Coming Soon,
Two Imminent Escapes from the Seraglio
Joseph II's observation that Die Entführung aus dem Serail had 'too many notes' may or may not be apocryphal, but Mozart's rescue-opera alla Turca undoubtedly contains plenty of vocal and instrumental fireworks - and over the course of the next few months we'll see new recordings under the batons of two very different Mozart interpreters who both have opera series underway.
First up is Yannick Nézet-Séguin, continuing his projected seven-opera series with Rolando Villazón on Deutsche Grammophon; as with his much-praised Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni, the recording was made over a set of three concert-performances in Baden-Baden with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. His starry cast includes Diana Damrau as Konstanze, Anna Prohaska as Blonde, Franz-Josef Selig as Osmin, Paul Schweinester as Pedrillo, and Thomas Quasthoff (who retired from singing last year) in the speaking-role of Bassa Selim.
Later in the year it's the turn of René Jacobs with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin (who also played on his quirky Die Zauberflöte five years ago) and a young international cast, all of whom are newcomers to his Mozart series - Berlin-based American soprano Robin Johannssen is Konstanze, with Norwegian Mari Eriksmoen as Blonde, Maximilian Schmitt as Belmonte, Julian Prégardien (son of Christoph, himself one of the finest Mozart tenors around) as Pedrillo, and the imposing Russian bass Dimitry Ivashchenko as Osmin.
Bachtrack observed of their live performance in Amsterdam (given shortly after the studio recording was completed) that 'the Belgian maestro’s approach is always going to be quite different from what you have ever heard before. Last Saturday’s superb semi-staged performance at the Concertgebouw certainly had that iconoclastic character, and was the more exciting for it'.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin's recording will be released on Deutsche Grammophon in the summer, with René Jacobs's account following on Harmonia Mundi in the autumn.
Highlights from René Jacobs's Mozart Opera series so far...
(You can browse the entire series here.)
With Richard Croft as the Cretan king, Bernarda Fink as his estranged son, Alexandrina Pendatchanska as Elettra and Sunhae Im as Ilia, Jacobs's 2009 Idomeneo was praised by The Telegraph for its 'great dramatic vitality' and by Gramophone for its 'intense theatrical charge'.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
In this much-garlanded series Die Zauberflöte takes the critical laurels: it won the Opera category at the 2010 BBC Music Magazine Awards, was a finalist in the same year's Gramophone Awards, and was also CD Review's Disc of the Year; Daniel Behle (deemed 'the finest [Tamino] on disc since Fritz Wunderlich' by The Guardian) and Marlis Petersen head up the largely German cast.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Other Mozart recordings from Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Rolando Villazón
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo is the arch-seducer, with Luca Pisaroni as his wingman, Villazón as Ottavio, and Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato and Mojca Erdmann as Anna, Elvira and Zerlina; the BBC called it 'the most exciting and consistently well-sung Don Giovanni to appear for several years', whilst the Sunday Times opined that 'Nezet-Seguin proves himself to be a superb Mozartian'.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
Miah Persson and Angela Brower are the sisters, with Erdmann and Villazón returning as Despina and Ferrando; BBC Music Magazine observed that 'few recordings can match the team of expert singers who display their talents here', whilst the New York Times argued that 'Nézet-Séguin is the star...for the vibrant, stylish and textured performance he draws'.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Katherine Cooper - Head of Editorial
