Customer Reviews

Krol Roger · Symphony No.4

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

 

 

I have only recently encountered this opera, having acquired Rattle's recording a few weeks ago and, since, having also bought and listened to the Naxos recording. That fact may indicate that I consider this little-known opera a major find--sumptuous, passionate, a work that I will return to many times, I am sure, and would love to see produced. I decided to comment here because I really cannot agree with either of the earlier comments. It is probably true that a Polish speaker would find Hampson's singing of that language a bit uncomfortable--I am not competent to judge that. But his singing is, as I always find it, sensitive and intelligent, and though he does not throw himself into characterization (as does Andrzej Hiolski on the Naxos set), he projects a clear sense of the dramatic conflict confronted by King Roger. I also cannot concur with the condemnation of Szmytka's Roxana. Her voice is light but well-controlled and she manages to negotiate the vocal line effectively. True, it would be interesting to hear, for example, Renee Fleming in the role, but I find this Roxana completely satisfying. (Barbara Zagorzanka, on the Naxos set, has a bigger and broader voice, but is very wiry in the upper register--I don't object to it, but her sound is also not the kind of warm, sensuous quality that seems to be desired.) I would agree that the tenor singing the Shepherd is not outstanding (but neither is the corresponding role on the Naxos disk, though that tenor is stronger overall.) On the whole, this recording is a powerful and beautiful introduction to a superb opera. I think most opera lovers would find it much more than satisfactory.

King Roger has one of the more interesting stories among modern opera. This updating of Dionysus spreading his new religion is reminiscent of the story of Pentheus except King Roger is overcome by the beauty and mystery of the new religion. The orchestration is exotic and lush, and Simon Rattle and his City of Birmingham Orchestra play the score beautifully with every nuance present.

I have to agree, in general, with the opinion of the reviewers here that the singing leaves something to be desired. Ryszard Minkiewicz as the shepherd/Dionysus sings as if his voice is often almost strained to cracking. Elbieta Szmytka as Roxana sings quite beautifully for the majority of the opera and on occasion the vibrato in her voice becomes too much. Thomas Hampson, I think truly captures King Roger and is the highlight of this recording. I cannot agree that he has difficulty with the Polish language and is in excellent voice for the entire opera. I have read the Gramophone review that was mentioned by another reviewer and I would agree that it is generous in the singing department. Perhaps more astonishing is that this King Roger was voted the best opera recording for the 1999 awards. I am not sure what criteria were examined in making this decision but perhaps it was the fact that this opera is rarely heard, and needs to be performed more often, that Gramophone reviewers championed it.

Overall, the recording is beautifully done and if one can get by the singing of Minkiewicz it is a rewarding experience. The Symphony No. 4 compliments the opera's lush orchestration and so is marvelous filler. This is music that can transport you indeed.

Szymanowski is truly an original composer, and "Krol Roger" is a work that boggles the mind with it's endlessly surprising originality. Szymanowski takes the qualities that I admire most in music--extreme chromaticism, imaginative use of orchestral color, obsessive atmosphere, and terrible romantic yearning, and pushes them all up a notch. In some of his music, these qualities are so intense that the music almost loses direction, but not so with "Krol Roger". He gets it just right. The story is strange and mysterious. He's obviously getting at something. The traditional explanation is that it's about his homosexuality, but it's interesting to note that against the will of his librettist, Szymanowski has King Roger resist the call of the shepherd, and instead he yearns for his lost wife.

I'm not an expert on singing. I know when I enjoy it, and I enjoyed this recording immensly. The sound is also of the highest order. The filler is nice, too, but from a later period in Szymanowski's music that is a little more toned down.

I have been under the spell of this incredible recording for several months now and became easily convinced years before that Szymanowski is one of the great composers. The Rattle recordings are certainly advancing the cause brilliantly. I cannot recommend this recording more enthusiastically.

First, I would strongly differ with some of the other reviewers regarding the singing. It works. Roxana is beautifully sung with great purity and focus. I would not ask for better. Hampson does just fine vocally and the charecterization is subtle and on point. Others have complained about the shepherd, but Minkiewicz has great intonation (crucially important in Szymanowski), and in most ranges the voice is quite beautiful. If anything, I find the more I listen, the more I am convinced.

The orchestra and chorus are terrific. The Sinfonia Concertante is a worthwhile bonus - not in a league with the 2nd Violin Concerto, written about the same time, and as others have observed rather far removed from the world of King Roger, but enjoyable and very well played.

This opera has a rather unusual basis. It is inspired by Euripides' Bacchae. The theme is the conflict between Apollonian rationality and Dionysian passion. Perhaps to set the stage for the lush, if not to say deliberately exotic, music, it is set not in Greece or contemporary Europe but in Medieval Sicily. The theme and music are very interesting. The composer uses what can only be described as a hyper-romantic 'palette' of orchestral and vocal effects. The overall effect is often lovely though the unrelenting attempts to produce uniformly and self-consciously gorgeous music can be a bit hypnotic. I suspect this piece might not be particularly successful on stage. The theme is rather intellectual, the action is series of relatively static scenes, and the demands for a large orchestra and elaborate staging are considerable. The libretto is in Polish, which would also be an obstacle to performance in most of the world. This is a good recording. The orchestral work is excellent. I agree with several other reviewers that the soloists are adequate but not outstanding.

I see that some people have criticized this release for some of the singers' unidiomatic pronunciation (Hampson). Well, I don't speak Polish, and neither do most of the people who are going to be interested in this set, so I couldn't care less - and while it is worth commenting on in it a review, letting it affect one's rating of the release is really doing a disservice to those who are considering the release. For this is a truly remarkable performance of a truly remarkable work. Szymanowski wrote King Roger in 1918, and it is a work of unique beauty and atmosphere - utterly gripping from start to end (the climax opening must be one of the most stirring in all of music). And I frankly don't hear the problems other reviewers here find with the singing - at least not to the extent that it bothers me.

The plot itself is set in 12th century Sicily and mixes mystery and Greek mythology - Dionysus, appearing as a shepherd tempts the king who ends up offering himself to Apollo instead; it is a work of relatively overt eroticism, and the self-biographical element cannot really be lost on those who know something about the composer's life. It is set to music of such refinement and impressionist lushness and wonder that I often caught myself holding my breath while listening to it - pure magic. The score is relatively heavily perfumed, generally yearning and spiced with exotic colors and wonderfully, sensuous melodies for the characters.

Among the latter, the wonderful `Song of Roxana' does perhaps stand out as one of the most achingly yearning and beautiful arias of all time, and Elzbieta Szmytka sings it absolutely stunningly (as she does everything she gets throughout); yes, her voice is relatively light, exactly as it should be for this role. Thomas Hampson is a wonderfully characterized and well neigh perfectly sung King Roger, whereas Ryszard Minkiewicz is immaculate as Dionysus - I don't really hear a strain, just a certain tendency to over-characterize, which is definitely appropriate for the role. Simon Rattle displays a perfect understanding of and sensitivity to the score and the Birmingham players (and in particular the chorus) follows with all the intoxicating colors, shadings and textures one could dream of.

Since the opera is relatively short (barely spreading onto a second disc), EMI includes a performance of the later, much spikier fourth symphony (with solo piano) - the performance of which is equally peerless. The orchestra is obviously fully attuned to the idiom of later Szymanowski as well and Andsnes imbues the solo part with all the precision, rhythmic incisiveness, bite and color one could wish for. The sound quality in both works is among the best I've heard; clear, spacious and perfectly balanced. In short, this is a mandatory acquisition if there ever was one.

I concur with the review included here by Amazon.com Essential Recording reviewer Alex Moran. I would love to hear this opera done with richer vocal resources. That said, the watery and wobbly voices mostly in evidence here are disappointing and maddening.

Elzbieta Szmytka thin and sharpish sound slices along the edges of the music. I have a CD of her doing Chopin songs and the impression is the same there. Thomas Hampson is typical for me...he always strikes me as outside whatever role he is playing (I can sense him calculating his moves) and his thinnish baritone is not "lead baritone" in my book. He too is developing a wobble. Philip Landridge and Ryszard Minkiewicz also have thin tenorial vocal endowments -- with both wobbling under pressure.

This is an anemic quartet trying to stay afloat in a dense sea of symphonic-like lush music. I came to the point where I involuntarily cringed when the singing was present. I'd much rather have heard it sans-singing ...or with instruments substituting for the humans. Not exactly an endorsement.

What is Grammophone thinking (see their "Rave" review included here)? Sometimes I suspect darkly they haven't actually listened to the CDs they review. (I remember a glowing review of Goodall's Tristan & Isolde ** in English ** in their pages -- I set about to find and buy it. I had to go to a European source to get it at no small expense. It was in German! ...although, I agree with their assessment that it is excellent.)