I am not sure I agree
with Simon Keenleyside when he says
that one does not record for posterity.
He asks, 'Who of you knows the artistry
of Pasquale Amato, Renato Zanelli, Giuseppe
de Lucca, Tagliabue, Pinza, Merrill,
or 'il leone' Titta Ruffo, and a host
of others?'. It is to be hoped that
most reading this review will, despite
the fact that contemporary Classic fM
culture would have us believe that the
likes of Alfie Boe should somehow join
the pantheon. Here, Keenleyside preaches
to the converted - he does, though,
refer to a 'Maestro Seraphim' in reference
to a Gobbi Don Carlos in Madrid.
Surely he means Serafin? If only this
excellent, superbly programmed album
had had the relentless pushing of a
host of lesser artists, it surely would
create many much needed converts to
the cause of opera. Tellingly, Keenleyside
writes his own booklet notes, full of
enthusiasm and down-to-earth common
sense. He explains his choice of arias
as being representative of what he was
singing at the time of recording, acknowledging
tributes along the way: the Cilea is
intended as a nod towards Gobbi.
But it is in his singing
that his truth lies. This is at once
a very wide-ranging recital that concentrates
broadly on Romantic arias - except,
of course for the Mozart. Keenleyside
announces himself in no uncertain fashion
in one of the fizziest arias of them
all, the so-called Largo al factotum.
There is even a sense of the voice arriving
spatially during the opening fa-las
before coming fully into focus for the
first words. Keenleyside revels in Rossini’s
virtuoso challenges; challenges which
include Italian pronunciation at high
velocity.
'Sois immobile' from
Tell is a close relation to Philip's
great aria from Verdi's Don Carlos.
Apart from the obvious parallel of obbligato
solo cello, it inhabits a similar emotional
space. Keenleyside seems totally within
his character. A snippet of miraculous
Massenet (Hérodiade),
replete with superb vocal pianissimi
complementing ardent expression, separates
this from Carlos proper. The
famous portion of his excerpt, 'O Carlo,
ascolta', is dispatched with magnificent
concentration. Most importantly, this
sounds as if this is great Verdi
- personally, I hear Carlos as
one of Verdi's greatest scores, up there
with Traviata, Trovatore,
Otello and Falstaff. The
Ballo excerpt is just as fine,
with superb legato at 'Eri tu che macchiavi
quell'anima'. Keenleyside gives the
dramatic declaration his all, as if
to convince us that this music is just
as deserving - it is - as the much better
known Traviata excerpt ('Di Provenza
il mar') that follows. Similarly, the
flute and harp episode is simply superbly
done by the orchestral soloists.
Stepping into 'Di Provenza'
is to meet familiar territory, and Keenleyside
responds with the utmost emotion. Coming
after this aria, the opening line of
the Thomas could hardly be better chosen:
'O vin, dissipe la tristesse'. The orchestra
has all the requisite bubble to set
the scene for Keenleyside's excellently
rendered French and textbook legato.
Bellini brings his own sense of drama
and sadness in the Puritani excerpt
before the Mozart 'Ein Mädchen'
lightens things up. This is one of the
few disappointments of the album. The
tinkly introduction is no more than
dutiful, and the aria never really takes
off despite the singer's best efforts.
It is all too smooth. Could it have
been deliberate, so that the explosive
beginning of the Leoncavallo is set
into high relief? I doubt it - the Giovanni
and Zaïde excerpts do not
fare much better. There is however no
doubt that in Pagliacci Keenleyside
seems absolutely at home; his booklet
commentary is very insightful, too.
The gossamer bed of
strings that initiates the Cilea aria
sets the scene beautifully for an outpouring
of heartfelt emotion. It is the Tchaikovsky
that is more fascinating, though. Keenleyside
is inspired here, although his voice
does not have the depth of a true Russian
singer.
Ending the recital
with Wagner is something of which I
fully approve. Keenleyside is most moving
in 'Wie Todesahnung', with the Munich
brass intoning dolefully beneath him.
His diction is excellent, and yet he
never once interrupts the line.
This is one of the
best produced, best sung and best played
operatic arias discs to come my way
in many a moon. The singer's own humorous
cartoons are also reproduced in the
booklet. Keenleyside shows his very
best side here. For Keenleyside in Lieder,
the interested reader should hear his
Schumann on Hyperion with Graham Johnson,
CDJ33102.
Colin Clarke
see also review
by Goran Forsling November
Recording of the Month
Simon Keenleyside (baritone) 
