Search - Antonio Maria Bononcini, Gunar Letzbor, Ars Antiqua Austria :: Antonio Maria Bononcini: Cantate in Soprano

Extremely Rare Male Soprano

Go for Baroque | Denver | 08/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For any classical music fan who is attracted to Baroque vocal music, this Bononcini CD is a must-buy. The vocalist Radu Marian is a prime example of the extremely rare, true male soprano (not falsetto sopranist,) perhaps one voice in a billion in today's world. His voice is completely different from that of a woman with the same tessitura or that of a boy soprano.



One must remember that 80% of operas (and other vocal works) were written before the year 1800, and 70% of the roles were written for alto and soprano castrati. This was fine in a prolonged era during which such singers were produced artificially to the tune of 4000-5000 per year, and not all in Italy. Approximating that kind of voice today is very difficult. With better training today, a greater number of alto countertenors are available, although not many have the quality of, for example, an Andreas Scholl or Philippe Jaroussky. A few women sopranos, such as Maria Cristina Kiehr, Emma Kirkby, and Gundula Janowitz possess many of the finer qualities required of the Baroque voice. And occasionally, a sopranist such as Aris Christofellis comes along, although as amazing as his vocal technique and musical understanding were, his voice had a rather unnatural sound.



To be able to listen to a true male soprano, therefore, is a rare treat. Radu's voice likely does not have the power or tone of a "Farinelli," a sound required for the more dramatic operatic roles; however, it is very clean, focused, and pure, perfect for cantate. For some of us who listen to his recordings often, his voice has become rather addicting.



The composer Antonio Maria Bononcini apparently was very talented both in writing for the voice but also for Baroque orchestra. His very musical and appealing orchestrations show a surprising degree of development from his predecessors. The orchestra direction and performance are very professional, and the recording sound is attractive.



Not very long ago, acquiring Radu Marian CDs was not an easy task, especially here in the Americas. I am pleased to see that his reputation has spread and that his recordings have started to be listed on easily accessible sites. There is no telling how long the CDs may be available from American distributors, and I suggest your checking shipping charges from overseas. For people who have become Radu Marian fans, however, perhaps no price is too much.

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