Customer Reviews

Mozart - Così fan tutte / Gens · Fink · Güra · Boone · Spagnoli · Oddone · Concerto Köln · Jacobs

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What a magnificent Cosi! Glorious singing from a virtually unknown group of musicians. Probably the greatest performace of Mozart's arguably - but not to me - greatest opera. Gens has so pure and agile a voice. Fink - the only one of this distinguished group that I have previously heard - is a wonderfully human Dorabella. In their hands and those of their colleagues, the endless recitative becomes a joy of wit and spirit. Gura is simply the finest Ferrando I've heard since old recordings of Alfredo Krauss or Simoneau (I hope I spelled that last name correctly). Speed and musical wit just add to the absolute joy of this recording. As a group they almost make sense of this absurd plot. The CD Rom is an absolute gift if not always user friendly. Bravo to Jacobs and his wonderful orchestra and singers! "Cosi fan musici". This ensemble opera has never received a greater ensemble of performers. No other recording need apply. P.S. Hope Amazon.Com doesn't cut off my internet access. I seem to be out of control with my music and literary reviews but it's fun and I like sharing my opinions for whatever they're worth. Mozart lovers please respond to this wonderful recording! It deserves all the suppport it can muster.

For those who bought Rene Jacobs glorious recordings of Cavalli' s La Calisto and Caldara' s La Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo, this recording will be no surprise, for it is obvious that this Belgian artist is one of the finest conductors around. And his way with Mozart is just as winning, he makes us hear new things and have us on the tip of our toes. His cast is excellent, headed by Veronique Gens sounding better than ever, here surely is one of the great Mozart sopranos of the XXI Century. Everybody else is great in this recording, but if that were not enough, the nice people of Harmonia Mundi include a CD-ROM that is a marvel in itself. You just won' t believe all the information that is included, this is a must for anyone interested in this opera. Do please buy this recording, made by people who really love Mozart for people who really love Mozart.

What a terrific performance! Rene Jacobs is one of the finest conductors in the World, and judging from all recent recordings of Cosi fan Tutte, it is he rather than the overblown Simon Rattle who should have got the Berlin Philharmonic. Jacobs is full of good ideas and excellent taste. His exquisite orchestra, the Concerto Koln play like gods, with superb woodwind work. The singers work perfectly together, but special mention must be made of Veronique Gens, whose voice has grown and is now a perfect Mozart voice. Bernarda Fink is great fun and has a typical warm latin voice. And oh yes, that CD-ROM is to die for.

This performance is arrestingly different. Almost every number is shaped in a new and exciting way by Jacobs (not always convincingly) so that one feels he/she is listening for the first time. So many small details pop out, so many different accents which change the shape of a phrase delight the ear. The orchestra is superb. The singing is also excellent, but a little faceless. All the singers characterize well and are technically able, but their timbres are a shade anonymous, save for Fink. That said, this is singing and playing of a high order, and everyone seems to actually have an idea about their music making and characterizations. My one qualm: Why oh why do manufacturers divide the cd's up in such stupid ways? Both Cd 1 and Cd 2 end on the recitative preceding an aria. These recitatives are integral to the number they introduce and should have been on the following cd. This is easily accomplished here since the recitatives are about one and a half minutes long. The cds could have finished on the arias preceding and then the next cd started with the next recitative and its ensuing aria. Don't these manufacturers use their own products? In any event, superb performance and recording nonetheless.

This recording of Cosi is simply pure bliss! Not only is it heaven for the ears, it is also visually quite remarkable. To be able to follow the libretto via my computer screen was a touch of genius that blended Mozart and Mac (a most agreeable pairing, I must say).

All that high-tech pale however to the music-making. The entire ensemble, from conductor to sound mixer, must be congratulated. The second the overture starts, you will be brought to a place so exciting and magical, that it turns into a Kodak moment for the senses!

It would be unfair I think to compare it to any other since this recording is so unique, but enough to say that it is definitely up there among the other monumental recordings of this century.

To say this is the most treasured of my recordings would be cliche, but that doesn't really bother me...

Happy listening!

Listening to this CD was the best Mozartian experience I had since a long time.

For example, the quintet "Di scrivermi". The tempo here is simply a miracle.

It is so slow, so slow, that one paradoxally thinks : "Mozart can't have composed it with this tempo in mind", and at the same time "That is true Mozart !"

The baroque orchestra is a marvel, and singers are carefully driven away from the romantic opera heritage that pervardes so much other recordings.

The piano is perhaps not at the level of the rest. But what a daunting task it is for a pianist to sit on the Masters' seat ! (a free traduction from the french "se mettre dans les chaussures de quelqu'un")

A lot of pianists are embellishing Mozart scores with what they think *he* would have improvised. The result is not always convincing. I think in this case the result is much more than satisfactory : the continuo reveals a profound and extremely respectful understanding of the musical style of the time of Mozart.

I am eager to listen to other works - especially the others "Da Ponte" - directed by René Jacobs.

Most probably the only recording to-date that really does justice to Mozart's opus. Concerto Köln is an ideal Mozartian ensemble. It is obvious that there is an incredible amount of research done on how the music of Mozart must have been interpreted back in 1790, but this does not hamper the performers from being creative and imaginative, but on the contrary it gives the music a new dimension, on which the artists can create. Every single player is exceptionally alert and self-involved, making the ensemble sound extremely flexible in the portrayal of the diverse circumstances that occur during the work. All the singers have exceptional voices and their diction is ideal. Graciela Oddone (Despina) proves herself to be very impulsive, and rightfully so, giving weight on the witty and revolutionary aspect of the role. Rene Jacobs is an amazing conductor and musician. He keeps delighting the listener. The Gem of this recording nevertheless is the assignment of the continuo part played on the fortepiano instead of the Harpsichord, to the exceptionally talented fortepianist Nicolau de Figueiredo, whose imagination simply has no limits. Mozart would have been really delighted. I hope Mr. Jacobs will soon give us his version of Figaro and Don Giovanni. The cd-rom is a very detailed insight to the Opera, for both musicians and music lovers. Don't hesitate!

There's not much I can add to the previous reviews. However, I can assure you - they do not exaggerate. Cosi fan tutte, is one of my favorite operas, and I thought we'd never see a recording that could rival Bohm's great recording on EMI, or Solti's great set on DECCA, and Davis' superb effort on Phillips. Well, this set not only rivals those sets, but beats them hands-down, in almost every way, shape, and form.

If you're looking for your first Cosi recording or you're looking to add another to your collection - this is the one to get. It's simply miraculous!

Reading the reviews below I was a little disappointed to find so few mentions of Graciela Oddone, who is the absolutely marvelous Despina here. This was my first Cosi, and during the 3-hour marathon I found myself turning to stare at my CD-player whenever Graciela came on. She goes to extraordinary lengths to express the character! The cackle of the Despina-notary is nothing like the usual fare the conventional listener is used to (of course, when she is Despina proper she sings great, too, with just the right amount of sass). Everything about this recording is wonderful, but it is Graciela above all who reminds you of the FUN! Bravissima!!!

Veronique Gens is a superb soprano and can stand comparison with any other Fiordiligi on record. Trained with Les Arts Florissants in Charpentier and Rameau, Gens has now turned into a fabulous Mozart soprano. She can sail trough all the fioriture with admirable ease and no part of the role holds terrors for her. Her admirable Dorabella is alto Bernarda Fink, who also has a most lovely voice and engaging personality. They work extremely well as sisters, which can not be said of every other recording of Cosi. Worst offender is Colin Davis, whose 1974 recording has Montserrat Caballe and Janet Baker as the sisters. In spite of being great singers both, they sound much too old for fifteen year olds, in fact all the cast save Despina sound middle age and therefore silly. Gardiner's video production in Archiv will give you an idea on how Cosi fan Tutte should look on the theatre, but this recording is if anything, even better conducted and sung. Of course we could all prefer other singers in certain roles, my favorites would be: Lisa della Casa or Lella Cuberli as Fiordiligi, Teresa Berganza peerless Dorabella, Lucia Popp as Despina, Leopold Simoneau as Ferrando, Rolando Panerai as Guglielmo and Gabriel Bacquier as Don Alfonso. But Renee Jacobs cast is very satisfying and gives enormous pleasure. His wonderful orchestra is a minor miracle, superb in all departments. This beautiful recording goes straight to the top of the list!