Search - Robert Schumann, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Rodney Gilfry :: Schumann: Genoveva / Ziesak, Lipovsek, van der Walt, Widmer, Gilfry, Quasthoff

Schumann's Stunning, Neglected Opera is a Joy!

G P Padillo | Portland, ME United States | 09/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Harnoncourt shapes the orchestra throughout in a vivacious, nearly always thrilling reading. The numerous shadings and nuances show (exquisitely) what Schumann's intent must have been. From the overture to the final curtain this is a powerful musical work. It only makes sense that the creator of some of the world's most exquisite songs should have crafted an opera that is just so musically juicy. It only makes me sad that he (like Beethoven) didn't return to this genre again. If this was a first effort - goodness gracious what possibly could he have done had he kept writing operas?



Ruth Ziesak is the possessor of the type of voice I enjoy the least but sings with remarkable artistry, impeccable detail to

the text and even though the voice is small she's able to convincingly portray Genoveva's confusion, despair and honor.



Rodney Gilfry's utterances are so commandingly sung with a deep resonance that sounds both powerful and assured.



Deon van der Walt's ultra-light tenors is probably best suited to recital work, yet this performance finds him impassioned throughout, and it is a lovely sound - even when he's warring in his duet with Margaretha the enormous sounding Marjana Livpovsek. van der Walt actually sounds as if ready to explode. And Lipovsek? She sounds just damned glorious, is all.



Lipovsek is given one of opera's great entrance scenes and her giant voice and slavic vibrato gives it a thrilling "will she/won't she" make it qualities. Her act 3 ending scene w/Quasthoff is hair raising.



Thomas Quasthoff is pure WOW!!! This guy's voice is just thrilling. A rich, warm quality that also has a lively

"buzz" to it that cuts right to the heart.



The recitatives are vibrantly sung, the acting there in each voice making them as exciting as the musical "numbers" themselves.



Schumann has written a score of beauty that doesn't seem to have a weak link in it. The choruses are about as exciting as any you'll hear - the finale of the first scene with the soldiers going off to war, the town people cheering them on and the central characters is glorious. The offstage chorus of women in "Abendlufte kuhlend weh'n" is just a stunning effect with

Schumann writing appropriately gauzy music that goes beyond the aural and takes on another quality (visual?) There are many such touches throughout.



I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this recording."