Customer Reviews

Handel - Rodelinda / Kermes, Mijanovic, Davislim, Lemieux, Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis

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

 

 

This is the latest Handel opera offering from DG - starry casting, a Handel doyen at the helm, and a prize-winning orchestra to boot, but like last season's Giulio Cesare there is something missing in this performance, and I don't just mean the absence of countertenors in an opera that has seen many a ct triumph in recent times.

The singing is stylish, appropriately ornamented for the most part, and the singers can actually sing the notes written unlike some recent and not so recent Handel opera performance or recordings. The orchestral playing is superb in places and sounds noticeably beefier than on one or two recent Complesso recordings. The direction is involved without becoming too intrusive. In comparison to the Kraemer on Virgin or the Schneider on DHM, this is the preferable recording, though the first two had some nice touches and some stylish singing in slightly incomplete versions.

The whole recording is based on the version of Rodelinda that Handel might have recognised from the revival of late 1725, including a re-written aria (sono i colpi della sorte) and several additions (including vivi tiranno, and a duet for Bertarido and Rodelinda that later flows into an abbreviated coro), claiming to be the first complete recording of the opera so far. Andrew Jones, who re-edited the opera for the HHA edition writes some informative notes and writer Donna Leon, a Curtis favourite, gives a good synopsis of the action.

All the ingredients are there for another prize-winning recording, so, what is missing ? Rodelinda is probably the Handel opera I know best having sung Bertarido and Unolfo arias in amateur competitions, so any cavelling here is perhaps due to that, but for some reason the dramatic elements of the story and music don't really ring true. I am not moved by the experience, though there are some very nice moments such as the opening scenes of Act 1, the Garibaldo arias of Vito Priante, and Steve Davislim's 'pastorello d'un povero armento' in Act 3. Simone Kermes, apart from a few occasional liberties with high notes, is a convincing Rodelinda; her opening scena is superb, as is her 'morrai, si; l'empia tua testa' from the end of Act 1 and her 'spietati, io vi giurai' in Act 2. In 'Ritorna, o caro e dolce' wishing for the return of her beloved Bertarido, she is lyrical with beautiful tone, far in excess of Sophie Daneman for Kraemer.

Sonia Prina is a feisty Eduige and her 'lo faro, diro; spietato' in Act one a high-class exemplar of vocal acting. Steve Davislim as the tyrant Grimoaldo, is at least the equal of his competitors on disc, though one might wish for a little more attack in the coloratura of 'tuo drudo e mio rivale'in Act 2. That said his accompanied arioso leading into 'pastorello' is a major highlight. As Bertarido's henchman Unolfo, the Canadian contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux has few chances to shine, though her 'fra tempeste' and 'un zeffiro' are stylish if slightly underplayed. She does get an extra aria in an addition to the 3rd Disc - the first version of 'sono i colpi' - which she has some difficulty in articulating the repeated notes clearly.

The only slightly disappointing vocal contribution is Marijana Mijanovic's Bertarido. Despite the fact she has sung this role at Glyndebourne she seems slightly under the note (also as Cesare in Minkowski's recording) and her slower arias seem to lose momentum similar to her extended recitative. Dove sei has some ugly ornamentation (written, we are told, by Emmanuelle Haim for her Glyndebourne performances), and her prison scene in Act 3 lacks the dramatic clarity of Andreas Scholl in the video of his Glyndebourne debut. The duet with Kermes at the end of Act 2 is effectively done, as is the additional duet at the end of Act 3. I actively disliked her Vivi Tiranno.

In the end, this is a personal dislike of a particular voice, and many readers of this will disagree with me and prefer her to a countertenor as Bertarido. She is, however, a good vocal actress (see Vivaldi's Bajazet), but IMHO not in this role.

So, we have a good recording with many more highlights than faults, but curiously undramatic in places and some very closely miked singers. Perhaps it's DG's recording technique that is the missing element here ?

Handel's operas continue to please audiences in today's opera houses around the world, whether they are performed in a duplicate style of Handel's period or updated in bizarre trappings and settings. The music and the drama remains intact and in a class all its own.

While everyone knows Giulio Cesare, Alcina, Ariodante, Serse, Rinaldo at least by isolated arias, Rodelinda has not benefited from as many performances and certainly not as many recordings. The opera is a beauty, abounding in elegant arias and ensembles and some of the most beautiful orchestral writing of all the Handel operas. The opera can be performed with the extensive use of countertenors (much like Giulio Cesare) and for this listener that approach has always been preferable. But this new recording may just alter everyone's opinion of casting!

Homogeneously excellent, the cast includes Simone Kermes (a clear toned, radiant soprano) in the title role, Marijana Mijanovic as Bertarido, brilliant tenor Steve Davislim as Grimoaldo, and Marie-Lemieux, Vito Priante, and Sonia Prina. There have been excerpts from Rodelinda recorded by the big names in opera, but as for ensemble effect and the true baroque style this cast is seamless.

Of course much of the success of any Handel opera performance lies in the hands of the conductor and here Alan Curtis conducts Il Complesso Barocco with ravishing embellishments and pure straight tone that underscores the drama. The sound of the recording is top notch. For those opera lovers waiting for a near perfect RODELINDA look no further! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, June 05

Expectations were high when I started to listen to this recording. Most great Handel operas like Giulio Cesare, Orlando, Ariodante, Alcina, Agrippina, ... have successful been recorded to date. Rodelinda has had less luck, and I always turned to the Glyndebourne video with William Christie conducting when I wanted to hear this opera.
This new Rodelinda grows on me every time I listen to it.
What a great opera it is! And what a shame that it hasn't attracted more attention on CD since the Handel revival.
You need three great singers to start with: of course Rodelinda, sung here by Simone Kermes who has a very beautiful voice indeed, a lot of dramatic involvement and she gives great ornamentation in the arias. She clearly wins over the uninvolved Sophie Daneman in the boring Nicholas Kraemer recording on Virgin, but Anna Caterina Antonacci is still my definitive Rodelinda.
It's also good to have mezzosopranos and contraltos in stead of contratenors. Marijana Mijanovic is a total success as Bertarido. From her very first note, you recognize that unique voice I first heard in Minkowski's Giulio Cesare. Compared to Daniel Taylor's non-existant interpretation and even to the very good Andreas Scholl on Christie, Mijanovic wins on all fronts. From extremely soft notes to great dramatic outbursts, I'm on the edge of my seat every time she sings.
On top of that, we have the best Grimoaldo you can imagine. I had never heard of Steve Davislim, but now it is a name to remember. What a great tenor role this is. No less than six arias with 'Pastorello d'un povero armento', preceeded by a great accompagnato, as climax of the third act. Tenor roles in Handel operas seem underestimated to me. Listening of Bajazet in Tamerlano or Lurcanio in Ariodante, and now to Grimoaldo, I'm always surprised by the low notes and the demands on flexibility. Steve Davislim has no technical problems whatsoever. Moreover his performance is heartfelt and very moving.
The other singers have minor roles, and they can stand the competition with the other recordings. The voices are very characteristic and recognizable.
Conductor Alan Curtis does a great job here. His other recordings of minor Handel operas like Arminio seem like second-rate now. Instrumental detail is very clear and the performance flows beautifully.
A performance I will return to over and over again, and ranks along Minkowski's Ariodante, Christie's Orlando and Hickox' Alcina.

This new CD is obviously thoroughly researched, and the addition of Handel's alternative arias is a real bonus. While the CD booklet touts the exceptional abilities of the young singers, their singing at times is rather lackluster, and there's a feeling of detachment with the text. Their coloratura work is definitely above average, but the voices tend to be small and sometimes constricted at the top and bottom. Compared to the Sutherland/Baker recording [D'Oro label--available at Amazon.com] it pales in comparison. The young Sutherland and Baker infuse their singing with incredible virtuosity and a total involvement with the drama. Too, any Marilyn Horne or David Daniels recording of "Vivi, tiranno" is a real tour-de-force performance over the neat-but-gutless version on this CD.
The subject of a college opera class I teach was Rodelinda, and, initially excited at finding this new CD, I ended up mostly using Sutherland/Baker/Horne/Daniels recordings. This CD is the perfect recording for musicologists and those who prefer period instruments. The young orchestra performs with precision, but,as with the singers, there's a certain excitement lacking.
If you have the Sutherland/Baker recording (or any of the English language versions) then this new recording would make an excellent companion.

The field is pretty sparse when it comes to recordings of Handels great Rodelinda. On LP we had a dramatic performance with Stich-Randall and Forrester under Priestman but it was cut and was pre-Handel scholarship. The previous CD edition under Kraemer was very limply directed and sung - it actually bored me and I quickly dumped it. Now we have a recording that is dramtically and excitingly conducted by Alan Curtis and is sung the same way. Some of the singing may fall short of perfection in one way or another but the whole performance crackles with electricity - this is the way to perform Handel. Supplement it with the superb DVD from Glyndebourne and you really get the essence of this great work.

Pardon the ironic title. This opera has had quite a few recordings, including a DVD production with Dorothea Roschmann and Michael Chance in the lead roles, and so one really has a choice here. My title refers to the conductor Alan Curtis' regular decision to "stack" the cast with women contraltos in male roles (cf. Rodrigo and Lotario, both little known Handel operas). Let me state my own position at the outset: I'm all for it! Particularly when he employs the great ones, such as Sonia Prina, like here, or Hilary Summers, etc. My preference is to mix it up, a female "primo uomo" and male (countertenor) secondo uomo gives the recording real variety and edge. Why yank Maire-Nicole Lemieux, last year's Orlando furioso (Vivaldi) out of het exclusive recording contract to give her the minor role of Unolfo? Why not use one of the many, many excellent countertenors instead?
Here, however, after Daniel Taylor's Bertarido (paired with Sophie Daneman), I think the part has found its voice.
Now to the problems with this recording: Simone Kermes! I truly hope you disagree with me on her voice because she is EVERYWHERE. A lackluster soprano to say the least, little technique, zero color, zero drama. She is very, very pretty so I imagine she makes her way in through staging considerations, but I wish she would stay there.
Lastly, and I can't believe I am writing this, the ornamentation is frequently out of hand. Way, way too much of a good thing.
If you are a Handel freak such as I, of course you should buy this. If not, it's the Daniel Taylor/Sophie Daneman under Nicholas Kraemer for Virgin records.

I have to say this recording is one of the best, because I really don't think it is the last word possible. Unlike some other reviewers above, I feel that the counter-tenor thing, if done with some of the really good to excellent counter-tenors available today make a better case for believe-ability, especially in the video versions. The two available dvd's show how to do it well (Glyndebourne) and not as well to execrable (Munich). Why did't Alan Curtis try to get David Daniels, who has sung the role at the MET this past May, to sing on this recording: that would have been the edge to make this better. But I would like to call attention to a cd not (apparently) readily available. It is a performance, unfortunately cut, but somewhat unbelieveably preserved from 1959, british, with the young Joan Sutherland, sweeping the board, and sounding fresh and exciting, not hooty or overcovered, not mush-mouthed, in short Dame Joan as she was when she started to turn heads with ears early in her incrdible career. Janet Baker, not then yet Dame Janet, also young and expressive, and almost more increible, a great singer, Monica Elkins, who very nearly and then sometimes does, out-trill Joan. What is also wonderful and unexpected in this recording is that is sung in English(okay, that may be expected from this era), but 99% of the words are crystal clear, even from J.S. to the extent that a printed libretto (not included)is not necessary. I would advise ANYONE interested in this opera, especially if you have come to it through this latest recording of Mr. Curtis' to investigate it, if you want to hear some REALLY incredible singing by some now legendary singers. Naturally the sound is mono and has a few problems (an air-check, perhaps), the choir is billed as the Chandos choir (before the record label I presume) and the instrumental playing is fine on its own, rather, to our ears, "inauthentic" way. Complete recordings of Handel operas at this date were still somewhat scarce. But it is a rare and precious document, giving us a Joan Sutherland who was, at the threshold of her career, singing with freedom, grace,her customary viruoisty, and a dramatic commitment that she did not always exhibit as her career progressed. For those who wish to veiw the opera, please try to see the wonderful Glyndebourne dvd; it gives one who is interested in this fine opera even greater understanding of what it is all about.

This doesn't catch fire -- perhaps it is better than the current competition, but against the great Handel opera recordings which exist in multiple fine renditions (Ariodante, for example) this set is --- dullish. I think the problem is primarily with Curtis who is consistently uninspired (slowing down at cadences, metronymic otherwise, never serving the wonderful abandon and fire in this score) and flaccid. The singers are unremarkable or slightly worse --- Simone Kermes, who was so wonderful in the recent Vivaldi Andromeda, sounds vocally uneven, especially thin and wavery on high; Davislim is sludgy and short-breathed, Prina reasonably expressive but seemingly small-voiced, Lemieux on placid autopilot, her voice like chocolate oozing inarticulately from a frozen yogurt machine. The less said about the Bertarido, rough-voiced, and unintegrated between the head and chest registers, the better. She ruined the DG Giulio Cesare, so why not reward her with another starring role. All in all, this is the weakest of Curtis's Handel recordings; his Deidemia and Rodrigo were more vital.

Perhaps part of the problem is that this is top drawer Handel, and Curtis isn't quite up in that league, unlike Jacobs or McCreesh or Leppard or....so many others. He's less self-conscious and awkward with the lesser, undiscovered operas.

This version leaves an easy path to the cup for the ideal cast of Fleming, Scholl, Blythe, etc. Actually, there are multiple possibilities --- I just know this is a recording that, after half a dozen listens, and many blind auditions for fellow musicians, fails to rise to the occasion.

Handel - Rodelinda / Kermes, Mijanovic, Davislim, Lemieux, Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis is recording under the direction of Alan Curtis who leads the Il Complesso Barocco on this 2005 Deutsche Grammophon release. Rodelinda was written by Handel in 1719 and was based on a libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, which in turn was based on an earlier libretto by Antonio Salvi. Salvi was inspired by Pierre Corneille's play Pertharite, roi des Lombards. The booklet is very well produced and contains roughly 100 pages. In here we get liner notes by Alan Cutis and Andrew Jones and short biographies of the performers and the conductor. The booklet also contains very nice photographs of the performers and the lyrics come in German, Italian, English and French. Being a Deutsche Grammophon release the sound quality is amazing as it always is and this is certainly no exception. Highly recommended indeed. 5/5.

Received the CDs and found a problem on the third CD and returned the set. My replacement came within two days.
Service was great, the CDs didn't live up to the live performance I attended in San Francisco.