Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Simon Rattle, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment :: Mozart: Così fan tutte / Martinpelto, Hagley, Murray, Streit, Finley, Allen, Rattle

Top Notch Cosi

B. Edwards | 09/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was at this live performance, and later bought the CDset. It is one of the top Cosi's out there, though in the end I might give slight preference to the Jacobs set.



Sitting in the vacant choir seats, it was a treat to watch Rattle who was in a kind of ecstasy of love with the score for 3 hours. You could almost hear the whole opera just by watching his face. The OAE played both beautifully and thrillingly. They have the smoothest articulation of probably any period band, but are not short on fire when called for.



The cast was really outstanding. Thomas Allen made for a hilarious and beautifully sung Alfonso. Occassional vocal insecurities hardly detracted from the wit and beauty of his performance.



Finley's Gugilemo was also outstanding. He really was in his prime here, with a smooth and lovely baritone.



Unfortunately I cannot remember the tenor's name! Tall blonde chap, but he was really super. So often Ferrando gets a sort of docile treatment, but this ferrando really had "fire darting from his eyes" as the score says. Grand heroic singing. Slightly nasal, but still very pleasing voice. Ahh found it now, his name was Kurt Streit.



The women were nearly as good. Martinpelto's Fiordiligi was certainly beautiful. She had the whole place wrapped around her finger. Im not sure she grasped the character so well as say..Gens for Jacobs or Schwarzkopf for Bohm, but it was a very fine and very moving performance.



Hagley was a decent Dorabella though her duets with Fiordiligi did not quite have the immaculate harmony that Gens and Fink manage for Jacobs.



Ann Murray's Despina was the only part I was more neutral towards. Comically well done and acted, the audience really loved her, however I did not find her singing very beautiful. I prefer a more bell-like Despina (hear the young Rebecca Bottone if you can) and Murray tended too much towards shrillness.



Beautifully recorded in Birmingham symphony hall, one thing to note is this has all the audience noise, including applause etc. left in.



Overall though a very thrilling and moving Cosi, my favorite alongside Jacobs (Marriner and Bohm are also very fine but have a few problems)"