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Amoureuses Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Il mondo della luna (1777)
(The World on the Moon):
‘Ragion nell'alma siede’ [5:01] Lo speziale(1768) (The Apothecary):
‘Salamelica’ [1:45] Armida (1777):
‘Odio, furor, dispetto’ [2:05] L'anima del filosofo ossiaor Orfeo ed Euridice (1791)
(The Soul of the Philosopher or Orpheus and Eurydice):
‘Del mio coro il voto estremo’ [3:41] L'isola disabitata(1779) (The Desert Island):
‘Fra un dolce deliro’ [4:26] Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) ‘Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!’,
K.418 (1783) [6:38] Die Zauberflöte(The Magic Flute), K.620
(1791)
‘Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen’ [3:10] Le Nozze di Figaro(The Marriage
of Figaro) KV 492 (1786)
‘L'ho perduta... me meschina!’[2:00]
‘
Deh vieni, non tardar’[2:59] Lucio Silla, K.135 (1772):
‘Vanne.T'affretta... Ah se il crudel periglio’ [9:55]
‘Fra i pensier più funesti di morte’ [2:56] Zaide, K.344/366b (1779/80):
‘Tiger! Wetze nur die Klauen’ [5:15] Christoph
Willibald GLUCK (1714–1787) Armide (1777):
‘Venez, secondez mes désirs’ [2:31]
‘Le perfide Renaud me fuit’ [6:52]
‘Ah! Si la liberté me doit etre ravie’ [4:11] Iphigénie en Tauride (1779):
‘Non, cet affreux devoir’ [3:45]
Patricia
Petibon (soprano)
Concerto Köln/Daniel Harding
rec. January 2008, Kulturforum Franziskanerkloster, Paterskirche,
Kempen, Germany. DDD DEUTSCHE
GRAMMOPHON 477 7468 [68:39]
French coloratura soprano Patricia Petibon
has made her reputation through outstanding performances
of French
baroque music. In this her debut release for Deutsche
Grammophon, Petibon shows her undoubted prowess in the
Classical repertoire. All sixteen opera arias feature
various women characters who are in love.
The varying moods of these arias certainly allow Petibon
to display her considerable talents, particularly her
artistry, dramatic facility and versatility. Her distinctive
and bewitching voice has the exceptional ability to glide
effortlessly through rapid changes of dynamics and her
distinctive embellishments are frequently glittering.
With noticeably elevated artistic standards the Montargis-born
soprano provides considerable power and her diction is
first class; yet remaining a model of finesse and sensitivity.
With the Haydn arias I especially enjoyed the interpretation
of Flaminia’s aria ‘Ragion nell'alma siede’ from
the opera Il mondo della luna (The World on
the Moon) that aptly displays her agreeable yet highly
individual ornamentations. The aria allows the soprano
to demonstrate her range but seems less comfortable in
the lower registers. One senses the frenzied anxiety
of sorceress Armida in the aria ‘Odio, furor, dispetto’ and
I was impressed with her breath control and expression
in the high reaches of Euridice’s cavatina ‘Del mio
coro il voto estremo’ from L'anima del filosofo
ossia (The Soul of the Philosopher). There
is blissful contentment in Silvia’s aria ‘Fra un dolce
deliro’ from L'isola disabitata (The Desert
Island) and her glide up to top notes is exceptional.
For me the highlight is Mozart’s beautiful concert aria, ‘Vorrei
spiegarvi, oh Dio!’ ravishingly sung with the tessitura eminently
suited to Petibon’s voice. The Queen of the Night’s
challenging aria ‘Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem
Herzen’ from Die Zauberflöte (The Magic
Flute) is a highly convincing portrayal of intense
vengeance burning in her heart. I compared Petibon
with my benchmark performance of the aria from Lucia
Popp - recorded under Klemperer in 1964 at the Kingsway
Hall. In most respects Petibon can match Popp, although,
I did notice a harder-edged timbre compared to Popp’s
more silvery purity. The uplifting aria ‘Tiger!
Wetze nur die Klauen’ from the unfinished opera Zaide is
charismatically performed; especially notable is the
splendid finale.
In the four Gluck arias I particularly enjoyed ‘Non,
cet affreux devoir’ from Iphigénie en Tauride for
the convincing sense of fear and anguish that the soprano
communicates. The aria ‘Ah! Si la liberté me doit
etre ravie’ from Gluck’s setting of Armide is
sung with honeyed tones and a sense of deep yearning
that contrasts with the terrifying and bitter emotions
of the aria ‘Le perfide Renaud me fuit’ from
later in the opera.
Patricia Petibon can be justly proud of this her debut
recording for the prestigious yellow label. Conducted
by Daniel Harding, Concerto Köln are an authentic instrument
chamber orchestra who employ period informed practise
in their performances. Providing orchestral support of
the highest quality their eloquent playing feels most
sympathetic to the music. The DG engineers can be proud
of the excellent sonics from the Paterskirche at Kempen.
The well written booklet notes are rather concise but
cover all the basic information.
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