Joyce DiDonato’s Handel CD Furore Resounds in Europe, Idamante in Mozart’s Idomeneo Conquers Paris Opéra

By -

She also stars in Handel Biopic on German TV

The American Mezzo Will Return to New York in May to Sing the World Premiere of Peter Lieberson's New Song Cycle, The World in Flower, with the New York Philharmonic Led by Alan Gilbert

Ecstatic reviews in the U.S. for Joyce DiDonato’s Furore CD – 14 emotion-laden Handel arias – have apparently created a spike in European attention, while more rave reviews for her Paris Opéra performance in Mozart’s Idomeneo roll in from France, Germany, and England. And a German media campaign emphasizes her role in a Handel biopic shot on authentic locations by Germany ’s top ARD TV network for the anniversary of the composer’s death 250 years ago. It’s being shown all over Europe this spring, commemorating Handel’s death in April 1759.

Performing Mozart in Paris , as reported in the London Times, “DiDonato made [her] arias sound more glorious than they really are … the American mezzo approached the sublime. This Idomeneo was worth catching for her alone.” WebThea.com states unequivocally: “Ultimately the real joy for Mozart – and us – in this staging is the beautiful American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, who has it all … . She is the light illuminating the inky night of this production.” And Germany’s Neue Musik-Zeitung declares: “Personifying Idamante in body and voice is Joyce DiDonato, with her lovely, noble mezzo ideally suited to Mozart, as the bringer of peace between Crete and Troy.”

Opera, Britain’s top international opera periodical, declared Furore its “Disc of the Month” in no uncertain terms:

“Joyce DiDonato is a mezzo who seemingly can do no wrong … . Though her singing is unquestionably the main thing here, praise is also in order for her selections, a group of arias expressing rage and other emotions of characters in distress. From Serse, for instance, we get … the fulminations of ‘Crude furie degl’ orridi abissi’, which, with its vivid declamation, flawless coloratura, and riveting intensity, sets the tone for the stunning vocalism to come.

“I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a solo Handel disc this much.”

The one-hour TV bio of George Frideric Handel, by award-winning German filmmaker Ralf Pleger, is titled Handel: The Film and argues that the German-born composer who conquered London was one of the most popular musicians in history. Being shown all over Europe in mid-April, it stars DiDonato at recording sessions for Handel’s 1735 London hit Alcina (to be released this spring by Deutsche Grammophon) and in recreated historical scenes. In one of these, DiDonato portrays Francesca Cuzzoni, a favorite prima donna of Handel, who tries to throw her out of a window after she refuses to sing an aria he’s playing on the harpsichord. Not incidentally, the film’s narrator is the popular author of Venice-based detective novels, Donna Leon – a self-confessed “Handel freak” who dedicates her non-writing time and hard-earned book royalties to promoting and recording the 45 operas by her favorite composer (“a god”).

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Joshua Kosman says of DiDonato’s Furore: “This new recital disc of Handel arias finds mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato singing with the technical bravura and expressive lucidity of a great interpreter.” And the Absolute Sound, the super-critical “golden ears” magazine, raves:

“The recent surge in Handel aria discs ... has a flip side: many of the releases offer nothing special. This one does. Joyce DiDonato’s voice is gorgeous, her technique copes with killer coloratura, and her dramatic sense is superb. ... Her stage appearances in comic bel canto roles didn’t prepare me for the fiery personality she unleashes on this aptly titled disc. ... DiDonato is not afraid of taking risks. Her snarls in an aria from Teseo chill; her slow trills in an aria from Hercules are laden with pathos. And virtually every selection includes melodic fireworks delivered with expressiveness and purity of pitch. ... A don’t-miss disc.”

DiDonato has been a French favorite since her international breakthrough in Paris as Rossini’s Rosina at the Paris Opéra Garnier, followed by her performances with William Christie in a tour-de-force performance as Handel’s Dejanira in Hercules – both available on DVD. The encyclopedic French website ForumOpéra.com delivered a rhapsodic review of Furore:

“With her customary generosity Joyce presents a bountiful program centered around the ‘aria di furore’, but balanced with plenty of more intimate moments. … This recording ranks high in the imposing discography of Handel recitals. It will enchant aficionados from the first note, but will also appeal to others who want to acquaint themselves not only with the personality but also with the expressivity of this singer. … She is in great vocal form, with healthy resonance at every level, and with exemplary control of Handelian style and syntax.”

In a leap from the 18th and 19th centuries to the 21st, DiDonato returns to New York in May to sing the world premiere of Peter Lieberson’s cantata The World in Flower with the New York Philharmonic and its Music Director-Designate, Alan Gilbert (May 7, 8, & 9).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Role of Music in Opera

By -
There are numerous books on the topic, and every composer, librettist, director, singer and audience member has their opinion as to what role the music should play in an opera. In a play without music, the words ought to support the meaning behind a character's actions. However, in the case of action movies, often times the action is what tells the story and there aren't words, just images to forward the plot. We might hear music to accompany action, build tension, but the action tells the story. Musicals tend to speak until the emotion of the moment just "has" to break out in song - unless it's something like "Mama Mia" where the dialog is the rails we travel on between songs; the songs themselves, written before the concept of the musical, are the focus of the production, while the story is secondary. Operas are a different beast. The music provides emotion to the words spoken, but it also plays the role of ambience when there is only action. In &quo
Read more

Episode 210b: Joyeuse le départ

By -
Image
Podcast:  Play in new window  |  Download Subscribe:  Apple Podcasts  |  Android  |  Google Play  |  Stitcher  |  TuneIn  |  RSS Provost Cunningham has Transmigrated, but to where! What is Dr Sage going to do with his body? And how can she bring home her friends, Abigail and Erasmus, without also bring home Cunningham? What are they going to say when they find the “skeleton” she’s hiding in her closet? Cast: Eddie Louise Clark  as Dr Sage Chip Clark  as Professor Savant Justin Bremer  as the Narrator Emily Riley Piatt  as Abigail Entwhistle, Calypso & Dean Stewart Written by  Eddie Louise Theme music by  Unwoman Sound Design by  Chip Michael
Read more

The Art of String Quartets by Brian Ferneyhough

By -
Image
When an artist sets paint to canvas, there are brush strokes used for different effects. Sometimes those strokes are subtle, imperceptible; they produce works of art like the Mona Lisa . Other times the very obvious nature of the stroke is the art, as in works by Van Gogh. With some composers of music, the notes on the page are their craft. How those notes translate into an aural experience is what defines some composers as great artists. Brian Ferneyhough has a masterful command of the techniques of putting notes on the page. These techniques are sometimes so subtle, even though written in black and white, they escape detection. Some of what he attempts with his music is just that, to escape detection, to bury the framework, diverting the ear away from the structure, so only the music is heard . The subtlety is so fine it is almost imperceptible. Even though he studied at several institutions, he is considered self-taught, studying scores from Boule
Read more