Customer Reviews

Rossini - Messe Solennelle / Desś · Scalchi · Sabbatini · Pertusi · Chailly

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While I can't engage with the context of religious music, I'm grateful that Mozart, with his Mass in C minor K427 and Requiem K.626, and Rossini with his Messe Solennelle, obviously asked themselves "why should the Devil have all the best tunes?". If you like these Mozart works then Rossini's Messe and this recording of it are for you.

Rossini said at the time, "have I written sacred or damned music?". From the third bar of the opening Kyrie the strings indicate the latter. He continued, "I was born for opera buffa, you know it well!", so you know it's going to be fun. In fact, performers and listeners embark on a musical roller coaster that paradoxically, but sublimely, clothes the most solemn Latin liturgy in some of the most delightful tunes you will ever hear.

I first saw and heard Riccardo Chailly conducting this work on Sky TV's Arts Channel in New Zealand. While he was conducting a different orchestra, choirs and soloists, it was clear that any performance of this work under his direction would be a safe buy, which it was. Unfortunately the 84 minutes of listening pleasure has to involve 2 CDs, with the split in this case equal.

The earliest - 1864 - version of this work is Petite Messe Solennelle for singers, choir, 2 pianos and harmonium. In my view this is a significantly paler version of what is featured here. This richer-textured orchestral version of 1867 outclasses anything that any devil you might believe in could compose.

The obvious comparison to be made with this recording is with the earlier version starring Pavarotti, also on Decca and conducted by Gandolfi. However, the latter uses the original arrangement for keyboard accompaniment only, whereas Chailly here opts for the orchestral treatment. In a sense, therefore, setting these two all-Italian sets side by side is a case of comparing apples with oranges when such different, initial artistic performance choices have been made.

Furthermore, a previous Amazon uk reviewer is quite right about one serious blot in the "Sanctus" of the "Petite Messe" by Gandolfi; sung a capella, and thus without instrumental anchoring, it is dragged down a semitone by Raimondi's miss-pitching his entrance only to end in B not C; amazing that no-one picked it up and ensured a re-take. Raimondi's contribution is generally not an asset; he is in lugubrious voice, lots of sliding and groaning, and Michele Pertusi's cleaner singing in this later Chailly version is to be preferred. Otherwise the Gandolfi account has quite a lot going for it, not least the beautiful contributions of the other three celebrated soloists, especially Pavarotti, who is in sweet, delicate voice and overdoes nothing. Freni is as good as ever - more refulgent than Chailly's Dessi, who is nonetheless excellent - and Lucia Valentini-Terrani is certainly more secure, vibrant and expressive than the adequate Gloria Scalchi for Chailly; this is especially noticeable in the concluding Agnus Dei, where her gravitas is matched by the far more spare accompaniment of Leone Magiera's piano and the eerie commentary by the harmonium; they are far more appropriate to a mood suggested by the ominous substitution of "dona nobis pacem" for "miserere nobis" in response to the first two "Agnus Dei" sections. In fact the use of the original arrangement for piano (actually two pianos, but one only is used here) and harmonium is much more efficacious in encompassing the more sombre movements of a piece which in general is accused of too much inappropriate melodic levity; a better balance is achieved. The problem with Chailly using the full orchestrated score is that it really does lend weight to that complaint, giving the whole thing a rather grand and glittery mood. Rossini, knowing that it would happen anyway, reluctantly made an orchestral arrangement rather than leave it to other hands, but would not allow its performance during his lifetime, suggesting that he favoured the original version which maintains a proper balance between solemnity and high spirits. Chailly is far brisker than Gandolfi by almost ten minutes, in keeping with a more brilliant, sprightlier, but less affecting interpretation.

To be set against that is the fact that Chailly has a more homogeneous team of soloists. Sabbatini is hardly inferior to Pavarotti - both are graceful, restrained and very attentive to dynamics, even if Pavarotti's tone is more ingratiating than Sabbatini's harder timbre. Dessi yields to Freni only in basic warmth but she is still a fine artist. The comparison between Scalchi and Valentini-Terrani is less evenly balanced, the latter is a more complete and impressive artist, I think, and I have already discussed Raimondi's inadequacy.

Given the bonus of a great performance of the "Stabat Mater", the contributions of some star singers, and despite the sagging pitch of the "Sanctus", the earlier bargain double-Decca issue is worth having, but this rather short-measure Chailly recording, also on Decca and available cheaply, is really more faithful to the spirit of Rossini's intentions - so I suggest owning both, as they are complementary conceptions.