Customer Reviews

Monteverdi - L'incoronazione di Poppea / McNair, von Otter, Hanchard, Chance; Gardiner

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I just read Matthew Westphal's review and want to disagree. Von Otter is a fine Ottavia, better in my view than, for example, Watkinson or Larmore. I think von Otter is very comfortable with baroque repertory, I'd even say that's her best pitch. I don't much like her lieder interpretations. Her baroque singing is, perhaps, heavier than that of many other baroque singers, but it doesn't suffer from uncontrolled vibrato, which the only reason a "heavy" "operatic" singing is objectionable in baroque. There's nothing wrong with singing baroque in full and luscious voice, as long as the voice is focused well enough to admit of baroque coloratura. So von Otter's off the hook. I will agree with Westphal, however, that some of the minor roles in this recording are sung too "operatically." Still, that's only a small part of the recording. Most of it is delightful. Michael Chance's Ottone has not a single flawed moment. His counter-tenor is beautifully soft-edged and evenly produced, having not a shade of any "counter-tenor glare." Bernarda Fink's Arnalta, with her breath-taking "Oblivion Soave," is the best Arnalta I've heard. Dana Hanchard, with her boyish treble voice, is very credible as Nero, even though I dream to eventually hear this role sung by a high tenor. Actually, it's already been done, Ian Bostridge sang Nero during some festival in 1998, but of course that recording, if it was ever made, is unavailable. Do you ever wonder how much we, the public, lose from the prohibition of recording devices in theaters? Most of Callas's recordings, for example, would never be here if some fans didn't record them live; now that's impossible. Anyway, don't listen to Westphal: of what's out there, THIS is the best Poppea. Also check out Handel's Agrippina, from the same series. Michael Chance is totally stunning as yet another Ottone.

I may possibly be one of the few people reviewing this recording who actually SAW a performance of this opera onstage...and a very fine one it was, too, featuring an outstanding crop of student singers at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music more than 20 years ago. And when you see this opera as well as hear it, you canNOT be emotionally distant or unmoved by its combination of drama, humor, sensuality and heartbreak...it is, in my opinion, one of the few perfect operas ever written, from ANY era. And this recording perfectly captures what I feel is an outstanding performance, certainly the best I have heard on records or off.

We have come a long way from the overblown Raymond Leppard production of 1961. In 1966, a carefully-chosen cast of early music specialists and a stripped-down orchestra taken from the Oakland Symphony made a classic recording for the Cambridge label; at its time it was considered a masterful recording; yet, only Charles Bressler as Nerone, Carole Bogard as Poppea and Herbert Beattie as Seneca really sang their music with feeling and drama.

It is certainly true that performing Montverdi is not like performing Verdi. You cannot exploit your chest voice or high notes in quite the same way. But, I wish to point out, Monteverdi was NOT Lully or one of the Baroque composers, whose music was expected to be sung in a clean but passionless style. Listen to Cathy Berberian's now-classic album of Monteverdi arias with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and you will understand what I mean. You have to sing all the notes and the right style, but to purposely shy away from an emotional reading of the text is sheer folly. As Gardiner pointed out so well in the notes to his recording of "L'Orfeo," Monteverdi knew that his music was emotionally moving and intended it to involve the listener.

There are only two moments where I missed the old Cambridge recording: Seneca's farewell to his students, sung with such tonal beauty and deeply-felt dignity by Beattie, and the final duet where Bogard's creamier voice just soared in the upper register. But as an overall "Poppea," this one is just SO much more involving, and Gardiner performs an even more complete edition (probably discovered after the '66 recording was made). "L'Orfeo" and "Ritorno di Ulisses" may be a little more stodgy and uneven as stage works, but "Poppea" is an unqualified, unquestioned masterpiece that will win over even those who usually resist old music.

I must disagree with Zunino as well. I listened to this recording for a test in a Baroque class and liked it so much that I bought it. While I am not familiar with "correct" It. pronunciation, I do know that this recording follows the Baroque tradition well. McNair is an excellent passionate soprano; her scant use of vibrato reflects the voice control that is necessary in much Baroque music as well as the intimacy between Nero and Poppea that Monteverdi attained in this piece.

MONTEVERDI AT SEVENTY FOUR YEARS OF AGE BRINGS FORTH AN OPERA FULL OF YOUTH AND VITALITY!
Even after 3 centuries,the music of Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)glows with the passionate genius of a musical prophet. He was far ahead of his day in his conception of music as a dramatic, expressive art, and in the realization of that conception. He spurned the dry recitativos common to the opera of the day and instead gave the singers lovely melodies to sing. Short song-like passages were also included in the orchestral score. This opera demontrates well these traits of Monteverdi. Example: the lovely melody that recurs in Drusilla's song that I call her "happy" tune because she sings it first after Ottone shows her that he desires her instead of Poppea; unfortunately not true, but for the moment she believes it. Their are several tuneful melodies that become associated with the characters. The youth and vitality that shines forth through this opera are remarkable, emanating as they do from a 74 year old churchman.

The libretto for 'Poppea' was written by the promenent Venetian poet and impresario, Gian Francesco Busenello(1598-1659). It remains his most significant achievement. The choice of a historical subject rather than a pastoral-mythological one, reflects the tastes of the new, mainly mercantile, audience for opera in the 1640's. Busenello does retain a traditional framework typical of earliest operas: for example, the Prologue establishes the intention of the work to prove Cupid(Marinella Pennicchi) superior to Fortune(Anne Sofie von Otter) and Virute(Catherine Bott). But the actions presents the characters as real (even unsavoury)human beings in realistic siturations.

In brief, the plot is as follows: Ortho(Michael Chance),desperate on seeing himself deprived of Poppea(Sylvia McNair) gives way to exclamations of despair. Octavia (Anne Sofie von Otter), Nero's wife, orders Ortho to kill Poppea. He promises to do so, but lacking the courage to take the life of his adored Poppea, he assumes the dress of Druscilla(Catherine Bott), who is in love with him. Thus disguised, he enters Poppea's garden. Cupid intervenes and prevents the murder. Nero(Dana Hanchard) repudiates Octavia, in spite of Seneca's(Francesco d'Artegna) advice, and takes Poppea as his wife. Seneca dies and Octavia and Ortho are banished from Rome. Drusilla, out of love for him, accompanies him.

This production under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner bears his stamp of excellence thruout the entire performance. The singers are outstanding both in their singing and their portrayal of their respective characters. Sylvia McNair is a gorgeous sensuous Poppea.I especially liked Michael Chance's "Ottone" the rejected suitor of Poppea ,and another countertenor Roberto Balconi was very good in his role as Nutrice (Octavia's nurse); Octavia was the Empress who is about to be set aside by Nerone in favor of Poppea.

This is another masterpiece by Gardiner! And Monteverdi's final opera is truly GREAT!
The album comes with pertinent information in English and the complete Italian text translated into English.

The Italian pronounciation is absolutely terrible. The orchesta, under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner is very good, but the voices are completely unadeguate for an Italian baroque opera. Even if far to be perfect (for opposite reasons), Jacob's ediction is at least a bit preferable. There are other edictions of this absolute masterpiece, but, unfortunately, very hard to find.