In summer 2003 I
reviewed a CD-ROM entitled ‘BETWEEN
EARTH and SKY: the HOUR OF MEDITATION
and PRAYER’. This was an issue from Cantolopera
being Volume VII of their ‘The Great Interactive
Opera Encyclopaedia’. On that disc there
were hours of involving content including
a spoken and visual analysis of the characteristics
of the baritone voice; other volumes in
the series covered the other vocal registers.
Each disc in the series allowed analysis
of ones own vocality with the opportunity
to sing arias with the music coming from
speakers or headphones as the words and
score passed in front of ones eyes on
the VDU. This new series from Cantolopera
are straight CDs but their sub-title
‘to be Experienced as a Protagonist’
gives the clue to their second purpose.
Each disc of arias is sung by professional
singers, backed by orchestra, and chorus
when appropriate, in the usual way. These
‘model’ tracks are then followed by the
music and chorus alone, allowing the listener
to try his/her talents and skills, with
the backing of an orchestra rather than
just a piano which is all that an accompanist,
or répétiteur, would normally
provide. The words, in the language of
the aria, are given with an English translation.
However, as no music script is given,
as was the case on the ROMs, a vocal score
is a must for the serious protagonist,
particularly as the words provided do
not indicate reprised phrases. There is
also the complication that some arias
are given in abbreviated performance versions
that may differ from standard vocal scores.
However, serious users of these discs,
which are in no way ‘jokey karaoke’ should
have no difficulty in using them as intended
as well as listening to the performances
of professional singers. Given also that
each disc has ‘fach’ variations, such
as lyric and dramatic etc arias, these
CDs will help the user define their individual
vocal strengths for themselves; not all
potential singers have the benefits of
a music college coach or a personal teacher.
Each disc is a separate entity and can
be purchased in that form.
The baritone is the middle
category of male voice. Several sub-divisions
exist in opera houses but are seldom denoted
by composers. The voice range lays between
G, an octave and one half below middle
C, to F, or even G, above. The ‘middle’
of some baritone voices will be to the
lower end of the range whilst for others
the opposite will be true. In the Germanic
repertoire sub-divisions are often made
with ‘Spielbariton’ (Don Giovanni), ‘Heldenbariton’,
‘Klavierbariton’ and ‘Bass-Bariton’ (Wotan,
Sachs, and The Dutchman) being common.
However, outside that repertoire, particularly
in Italian Opera, no such divisions are
generally made although Opera House ‘Intendants’
might consider some baritone voices as
being more suitable for Donizetti and
the lyric Verdi roles (Germont pére
in La Traviata and Rodrigo in Don Carlo)
than for the composer’s heavier roles
such as Rigoletto, Macbeth etc and those
called for by Puccini and the ‘verismo’
composers. The arias on these three discs
focus on the mainstream Italian repertoire
with a couple of notable exceptions, the
first of which is the Toreador’s aria
‘Votre Toast’ from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ (CD
1 tr. 1). Sung in French this is often
taken by a singer whose ‘middle’ lies
in the lower part of the baritone range
and, occasionally, by a ‘basso cantante’
with a good top. The second example is
Wolfram’s ‘Prayer to the Evening Star’
from Wagner’s Tannhäuser (CD 1 tr.
7). This aria, and that from ‘Don Pasquale’
(CD 1 tr.2), are sung by Roberto Lovera
without great distinction. Although his
tone is steady his voice lacks variety
of colour and there is little sense of
characterisation. In this series devoted
to the baritone voice only one other aria
is not portrayed by Alberto Gazale. The
exception is Dulcamara’s famous ‘Udite,
udite, o rustici’. Although true baritones
can sing the part it really belongs to
the ‘character basso’ division of the
bass voice. It is well sung here (CD 2
tr.4) by Matteo Peirone, described in
the biographical note as ‘Basso brillante’.
Such flexible voices will often take the
comic character parts in Rossini (and
Gilbert and Sullivan) requiring fast ‘patter’
of tongue twisters.
Alberto Gazale takes
the burden of the remaining wide variety
of roles. An Italian, he has specialised
in the Verdi repertoire and studied with
Carlo Bergonzi. This will certainly have
done much to develop his sense of Verdian
style as well as an ability to hold the
line whilst phrasing with some elegance,
all of which skills are in evidence here.
His well-covered and coloured tone is
heard to good effect as ‘Rigoletto’ (CD
1 tr.7 and CD 3 tr.6) and ‘Nabucco’ (CD
1 tr.6). Although he has plenty of heft
there are moments of unsteadiness when
the voice is under pressure and he does
not always sustain a perfect legato as
in Carlo’s ‘Gran Dio’ from ‘Ernani’ (CD
3 tr.5), but these are minor limitations.
Gazale is an excellent exemplar in this
fach for any putative protagonist, and
it is no surprise that my records show
that since the time of this recording
his career has taken him to the ‘Verona
Festival’ and ‘La Scala’ under Muti!
The conductor has a good
feel for a Verdian phrase and is thoroughly
at home in the rest of the Italian repertoire
featured although he seems a little lost
in the Wagner. The chorus are vibrant
and wholly idiomatic. Whilst the recording
is adequate there are differences in acoustic
around the voices (dubbing?) which in
any event are set a little far back.
Listen to the virile
vocalism in ‘Votre Toast’ (CD 1 tr.1),
‘Cortigiani, vil raza dannata’ when Rigoletto
pleads with the courtiers to know the
whereabouts of his daughter, (CD 2 tr.7)
and Otello’s evil ‘credo’ (CD 3 tr.7).
These recordings in this
innovative series are recommended for
opera buffs as well as potential, or hopeful,
opera singers.
Robert J Farr
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