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Presto News - 25th October 2010The Three Baroque Tenors |
 The modern notion of a good tenor voice generally seems to be based on the ability to sing high notes at considerable volume, and if you want to sing Verdi or Wagner these attributes are certainly a prerequisite. However that hasn’t always been the case and if you go back to the Baroque era and look at the sort of demands which composers like Handel and Vivaldi were making on their tenors the requirements are quite different. Ian Bostridge’s latest disc looks at repertoire written for three of the greatest Baroque tenors - Francesco Borosini, John Beard and Annibale Po Fabri - all stars of their day, but with remarkably different voices and characteristics. However, collectively they changed history as, by persuading composers to showcase them, the tenor voice finally came to rival the dominance of the castrato and before long it would start to replace it.  Ian Bostridge In terms of the music he inspired and the Europe-wide reputation he enjoyed, Francesco Borosini was arguably the greatest of the three singers. He was renowned for a huge vocal range which covered both baritone and tenor roles and he could leap effortlessly down to the depths of his voice and up again. John Beard meanwhile is probably the most well known of the three as Handel wrote roles for him in no less than ten operas as well as title roles in the oratorios Samson, Judas Maccabeus, and Jephtha. Beard was a big star in 18th century London and must have had considerable talents as, while the Handel oratorio roles tend to focus on strength and expressiveness, the opera arias featured on this disc demand considerable agility and vigour. Annibale Po Fabri was a favourite singer of Vivaldi and there are three of his arias on this disc. But like Borosini and Beard, Fabri also worked extensively in London and in particular with Handel, singing several of the composer's operatic roles, and specialising in those which required particular agility, flourish and grace. Handel wrote the role of Alexander the Great in his opera Poro for Fabri and contrasting this role to those which Handel wrote for Borosini and Beard you really get an idea of the extent to which Handel wrote with specific singers in mind. Bostridge’s new recording is a hugely ambitious undertaking: choosing music written specifically for three different singers and trying to select arias which best characterised their voices, while at the same time working within his own vocal and stylistic idiosyncrasies, and producing a programme of music which was cohesive and interesting to listen to. He describes it now as a humbling challenge but I know it is one which has been very close to his heart for some time as I remember him telling me about it over three years ago when we met one evening at the Handel House Museum in London. I really can’t think of another singer around today who could pull it off so convincingly. His voice is perfectly attuned to this music - giving subtle colouring and shading to emphasise both textural and melodic nuances. His smooth tone, effortless sense of line and appropriate ornamentation produce superb performances while he is skilfully supported by the English Concert under Bernard Labadie. There is a short video on the website giving you a few brief excerpts, and it goes without saying that this disc comes very highly recommended.
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 The Three Baroque TenorsMusic by Handel, Vivaldi, Arne, Boyce, Caldara, Conti, Gasparini, Galliard and Alessandro Scarlatti.Ian Bostridge (tenor), The English Consort, Bernard Labadie |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
Watch a short promo videoNew Releases25th October 2010 |
This is just the pick of the recent releases. The New Releases and Future Releases pages are always available for browsing all the new and forthcoming releases. |
 Elgar: The Kingdom, Op. 51Claire Rutter (The Blessed Virgin Mary), Susan Bickley (Mary Magdalene), John Hudson (St. John), Iain Paterson (St. Peter), Hallé & Hallé Choir, Sir Mark ElderWith a text by the composer, and music which is at turns lyrical, mystical and magical, The Kingdom is ecstatic in its glorious choral depiction of the events following Pentecost, when the Apostles began their work for the Church in Jerusalem. This is the latest release in Elder and Halle’s renowned Elgar series recorded live at sell-out Bridgewater Hall concert. |
 Verdi: OtelloSimon O’Neill (Otello), Gerald Finley (Iago), Anne Schwanewilms (Desdemona), London Symphony Chorus & London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin DavisSir Colin Davis’s eagerly anticipated recording of Verdi’s Otello is released on the 10th anniversary of the LSO Live label. Opera has always formed an important part of the label’s output; recording concert performances of opera allows listeners to enjoy the drama of a live performance without the problems associated with recording in a theatre. |
 Hélène Grimaud: RésonanceMusic by Bartok, Berg, Liszt and MozartAfter a brief absence from the concert platform, Hélène Grimaud is back and presenting a brand new solo recital programme, which she will take on a world-wide tour during the upcoming concert season. The pianist has conceived another programme of works spanning a wide range of emotions and styles, yet all linked by their origin in that singular musical line of succession: the great composers of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Her new album bears the title Résonance, reflecting Grimaud’s imaginative approach to this stimulating compilation of masterpieces. |
 Janine Jansen: Beau SoirJanine Jansen (violin) & Itmar Golan (piano)For her first recital recording, celebrated Dutch virtuoso Janine Jansen has chosen a programme of French music, performed with her regular recital partner, pianist Itamar Golan: “She's intoxicating, and with Golan as a partner, unstoppable” [The Observer, concert review] Popular classics such as Fauré’s Berceuse and Après un rêve and Debussy's Claire de lune are contrasted with three substantial works; sonatas by Debussy and Ravel, and Messiaen's Theme and Variations. |
 Vivaldi: Arie per tenoreTopi Lehtipuu (tenor), I Barrochisti & Coro della Radiotelevisione Svizzera, Diego FasolisThe 40th title in the Vivaldi Edition series showcases a new signing for Naïve, the young Finnish tenor Topi Lehtipuu. It’s also the first time the label has dedicated a full recording in this series to the repertoire for tenor. Some of the composer’s most popular tenor arias – from 11 different operas – are featured and once again the incredible strength of variety in Vivaldi’s art is apparent. |
 Handel: Water Music & Rodrigo OvertureLes Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble, Marc MinkowskiFollowing the huge success of their Haydn Symphonies set, Marc Minkowski and his Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble's fifth recording on Naïve is Handel's popular Water Music, commissioned by King George I for a big “river party” on the Thames that took place in July 1717. Minkowski and his band have performed this many times in concerts all over Europe and now they record it for the first time. |
 Massenet: Werther - DVDJonas Kaufmann (Werther), Sophie Koch (Charlotte), Ludovic Tézier (Albert), Anne-Catherine Gillet (Sophie), Orchestre e Chœur de l'Opéra National de Paris, Michel PlassonHard on the heels of a triumphant Lohengrin, Decca follows up with an equally astonishing debut performance from Jonas Kaufmann: Goethe’s love-lorn hero Werther, in Massenet’s romantic opera. His premiere appearance in the role, in Paris in January 2010, took the French operatic world by storm, his performance being hailed by Le Monde: “Werther is portrayed by the tenor of the moment, the German Jonas Kaufmann. He brings to the part a sublime timbre (warm, at times “baritonal” and musky), exceptional musicality, a very wide palette of tonal shadings and immaculate diction. Add to that his histrionic gifts and matinée-idol appeal and you’ve got a cocktail of qualities that rarely all come together at the opera.” |
 Bizet: Carmen - DVDAnna Caterina Antonacci (Carmen), Andrew Richards (Don Jose), Anne-Catherine Gillet (Micaela), Nicolas Cavallier (Escamillo), The Monteverdi Choir, Maitrise Des Hauts De Seine & Orchestre Revolutionnaire Et Romantique, Sir John Eliot GardinerAnna Caterina Antonacci is now acknowledged as a major artist, and her extraordinary vocal timbre and great acting skills have enabled her to perform a vast and varied repertoire in the world’s most important theatres. Probably the most francophile of English conductors, John Eliot Gardiner returned to the Opéra Comique, Paris for a much acclaimed production of Carmen last year. On June 25th it was broadcast live to 50 theatres in France and Switzerland and also recorded for TV. |
 BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 23rd October 2010 |
Building a Library - Beethoven Violin Sonatas: an update on recent releases |
 Top RecommendationIsabelle Faust (violin) & Alexander Melnikov (piano) |
Disc of the Week |
 Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1 & Symphony No. 3Wiener Philharmoniker, Pierre Boulez |
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