Search - George Frideric Handel, Christian Curnyn, Orchestra of Early Opera Company :: Handel - Semele / Joshua, Summers, Croft, Wallace, EOC, Curnyn

Endless Pleasure . . .

G P Padillo | Portland, ME United States | 02/06/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First I must disagree with the review offering only two stars. In these matters it becomes something of a matter of personal taste. Reviews have been split on this recording, but a the bulk of major and respectable journals (i.e,., Gramophone, The Guardian, The Times (London), Music and Vision) and a number of others have praised this recording, some bestowing awards upon it - while several other journals of equal repute, have found some flaws. Again, it's a matter of personal taste.



I was surprised to happen upon this fairly recent recording of Semele which I'd

been unaware of entirely up until a few weeks ago. I've been listening to it a

great deal this past week and couldn't be more pleased with this set, and for a

number of good reasons. In addition to being virtually note complete, it is also

the first complete original instrument recording to make it into the market. Oh,

and it's also beautifully performed.



If a little less ripe of voice than I prefer, Rosemary Joshua nonetheless offers a

ravishingly sung, and completely inhabited take on the role, handling all of the

difficulties head on, with pristine coloratura and gleaming tone. Semele's first

great aria, "The morning lark . . . " is sung about as perfectly as one could

want. Some of the reviews have stated Joshua has sacrificed drama for

musical clarity but I wouldn't agree with that at all. To see what I mean,

listen to "O sleep why dost thou leave me," to hear a nearly perfect example

of fusion between emotion, musical intelligence and ability.



Richard Croft has been my favorite Jupiter (and favorite singers) for the better

part of two decades and how thrilling it is to finally have him commit the role

to disc. Croft manages to combine sensuality, musical accuracy, and that

wonderful so-necessary Handelian element "the God as Human" (or is it the

other way around?) that seems to elude many singers in this part. In his first

aria Handel has given the tenor a difficult, rather odd rhythm between singer

and accompaniment, and Croft gets it just right,. The fiendishly (almost

ridiculously) difficult "I must with speed amuse her" is sung with Croft's usual

virtuosity and tossed off with vocal athleticism, alacrity, abandon and

accuracy, his facility for rapid coloratura never ceasing to thrill me.



"Where `er you walk" is on different footing, finding Croft softening even

further his tone, while retaining plenty of gleam. He never oversells the

emotion and resists any urge to move this into "schmaltz" or deliver it in an

overly churchy manner. It is one of Handel's greatest love songs and comes

across best when sung as one. Croft's delivery here is exquisite his

ornamentation in the da capo, a lesson in elegance. (Note: At a performance

of Semele in the mid 1990's, Mr. Croft as Jupiter moved through a set that

morphed into a stage sized, renaissance artist's living vision of a glade while

singing with such tenderness the house swooned. Upon the air's conclusion

the house (a typically noisy one) was rapt in silence before a thunderous

applause was unleashed. My friend attending with me (hearing Croft for the

first time) whispered "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard." I

agreed.)



Hilary Summers does double duty here as Ino and Juno and while initially I

found her a mite hooty (in the old-fashioned countertenor sort of way) she

warms up nicely and the duality of the characters is brilliantly brought to life.



Also doubling up is Brindley Sherratt who sings Somnus and Cadmus - who

sounds like he's having a ball doing both



Stephen Wallace and Gail Pearson round out the cast in impressive turns.

The chorus is a delight - vivid and lively in some of the briefest choruses ever

penned, and always contributing to the forward pacing of the tale at hand.



Christian Curnyn leads the Grange Park Early Opera Orchestra (original

instruments) and chorus in this first complete release of an original instrument

performance. It is a lovely, reading with Curnyn lavishing attention on every

musical detail, infusing each bar with vigor and dramatic purpose. The many

tender moments come across as delicately as gauze yet he achieves also a

thrilling, theatrical and musically visceral quality in the works' more dramatic

(and sometimes violent) moments. What is best about this set is how it

presents the work complete (minus a few items excised by Handel himself) and

has all the feel of a living, breathing drama taking place in your living room (or

car if you prefer). For several of us, at least I believe this set will offer endless

pleasure . . . (sorry!)



p.

"

Sixth recording of this opera/secular drama-

Todd Nolan | Seattle, WA USA | 01/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Semele is by the same group that did such a great job with Partenope a couple of years ago (Early Opera Company, conductor Christian Curnyn, soprano Rosemary Joshua, contralto Hilary Summers). Joshua also sang Angelica in Orlando with Les Arts Florissants, and was wonderful in the Venus & Adonis of John Blow from several years ago. I have a special fondness for anything that Norma Burrowes sang, and the old Erato recording by Gardiner and Burrowes as the heroine won't be replaced by this new version. Nevertheless, I'm glad to have this and its probably going to be welcomed by all reviewers, and by Handelians, the hardcore of which don't mind adding to their collections with multiple recordings of the same works. I like this set a lot, Joshua's voice reminds me of Sylvia McNair with her dark tone, and I hope this Early Opera Company considers a couple of other Handel operas that are due for another recording: Amadigi da Gaula & Berenice. Maybe Silla or the pastiche Alessandro ? Highly recommended for Baroque fans and a must-have for Handel lovers."

DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE OF A MASTERPIECE

Dalua | the UK | 02/02/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Let me say first that Rosemary Joshua is SUPERB as Semele. However, the supporting cast, with the exceptions of Gail Pearson (as Iris) and possibly Stephen Wallace (as Athamas), are not worthy of her. Brindley Sherrat is quite acceptable as Cadmus, but his delivery is too hard-edged and forceful for the role of Somnus, the god of sleep.



Richard Croft clearly has difficulty with the role of Jupiter - his coloratura is problematic in places and where it is good the quality of his voice suffers. I even noticed pitching problems in at least one place on Where'er you walk; he doesn't sing that aria, or any of the others, with the ease or pleasantness of Anthony Rolfe-Johnson or Paul Agnew. He is not much better on the live recording I own of Minkowski's (which has Annick Massis in the title role). I am not saying he is terrible, but Jupiter really needs to be as good as Semele - and, simply put, here he is not.



I have several recordings of this opera - by conductors Lewis, Somary, Gardiner, Walker, Stern, Nelson (1985 & 1990) and Minkowski. Having a complete recording as opposed to one with cuts is really only a big plus if a sense of the dramatic whole is attained and maintained. I think Minkowski attained it in his complete performance, but Curnyn does not. The may be in due in part to Curnyn's conducting, but I think much of the responsibility lies also with the soloists. Perhaps they might have achieved something better under different circumstances, whatever they were - I don't know. Whatever the reasons, this recording does not work as a dramatic whole the way that it should.



So, to return to the casting, Stephen Wallace's voice is rather on the monotonous side, although at least it is on the pleasant side. But I think that Athamas has one too many arias in any case. A more serious problem on this recording is the casting and performance of Hilary Summers. She is unacceptable as Juno, and barely adequate as Ino (although, in all seriousness, she might make an interesting Athamas). She does not achieve the incisiveness or vigour required for the role Juno. Maybe if someone else had sung Juno, she would have come off better as Ino - but that is quite a big "maybe".



Gardiner's recording, had it been more complete and perhaps in places better-recorded might not nowadays leave us wanting more - and I still return to it because it had such an excellent cast. And, like Stern's and Minkowski's (neither of which are without their problems) uses one singer per role, which is preferable by far to the doubling of roles. The doubling of Cadmus and Somnus is not ideal, but (except perhaps on Walker's recording, where it seems to work) the doubling of Ino and Juno strikes me as a grave mistake.



If you can get it, buy it, listen to it and, if you like it, post a review. There is no denying that the opera-oratorio Semele is a fabulous composition, a great drama - but this performance is incohesive. And if I revise my opinion somewhat, I will regardless be looking out and praying for a new recording: perhaps one by William Christie or, dare I say it, Nikolaus Harnoncourt!"