"Anna Netrebko
& Friends – A Dream Team for Mozart
in 2006" says the heading for Nick
Kimberley’s liner-notes. For once the
hype is relatively modest: these are
indeed some of finest voices now before
the public. Most of them are also under
exclusive recording contracts with the
prestigious Deutsche Grammophon, which
also goes a long way to show that the
company’s head-hunters have a nose for
quality.
"The Mozart Album"
is in the main made up of material from
two sets of recording sessions: one
from Bologna in March 2005 under Abbado
and the other from Dresden in May 2006
under Sebastian Weigle. In addition
to this DG have thrown in, for good
measure, a few titles from already existing
issues, the recent complete Zauberflöte
under Abbado and Bryn Terfel’s even
newer recital Tutto Mozart. While
this undoubtedly makes for an even more
exciting disc it seems a little unfair
to collectors who have already invested
in those two productions and feel reluctant
to invest – at full price – in duplications.
In fine print on the back of the jewel
case one can read: "Includes many
previews from each artist’s own upcoming
2006 Mozart albums – as well as selections
by Anna Netrebko available here only."
Time will show what riches are in store
within the next few months and for Mozart
lovers who feel that one collection
of opera excerpts is enough, the present
compilation might well be a first choice.
It also goes some way
to show the validity of my standpoint,
brought forward in several reviews,
that the traditional recital format,
focusing on one singer, is rarely the
best option and that a mixed programme,
offers far more variety. Not only are
there variations in voice pitch and
timbre but also, as here, an opportunity
to hear duets and even a trio. A recent
recital from Canadian CBC (review)
has the same layout and Bryn Terfel’s
Tutto Mozart (review)
includes a substantial number of duets.
Generally speaking
there isn’t a weak number in the whole
recital and when it comes to the quality
of the voices this is the cream of the
present-day roster of international
singers, the possible exception being
Thomas Quasthoff, a singer I have long
admired, whose voice seems to have lost
a little of its steadiness, something
that he compensates for through his
identification with his characters and
expressive colouring of his voice. The
duet from Don Giovanni, La ci darem
la mano (tr. 8) is the individual
number that suffers most. Here his tone
becomes rather swaying which robs the
voice of its seductive quality, so important
here. Weigle’s stately tempo is also
an inhibiting factor. And talking of
tempos, the only other number that I
want to question is the almost excessively
fast Susanna aria, Deh vieni, non
tardar (tr. 1) from Le nozze
di Figaro. I may be obsessed with
comparing timings but they
show at least something: while Magdalena
Kožená takes 4:17 for this aria, Miah
Persson (review)
4:32 and Isabel Bayrakdarian (review)
4:46, Anna Netrebko sprints through
it in 3:32, 25% faster than Bayrakdarian,
which is a great difference. I have
no complaints about the singing as such
and her voice, though more vibrant than
any of the others, is beautiful and
expressive in the bargain. Susanna undoubtedly
emerges as a less vulnerable character,
more stressed in a contemporary manner.
Let me hasten to add that this objection
is marginal and only in relation to
the comparisons.
To hear the very best
of Anna Netrebko one need go no further
than track 5 and Elettra’s aria from
Idomeneo, one of Mozart’s most
overtly – and inwardly – dramatic arias.
Netrebko depicts every facet of the
character’s rage and despair, intensely
but still with some restraint – the
intensity more in the colouring of the
voice than in sheer volume. The same
formidable personality also inhabits
her Donna Anna, a role that requires
both biting venom and sad death-urge.
She is well partnered by Christoph Strehl,
the most mellifluous and stylish of
Don Ottavios, not strong of voice to
match Netrebko but depicting the meek
character of the role – and also a certain
dignity. In more lyrical vein, and back
to Idomeneo, Netrebko changes
outfit and steps into Ilia’s shoes in
what is possibly the most often heard
aria from this opera, Zeffiretti
lusinghieri (track 12). Her creamy
voice and fine dynamic shadings make
this one of the greatest attractions
of the whole disc with some really ravishing
pianissimo singing.
Her voice matches well with Elīna
Garanča’s mezzo-soprano in the
Annio – Servilia duet from La
clemenza di Tito.
Garanča was an excellent Annio
on the recent DVD Clemenza
(review)
from Salzburg under Harnoncourt; weird
setting but vocally wonderful. On her
own Garanča sings Sesto’s famous
Parto, parto from the
same opera, another classy performance.
Her vibrant and beautiful voice seems
to have much power in reserve, making
us expect to hear her in tougher parts
before long.
I reviewed Bryn Terfel’s
recital quite recently and refer readers
to the full
review. He never disappoints and
sings with his customary identification
and conviction as Count Almaviva while
as Don Alfonso in the Così
fan tutte trio he mainly provides
the bass line behind the excellently
matched Miah Persson and Christine Rice.
I have also touched on Thomas Quasthoff
and have to express my admiration for
his Catalogue aria where he is lighter
of voice than most bass-baritones. He
is also so expressive with nuances and
words, not unlike Giuseppe Taddei on
the legendary Giulini recording – only
even more detailed. He also adopts a
Lieder-like approach to Papageno’s Der
Vogelfänger bin ich ja (track
10), stressing the child of nature in
the character.
I have saved the extremes
of the human voice to the last, both
culled from Abbado’s complete Zauberflöte.
As the Queen of the Night, Hungarian
soprano Erika Miklósa is bright-toned
but not acid-sounding as high sopranos
can sometimes be. She has a light vibrato
that lends fullness and warmth to her
singing and she hits the devilishly
elusive high notes plumb in the middle.
Having sung the part some two hundred
times she has gathered experience but
there is nothing routine about the performance.
The warmth in her timbre rather robs
her role of the necessary edge of evil,
but I prefer a nice-sounding Queen to
an evil-sounding but shrill one. At
the other extreme René Pape is
a wonderfully secure and sonorous Sarastro.
He is no doubt the most talented bass
in the traditional German repertoire
in the generation after Kurt Moll. His
is a leaner sound, more youthful. Maybe
he lacks the last ounce of authority
and wisdom compared to Moll’s booming
sonorities, but he sings with such beauty
and superb phrasing as to silence any
criticism.
This is, in other words,
a collection of golden eggs worth anyone’s
money. It must be regretted that DG
have omitted texts and translations
but at least provide thumbnail resumes
of the contents of each number.
Göran Forsling
Anna Netrebko (soprano)٭,
Bryn Terfel (bass-baritone)¹, Elīna Garanča
(mezzo)ŗ, Thomas Quasthoff (bass-baritone)²,
René Pape (bass)³, Christoph Strehl (tenor)^,
Erika Miklósa (soprano)ª, Miah Persson
(soprano)˚, Christine Rice (mezzo)י;
