Search - George Frideric Handel, René Jacobs, Freibruger Baroqueorchester :: Handel - Rinaldo

Inga Kalna et al.

Kicek&Brys | USA/UK | 05/13/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There is always room for a new recording of any opera and if not for the crisis in music industry, we would be still getting a couple of new Figaros, Traviatas, Aidas etc. per year. Handel, however, is not Mozart or Verdi (in terms of popularity) and it takes a particularly huge dose of courage in this time of crisis to do what Harmonia Mundi did by releasing this new "Rinaldo" only two years after a successful recording under Christopher Hogwood appeared on the market. This is exactly what we expect of HM - courage in undertaking musical projects, regardless their 'bankability' and the highest standards of execution (also applied to the packaging) that put "Universal" to shame. I was eagerly looking forward to this new set, hoping that it would help me discover the beauty of an opera I wasn't able to appreciate in Hogwood's recording. It had its merits, to be sure, but the limp and antiheroic David Daniels made it impossible to listen to, at least for me. Bartoli was a great Almirena, but - with her partner so effeminate - she sounded too heroic, almost like "Freedom Guiding the People" in the famous painting by Delacroix. Well, that's at least what I thought before I heard the present recording.Rene Jacobs is one of my favorite conductors of Baroque music. His passion for the music he performs is never in doubt and this always makes his recordings rather special, as does his experimenting with the scores which always adds to the music's flavour. Those were the qualities I expected to find in this set and I found them in abundance - Jacob's conducting is certainly a great asset of this new "Rinaldo".But opera is first and foremost about singing and it is the singing that I found rather undistinguished in this set, something that really surprised me because Jacobs had always a great ear for voices. Vivica Genaux's Rinaldo certainly isn't an improvement over Daniels's. Where Daniels lacked power, Genaux lacks both power and charisma. The voice does have a masculine hue but it doesn't sound particularly heroic. I also don't find this voice very appealing; to me it is more suitable for a villain than a hero, but it is an esthetic question and has nothing to do with Genaux's singing which is accomplished enough (though I found her much more interesting on her Farinelli disc) and which many will probably find gripping. To me she doesn't stand out as the eponymous hero and doesn't dominate the opera as she should. She sings her arias without much expression, which is particularly bothersome in those more contemplative ones ( there is no sense of lament in "Cara sposa"), but she clearly enjoys displaying her rather impressive vocal technique in such showy numbers as "Venti, turbini" or "Or la tromba".
Almirena is also a problem. Miah Persson has a lovely voice and apparently a lovely face but her portrayal of Almirena is bland and rather chilly and, frankly, I don't always understand it. The scene before "Lascia ch'io pianga" is puzzling to me: is Almirena a damsel in distress or is she a cunning flirt trying to seduce her oppressor? In this context, the famous aria sounds as if it taken from another story. Persson also exaggerates in recitativi, drags the words trying to give them some dramatic accent but it rarely works well and simply sounds strange. That's one of the reasons I find her Almirena rather graceless although judging from the pictures the singer doesn't lack grace herself.But Jacobs has a marvellous Armida! Actually, each recording of "Rinaldo", including Malgoire's, boasts a fine Armida, but Inga Kalna seems particularly impressive. She must be a very young singer and this touch of youth makes her Armida rather special, if not necessarily better than the matronly and rather more formidable sorceress of Orgonasova for Hogwood. Kalna's vocal technique is stupendous but what really strikes me most is the seemingly unlimited range of colours in her voice which she uses with an almost devilish skill. What an accomplished young singer! Other roles are taken successfully but they are rarely memorable. The only singer who seems to be making a real effort to give his character some flesh is James Rutherford in the role of Argante. Although he doesn't eclipse his predecessors, particularly the splendid Gerald Finley for Hogwood, he leaves a very good impression indeed.In the role of Goffredo I decidedly prefer the inspired Bernarda Fink to Jacobs's Lawrence Zazzo who is vocally impressive but lacks character, a problem affecting many countertenors.Disappointment with this new recording made me listen again to Malgoire and Hogwood. I always thought that Malgoire's was a very good recording and it would be a truly great one if only the conducting was a bit better. All the singers are deeply in character, the delivery of the dialogues is natural and vivid, diction is perfect and there is this palpable feeling of cooperation between the singers that distinguishes so many productions of those years.But my greatest surprise came with the Hogwood. All of a sudden I found it absolutely gripping and all my earlier reservations simply vanished. Is it because Jacobs was so disappointing? Maybe, but that can't explain everything. There is really something old-fashioned about Hogwood's "Rinaldo", the sense of total dedication of all involved that distinguishes great recordings. I don't know why it wasn't obvious to me earlier but if it is indeed the new set that caused this awakening, I am the more happy for that.There is always room for a new recording of any opera. Yes, that's true and the popularity of this new set only proves that my reservations expressed above may be unfounded, but I still think that instead of this rather pale "Rinaldo" Jacobs could have given us a recording of another obscure opera by an equally obscure composer, something that nobody does as well as he.
But having learned my lesson with the Hogwood, I wouldn't be surprised if one day I warm to this new recording and find it as captivating as many no doubt will at first hearing. Four stars instead of three then, to account for my fallible judgement. (Kicek)"

Get this one

J. Luis Juarez Echenique | Mexico City | 07/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is indeed a luxury to have 3 decent recordings of Rinaldo on period instruments when so many of Handel's operas are still to be recorded, but if the name of René Jacobs appears on the last one, well, that's as good a reason to buy it as you are going to get.
Jacobs is the star of the show, he does many splendid things and some rather weird ones, but: 1.he is never boring, 2.he knows what he is doing and why, and...3.he does it very well.
Christopher Hogwood on the rival DECCA recording is quite simply no competition, he is bland, unimaginative and boring. Pity that DECCA didn't use Christophe Roussett instead.
Jacob's cast is generally excellent but DECCA has 4 trump cards: Luba Orgonasova, Bernarda Fink, Gerald Finley and Cecilia Bartoli (of course). For sheer voice quality they are better than Jacobs' singers, but Jacobs sees that his cast make an even more vivid impression. More problematic in both recordings is the title role. Rinaldo is a bravura role, and demands a considerable voice. In a perfect world a young Marilyn Horne would have been ideal. David Daniels certainly has a lovely voice, but it's insufficient for this kind of roles, a coloratura mezzo is a much wiser solution. Vivica Genaux should have been ideal, but her voice seems too high for the role, more contralto generosity would had been appreciated in "Cara sposa". All in all I would still prefer Carolyn Watkinson in the old Malgoire recording (but the orchestral playing in that set leaves something to be desired), but if the choice is between Daniels and Geneaux, I would opt for her.
The fabulous Freiburger Barockorchester quite outclasses Hogwood's band, their playing is nothing short of spectacular.
Jacobs makes Rinaldo a very theatrical experience on audio, it is very enjoyable and I don't think we will get another one in decades."

Nice, but......

Julio Castro Karg | Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico | 06/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A friend of mine has Hogwood's (DECCA) version of "Rinaldo", and it was through that recording that I came to know and enjoy this interesting opera. I was about to buy that version when I heard that Jacobs had recorded it too. I usually like everything that Jacobs does, so I decided to get his "Rinaldo" instead of Hogwood's.Overall I'm quite satisfied with the Jacobs recording. He did a great job as usual, making the music in this opera sound really crisp, spectacular and beautiful.However, I am quite disappointed with his choice of Vivica Genaux as Rinaldo, this opera's hero! Genaux voice just doesn't sound heroic at all to me! Her "Cara sposa" is simply horrible, so much so that I find myself skipping that track everytime that I play this CD! I prefer Hogwood's choice of David Daniels as Rinaldo! The rest of the singers are fine though, and I especially like Inga Kalna's Armida, she's fantastic!I wouldn't say that Hogwood's version of "Rinaldo" is better than Jacobs. I would just recommend that anyone wanting to get this opera should listen both versions before making a final decision."