Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Arias for Male Soprano
Idomeneo, K366, Overture [4.28], Ah qual gelido
orror…..Il padre adorato [3.48]
Lucio Silla, K135, Dunque sperar poss’io…..Il
tenero momento [10.24], Ah se a morir mi chiama [8.50]
La Clemenza di Tito, K621, Overture [4.45], Deh per
questo istante solo [6.25], Parto, ma tu ben mio [6.22]
Exsultate, Jubilate, K165, Allegro [4.31], Recitative
[0.51], Andante [7.24], Allegro: Alleluja [2.39]
Michael Maniaci (male soprano)
Boston Baroque/Martin Pearlman
rec. Mechanics Hall, Worchester, MA, USA, 5-7 February 2009, DSD
Booklet notes and artists’ biographies in English only, original sung
texts included with translations into English
TELARC TEL-31827-02 [61.01]
I love Mozart’s music in general but, most of all, I love his operas:
the works from his teenage years, which offer many enjoyable moments, and
especially the masterpieces that he created later: the operas composed to
Da Ponte’s librettos. Therefore, I tend to jump at the opportunity of
reviewing any new recordings of Mozart’s arias, particularly by voices
that I have never heard before. This was the main reason why I really wanted
to review Michael Maniaci’s CD but not the only one! After having read
a considerable amount of very different and often contradictory comments regarding
his voice, I felt curious and wanted to form my own judgements.
Maniaci is a talented young man but he faces a double challenge: he will have
to beat not only other male and female singers of the same repertoire but
also the prejudice, which some people will feel even before listening to him;
simply because he is a male soprano. The words “male” and “soprano”
do not usually go together and mutually exclude each other. If one is a soprano
then one must be a woman and if a man sings with a distinctively feminine
voice then is because he is singing falsetto and therefore he is not
a soprano but a counter-tenor. Mozart and generally all 18th century
composers wrote for male sopranos, the celebrated castrati who were
at the peak of their fame during this period but, as we all know, were submitted
to an operation to castrate them before puberty. Therefore, these boys did
not develop into manhood as any other males would. Naturally this is not Maniaci’s
case. He states that his voice did not change during puberty like the rest
of his body and that doctors found that his larynx and vocal chords had not
lengthened or thickened in the normal way. Whatever the reason, he does possess
a rather unusual voice.
I have read countless articles and reviews about Maniaci’s voice, arguing
whether it is really natural or not and, if so, why did he turn out a soprano
instead of a tenor or any other common male voice. I think that too much emphasis
has been put on why his voice is the way it is rather than his singing. So,
I decided not to go into it for two reasons: I have no medical knowledge or
background and I don’t think it matters. Michael Maniaci can definitely
sing and he can sing rather well. The arias featured here are all pieces that
Mozart composed for castrati. These are not only musically beautiful
but also difficult to execute convincingly. And this Maniaci manages
to do throughout most of the disc.
The booklet notes state that “... Maniaci’s soprano voice gives
us the chance to hear something closer to the descriptions of old [of the
castrato voice]...”! It may well be true but I suppose we will never
know. The point is however that Maniaci is an assured, accomplished singer;
he possesses a solid coloratura, his transitions from piano
to forte and back again are seamless and his voice appears very comfortable
in its highest register. Personally though, I did not always find it beautiful.
Occasionally, he suffers from the same problem as countertenors when they
reach the upper register of their voices, which is the fact that they lack
power because the notes are purely head notes, without chest resonance to
sustain them. So, Maniaci’s top notes sometimes sound forced, strident
and slightly distorted, which spoils the beauty of line that he undoubtedly
possesses. On the other hand, his middle range is considerably more attractive,
with a purer sound. In some of the pieces, he also demonstrates other superb
qualities: the recitatives are exquisitely and clearly phrased; his legato
is excellent and he is dramatically very expressive.
Maniaci’s voice suits the Mozart repertoire, which he chose for this
disc, as well as any other roles written for soprano castratos, namely some
of Handel’s, but it must be said that he faces fierce competition from
some great female sopranos and mezzos, as well as from some countertenors.
His delivery of Deh per questo instante solo from “La Clemenza
di Tito”, for example, compares unfavourably with that of Cecilia Bartoli,
in her Decca recording of Mozart arias from 1991. Another piece where Maniaci’s
performance again loses to a female voice is in the beautiful aria Il tenero
momento from “Lucio Silla”, which I compared with that of
Kristina Hammarström in Adam Fisher’s full recording of the opera
for the Dacapo label in 2001-02. Both women sing effortless in the upper register,
with a beautifully clear, ringing tone, simultaneously moving and harmonious
while I found that Maniaci sometimes lacked these qualities. On occasions,
the sentiment and delicate phrasing, which in my opinion are required in Mozart,
were also missing from his interpretations. I liked his rendition of Il
padre adorato from “Idomeneo”; however, I must say that I
still prefer the version by Léopold Simoneau from 1951 when he sang
and recorded the role live at Glyndebourne. I am however rather partial to
the tenor voice, especially one as clear and beautiful as Simoneau’s.
On stage, I think Maniaci may have the upper hand over his female counterparts,
meaning that the roles were after all originally written for men; and women
are not always believable or convincing in male roles. Maniaci is a good-looking
young man; he sings with dramatic expression and these are attributes that
will play to his advantage; the only thing I would say is that he needs to
improve his diction, which is not always clear; occasionally, making it impossible
to tell what language he is singing in.
Having said all that, I think this CD of Mozart arias is actually an excellent
effort by Maniaci, wonderfully accompanied by the Boston Baroque, conducted
by Martin Pearlman who also wrote the very informative booklet notes. Pearlman
is a distinguished conductor but also a composer and an expert in early music.
This expertise comes through in the technically flawless performance of the
orchestra, playing on period instruments, which lends more authenticity to
the music and Maniaci’s performance.
In the end, whether one buys this recording of Michael Maniaci or not will
probably come down to personal taste or, in some cases, how one views or feels
about a male soprano. To my mind, prejudice has no place in appreciating somebody’s
artistry. Maniaci is undoubtedly talented; there is a lot to be enjoyed in
his singing, and his interpretation of Mozart’s music shows great musicianship
and clear understanding of the composer’s scores. And although, I prefer
some of the arias in this disc performed by other singers, I must say that
I enjoyed the work as a whole. Maniaci is a pleasant revelation: he is technically
very strong, with an impressive vocal range and it is refreshing to hear something
different. It is difficult to say if he will be able to make a big career,
bearing in mind the exceptional competition that he faces; however, his belief
in his own ability and the determination, which he seems to possess, should
eventually be rewarded and he may well achieve great success.
Margarida Mota-Bull