Customer Reviews

Graun: Cleopatra & Cesare

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rene Jacobs conducts RIAS-Kammerchor & Concerto Koln, a period-instrument orchestra, in a recording of the opera Cleopatra & Cesare by Carl Heinrich Graun (c1703-1759).

"Any composer would have been proud to compose Cesare's heart-stoppingly vengeful last-act aria "Voglio strage", and any mezzo (or castrato or countertenor) would be happy to sing it. Here, Iris Vermillion is spectacular, and elsewhere in the opera she's as heroic, romantic, and colorful as our hero ought to be. René Jacobs clearly believes in this music and his Concerto Köln plays splendidly, embellishing the instrumental lines with vigor. This opera is a joy to hear, and this performance is excellent." (Robert Levine, classicstoday.com)

The vocal soloists on this recording:

Janet Williams - Soprano (Cleopatra)
Iris Vermillion - Mezzosoprano (Cesare)
Lynne Dawson - Soprano (Cornelia)
Robert Gambill - Tenor (Tolomeo)
Ralf Popken - Counter Tenor (Arsace)
Jeffrey Francis - Tenor (Lentulo)
Klaus Häger - Baritone (Achilla)
Elisabeth Scholl - Soprano (Cneo)
Maria-Cristina Kiehr - Soprano (Sesto)

Ch.H. Graun's opera Cleopatra & Cesare is not for everyone. It doesn't contain the show stopping arias and choruses that early-to-late Romantic opera relishes. The opera, however, reflects the refined, one may say French taste of the court of Frederick the Great and the influence of Frederick himself.

The music is elegant, refined, and reflective. Graun has the ability to create lovely, easily listenable lines of melody with a sometimes sad, but almost always plaintiff quality.

Yes, there is a staid quality to the opera, but one can easily define that quality as reflective and somewhat sombre... yet the music is always lovely, courtly, as it were.

If an opera lover of this period's music seeks to venture outside the narrow limits of the traditional Mozartian repertoire, and seeks to expand his listening pleasure, I can strongly recommend this opera and the music of Carl Heinrich Graun. I think the listener will be pleasantly surprised and rewarded for his efforts.

All the technical aspects of this recording are of the highest caliber. The singers gratify the most demanding opera lover's standards. All in all, this opera reveals another aspect of the diversity of Italian opera of the classic period. A genuine jewel. Enjoy. BW

I'm a big fan of Baroque opera and felt relatively safe making this purchase. And I wasn't disappointed. If you like Handel's and Vivaldi's operas you'll probably enjoy this as well. The orchestration and singing are excellent. Rene Jacobs does a fine job as usual. It's out of the catalogue now so grab a copy if you can!

Addendum 04/02/2008: I just finished listening to this opera for the first time in a while and was struck by just how wonderful it is. In fact it surpasses by far most of Vivaldi's operas and is up there with the best of Handel's. And I'm a big fan of Handel. There is not a weak link in the whole piece. As I write this there are two available copies, one used and one new, the new one well worth the $52 being asked for it. It's three disks of listening pleasure. Don't deny yourself. Just buy it!!