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Presto News - 24th January 2011Arne: Artaxerxes |
 For those who think that English opera died after Purcell and was only re-born under Benjamin Britten, I’ve got a shock for you this week. Thomas Arne (best known for his patriotic song ‘Rule Britannia’) was, in the eighteenth century, a very significant opera composer. Probably his greatest opera, Artaxerxes, was premiered at the Theatre Royal (the predecessor to the Royal Opera House) in 1762 and over the following thirty years it received over one hundred performances. Mozart is likely to have attended a performance in the mid 1760s, and Haydn was so impressed by a performance in 1791 that he admitted he “had no idea we had such an opera in the English language”.  Thomas Arne So why did it disappear from the repertoire? And why am I talking about it today? Well, one possibility for the first question is at least partly due to a disastrous fire at the Theatre Royal in 1808 which destroyed the manuscript and all the parts. The overture, arias and duets had already been published so did survive (as well as the libretto), and from 1813 a slightly shortened version with recitatives and a finale composed by Henry Bishop were used. But general opinion seems to suggest that these were not particularly well done and could well have contributed towards its neglect from the 1830s onwards. The reason for featuring it this week is a fabulous new recording released today by the Classical Opera Company under Ian Page. They revived the work in late 2009 in anticipation of the composer’s 300th birthday last year, and it had a hugely successful run in the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio. For those performances Ian Page created a new performing Edition (including re-writing all the recitatives) and Duncan Druce composed a new finale as much as possible in the style of Thomas Arne. After the success of that production they took it into the recording studio with virtually the same cast, and the results are well worth hearing. The score is full of lovely arias and has two beautiful duets. It is richly scored for an orchestra which – fairly unusually at that time – includes clarinets. There is also a lot of imagination in the string scoring with techniques like muted cellos and pizzicato double basses also adding new colours and subtleties. The opera is built on melodic beauty more than vocal pyrotechnics, although there are still some notable ‘showy’ numbers, in particular for the roles of Arbaces (sung by Australian mezzo Caitlin Hulcup) and Mandane (sung by one of Britain’s fast-rising young sopranos, Elizabeth Watts). Indeed, the cast are all fairly young, and it is hugely impressive. Rebecca Bottone sings a hugely spirited Semira, Christopher Ainslie is a dignified Artaxerxes (which unusually for the title role isn’t actually that big), while Andrew Staples and Daniel Norman are also in fine voice. Elizabeth Watts is the star for me though – full of passion and with breathtaking coloratura. She has a solo Bach disc out next week, and is certainly destined for big things. The Classical Opera Company clearly enjoy Arne’s rich scoring, as well as playing for their musically sound as well as sensitive conductor Ian Page. This could be one of the discs of the year and it is only the third week of January!
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 Arne: ArtaxerxesChristopher Ainslie (Artaxerxes), Elizabeth Watts (Mandane), Caitlin Hulcup (Arbaces), Andrew Staples (Artabanes), Rebecca Bottone (Semira) & Daniel Norman (Rimenes), The Classical Opera Company, Ian Page (director) |
Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk |
New Releases24th January 2011 |
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. |
 Mahler: Des Knaben WunderhornThomas Hampson, Wiener VirtuosenThomas Hampson adds a special version of Des Knaben Wunderhorn to his huge discography of works by Gustav Mahler. Released in Mahler Year 2011, this album celebrates the 100th anniversary of the composer's death. It is Hampson’s first ever studio recording of the orchestra version of Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Hampson is joined by The Wiener Virtuosen, a chamber ensemble of the highly acclaimed principal players of the Wiener Philharmoniker. |
 Bach: A Strange BeautySimone Dinnerstein (piano)“Few current pianists surge forward in Bach with such light-fingered energy and joy; listening to her finale in the fifth keyboard concerto or the start of the third English Suite you almost get giddy. She’s equally individual in ruminating mode...Dinnerstein embraces [Jesu, Joy] calmly and lovingly — the perfect close to this uneven, engaging, idiosyncratic album.” The Times |
 Naked Byrd TwoArmonico Consort, Christopher Monks (director)This recording is compiled from the Armonico Consort’s Naked Byrd programmes, featuring music by composers who wore their hearts on their sleeves, and whose art saw their emotions laid bare, in an atmospheric concert where magical musical moments are intertwined with sublime passages of plainchant and violin improvisation. It follows on from their first volume in December 2009. Armonico Consort is, at its heart, a highly talented vocal ensemble that stages a wide variety of concerts. |
 Tchaikovsky: Forgotten PagesThe State Academic Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny SvetlanovThis is a live recording of a concert given in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the composer. The CD includes some rarely performed compositions which are on CD for the first time. The works are brilliantly performed under the baton of Svetlanov. |
 Guillaume Lekeu: Chamber MusicQuatuor DebussyNewcomer to the Timpani label, the Debussy Quartet is certainly one of the finest quartets on the current French musical scene. With 20 years experience and recipient of many international awards, they proudly bring the chamber works of Guillaume Lekeu to life. Whereas his violin sonata is almost universally known, the music lover will discover the magnificent work of the quartets, filled with a profound, autumnal melancholy. |
 Wagner: Orchestral Works 1Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Edo de WaartThis is the first volume of a set of multi-channel Hybrid SACD recordings by the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and renowned conductor Edo de Waart that will feature the orchestral music of Richard Wagner. It includes overtures, preludes and interludes from Die Meistersinger, Lohengrin, Parsifal, The Flying Dutchman, Tristan und Isolde, and Tannhäuser. |
 Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2Nobuyuki Tsujii (piano), Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Yutaka SadoAward-winning blind pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii makes his first recording for Challenge Classics with conductor Yutaka Sado and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin on a disc that includes Sergei Rachmaninov’s much-loved Piano Concerto No. 2 and three popular pieces for solo piano by Franz Liszt. |
 Celebración: Gustavo Dudamel & Juan Diego Flórez - DVD2010 Opening Night Concert at Walt Disney Concert HallIn October 2010, Gustavo Dudamel was joined by close musical friend, Juan Diego Flórez for the gala opening of his second season as Music Director of the LA Philharmonic. Performing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the sparkling program featured Rossini arias and overtures as well as popular songs and dances that celebrate the two artists’ Latin American heritage. |
Watch - Video available for this item BBC Radio 3 CD ReviewSaturday 22nd January 2011 |
Building a Library - Strauss, R: Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64 (An Alpine Symphony) |
 First ChoiceBerliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan |
Disc of the Week |
 Vivaldi: Ercole sul TermodonteRolando Villazón (Ercole), Patrizia Ciofi (Orizia), Diana Damrau (Martesia), Joyce DiDonato (Ippolita), Vivica Genaux (Antiope), Topi Lehtipuu (Telemone), Philippe Jaroussky (Alceste), Romina Basso (Teseo), Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi |
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