Search - George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Nelson :: Stephanie Blythe - Handel & Bach Arias

The greatest American singer of our time?

Joy Fleisig | New York, NY United States | 09/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had the great fortune to be in the audience for two Metropolitan Opera performances of `Giulio Cesare' which featured, among others, Jennifer Larmore and superstar countertenors Brian Asawa and David Daniels. However, it was the young American contralto Stephanie Blythe who managed to steal the show from all of them as Cornelia, becoming an overnight sensation. Actually, I had already been following Blythe's career for several years - from a 1995 Berta in 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia' (where, admittedly, she sounded a bit too big and `divaish' for a comic comprimaria), she impressed me mightily. She was then a member of the Met's Young Artist Program, and went on to such roles as Auntie in 'Peter Grimes', Antonia's Mother in `Les Contes D'Hoffman', Madelon in `Andrea Chenier', and Baba the Turk in 'The Rake's Progress'. You could call these Cornelias her `graduation present'. She recently was a splendid Dame Quickly in `Falstaff', and this season she will sing Mere Marie in `Dialogues of the Carmelites' and reprise Baba. Bluntly, Blythe is probably the finest American singer of the current generation before the public today. Nearly everybody who has reviewed Blythe has stated that she is the heir to the throne of Marilyn Horne, and I agree. In fact, she is one of Horne's `babies', who did some of her earliest work as a recitalist for the Marilyn Horne Foundation, and she often sounds uncannily like her. Blythe has not only Horne's power, richness, and huge lower register, but also a gentleness and vulnerability that one almost never hears from Horne. Her voice is warm and womanly, and, surprisingly for a contralto, young-sounding. She is equally adept at machine-gun coloratura and silken legato. She has beautiful control of dynamics, especially messa di voce. Her diction in English, which is actually one of the hardest languages to sing, is stunning - I never needed the booklet here, even for such ear-twisters as `O'er Scythian hills to the Maeotian lake'. As far as I could tell her Italian, German, and Latin were equally adept. Finally, a true contralto, at least one who bills herself as such instead of as a mezzo-soprano, is rare indeed these days - in fact the only other ones I can think of with major careers are Ewa Podles and Larissa Diadkova.Beginning with 'Ombra mai fu', Blythe brings individuality and depth to a chestnut that virtually every other mezzo and countertenor has recorded and makes it special. The arias from `Hercules' and `Semele' are absolute tours de force dramatically. We experience Dejanira's self-recrimination, terror, and willing descent into madness in `Where Shall I Fly', and Juno's majesty, jealousy, and rage in 'Iris hence away'. As I doubt that I will have the money to go to Covent Garden to see her perform in 'Semele' with Ruth Ann Swenson (the same week they are having the Pappano/Domingo/Gheorghiu/Hvorstovsky `Pagliacci' and the Fleming/Diadkova `Rusalka'!), I can hope that these two marvelous singers will eventually sing these roles at the Met.The highlight of the aforementioned Met 'Giulio Cesare' performances was extraordinary duet `Son nata lagrimar' between Cornelia and her son Sesto. Blythe duplicates this triumph here with her Met partners David Daniels and conductor John Nelson. This selection alone is worth the price of the entire disc. To begin with, the music itself is probably the most beautiful mother-son duet in operatic history. Blythe's and Daniels' voices blend and compliment each other so perfectly and they sing with such tenderness, sorrow and intensity that the effect is heartwrenching. This scene comes right after Blythe's arresting rendition of Cornelia's aria 'Priva son d'ogni conforto'. When I saw her in `Giulio Cesare' at the Met, I actually thought that she would be ideal in the title role. However, despite her fine rendition of 'Al lampo dell'armi' and mastery of Caesar's longing and nobility in `Aure deh pieta', I think I would rather hear a more `masculine' sounding singer such as Ewa Podles. If I find the Bach arias slightly less successful than the Handel, that is only because I am spoiled in this repertory by Kathleen Ferrier. Blythe does almost have Ferrier's nobility, if not quite her richness and amplitude. Also, Nelson takes some of this music, especially `Enbarme dich' a bit too fast for my liking. However, Blythe here proves that she is as adept at being pious and self-effacing as she is at being dramatic and tragic.Despite some of my disagreements about tempi, John Nelson is a wonderful conductor for this repertory, capturing by turns its intensity, quiet serenity, and spirituality, and the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris plays marvelously under his baton. There is excellent continuo work from harpsichordists Emanuelle Haim (who has herself recently `graduated' into conductorhood!) and Martin Isepp, as well as also violist de gamba Jerome Hantai in `Es ist vollbracht'. Kudos also to the unnamed violin soloist in 'Enbarme dich'.French critic Charles Dupechez contributes a fine essay on the history of the lower female voice in opera and of the operas and oratorios performed here. In addition there are full texts and translations and a biography of Blythe. Why, however, is only half of Blythe's face on the CD cover? Blythe absolutely must record at least one disc of bel canto arias and ideally several complete operas, certainly `L'Italiana in Algieri'. In fact, I really hope that the splendid telecast of this opera from Philadelphia where she was a stunning Isabella (and with no less than Juan Diego Florez as Lindoro!) is put on video or DVD. And I have the feeling that she might give even the astonishing Olga Borodina a serious run for her money as Carmen.Oh, and did I mention she does an absolutely socko rendition of `Some People' from `Gypsy'?"

A delightful, captivating surprise...

Veggiechiliqueen | 01/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was browsing through the classical section of one of my favourite record stores when, to my utter amazement and delight, an extraordinary version of "Ombra mai fu" poured out from the speakers. Bear in mind that I, a countertenor and Baroque repertoire aficionado, already *own* several versions of said aria (by Scholl, Mera, Taylor, and Daniels). So when I heard this one I was completely captivated. Who was this enchanting new countertenor whose voice I had never heard before?When I was told it was Stephanie Blythe, a contralto, I was more than a bit surprised, something more like shocked. The only other contralto I'd heard performing Handel works was Ewa Podles. I was in a record store in Quebec at the time, and when I heard Ewa's version of "Cara sposa" from Handel's Rinaldo I was a little put off. Her voice seemed to be lacking the delicacy of the countertenor tone, although she did perform with great passion and gusto. It was a much more fiery voice, earthy and heroic, perfect for a character such as Rinaldo. Blthye's voice, in contrast, performed the song "Ombra mai fu" as a more pastoral song, much more gently and passively. I was tempted to buy the CD, but the song that *made* me do it was my favourite Baroque religious song "Erbarme Dich" by Bach. I own two other versions of that as well (Scholl and Taylor) and I thought that I'd never hear anyone sing it more beautifully. But Stephanie's voice is something so like a countertenor's: velvety smooth, dark, mysterious, melancholy, and pure. My quest for the perfect voice extended to countertenors only--until Stephanie Blythe. There is something so magical in that voice type that I am powerless in its wake."Handel and Bach Arias" features famous arias from a variety of operas (Semele, Serse, Hercules, Giulio Cesare in Egitto) and sacred works (St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Mass in B). Some of my favourite arias/songs are included here ("Erbarme Dich," "Al lampo dell'armi" and "Ombra mai fu") and all selections are spectaularly performed both by Stephanie, the orchestra, and David Daniels on "Madre! Son nata A lagrimar."This should be nominated for Best CD of 2002. Stephanie has a voice that I look forward to hearing much more of in the future."

The greatest mezzo-soprano since Marilyn Horne

Jonathan D. Wallach | New York, NY United States | 11/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD comes on the heels of critical success in Handel, Wagner and Rossini in performances all over the world. Blythe's voice recalls (and invites inevitable comparison to) the legendary Marilyn Horne and indeed, in some ways, she is even better. While her singing is not as intensely spectacular as Horne's, her voice, while similar, is intrinsically more beautiful, full and moving. In fact, the voice may be too beautiful and it is easy to get lost in the sound. However, Blythe is a better actress than Horne and truly makes the roles she performs come to life. A must have for anyone who laments the lost "golden" age of singing. Hopefully they'll start recording her in the virtuoso mezzo repertoire soon."