Santo- Sacred Songs
Johann Joseph FUX (1660-1741) Alleluja (Plaudite, sonat tuba)
with Ulrich Stephan Breddermann (trumpet)
César FRANCK (1822-1890) Panis angelicus (1872)
Adolphe Charles ADAM (1803-1856) Cantique de Noël (O
Holy Night) (1847)
Vincenzo BELLINI (1801-1835) Qui sedes from Mass in
A minor
with Luca Milani (clarinet)
George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Comfort ye - Ev’ry
valley from Messiah (1742)
Gioacchino ROSSINI (1792-1868) Domine Deus from Petite
Messe solennelle (1864 & 1867), Qui tollis; Gratias agimus
tibi from Messa di gloria (1820) with Gianluca Pellegrino (cor
anglais)
Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Ave Maria (1825)
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809) Mit Würd’ und Hoheit angetan
from Die Schöpfung (The Creation) (1796-1798)
Ariel RAMÍREZ (1921-2010) Kyrie from Misa criolla
(1964)
John Francis WADE (1711-1786) credited with Adeste fideles
(O Come All Ye Faithful)
Juan Diego FLÓREZ (b. 1973) Santo with Carlos
Ayala (guitar), Armando ‘Pani’ Becerra (charango, siku), Edgar
Espinoza Espinoza (quenas)
Juan Diego Flórez (tenor)
Nicoletta Mezzini (organ, harpsichord)
Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Paolo Vero
Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Michele Mariotti
rec. Teatro Manzoni, Bologna, Italy, 15-27 January 2010, DDD
Booklet enclosed with notes in English, French, German and sung texts in the
original with translations in English, French, German
DECCA 478 2254 [67.00]
According to Flórez’s own words: “Sooner or later a tenor
has to record a sacred CD; it’s part of the life of a tenor…”.
With Santo, he is fulfilling what he sees as a tenor’s obligation.
Whether one agrees with his statement or not is irrelevant; what is important
is that although his CD contains some very popular pieces, it is neither your
average recital of sacred songs nor your usual recording of Christmas Carols.
To my mind, the difference is, on the one hand, the inclusion of pieces by
Rossini that are seldom sung and, on the other, a short composition by Flórez
himself. These features combined with carefully selected pops make for an
irresistible anthology, which one will want to listen to any time of the year.
It is bound to appeal to any person who loves music and singing, irrespective
of their religious beliefs or lack.
Flórez is here in great form and exceptionally fine voice. In his customary
style, he glides effortlessly through the coloratura pieces. He delivers
sparkling vocal fireworks, as easily as if he was chatting with a friend over
lunch and this is accomplished in his crystal clear trademark manner. Additionally,
his impeccable legato and elegant, refined phrasing shine through in
the more delicate and intimate songs.
The most accomplished moments of this recital are arguably the compositions
by Rossini. I say arguably because Flórez’s singing is outstanding
in every single piece. That said it is patent that Rossini is the composer
whose music he feels most comfortable with. He states as much in the booklet
notes when he says that “Rossini is special; it clicks well…”!
In Santo, Flórez offers three pieces by Rossini, two of which,
Qui tollis and Gratias agimus tibi, from the composer’s
Messa di Gloria, are seldom heard. I cannot remember any tenor in recent
times that has recorded them or even sung them in concert. Both pieces are
ideal for his voice and very much in the bel canto tradition of the
first half of the 19th Century, with which Flórez has made
his name. The pieces were originally written for two different tenors but
he decided to do both and delivers them with exceptional quality: His technique
is flawless and while he undoubtedly chose them to showcase his voice, he
never allows virtuosity to overwhelm the music. His performance is tasteful,
well judged and incredibly beautiful. The third Rossini offering is Domine
Deus from his better known Petite Messe solennelle and again Flórez’s
performance is simply superb, giving the listener the impression that the
composer had him specifically in mind when writing the piece. Staying with
thebel canto repertoire of the first half of the 19th Century,
the tenor then gives us a piece by Bellini, Qui sedes, from the composer’s
Mass in A Minor. It is a lovely, melodic excerpt introduced by a rather
pretty clarinet solo, lovingly played by Luca Milani. Flórez does it
full justice delivering the goods with great sensibility and bright, sparkling
high notes that warm the heart.
Besides Rossini and Bellini, Flórez sings - and I believe for the first
time - Handel and Haydn. Handel is a logical choice for a tenor of his kind:
The composer’s writings for voice fall definitely in the bel canto
category, as he often composed for some of the greatest castrato singers of
his time and, as is generally known, the notion of bel canto comes
from the age of the castrati. Haydn is perhaps a choice that one would not
immediately associate with Juan Diego Flórez but he does sing Mozart
rather beautifully; so why not Haydn? Besides, who wouldn’t wish to
sing something from Die Schöpfung, one of the composer’s
most magnificent works and arguably his masterpiece? Flórez’s
rendition of Mit Würd’ und Hoheit angetan is exceptionally
sung; he is convincing and appears to feel the text deeply, even though, in
the booklet notes, he says that the German language does not come naturally
to his Latin sensibility! While this may be true - he appears slightly hesitant
with some words, particularly where a vowel has an “umlaut” as
in breitgewölbt or Frühlings - or a word has the “ch”
sound as in aufgerichtet or lächelt - he sings with great
clarity and expression, and does not sound artificial at all. On the other
hand, his reading of Handel’s Comfort ye - Ev’ry valley
did not quite convince me. The piece is technically flawless, effectively
delivered; however, it comes across as a little too academic and dry, lacking
emotion. While Flórez may feel comfortable with English, it actually
appears otherwise.
As for the most popular pieces in this recital, the singing is also excellent:
Fux’s Alleluia really suits his voice and he does a great job
with it, engaging in a joyful “dialogue” with the clear trumpet
playing of Ulrich Stephan Breddermann who is in strong form here. Franck’s
Panis angelicus, Wade’s Adeste fideles or Ramírez’s
Kyrie are for a singer of Flórez’s calibre almost like
a walk in the park! He sails through them with effortless confidence and his
youthful, bright timbre gives the pieces an appealing freshness that I have
seldom heard before. For Schubert’s Ave Maria, Flórez
chose to sing the better known text in Latin, which reflects the traditional
Roman Catholic prayer “Ave Maria”, instead of the lesser known
original, which was part of a set of seven songs that Schubert wrote for Walter
Scott’s epic poem The Lady of the Lake. I was slightly disappointed
with his choice; however, the delicacy of his legato line and the subtle
manner in which he performs the piece more than compensate for the religious
text, which differs from the context of Scott’s poem. As for Adam’s
Cantique de Noël, Flórez cleverly decided to sing the first
strophe in French and the second in English, which appeals to a wider audience.
His interpretation of Adam’s piece, which is too often (and not so well)
sung, is truly radiant. It is not a difficult piece to sing for a tenor like
Flórez but he sings it with irresistible warmth. I found his rendition
deeply moving and it made me really enjoy the song as if I was hearing it
for the first time.
Finally and as the last offer of the CD, Flórez introduces a composition
of his own, Santo, which gives the album its title. It is a short piece
(only 3:38) and it clearly demonstrates the tenor’s confidence in himself
as an artist. In the notes, he states that composing and orchestrating are
his hobby, thus indicating that he is not completely serious about it; however,
he was serious enough to record it. It is a religious piece of sorts. The
lyrics refer to the Lord God of the Universe and that heaven and earth are
full of His glory. It draws deeply on Flórez’s own national roots,
with Peruvian folk music and rhythms, as well as real Peruvian instruments
and a reference to the Peruvian Andes in the text. To me, these Peruvian features
are what make the piece attractive and give it a certain originality. The
melody is pretty enough and designed to make his voice shine, which it does.
There are some interesting orchestral moments and his use of the chorus is
respectable, underlining the natural beauty of his tone and lending the piece
some class.
The orchestra and coro del Teatro Communale di Bologna are in excellent
form throughout and are effectively led by young Michelle Mariotti, a sympathetic
conductor very much in tune with Flórez’s artistry and style
of singing.
All in all and although I am not one who really goes for sacred music, I thoroughly
enjoyed this recital. The recording is elegant and stylish from an accomplished,
confident artist, at the top of his powers. The singing is outstanding and
one easily forgets that one is listening to sacred music, as it refreshingly
feels like a night at the opera!
Margarida Mota-Bull
An elegant and stylish recital from an accomplished and confident artist.