricature, in a magnificent scene of evil, grating sound. But the marine atmosphere, the sound of tambourines, recalls a vaudeville pirate errolflynniano . The beardless Nathan Berg recreates an unusual Aeneas, Dido arrogant, but fearful of the gods hear this the singing of " Tonight? "crucial axis of the opera. Despite plenty of vibrato , Veronique Gens displays emotion, sweetness, and ornaments essential sound, if not inevitable. In conclusion, refinement and continuity make this album perfect theater.







The originality of Jacobs (Harmonia Mundi, 1998) makes it touch the intervention in the score. Thus, to complete the two missing scenes, add music from other works of Purcell or repeat fragments, for example in the overture . Used to bend the strings flutes (already strong in number) and frequent dynamic contrasts, ornaments and flourishes, the key toggles continuous, positive organ and lute, assigning it to specific scenes or characters. Thus, the dissonance that frame the arias from Dido (superlative Lynne Dawson) have great sensitivity, a feature of this recording. The Aeneas by Gerald Finley is firm and manly, the sorceress Susan a call Bichley Wagnerian transcendence, leaving the contrast to the slow chorus childish and grotesque portrait of his followers, Dominique Visse and Stephen Wallace, which undoubtedly hinders polyphonic interaction, but it fits perfectly with countertenor transvestite comic tradition. The peaceful alternation of choir and semicoro in the final result (sensitivity of the continuous support) provides a splendid definition of sound levels. Tempi accented on both sides, especially in amplitude by the chorus, but always with impeccable diction.






Teodor Currentzis (Alpha, 2008) anticipated the tragedy both in its intensity and warm in their violent agitation, and the overture , French mode popularized by Lully, accentuates the design into two sections (first slow, solemn dotted rhythm, and fast second motif imitative), highlighting the frequent dissonance and chromaticism (scraping the strings). This is a unique version, amazing, eccentric. The constant emphasis folkclórico element and the use of a continuum where they fit and lutes lutes, violas and percussion, related to the magical itineraries Jordi Savall and the Mediterranean. As did Jacobs, the new messiah Greek interludes adds instrumental based on existing material. The tempi tend to be extreme in search of scenic effect. Siberian choirs hold a pictorial finish rougher than the usual smug British. At the scene of the cave, the contralto is evil, spirits hovering over the chorus beats, ranks first string, and percussion highlights the threat. Simone Kermes's voice emerges delicate, almost transparent, and heightens the emotional impact sliding mode melismata East, without losing sight obscured the clarity of the text. The languid tempi and full use of dynamics (wonderful purity control and emission pianissimo , almost in a whisper) make their interventions purcelliana landmarks in the discography. Superb audio jack.






The interpreters of the role of Dido in Purcell are invited to search their own soul how to handle the second part of the lament (genuinely modulatory passage, tonally unstable). Do you find Dido new strength and courage in his last moments (such as Baker, Gens), or fell exhausted (as Kirkby, Hermes) in his will to live? Right or not a final crescendo heroic in the sun, the magnificent instrumental coda, particularly dissonant, illustrates the extreme anguish of Dido, whose descent into the tomb Purcell makes us perceive a full chromatic scale for the first and only time in the work .
Among the partially successful recordings could be cited: the smooth voice of Victoria de los Angeles in the recording of Barbirolli (EMI, 1966), the dream scene of the witches Harnoncourt (Teldec, 1983), the lustful dramatization of Jessye Norman in the version of Leppard Philips (1985), the ethereal and Apollonian Monteverdi Choir conducted by Gardiner (Philips, 1990), the mirror game characters (the six female roles are dubbed by three women) with Niquet (Glossa, 2001), the pastoral nature on the approximation of Haim (Virgin, 2003 ), the minimalist instrumental flexibility Wentz (Brilliant, 2004).

With this work in progress, the BBC3 broadcasted the program Building a Library dedicated to Dido & Aeneas . The Disparity of views is always rewarding.







Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Pokemon Indigo Where Can You Find Leafeon

Antonio Soler: Fandango

Jerome can be considered the monk Antonio Soler (1729 -1783 ) the most important English composer eighteenth century. Kapellmeister of the Monastery of the Escorial, is the perfect example of the balanced synthesis between the popular Italianate elements, the legacy of the Pass accepted organistic or Iberian, and keen eye to the landscape of the Viennese classics.

Although occasionally Soler used the form of theme and variation tions, no work can be compared in magnitude to Fandango (R. 146), his most famous work way: Based on the ubiquitous harmonic ostinato pattern , a hypnotic sequence of twelve notes that paragraph ece regularly in his left hand, and supports a comprehensive exploitation ("teaching?) of resources is clearly : Bankruptcy, masked and turns appointments of all kinds (both built-in rhythm and harmonics) , flashes of scales, chords and lightning, a storm of virtuosity that lifts the skirts of the monk and I (we) do ba the cloisters ilar the monastery.

We could find a dozen versions of Fandango (counting the orchestrations and arrangements by piano and guitar), but in fact there are no controve RSIA possible: The Colombian Rafael Puyana rises majestically by above all others and remains in Olympus. Solo.

trained professionally with Wanda Landowska (1877-1959), Polish harpsichordist pioneer in the recovery and interpretation of the old repertoire: " certain freedoms had, at certain times, laws force" by 1970 is associated Puyana figures who were already consecrated and No movement of historical interpretation (as Christoph er Hogwood, who was his student).

Puyana We can imagine watching with a smile on your face the rest of harpsichord: Kipnis (Sony, 1968), Chojnacka (Erato, 1977, not yet transferred to co mpact ), Ogg (Globe, 1991 ), Koopman (Astrée, 1991), Ross (Erato, 1992), Cole (Virgin, 1994), B elder (Brilliant, 1999), Staier (Teldec, 1999), Figueiredo (Passacaille, 2006). Without gland in the fingers, without e Spiritu, they lack the incisiveness, the brightness, magic, fantasy, sensuality, missing Luho Andalusia.

Puyana decision holds and strength in attack, Arreba binder force riveting performance of rhythmic counterpoint, subtle phrasing dotted rhythms, tempi freedom, including measurement, imagination, colorful, dynamic contrasts , incredible percussion, dance, magic, h clinch a power pole near the caster.

has been sometimes criticized for excessive use Puyana records key opinion do not share, because one of the foundations of his retrospective interpretation is pr ecis the lucky orchestration performs at the limit of the instrument timbre possibilities mento. Although a subsequent recording for L'Oiseau-Lyre (1990), the preferred edition of Philips (1967): The ex-cellent sound making rescues with definition and detail record the continuous changes that actually cause the ent usiasmo the listener (while listening you find yourself stomping and smiling too.)

Update: Finally I can respond to anonymous comments from here I want to thank you for putting me on the right track. The incredible warmth, detail and presence of the key is not (me) seemed to correspond with such an early recording date, but the recording is actually 1967, but was not made by Philips, but by Mercury, then a light years away in the recording technique ( especially the location of the microphones and tapes using 35-mm., identical to those used in the film). Now, at last see the light. I correct the slip (in my album (a reissue supereconómica) appeared only production date I took it for recording) and enjoy the magic fingers of Puyana prodigious.