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SEEN
AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW
Handel,
Belshazzar:
Soloists,
Wiener
Akademie, Chorus Sine Nomine, Conductor: Laurence
Cummings,
Auditorio El Baluarte de Pamplona 16. 1.2009 (JMI)
Semi Staged Version
Director: Frederic Michel
Costumes: Mina Ly
Cast:
Belshazzar: Markus Brutscher
Neocris: Isabel Monar
Cyrus: David DQ Lee
Daniel: Markus Forster
Sobrias: Raimund Nolte
Belshazzar
belongs to Händel’s London years, and comes a year
after Semele. Belshazzar is heavily
influenced by the fashion for oratorio in the middle
of 18th century, being based on a Biblical passage
and having an important role for the choir. The
libretto is based on the book of Daniel and narrates
the defeat of Babylonian king Belshazzar (grandson of
Nebuchadnezzar) at the hands of Emperor Cyrus, who is
presented as doing God’s will in releasing the Jews
from slavery and punishing the excesses of the king
of Babylon. Belshazzar, it will be remembered, was
very fond of feasts and parties, where he used to
drink from the sacred cups that his grandfather took
after sacking the Temple in Jerusalem.
The work is of somewhat irregular quality, but it has gorgeous pages for all the singers, and gives special importance to the choir. In general, this version in Pamplona followed the reading given by René Jacobs in Aix-en-Provence in July 2008.
The performance was semi-staged, with the singers working without the score and moving about the stage, wearing simple costumes allusive to the characters they play. Only Neocris, Belshazzar’s mother, sang from a podium using the score and this was quite understandable, considering that the announced soprano cancelled almost at the eleventh hour. Using movement, even though simple, helps to follow the work, particularly for a public not too familiar with this type of opera.
The best part of the performance was the orchestral playing, which exceeded my expectations. The English conductor Laurence Cummnigs is a specialist in this type of repertoire and one sees clearly that he enjoys doing it. His reading of the score was very remarkable, full of life and energy, not losing the tension at any moment. He does not enjoy the same degree of popularity as some of his prestigious colleagues, but he does not fall behind many of them and he deserves much greater international recognition.
Under his direction was the Wiener Akademie orchestra, founded by Martin Haselböck more than 20 years ago. It is an excellent orchestra, and worked with for Mr Cummings outstandingly well.
Just as magnificent in quality and musicality was the Austrian Choir Sine Nomine. I do not know the reasons why they have this name, as it strikes me as being rather strange. If names have to do with quality, this choir should certainly have one which resounds!
The vocal casting did not have too much artistic importance, but it served the work quite well. Perhaps best suited in vocal terms was tenor Markus Brutscher in the title role. Isabel Monar replaced the announced Deborah York as Neocris and had to sing with a score. She saved the concert with dignity if not brightness.
The Canadian countertenor David DQ Lee played Cyrus and had a small, pleasant voice, which improved during the second half. Another countertenor, Markus Forster, played the prophet Daniel and showed a voice of reduced size, but attractive. According to an announcement he was suffering from laryngitis, although you couldn’t notice it. Raimund Nolte was a decent Gobrias, Cyrus’s general, offering a sonorous voice and somewhat coarse singing.
The public enjoyed and applauded all the singers, especially Markus Brutscher. The biggest success went without a doubt to the Choir Sine Nomine. Cummings and the Wiener Akademie were applauded with less enthusiasm than they truly deserved.