With this excellent new release Joyce DiDonato tackles the immense vocal
challenges presented by this collection of rare Neapolitan
bel
canto opera arias. In this the disc makes a refreshing change from the
vast majority of CDs given over to the same old works. Here instead we delve
deep into the archives selecting neglected Neapolitan delights around half
of which are, I suspect, virtually never heard. This is borne out by the
note in the accompanying booklet stating three of the arias (tracks 1, 3, 8)
are being given world première recordings. All ten selected works are taken
from a narrow twenty-three year period. Not surprisingly, stylistically and
texturally, they inhabit a very similar sound-world. Those looking for
variety of style and contrast of mood will have to look elsewhere.
The prolific Sicilian composer Giovanni Pacini is represented by two arias
both from operas of his mature years. First the cabaletta
Ove t’aggiri,
o barbaro from the opera
Stella di Napoli from which the
release takes its name. Full of melody and drama the male chorus adds to the
exhilaration. DiDonato is in complete control and is well up to the
challenging and prolonged coloratura demands. The second is the final track,
the lengthy
Gran scena finale:
Flutto che muggi ... Teco
dall’are pronube ... L’ama ognor qual io l’amai taken from
Saffo. It’s a memorable closing scene with a roller-coaster of
emotions and at times is very moving. I was struck by some of the
instrumentation notably the horns early on and the prominent harp part. The
conclusion is highly dramatic and makes a real impact. Also Sicilian-born
from the same city of Catania but much better known is Vincenzo Bellini. He
is given a pair of arias here. The first
Dopo l’oscuro nembo from
his early opera
Adelson e Salvini was a final student project. A
lovely flute solo adds a sense of mystery. As the tormented heroine Nelly, a
soprano role, DiDonato revels in the long melodic lines - here compassion is
steeped in melancholy. The second aria
Deh! tu, bell’anima can be
found in Bellini’s middle-period
I Capuleti e i Montecchi. In the
‘trouser role’ of Romeo, DiDonato conveys a moving, yearning and aching
tenderness amid all that swaying and melodic writing.
Gaetano Donizetti from Bergamo was highly productive in the field of opera
and is represented by two arias one from
Elisabetta al castello di
Kenilworth and the other from
Maria Stuarda both from his
middle period. The first,
Par che mi dica ancora from
Elisabetta al castello di Kenilworth opens with a part for glass
harmonica, here played on the glockenspiel. As well as significant
coloratura demands, DiDonato in the part of Amelia conjures a feeling of
loneliness tinged with fear. The music quickens and ends with an orchestral
and choral outburst of real splendour. Next comes
Deh! Tu di un’umile
preghiera, famously known as Maria’s prayer, from
Maria
Stuarda. Incidentally DiDonato has recently received tremendous
accolades for her performance as Mary Queen of Scots in an otherwise well
sung but disappointing production of Donizetti’s
Maria Stuarda at
the Royal Opera House, London. I am struck by the aching sense of longing
that DiDonato generates and her breath control for holding a note is
astonishing. Noticeable at 3:50 is the harp accompaniment followed later by
the appearance of the mixed chorus, all to great effect. A true highlight is
the exhilaration engendered by the combined forces at the dramatic ending of
the piece.
The most famous figure here is Rossini - prolific throughout his twenty or
so years of creativity. Here the Pesaro-born Rossini has the aria
Riedi
al soglio from
Zelmira. This dates from 1822 and fell during a
period of astonishingly high quality composing activity. This is an
outstanding aria with a dramatic opening and ending in a highly percussive
manner. The assured DiDonato surmounts the challenges of the role of
Zelmira, the Princess of Lesbos, a role that Rossini created for the
renowned Spanish opera singer Isabella Colbran. I enjoyed the choral parts
followed by the contributions of both tenor Rémi Mathieu as Zelmira’s
husband, Ilo the Price of Troy, and baritone Nabil Suliman as her father
Polidoro King of Lesbos.
Finally there is an attractive aria each from three rarely heard
composers: Michele Carafa, Saverio Mercadante and Carlo Valentini.
Neapolitan Michele Carafa is a new name to me. Carafa has the aria
L’amica ancor non torna … Oh, di sorte crudel from his
Le nozze
di Lammermoor, based on the same material as Donizetti’s later and
highly successful
Lucia di Lammermoor. DiDonato is affecting in her
portrayal of Lucia’s emotional pain. Again I was struck by her superb breath
control and sustained melodic lines. Also of note here are the lovely
clarinet solos. Saverio Mercadante born in Altamura, Southern Italy is a
composer that I know more by reputation than by actual performances.
Prolific in opera, Mercadante is represented by
Se fino al cielo
ascendere from
La vestale, a
tragedia lirica from his
full maturity. There is a noticeably brooding and rather shadowy quality to
Mercadante’s music. In the role of Giunia, DiDonato exhibits a lovely purity
of voice tinged with a suitably dark-edged tone. Another new name to me is
Carlo Valentini a native of Lucca in Tuscany. Valentini’s aria
Se il mar
sommesso mormora is taken from
Il sonnambulo written to a
Felice Romani text. In a powerful portrayal of the heroine Adele, DiDonato
gives a strong sense of emotional struggle with mezzo-soprano Héloise Mas
providing fine support as Sofia. Throughout, the gentle swaying rhythm
provides a memorable backdrop to their dialogue.
Supreme technical control, fluid delivery and creamy texture mark out
DiDonato as one of the leading singers around today. Her voice sounds in
superb condition and a striking acting ability that makes every word
believable. She remains a force to be reckoned with.
No problems at all with the sound quality in sessions pleasingly recorded
in 2013 at the Opéra de Lyon. Thankfully I can report that full texts are
provided with English translations. This is an extremely exhilarating and
rewarding collection of rarely encountered works.
Michael Cookson
