Document

  1992
    January 1992
        Opera and music theatre
                Mozart Don Giovanni. Le Nozze di Figaro. Cosi fan tutte.

Mozart DON GIOVANNI. Thomas Allen (bar) Don Giovanni; Sharon Sweet (sop) Donna Anna; Karita Mattila (sop) Donna Elvira; Marie McLaughlin (sop) Zerlina; Francisco Araiza (ten) Don Ottavio; Simone Alaimo (bar) Leporello; Claudio Otelli (bar) Masetto; Robert Lloyd (bass) Commendatore; Ambrosian Opera Chorus; Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Sir Neville Marriner.

Philips (Full price) (Cassette) 432 129-4PH3 (three cassettes, nas); (CD) 432 129-2PH3 (three discs, nas: 171 minutes: DDD). Notes, text and translation included.

Mozart DON GIOVANNI. Ingvar Wixell (bar) Don Giovanni; Martina Arroyo (sop) Donna Anna; Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (sop) Donna Elvira; Mirella Freni (sop) Zerlina; Stuart Burrows (ten) Don Ottavio; Wladimiro Ganzarolli (bar) Leporello; Richard Van Allan (bass) Masetto; Luigi Roni (bass) Commendatore; Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Sir Colin Davis.

Philips Mozart Edition (Mid price) (CD) 422 541-2PME3 (three discs, nas: 164 minutes: ADD). Also issued as (Cassette) 422 541-4PX2. Notes, text and translation included. From 6707 022 (11/73).

Mozart LE NOZZE DI FIGARO. Wladimiro Ganzarolli (bar) Figaro; Mirella Freni (sop) Susanna; Ingvar Wixell (bar) Count Almaviva; Jessye Norman (sop) Countess Almaviva; Yvonne Minton (mez) Cherubino; Maria Casula (sop) Marcellina; Clifford Grant (bass) Bartolo; Robert Tear (ten) Don Basilio; David Lennox (ten) Don Curzio; Paul Hudson (bar) Antonio; Lillian Watson (sop) Barbarina; BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra / Sir Colin Davis.

Philips Mozart Edition (Mid price) (CD) 422 540-2PME3 (175 minutes: ADD). Notes, text and translation included. From 6707 014 (11/71).

Mozart COSI FAN TUTTE. Monserrat Caballe (sop) Fiordiligi; Dame Janet Baker (mez) Dorabella; Ileana Cotrubas (sop) Despina; Nicolai Gedda (ten) Ferrando; Wladimiro Ganzarolli (bar) Guglielmo; Richard Van Allan (bass) Don Alfonso; Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Sir Colin Davis.

Philips Mozart Edition (Mid price) (CD) 422 542-2PME3 (three discs, nas: 183 minutes: ADD). Also issued as (Cassette) 422 542-4PX2. Notes, text and translation included. From 6707 025 (2/75).

Don Giovanni—selected comparisons:

Haitink (12/84) CDS7 47037-8

Giulini (12/87) CDS7 47260-8

Ostman (12/90) 425 943-2OH3

As with the recently reviewed versions of Idomeneo (12/91), Philips have once again shot themselves in the foot. To issue the new, full-price Marriner set and the Davis, part of their mid-price Complete Mozart Edition, at roughly the same time isn't good planning at best; and when it turns out that the older set beats the new in almost every respect, the decision looks misguided indeed. In fact, were the Davis, or indeed the Haitink (EMI) and Guilini (EMI), not available one would find much to enjoy in this new version of Don Giovanni, not least the lively partnership between Allen, more acute here than for Haitink and in just as excellent voice, and Alaimo, a lighter-voiced Leporello than usual, one nimble with his words and musically alert—listen for example to "Madamina". Then Araiza, as ever, is a stylish and pleasing Mozartian who knows what to do technically and musically with Ottavio's music. Otelli is a find: another young Italian baritone of vocal presence. Lloyd's dour Commendatore completes the admirable line-up of male singers.

With the women we come to problems. Sharon Sweet is an exciting, volatile Anna, but not one with the technical finesse or controlled tone for the part. Mattila also has moments of fallibility as Elvira and doesn't evince much inner feeling for the role, while McLaughlin sounds today more like an Elvira than a Zerlina, and it was indeed the former part she took last summer at Glyndebourne. Then if you start to make comparisons with the Davis set, you find Arroyo, though not ideal as Anna (for a satisfying interpreter of that demanding role you need to hear Vaness for Haitink), sings more securely and with more understanding of the role's needs than Sweet. Dame Kiri, having at the time just undertaken her first Elvira for Davis at Covent Garden, is naturally right inside the part, depicting a distraught, almost demented creature, as she did on stage, and sings with fresh attack and technical assurance. With Freni a delightful and warm Zerlina, there is no contest here with their Marriner counterparts.

I admire Wixell's Giovanni, too: more dominating, less subtle or mercurial perhaps than Allen, but an interpretation of equal validity, and as well sung. Compare them at the start of "La ci darem" and you'll appreciate the differences. Ganzarolli exhibits more strength, more of a 'face' than Alaimo, and so is just preferable as Leporello, though Giulini's Taddei is superior to either. With the two tenors, I think it is a matter of which voice you prefer—Burrows has the more mellifluous tone, Araiza is a shade steadier: both are excellent and sing the long run in "Il mio tesoro" in one breath. Roni is an even more imposing Commendatore than Lloyd.

But then the older cast is singing under one of the great Mozart conductors of our age, who has the full measure of the score. Compare Davis anywhere with Marriner and you hear a grander, tauter, more impassioned reading. Marriner's idea of bumping up the tension is to adopt a faster speed or a more fiercely articulated detail; in Davis's case the fires come from within, and from an acquaintance with the work that, even in 1973, stretched back more than 20 years (who of us old enough to have been present will ever forget his Chelsea Opera Group performances at Oxford?).

In many numbers it is Davis who chooses the right tempo, just that much slower or faster than Marriner; Davis who captures the underlying fires that drive both donne; Davis who realizes the tremendous originality of Giovanni's defiance of the stone guest. And it is Davis who receives the more appropriate recording. The new one has presence and an admirable balance, but the older has more immediacy and—just—the better distribution of voices over the stereo image.

Those collecting the Marriner versions of Mozart's operas will probably know and appreciate his approach, and may not share my reservations, but—having played his Don Giovanni right through and then turned to Davis—I suddenly discovered again that the better is the enemy of the good. Indeed, the Davis should stand alongside Haitink and Giulini as a recommended account of the conventional versions—especially as his is available at mid-price. Those wanting something different and arrestingly enjoyable will want the Ostman (L'Oiseau-Lyre) too.

Figaro has always been another of Davis's favourites and his older version has at all times been in the running as a preferred recording. As with Giovanni it is a lived-in, lively performance, but neither the singing or playing is quite in the class of the Giovanni. Freni and Ganzarolli aren't quite so communicative here and Norman is a vocally glorious but not very individual Countess. Wixell once more commands attention, here as a forceful Count.

The Cosi fan tutte has proved problematical because of the casting of the soldiers. Davis's interpretation is loving, well-timed, amusing but ever aware of the Torments d'amour. Caballe and Baker, rather against expectations, are a delicious pair, complementing each other in voice, style and detail. Caballe disarms criticism for being word shy by the beauty of her vocal nuance, Baker is all eager ardour, Cotrubas a winning Despina, by turns amusing and cajoling. Gedda, however, makes heavy weather of Ferrando's music, as does Ganzarolli of Guglielmo's. Van Allan is a nicely cynical Alfonso. In spite of reservations, this is worth considering among other recommendations as a choice, especially as it is mid price now.

AB



		As with the recently reviewed versions of Idomeneo (12/91), Philips have once again shot themselves in the foot. To issue the new, full-price Marriner set and the Davis, part of their mid-price Complete Mozart Edition, at roughly the same time isn't good planning at best; and when it turns out that the older set beats the new in almost every respect, the decision looks misguided indeed. In fact, were the Davis, or indeed the Haitink (EMI) and Guilini (EMI), not available one would find much to enjoy in this new version of Don Giovanni, not least the lively partnership between Allen, more acute here than for Haitink and in just as excellent voice, and Alaimo, a lighter-voiced Leporello than usual, one nimble with his words and musically alert—listen for example to "Madamina". Then Araiza, as ever, is a stylish and pleasing Mozartian who knows what to do technically and musically with Ottavio's music. Otelli is a find: another young Italian baritone of vocal presence. Lloyd's dour Commendatore completes the admirable line-up of male singers.



		With the women we come to problems. Sharon Sweet is an exciting, volatile Anna, but not one with the technical finesse or controlled tone for the part. Mattila also has moments of fallibility as Elvira and doesn't evince much inner feeling for the role, while McLaughlin sounds today more like an Elvira than a Zerlina, and it was indeed the former part she took last summer at Glyndebourne. Then if you start to make comparisons with the Davis set, you find Arroyo, though not ideal as Anna (for a satisfying interpreter of that demanding role you need to hear Vaness for Haitink), sings more securely and with more understanding of the role's needs than Sweet. Dame Kiri, having at the time just undertaken her first Elvira for Davis at Covent Garden, is naturally right inside the part, depicting a distraught, almost demented creature, as she did on stage, and sings with fresh attack and technical assurance. With Freni a delightful and warm Zerlina, there is no contest here with their Marriner counterparts.



		I admire Wixell's Giovanni, too: more dominating, less subtle or mercurial perhaps than Allen, but an interpretation of equal validity, and as well sung. Compare them at the start of "La ci darem" and you'll appreciate the differences. Ganzarolli exhibits more strength, more of a 'face' than Alaimo, and so is just preferable as Leporello, though Giulini's Taddei is superior to either. With the two tenors, I think it is a matter of which voice you prefer—Burrows has the more mellifluous tone, Araiza is a shade steadier: both are excellent and sing the long run in "Il mio tesoro" in one breath. Roni is an even more imposing Commendatore than Lloyd.



		But then the older cast is singing under one of the great Mozart conductors of our age, who has the full measure of the score. Compare Davis anywhere with Marriner and you hear a grander, tauter, more impassioned reading. Marriner's idea of bumping up the tension is to adopt a faster speed or a more fiercely articulated detail; in Davis's case the fires come from within, and from an acquaintance with the work that, even in 1973, stretched back more than 20 years (who of us old enough to have been present will ever forget his Chelsea Opera Group performances at Oxford?).



		In many numbers it is Davis who chooses the right tempo, just that much slower or faster than Marriner; Davis who captures the underlying fires that drive both donne; Davis who realizes the tremendous originality of Giovanni's defiance of the stone guest. And it is Davis who receives the more appropriate recording. The new one has presence and an admirable balance, but the older has more immediacy and—just—the better distribution of voices over the stereo image.



		Those collecting the Marriner versions of Mozart's operas will probably know and appreciate his approach, and may not share my reservations, but—having played his Don Giovanni right through and then turned to Davis—I suddenly discovered again that the better is the enemy of the good. Indeed, the Davis should stand alongside Haitink and Giulini as a recommended account of the conventional versions—especially as his is available at mid-price. Those wanting something different and arrestingly enjoyable will want the Ostman (L'Oiseau-Lyre) too.



		Figaro has always been another of Davis's favourites and his older version has at all times been in the running as a preferred recording. As with Giovanni it is a lived-in, lively performance, but neither the singing or playing is quite in the class of the Giovanni. Freni and Ganzarolli aren't quite so communicative here and Norman is a vocally glorious but not very individual Countess. Wixell once more commands attention, here as a forceful Count.



		The Cosi fan tutte has proved problematical because of the casting of the soldiers. Davis's interpretation is loving, well-timed, amusing but ever aware of the Torments d'amour. Caballe and Baker, rather against expectations, are a delicious pair, complementing each other in voice, style and detail. Caballe disarms criticism for being word shy by the beauty of her vocal nuance, Baker is all eager ardour, Cotrubas a winning Despina, by turns amusing and cajoling. Gedda, however, makes heavy weather of Ferrando's music, as does Ganzarolli of Guglielmo's. Van Allan is a nicely cynical Alfonso. In spite of reservations, this is worth considering among other recommendations as a choice, especially as it is mid price now.