In
my
review of Alessandro Marangoni’s wonderful Naxos recording
of
Péchés de vieillesse, I mentioned that the Rossini
operas tend to overshadow his later works. This might possibly
be one of the main reasons why they are so often neglected.
This is particularly true of his songs: both the collection
that forms
Les Soirées musicales as well
as the pieces included in the fourteen volumes of
Péchés
de vieillesse.
Being
a great admirer of Rossini’s late works, I became quite
excited at the prospect of listening to and reviewing an
entire CD of his songs, with excellent singers accompanied
by a wonderful pianist. This recital offering from Hyperion
does not disappoint. It is very enjoyable, with delightful
performances by Swedish soprano Miah Persson, German-Greek
mezzo Stella Doufexis and American tenor Bruce Ford. Roger
Vignoles - one of Britain’s most outstanding musicians
- accompanies and is excellent from beginning to end.
Rossini’s
songs are wonderful little gems for a variety of reasons;
not only because of their wit and humour but also because
they express a wide range of emotions, from sadness and
melancholy to happiness and joyful love. The first eight
pieces are possibly the most famous and make the biggest
impact. Musically, they are based on popular dance forms
and national dances.
La partenza, beautifully sung
by Bruce Ford, is in the tempo of a minuet;
La pastorella
dell’Alpi suitably follows the slow rhythm of a waltz
from Landel (a region in the North of Austria). The most
celebrated of them all,
La danza deploys a dazzling
Neapolitan
tarantella. This is a fabulous song,
a show-piece for a tenor, which was made famous in recent
years by the late Luciano Pavarotti. He sang it with unequalled
vivid and vibrant expression, excelling in the higher notes,
giving the piece a virtuosic edge that never failed to
excite audiences. Bruce Ford delivers the piece very effectively,
appearing to delight in its rhythm and youthful tone but
there is a little strain in his voice in the more difficult
passages. The song is a lively encouragement to love, leading
young couples to dance. Ford expresses these feelings with
sufficient energy but he lacks the natural exuberance of
a native Italian, or of a Latin singer; and I must confess
that I missed Pavarotti’s interpretation.
The
first time I heard Swedish soprano Miah Persson was at
the 2006 Glyndebourne Festival where she sang Fiordiligi
in Mozart’s
Così fan tutte.
I was impressed with her beautiful
legato, delicate
phrasing and deeply-felt sentiment. She brings these qualities
to her interpretation of Rossini’s songs and duets, with
particular brilliance in
La promessa and
Adieu à la
vie. She delivers
La chanson du bébé with great
humour and excellent comic timing, revelling in the playful
sounds that the baby makes. She is equally excellent in
the love duet with Ford,
La serenata, a piece which
is as lyrical as it is elegant, delivered convincingly
and with grace by both singers.
Stella
Doufexis is an established singer who has worked with some
of the greatest conductors of the present day including
Haitink, Rattle and Abbado. She possesses a rich tone,
beautifully modulated phrasing and convincing expression.
These qualities shine in the duet with Persson
La regata
veneziana from
Les Soirées musicales and especially in the
three
canzonette of
La regata veneziana from
Péchés
de vieillesse. Here Doufexis excels in expressing the
different moods that the songs describe and using her warm,
round mezzo voice to best effect. Her rendition is graceful
and pleasantly passionate, particularly in the last song.
She is never over-sentimental or too emotional. I was a
little disappointed by her performance in the duet with
Ford
Les amants de Séville, where I thought her
interpretation was a little dry. She does not sing with
the same fluid ease displayed in her solo songs and appears
slightly uncomfortable. Rossini wrote this beautiful duet
for tenor and contralto. This is not a very common combination
and is actually understandable that a mezzo-soprano, like
Doufexis, excellent though she is, seems not to feel at
home at this point. Ford on the other hand, sings his part
convincingly, demonstrating here why he has managed a very
successful career for over two decades.
On
the whole, the three singers deliver beautiful interpretations
of Rossini’s wonderful late pieces. They are superbly accompanied
by Roger Vignoles. His playing, like Rossini’s writing,
is sophisticated and skilful, brilliantly supporting the
vocal line but with expressive individuality. Here it is
impossible to forget the omnipresent piano as can sometimes
happen with some pianists when they accompany singers.
The piano intelligently cushions the singers but it is
a soloist in its own right - almost a fourth voice - which
sets the perfect background that sustains the three human
voices.
This
CD of Rossini’s songs and duets is not only a delightful,
enjoyable recording but it also makes a compelling case
for singers to include the composer’s late works in their
recital repertoire.
Les soirées musicales and the vocal pieces from
Péchés de vieillesse really deserve
to be recorded as a full programme. The most famous songs
are sporadically included in recitals and CDs, particularly
by tenors but these charming, witty and accomplished pieces
merit more. Hyperion, Ford, Doufexis, Persson and Vignoles
should be congratulated for their achievement; very pleasing
and distinguished.
Margarida
Mota-Bull