Customer Reviews

Hasse - Cleofide / Kirkby, Mellon, Wong, Ragin, Visse, Cordier, Cappella Coloniensis, Christie

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Cleofide has long been one of my favourite baroque operas. Unlike the previous reviewer, I'm not put off by the high voices. From the opening sinfonia to the final chorus, this is a gorgeous revelation of one magnificent, tuneful aria after another. I've been listening to this set for a decade and I've recommended it to many friends. If the only baroque opera you know is Handel or Vivaldi, add this to your collection and you won't be sorry!

After seeing the film "Farinelli," I became interested in the music of Johann Adolf Hasse. A giant of opera in his day (alongside GF Handel and N Porpora), I was stunned to find that only one or two recordings of his music existed, and these were typically only excerpts of his religious music or a rare opera aria performed by a singer amongst a collection of arias by other composers. Until this recording by the Cappella Coloniensis... I picked it up in a budget catalog (at a discount!), and from the opening bars of the vigorous overture was entirely entranced. Critics of his day insisted that Hasse's melodies were more beautiful than Handel's, and that his command of writing music for the human voice greater than any composer in memory. The evidence is in this music. Counter-tenor Derek Lee Ragin provides one of the finest performances of his career and one of the finest in the modern counter-tenor library, making one shrug at the pleasant but restrained singing of other counter-tenors like David Daniels.Christie conducts every bar with sensitivity and mastery; Kirby, Dominque Visse and Randall K Wong provide stunning performances as well. (In fact, I had to read the libretto five times before I realized the arias credited to Wong were indeed sung by this man, and not the result of misprinted credits supposed to go to a young female soprano).

Not one aria in the recording is tiresome... each one soars with beauty and melodic grace. Of course, this is a Baroque opera. Don't look for Puccini-like dramatic moments, Verdi-esque choruses, or a rock-solid dramatic libretto. This opera was written to entertain, and to showcase the finest singers of Hasse's time... The sound of male altos and sopranos is not for every ear in the modern audience. But for any music lover eager to hear historically accurate Baroque opera, this recording is a must!

As those who have read my reviews know, I am not a musician and have no technical knowledge. I love baroque vocal music, both sacred and secular. I have many Handel operas and oratorios, quite a few Vivaldi operas and sacred music, a lot of Bach and Telemann. Hasse's music ranks right up there with them, particularly this opera. It is beautiful music very very well performed. I love to listen to it. If you love baroque opera, you will too.

There's a reason why male and female roles sung in high registers dominated opera for over 200 years. I think this recording of Cleofide can help us understand why. Today's audiences are not acclimated to the vocal musical aesthetic of the 17th and 18th centuries. Some people may have to go through a period of attitude adjustment to break through what is essentially a modern gender, rather than musical, prejudice. It doesn't take long for the sheer beauty of these arias' melodies and the skill and taste of the singers' execution and ornamentation to shine forth. Hasse's intimate understanding of the capabilities of the human voice alone or in conjunction with other instruments is evident here. The performances of both singers and orchestra in this recording are wonderful, with many sublime moments. One only wonders how much better it could get if there were still castrati around to sing the male contralto and soprano parts...

Some months ago I started to listen to baroque opera with high attention. I was aware of the beauty of Handel's or Porpora's operas by listening excerpts of their operas, mostly arias or duettos, but, to be honest, never dared to listen one of those operas entirely thinking that the ammount of recitatives would turn them boring. How wrong I was. Somebody told me of this record chatting in internet and I decided to buy it. It's not easy to find it; as a matter of fact I had to buy it in a second-hand shop. I got very impressed with the beauty of the arias, duettos, orchestration, the sharp voices of male performers, the adorable performance of Emma Kirkby and the delicious voice of Randall K. Wong just to outstand two of them, because none of the singers disappointed me. I have to admit that it made me feel very happy and that I extracted excerpts of the opera to listen while driving or while on subway with my mp3 player. There are extremely beautiful arias and the instrumental accompaniment is superb (listen the aria Cervo Al Bosco of Dominique Vissel on CD 4 and you'll verify what I mean)

To summarize, a beautiful opera awesomely performed. If you can find it, never hesitate about the purchase.

QUEEN KIRKBY: 'THE LEADER OF THE PACK'

Johann Hasse (1699-1783) studied with Porpora in Naples. He was the first composer to set many of Metastasio's texts, and his music reflects the neo-classical ideal of Metastasio's style. A powerful dramatist, he was renowned for his careful use of the accompanied recitative (this is very evident in 'Cleofide'). Hasse's long career covered the period around the middle of the eighteenth century, and his later works reveal attempts at overall unity by means of tonal planning and a reaction against the 'da capo' aria like those in the later works of Gluck. In 1734 he became comnposer to the court of Dresden, becoming one of the most powerful exponents of the Italian operatic style in Germany. 'Cleofide' was first performed in Dresden in September, 1731.

The cast of this opera consists of six main singers, all very skilled, not only in their singing ability, but also in their dramatic and expressive rendering of each of their arias. The two sopranos Emma Kirkby and Agnes Mellon have lovely voices, Kirkby's voice being somewhat lighter and thus seeming to be more flexible. KIRBY IS THE REAL STAR OF THIS OPERA and not just because of the number of arias, but because SHE IS A NARURAL BORN PERFORMER! No matter what genre, no matter the role, whether it be the complicated music of Bach or the simpler music of Purcell, SHE SHINES!!!!

The four countertenors DO NOT SOUND the same. In fact, one of them (Randall Wong) is a sopranist,and just marvelous. His high notes 'slip right into place' and he is a joy to hear. It is fortunate that Dominic Visse was present as the voice of Alexander because there is no way you would not know his sound; it's somewhat grateing, but he has much flexibility and a rather nice high register. Derek Ragin also has his own unique sound: much vibrato, much oramentation and a very wide range; I personally like his sound! My favorite countertenor in this opera is David Cordier; he has the smoothest and loveliest voice of all, and as previously stated in another review, he does sound much like Michael Chance.
The recitatives are lengthy, but that didn't bother me because they go quickly and are sung very well. The arias have pleasant melodies and the accompaniement , under the direction of Wm. Christie ,is approriately played. It's a great treat for the Early Music Opera Lover!!!!

If you love the high male voice, and Emma Kirby, this is the CD for you. Emma takes the title role of Cleofide, Ragin as the main love interest. The highlight of the opera was the duet with the two on the second disc. Wong sings a magnificent soprano, no heavy voice here. Visse adds to the mix as Alexander the Great with a different but pleasant sound. David Cordier, whose voice resembles Michael Chance's in my opinion, has some of the best arias in the production. If you don't care for the long rececitatives, don't let that scare you away. They are aria after aria throughout.

This set is one of my favourite Opera Seria recordings. The singers are at home in the music, all the voices are very different from each other, the period instrument orchestra plays with colour and pizzazz and the pace of this long opera is natural and moving.

This recording features Randall K. Wong, the male soprano and his voice is one of the best high male voices I've ever heard. Derek Lee Ragin is here, too, and he was in top form when he sang in this production. Dominique Visse, too, is excellent, and it is nice to hear him sing straight without any snarls.

This is an expensive set but well worth it if you are in the slightest bit curious about Opera Seria, castrati and the world of Italian Baroque opera. All the arias are good and Hasse was a remarkable composer.

This set has the distinction of being the only opera set I've ever let go of second hand. The high voices are just to much to take over 4 CDs. Yet on the other hand Michael Schneider's 2CD and 4 soprano Paride ed Elena by Gluck (also Capriccio half the length and a third of the price of this set) is very listenable. So maybe it is just length?

Christie's cast includes Emma Kirkby, Agnes Mellon (sopranos), Derek Lee Ragin, Randall K Wong (male sopranos) and Dominique Visse, David Cordier (counter tenors).

If you aren't familiar with Hasse maybe start with Schneider's 2-for-1 Piramo e Tisbe before buying this.