MOZART Favorite Opera Arias
Sir Charles
Mackerras, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus (Edinburgh Festival
Chorus on Così Fan Tutte) singers: Thomas Allen, June Anderson,
Alessandro Corbelli, Nuccia Focile, Jerry Hadley, Barbara Hendricks, Felicity
Lott, Marie McLaughlin, Susanne Mentzner, Alistair Miles, Bo Skovhus, Carol
Vaness
Telarc
CD-80529 [67:42]
The Marriage of Figaro: Non più andrai, Voi che sapete,
E Susanna non vien… Dove sono, Giunse alfin il momento… Deh, vieni,
non tardar
Don Giovanni: Madamina, il catalogo è questo Dalla sua
pace (Vienna version, Finch' han dal vino Batti, batti, o bel Masetto Mi
tradi quell' alma ingrata (Vienna version)
Così Fan Tutte: Smanie implacabili Come, scoglio immota
resta Un' aura amorosa Per pietà, ben mio perdona
The Magic Flute: Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd sch
ön Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen Ach,
ich f ühl's Der Vogelf änger bin ich ja
It doesn't inspire confidence when a major label misspells the title of an
album, and given that we are not yet the 51st State of America
(though surely that would be preferable to becoming a province of the Roman
Empire for the second time) and that the recordings on this disc were made
in Edinburgh, it is irrelevant that the artwork was printed in the USA.
Favorite (sic) Opera Arias indeed! This is not a newly recorded
programme, but a greatest hits selection from four complete Mozart opera
recordings made by Sir Charles Mackerras with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra
and Chorus (Così Fan Tutte employs the Edinburgh Festival Chorus
by way of replacement) between 1991-5. Given that there are already highlights
albums from each of the four complete recordings, Teldec are clearly intent
on exploiting the performances at every level of interest and financial
commitment. As Teldec must already have paid for booklet notes for the previous
albums, it is emphatically mediocre that this current disc comes with nothing
more than track listings, the inside of the four-sided insert being devoted
to no more than an advert for the complete recordings. Many people buying
this album will be fairly new to the music, and some sort of background
information would surely be most useful in providing a context, and in even
leading on to further purchases.
Thus far, so unimpressive, a disheartening example of the lack of care and
interest with which some major labels treat even full-price back catalogue
issues, and a striking contrast with the attention labels like Naxos lavish
on super-budget releases. Of course things get rapidly better when we actually
listen to the music. There are 17 arias, four each from The Marriage of
Figaro, Così Fan Tutte and The Magic Flute, five from Don
Giovanni. The ladies dominate the concert, with most strangely of all,
Don Giovanni as sung by Bo Skovhus only appearing for 79 seconds in Finch'
han dal vino. Felicity Lott appears the most, three times, twice from
Così Fan Tutte, once in Don Giovanni. Most singers only
are heard once, making this programme unusual in that the focus is on the
music rather than star performers. Thus as a primer for four of Mozart's
most popular operas and an attractively varied concert in its own right,
this release has much to commend it. Mackerras assembled first-rate casts,
and the anthologist has been able to take the pick of the best moments -
though obviously this is highly subjective, and largely pointless to argue
with individual inclusions or exclusions as everyone will have a different
idea of what should be on the disc. However, the very fact that so much is
missing means that this disc will often serve as an expensive sampler, leading
on to further, more complete purchases. Considering that, one can't help
think that the set should be properly documented, or better still, be a
double-length two-for-the-price-of-one issue.
In this context, singling out highlights from highlights of highlights seems
superfluous. If I had to do it, I'd nominate Felicity Lott's Fiordiligi and
specifically the aria Per pietà, ben mio perdona from
Così Fan Tutte and June Anderson as the Queen of the Night
in The Magic Flute for her spirited performance of Der Hölle
Rache hocht in meinem. That said, there's nothing bad here, with only
the presentation seriously letting the side down. The music and performances
and sound are fine.
Reviewer
Gary S. Dalkin
