“Messiah” by Handel

“Messiah” by Handel

I watched the semi-operatic stage production of Handel’s oratorio “Messiah” conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi and orchestrated by Ensemble Matheus.

This is the first time I listen to this oratorio as the whole so I cannot compare this production with other “Messiah” productions. Usually oratorios are sung at church or cathedral by singers and choir who stand in rows.

I was very fascinated by the stage directions by Cluas Guth. This is one of the best stage directions I’ve ever watched.

The atmosphere of this stage is very similar to the stage production of Spinosi’s “Orlando Furioso”. The cold and crisp color tone was used throughout the stage setting and costumes. It is set in modern days and the singers and non-singers on the stage portrait the montage of dire, dark and painful drama of the family and human relationships surrounded by depression, suicide, birth, hope, adultery, betrayal, inability, regret, sorrow, redemption, etc… . And these are loosely but intensely connected with the Biblical dialogue of the Jesus’ story.

I first listened to this production while I was working and did not watch the screen. Even though I was working, my mind was completely captivated by the music throughout the production.

All the singers, the choir (listed below) and non-singing performers were superbly good in both acting and singing in this intense drama.

Wonderful tenor, Richard Croft’s voice in this production is richest I ever heard of him. His voice seems to be richer with his age.

Countertenor, Bejun Mehta has very clear beautiful mezzo-soprano range voice. I love the purity in his voice. He is one of the small number of singers I came to love their voices immediately upon hearing, not only because the beauty of voice but also because of their natural richness of expression in their voices.

Susan Grittion has full, rich powerfully expressive soprano voice.

Soprano, Cornelia Horak has finer, more sensitive beautiful voice. Her singing was acute in expressing the pain of the grief stricken wife.

Florian Boesch had powerful, skilful rich bass voice. His emotional singing was so real.

I’ve not heard whole a lot of Jean-Christophe Spinosi’s productions. But he always selects excellent singers. His choice of singers has never disappointed me.

I’ve also always loved his intensive sensibility and dramatic interpretation of music. Sometime, his music brings amazingly high level of tension.

The only problem I had with him especially with his Vivaldi was that his music could be abrupt when richness and fullness are needed. But I’ve noticed that when he conducts Handel, his abruptness lessens. Even in this production, I really couldn’t find any abruptness at all. His music is very rich, refined and dramatically intensive. I hope he conducts more Handel like this.

Susan Gritton, Soprano

Cornelia Horak, Soprano

Martin Pöllmann, Boy soprano

Bejun Mehta, Countertenor

Richard Croft, Tenor

Florian Boesch, Bass

Arnold Schönberg Choir

Ensemble Matheus

Dir. Jean-Christophe Spinosi

“Alcina” by Alan Hacker

I watched Handel’s “Alcina” conducted by Alan Hacker and orchestrated by Staatorchester Stuttgart.

This production of Handel’s opera is simply filled with great music, wonderful singers and more nudity.

Even though this opera has some erotic elements and soprano, Catherine Naglestad who played Alcina had beautiful body to look at, she showed off far more than average opera singer.  Especially because her singing was so good, you just don’t know what to think when she sung some of the Handel’s most gorgeous arias wonderfully while she’s practically topless.

She sung Alcina very impressively. Her sky penetrating beautiful soprano voice was expressive with different emotional shades and layers. Her singing confirmed my previous impression when mezzo-soprano, Joyce DeDonate sung the same role in the Alan Curtis’s production that this role really meant to be and is best sung by higher soprano ranged singer.

Mezzo-soprano, Alice Coote who sung Ruggiero was also wonderful. When she sung Nero in “L’Incoronazione di Poppea” by Emanuel Haim, her voice was shallowly and didn’t have enough weight. Nero’s voice range might be just little too higher than her comfortable range. She sung this role at the mid-mezzo-soprano range in this production and it was very rich, full and beautiful with plenty of weight.

Soprano, Catriona Smith who played Alcina’s sister, Morgana was very good also. Even though her voice had little hysteric texture which I don’t care so much for but otherwise, she sung really well.

Helene Schneiderman who played Bradamante had lower, light and beautiful textured mezzo-soprano voice.

Rolfe Romei who played Oraonte had full, strong and very good flexible tenor voice.

Claudia Mahnke who played Oberto had very beautiful, light, clear, rich and powerful mezzo-soprano voice.

I don't’ call the orchestration by Alan Hacker vibrant. But his orchestration was lively, detailed, affectionate and thoughtful.

In spite of all these musical high quality, one single item on the stage can ruin the whole show. And it’s always wallpaper.

They had the ugly stage setting, which might not be so bad as long as there were no old style busy patterned wallpapers. They covered all over the walls. I think they tried to create run-down, nostalgic look to the stage but visually, it looked awfully dreaded and heavy. They also used a huge gold picture frame, which look like the two-way mirror and beyond it, there was another room as some psychological reflection tool. But this usage also made to look the whole production very claustrophobic that didn’t match the Handel’s open and vast music.  Also the details of the stage setting didn’t make much sense. It must be harder for first time viewer to follow the story.

But musically, it was wonderful.

Di’, cor mio (Catherine Naglestad)

Ah, mio cor (Catherine Naglestad)

Ombre Pallide, Lo So, Mi Udite (Catherine Naglestad)

Mi Restano Le Lagrime (Catherine Naglestad)

Verdi Prati (Alice Coote)

Mi Lusinga Il Dolce Affetto (Alice Coote)

Sta Nell'Ircana Pietrosa Tana (Alice Coote)

Chi M'Insegna Il Caro Padre (Claudia Mahnke)

Barbara! Io Ben Lo So (Claudia Mahnke)

Credete Al Mio Dolore (Catriona Smith)

Tornami A Vagheggiar (Catriona Smith)

Semplicetto! A Donna Credi? (Rolfe Romei)

Vorrei Vendicarmi Del Perfido Cor (Helene Schneiderman)

All'Alma Fedel (Helene Schneiderman)

“Ercole sul Termodonte” by Alan Curtis

I watched Vivaldi’s “Ercole sul Termodonte” conducted by Alan Curtis. His orchestra, Il Complesso Barocco played the orchestration.

This stage production was filmed in 2007, but it looked like made in 80’s or 90’s because the fuzzy picture quality of the video and both make-up and costumes styles.

This opera is about the battle of the sexes between the Greek soldiers leading by Heracles and the rebel Amazon female warriors leading by the Amazon queen. The Amazon queen hates men and Heracles believes the Amazon queen has to be conquered. So Heracles invades the Amazon territory for battle but instead some of the Greek soldiers and the female warriors started to fall in love. Basically in the end, love conquers all and they make peace with each other.

 The stage direction of this production is both interesting and distracting. The interesting part is that Heracles who comes from the complete male dominate macho Greek society got shocked and outraged when he saw the giant statues of severed male genitals in Amazon. The distracting part is that literary, he’s completely naked in the first three quarter of the production. And most of the singers and dancers had skimpy outfits. The one side, it’s the battle and attraction of the sexuality, and the same token, it’s old cheep semi-pornography. 

This production for the opera also had to be reconstructed from the scratch, as it was not discovered as one complete piece. Their version is much shorter and less complicated than the CD recording of the same opera orchestrated by Europe Galante conducted by Fabio Biondi staring Rolando Villazon in 2010. The basic story line of these productions is the same, but the details are very different from each other.

Musically, Fabio Biondi’s “Ercole” is 20 times better quality than this production. It had both the world top class orchestration and the singers who were all simply just awesome.

In this production, the singers fall into the category of either good, good enough, not good and no great. As singing goes, I liked soprano, Marina Bartoli better of all. Her voice was beautiful and expressive. She was also pretty and she should get paid extra for wearing such skimpy outfit. Randall Scotting was handsome as well and they made very good-looking on-stage couple. His voice was fuller and stronger than when he sung Caesar in “Giulio Caesar” at Fort Worth Opera Festival. He has beautiful voice and good singing techniques but this is also felt at the festival, he’s lacking emotional expression.

The same things can be said about the rest of the singers. They were good enough except the two tenors who didn’t have much voice to speak of.

Alan Curtis’ orchestration is refined but lacking passion.  This is the first time I got bored listening to Vivaldi. Vivaldi without sparkling passion is not Vivaldi. 

Handel’s “Theodora” by William Christie

I watched Handel’s “Theodora” conducted by William Christie. It’s not Handel’s best work but as always, his music has wonderful quality to be listened to.

The opening scene of this production was confusing. It was set in 80’s America and there were people with Coke cans & soldiers with machine guns. The politician-like man started to sing in English about Roman gods. I gave up.

So I checked and found out this is not Handel’s opera, but it’s his oratorio. They made the complete opera out of the oratorio about the Roman persecution of Christians (And they’ll be executed not by lions in coliseum but by lethal injection may be in Texas).

By watching this production, one thing is very clear. Peter Sellers (in “Pink Panther”) is not very good stage director. He put up rather cheep and strange set and acting directions. I felt sorry for the singers because their musical quality was far beyond these stage directions. Probably the camera editing was the worst of all. It constantly changed between singers’ close ups, long shots and multiple camera angles as making TV show. He seemed does not understand the beauty of stage production, which is very different from TV.

William Christie’s orchestration was refined, rich and passionate.

David Daniels sung with the voice range lays somewhere between Nero and Rinaldo. He was very good in this production. I liked his “The raptured soul” which makes you no wonder why he’s popular.

Richard Croft became my favorite tenor since “Ariondante”. I love his “Descend kind pity” out of all the songs in this oratorio. He really has very beautiful tenor voice, which has probably immediate appeal to even non-Classical listeners. His singing in this production was amazingly moving. Not only that, his sensitive acting looked so real and impressively good. It did not look like he was acting at all.

Dawn Upshow has very beautiful soprano voice. But it might be just my personal taste; her voice was little light and shallowly for my liking.

I loved mezzo-soprano, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson’s singing throughout the production. Her beautiful voice has such emotional weight and dramatic depth. Her acting was very moving and touching also. Especially I loved her “Defend her Heaven!”

“L’Incoronazione di Poppea” by Ivor Bolton

I listened to Monteverdi’s “L’Incoronazione di Poppea” conducted by Ivor Bolton.

Monteverdi’s music is addictive. Especially this opera can be very addictive. His music is so simple yet, its simple vocal lines have such gorgeous melody lines.

This production used only nine instrumentalists including Christina Pluhar. So the orchestration is very simple, authentic and subtle with some modern mature cool sound elements. Their music is played almost as the background music. This is very different from other Monteverdi productions I listened to which are more vibrant along with simple vocal lines.

The scores for the last two operas including this opera within the three surviving operas by Monteverdi have only vocal lines and one unspecific instrument line.  Therefore even though Baroque music has more space for interpretation by musicians compare to the later music in general, this is much more so especially in Monteverdi’s music.

Monteverdi fans like me always love to use the word “authentic” when we talk about his music. I don’t think anyone can definitely say how much period instruments to be used and how period sound musicians should play to be “authentic”. We all just assume what ‘authentic“ should be like in his music. This is the reason why his music sounds so different depends on each musician and production.

Soprano, Anna Caterina Antonacci sung Poeppea in this production. She has one of the best beautiful Poppea voice.  Countertenor, David Daniels sung Nero. He sung at the very high soprano range which I love much better than when he sung in Handel’s “Rinaldo”, because when the higher he sings, his voice becomes more beautiful and freer from the muffled sound his lower range has.  

Their voices have incredibly beautiful textures which almost sound like they don’t belong to this world. And their duets are the steamiest Nero & Poppea duets I’ve ever heard. Because their voices have so much similar texture, they are entwined with each other and harmonized as one. In fact, when I first listened to their duets, I couldn’t tell who’s singing which.

About the rest of the singers, I have the mix impressions. They all sounded wonderful and they’re not bad singers.

Ottavia, Nero’s wife is mezzo-soprano role. Nadja Michael who sung this role has beautiful lighter voice and sounded more like soprano which didn’t have enough weight this role requires.  As much as she tried, I couldn’t hear the Ottavia’s laments in her voice strong enough, which are one of the highlights in this opera.

Countertenor, Axel Kohler who sung Otto also sung in Handel’s “Rinaldo” along with David Daniels. He’s not bad singer but his singings in either productions didn’t have much expression.

Kurt Moll who sung Seneca (philosopher and Nero’s teacher/adviser) has very low Darth Vadar type bass voice (actually much lower than Darth Vader). His voice is very powerful and has such dramatic texture as God has just spoken. Seneca’s death scene is also one of the highlights in this opera and when he sings it, it felt empty just like one side of this character.  His singing was lacking real emotion which is another half of the same character.

Arnalta’s “Oblivion Soave” sung by the countertenor was not bad but it was not the best neither.

I liked the singer who sung Drusilla.

Even though I once said that I love every sound of Monteverdi, I’ve never felt the Nero and Poppea’s last and most famous duet, “Pur ti miro” was written by him (Even the sublime Rial/Jaroussky rendition couldn’t convince me). This one single duet is so different from the rest of the opera. It is too “light” and too “pop” for Monteverdi. His music might be simple but it always has certain weight and never being “light”.

I later learned that because of his old age, this opera was said to be possible collaborative work with other composers and Monteverdi being the principle composer. I also learned that I’m not the only believer.

Either way, I didn’t so much care for this duet before. But I became to like it when I heard it sung by Anna and David in this production. Because their rendition is the slowest I’ve ever heard and as the result, it felt much richer.

But the video above is not “Pur ti miro”. I still love their rest of the other duets far better. The quality of them is just incomparable.

I also have to strongly emphasize again how really well written the lyrics for this opera by Giovanni Francesco Busenello is. His lyrics is the most intelligent, poetic and beautifully written opera lyrics I’ve ever read (I read that his day time job was lawyer. I guess you should never underestimate lawyers in confinement of fine prints).

…

Poppea
Idol of my heart, now the hour has come when I shall delight in my love.

Poppea/Nerone

Nothing more shall come between us.

 I no longer have a heart in my breast: you have stolen it from me, yes,

you have stolen my heart from me with the serene light of your beautiful eyes,

Because of you, my beloved, I have a heart no more in my breast.

You who have pierced my heart, ah, now hold me in your loving arms.

These blessed hours will have no end when I am lost in you;

 in you I shall be found again and shall return to lose myself again,

 my love, for in you I want to be lost forever.

“Rodelinda” by William Christie

I watched Handel’s “Rodelinda” conducted by William Christie.

This must be one of the best operas written by Handel. And I absolutely adore this production.  William Christie’s orchestration is tight and much refined in this production than when he conducted “Gulio Cesare’.

Anna Catarina Antonacci who sung the title role of Rodelinda has out of worldly beautiful soprano voice with the texture of elegant cool shade. She has such mature cool elegance in both her singing and looks. Her singing is so wonderful in this production.

The world’s most famous countertenor, Andreas Scholl is also amazing as much as when he sung in “Gulio Cesare”. His voice is so pure, beautiful and warm. His singing is technically impressive and has such concentrative intensity. I can listen to his and Anna’s singings forever.

Usually spot light don’t shine often on tenor roles in Baroque operas. But semi-bad guy role of Grimoaldo has very interesting character development throughout the opera. And Kurt Strait who sung and played this role was very good in both singing and acting. He had passion in this role, which moved the audience.  

Another countertenor, Artur Stefanowicz as Unulfo also sung wonderfully. Mezzo-soprano, Louise Winter as Eduige was very good also. Her acting was comical. The only singer I thought weak was baritone, Umberto Chiummo as Garibaldo. This is bad guy role. They should’ve used another baritone or bass singer with stronger and/or lower voice for this role.

This production was set in 30’s, which matched the mature voice sounds and looks of all the singers. All the stage setting, costumes, make-up and acting were highly stylized in the 30’s fashion and they’re very tastily done. It’s like watching old Hollywood films. Specially Anna’s acting was over the top just like actresses in these old movies and yet, it fit her movie star looks and her acting looked so natural and heart-felt on the stage.

"Lo t'abraaccio" (Anna Catarina Antonacci & Andreas Scholl)

“Dove sei, amato bene?” (Andreas Scholl)

“Vivi tiranno” (Andreas Scholl)

“Ho perduto il caro sposo” (Anna Catarina Antonacci)

“L’empio rigor del fato” (Anna Catarina Antonacci)

“Pastorello d’un povero armento” (Kurt Strait)

“Io gia t’amai” (Kurt Strait)

“Lo faro; diro: spietato” (Louise Winter)

“Tolomeo” by Alan Curtis

I listened to Handel’s “Tolomeo” conducted by Alan Curtis. This opera is not masterpiece like  “Gulio Cesare” or “Ariodante”, but like “Ariodante”, it is filled with heart wrenching beautiful music.

Comparing with his “Alcina”, Alan Curtis’ orchestration in this production is much livelier. The quality of the sound is much refined also. But I don’t call his music “passionate”. And it might be problem. Because Handel is very passionate composer. Like Vivaldi and Monteverdi, he also has strong musical instinctive sparks. Alan Curtis’ music does not have them. His music is calm, slow, sensitive and soft. It might be because I’m coming from rock’n roll field, I can use some more passion.

 I like the ensemble of singers in this production better. They have much lighter beautiful voices with not completely rich in emotional expressions but with more expressiveness.

The most expressive singer in it is mezzo-soprano, Romina Basso as Alexander. I previously listened to her clip of Vivaldi’s aria, “Vedro con mio diletto”. She sung it in her own slowest bluesy melancholic tone. She has very expressive originality.

 I liked Ann Hallenberg’s full, light and clear mezzo-soprano voice as the title role of Ptolemy even though her singing didn’t impress me strong enough in this production. But she’s someone whom I look forward to listen to more. 

Karina Gauvin as Seleuce has beautiful pearl like rich soprano voice. She also sung in “Alcina”. Her voice reminds me the richness of Lynne Dawson’s voice but she doesn’t have same expressive power.  Her singings in neither production give me strong impression. If she could put more emotional nuance in her singing, I think she would be really wonderful singer.

Anna Bonitatibus as Elisa has beautiful soprano voice also and sung little more expressively.

The story of the opera is based on the dramatic true story of Ptolemy IX Sorter II, king of Egypt and Cyprus (116-81 BC)(not famous Cleopatra’s crazy half brother).

He was removed from the throne by his mother in favor of his younger brother, Alexander and was forced into exile in Cyprus. He doesn’t care for the power, the only thing he cares is his wife, Seleuse whom he was separated from by his mother and he believes is dead.

On a beach on the island of Cyprus, when he tries to kill himself from despair, he saves a shipwrecked sailor who turns out to be Alexander. His urge is to kill his brother for revenge but changes his mind because he couldn’t be the offender of the crime he is victim of.  

Alexander is found and cared by Elisa, the sister of Cypriot ruler, Araspe. He falls in love with her beauty. Bust she is in love with a Shepherd, “Osmin” who is the disguised Ptolemy.

Elisa tells Ptolemy that she wishes to save him from sorrow he’s in. But only thing he can think of is Seleuse. Exhausted, he falls asleep.  

Meanwhile, Seleuse is also in Cyprus because she heard that her husband was exiled and in hiding there. She’s been in search of him everywhere as shepherdess, “Delia”. She became the love interest of Apraspe.

While she is aimlessly wondering in search of her husband, she thinks she can recognize him in the figure of a sleeping shepherd. And when she tries to get closer look, she is seen by Araspe who immediately becomes jealous and insist on killing the shepherd.  She flees in fear. Ptolemy wakes up by the commotion and thinks he saw his wife’s shadow but insists he doesn’t know anyone name “Delia”.

Hearing this episode, Elisa asks Ptolemy about “Delia”. By this time, he is in the psychological point he just doesn't care for his own safety anymore and let her carelessly know who he really is. Araspe appears and Elisa asks him to give her permission to take Ptolemy to see “Delia” to clarify their identities.

Ptolemy is very happy to see his wife alive and tries to embrace her. But Seleuse pretends not knowing him. Elisa now knows who he really is and tells him if he marries her, he can regain his throne with her and her brother’s power.  He refuses and tells her he loves only his wife.

From anger, Elisa asks Alexander to kill Ptolemy. Alexander wishes bringing Ptolemy back to the throne, which he thinks is the righteous thing to do. And while Alexander is still hunted by Elisa’s beauty, now her cruelty also frightens him.

Araspe captures both Ptolemy and Seleuse when they finally recognized each other. Seleuse’s plea to save their lives was rejected by angry Araspe. Araspe suggests his alley Alexander to kill Ptolemy. Alexander tells him that Ptolemy is to come with him to Egypt alive. Araspe takes it as his hesitation to kill his own blood family. So he secretly plans to execute him instead.

Seleuse begs Ptolemy to renounce her and marry Elisa in order to save his life as commanded by Elisa but he strongly refuses. And instead, they reaffirm their love for each other. Angry Elisa declares death sentence to both.

Ptolemy drinks poison Elisa sent him after he cursed all the men and heavens that wronged him and his wife. Araspe shows his body to Alexander who after receiving the news of his mother’s death, is appalled by what he saw. But Elisa tells them she had Seleuse executed and gave Ptolemy sleeping portion instead of poison. Araspe curses her for killing Seleuse.

Ptolemy wakes and sees Seleuse who was rescued previously by Alexander from the executioner’s hand. They embrace each other. And the brothers reconcile.

Stille Amare (Anne Hellenberg)

Cielo Ingiusto (Anne Hellenberg)

Non Lo Dirò Col Labbro (Romina Basso)

Quell'Onda Che Si Frange (Anna Bonitatibus)

Mi Volgo Ad Ogni Fronda (Karina Gauvin)

Se Talor Miri Un Fior (Anna Bonitatibus)

Fonti Amiche (Karina Gauvin)

Tiranni Miei Pensieri (Anne Hellenberg)

Aure, Portate (Karina Gauvin)

Se Il Cor Ti Perde (Karina Gauvin & Anne Hellenberg)

Se L'Interno Pur Vedono (Romina Basso)