I
reviewed Diana
Damrau’s previous solo record, ‘Arie di
bravura’ about a year ago. I wrote that ‘I expected pinpoint
accuracy, easy delivery, beautiful but fairly thin tone
with some edge to it, well controlled vibrato, expressive
readings and good enunciation’. That
disc, selected as a
Recording of the Month, was
filled with rarities by Salieri, Righini and Mozart. The
Queen of the Night’s two arias from
Die Zauberflöte were
the only exceptions.
Damrau
now returns with a downright Mozart disc. While there are
some relative rarities here she has first and foremost
selected favourites she has performed on stage – and a
few she would like to do. Mozart has played a central part
in Damrau’s operatic life and she has sung two or more
roles from several operas. The first was Barbarina in
Le
nozze di Figaro at her professional debut in Würzburg
in 1995.
As
on the first disc she is accompanied by the superb Le Cercle
de l’Harmonie, who under their leader Jérémie Rhorer deliver
crisp and rhythmically alert playing on period instruments.
Long gone are the days when period ensembles played with
thin, wiry string tone, were sometimes rather ill-tuned
and where unanimity was suspect. These players are well
integrated and they display an energy that is infectious.
The many instrumental soloists, who are credited in the
booklet, are also first class, none more so than the clarinettist
Nicola Boud, who also plays the basset-horn in Vitellia’s
aria from
La clemenza di Tito (tr. 17).
In
the booklet Richard Lawrence gives an overview of Mozart’s
operatic writing, starting with
La finta semplice in
1768 when Mozart was twelve. It was commissioned by the
Emperor Joseph II, was rehearsed and performed privately.
Due to intrigues the production was cancelled and was performed
only once in Salzburg the next year. After that it was
never heard again until modern times. Mozart was disappointed
but his father was furious. Since Richard Lawrence’s essay
is chronological it is a pity that the arias are not presented
on the disc in chronological order, which would have made
it much easier to follow his development. As it is they
are presented in a haphazard order.
As
on the previous disc Ms Damrau shows her prowess at expressing
the individual characters’ personalities or at least their
predicaments. The list of her merits set out at the start
of this review is mostly applicable to this new recital
as well. ‘Mostly’ is an indication that some signs of tear
and wear on the voice have crept in. Whether this is temporary
or a sign of permanent deterioration is hard to tell but
it is quite obvious that the tone has hardened and become
more aggressive. There’s also a noticeable widening of
the vibrato when under pressure.
Against
this can be listed any number of felicities. Her technique
is marvellous with every demisemiquaver in the virtuoso
runs perfectly controlled. Her top notes are luminous and
effortless and when she floats the tone at pianissimo,
as for example in Donna Anna’s aria from
Don Giovanni (tr.
12), she is superb. The two concert arias – or rather insert
arias, since they were composed to replace arias in Pasquale
Anfossi’s
Il curioso indiscreto to suit Aloysia
Lange, his sister-in-law – also show her at the height
of her powers.
Vorrei spiegarvi (tr. 10) is sung
with light, silvery tone to match the plucked string accompaniment.
The tessitura is high but causes her no problems at all.
The possibly still better known
No, che non sei capace (tr.
18) is even better with its dizzying virtuosity and dramatic
intensity. She can’t quite match the ease and elegance
of Pierrette Alarie in the latter but it is a more than
worthy reading. Alarie’s recording is presently available
in a three-disc box with her husband Leopold Simoneau (see
review).
Let
me just add that Aspasia’s aria from
Mitridate,
another opera from Mozart’s youth, is a stunning demonstration
in virtuosity. The two
Figaro arias are both splendid
but Susanna is a character better suited to Diana Damrau’s
voice. Servilia’s short aria from
La clemenza di Tito is
certainly one of the most delicious things Mozart ever
wrote. When she as Vitellia sings the famous aria with
the basset-horn obbligato, she is required to go down in
the deepest contralto register. Ms Damrau does this with
impressive security.
Diana
Damrau is certainly among the best lyric sopranos around
at the moment and even though I have expressed some reservations
there is so much to admire in this recital, not least her
expressive handling of the texts.
Texts
and translations in several languages are included but
unfortunately the pages of my booklet had been shuffled
so I had some difficulties in following them properly.
Göran
Forsling
see also review by Ralph Moore
Diana
Damrau (soprano) 
