Claudio MONTEVERDI (1567–1643)
L’Orfeo
(1607)
Ensemble Lundabarock:
Orfeo – Johan Linderoth (tenor)
La Musica, Proserpina – Kristina Hellgren (soprano)
Euridice, Ninfa 1 – Christine Nonbo Andersen (soprano)
Messaggiera – Maria Forsström (mezzo-soprano)
Speranza, Pastore 1 – Anna Zander (mezzo-soprano)
Pastore 2, Apollo – Adam Riis (tenor)
Spirito infernale 2, Pastore 3 – Daniel Åberg (baritone)
Caronte – Steffen Bruun (bass)
Plutone, Pastore 4 – Karl Peter Eriksson (baritone)
Ninfa 2 – Ann-Margret Nyberg (soprano)
Spirito infernale 1 – Rasmus Gravers Nielsen (tenor)
Spirito infernale 3 – Staffan Alveteg (bass)
Hedvig von Schantz (soprano)
Staffan Solén (tenor)
Petter Östberg (tenor)
All the singers, except Johan Linderoth and Steffen Bruun, also sing in the
choir.
Höör Barock; Ensemble Altapunta/Fredrik Malmberg (organ)
rec. Eslövs Church, Sweden July/August 2019. DDD/DSD.
Libretto with English translation included, together with extensive notes
in English, German and French.
Reviewed as stereo download from
eclassical.com. Also available as surround sound download and on SACD.
BIS BIS-2519 SACD
[47:19 + 58:20]
Times change. In a record buyer’s guide, issued in July 1951, covering what
was available on the Swedish market then, there were only two entries on Monteverdi. One was a collection of madrigals and other vocal
works, performed by a vocal- and instrumental ensemble directed by Nadia
Boulanger (HMV DB 5038 / 42), a legendary set, recorded about a dozen years
earlier. The other was more recent: Arianna’s Lament, sung by
Gabriella Gatti (HMV DB 6515). The arrival of the long-playing record,
which was still in its infancy, meant that the possibilities to introduce
previously unrecorded music increased, and in 1955 Deutsche Grammophon’s
early music label Archiv Produktion presented the first recording of L’Orfeo under the direction of the pioneer August Wenzinger. I
believe it was a revelation then, and it reigned supreme for many years. It
is no exaggeration to state that for a whole generation it put Monteverdi
on the operatic map. It is still available (DG Archiv 4531762 or 4777088,
both download only) and well worth hearing for, among other things, Helmut
Krebs’s Orfeo and, not least, for the young Fritz Wunderlich’s Apollo and
Pastore 2. This was, as far as I know, his first commercial recording.
Today the situation is totally different, with roughly thirty different
recordings available – and not counting a handful of DVDs – which
surely makes L’Orfeo the most recorded baroque opera. With such a
plethora of recordings, prospective buyers are spoilt for choice and one
can pose the question: is there really need for one more? The relevant
answer is: as long as it is good it is a valuable addition to the
catalogue.
Swedish BIS Records, who in two years’ time will celebrate their 50th anniversary, have become synonymous with high technical
standard, discriminating choice of repertoire and high demands on artistic
excellence. Opera has not been high on their priority list but of late
there have appeared a couple of productions that attracted much attention.
I’m thinking of Sebastian Fagerlund’s Autumn Sonata (based on
Ingmar Bergman’s film, BIS-2357 -
review) and Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov from
Gothenburg (BIS-2320 -
review -
review-
Autumn 2019/1).
Monteverdi is at the opposite of the time axis, but Sweden has a lot of
ensembles specialising in baroque music, and here three groups of singers
and instrumentalists active in the southernmost region of Sweden, Skåne,
have joined forces, which also include several Danish members. All of them
are deeply committed and experienced in the field of early baroque. Suffice
it to mention trombonist Ole-Kristian Andersen, who also wrote the liner
notes, who “has performed L’Orfeo on some hundred occasions and
has previously participated on no less than four recordings of the work”.
Recording the opera over a period of two months, the participants have
obviously had time to be welded together and hone the performance. From the
knock-out opening Toccata and all through the myriad of sinfonias
and ritornellos, there is vitality and playfulness, and the rhythmic acuity
is tangible. This is to a great extent a swinging Orfeo. The
effect is enhanced through the excellent recording. It is SACD, but even
listening in conventional two-channel stereo conveyed a vivid picture of
the aural landscape. Apropos the Toccata Andersen brings out the
hypothesis that it doesn’t ‘belong’ to the opera, but instead was the
personal trumpet call of Monteverdi’s employers, the Gonzaga family. If so,
it could have been played as a salute to the Duke when he arrived before
the performance. Be that as it may, it is a riveting start of the evening,
and few early baroque pieces have become so well-known.
When it comes to the singing, the soloists – most of them –
also constitute the chorus, which probably was common practice in the
olden days. The singers here are, as a rule, experienced choristers
and their voices blend well in the many choral passages – further
proof that this production is a true teamwork. The heaviest burden of
the soloists rests naturally on the shoulders of Orfeo himself, and
Johan Linderoth is well-equipped to encompass all the varied moods and
emotions in the full-size mental portrait of the hero. The approach
is from a lieder singer’s point of view, and Linderoth is
today well-established in the lieder repertoire, where the word-meaning
is so central. If you want to sample him, Rosa del Ciel (SACD
1 tr. 8) is a good starting point. The opening of act II (SACD 1 tr.14)
is another highlight with tremendous rhythmic forward drive, while in
the same act (tr. 17) his reaction to Messaggiera’s mournful news,
Tu se’ morta, is heart-rending. In sharp contrast to
this lament is his longest solo, the heavily embellished Possente
Spirto in act III (SACD 2 tr. 8), skilfully executed. Any performance
of this opera stands or falls with the capacity of the title character,
and this performance certainly stands!
But Johan Linderoth is also surrounded by excellent co-singers. To
international readers – and perhaps also to many Swedish – their names may
be unknown. The best-known is probably Maria Forsström, with a wide
repertoire far away from the baroque, where Mahler is one of her
specialities. Some readers may have across her recital
Kaleidoscope
,
to which I awarded a Recording of The Month back
in 2011. Here she sings Messaggiera with a conviction and involvement that
challenges Cathy Berberian (Harnoncourt, see below) and Anne Sofie von Otter
(Gardiner, see below).
The first solo voice we encounter is La Musica in the Prologue, and
she is excellently sung by Kristina Hellgren. She later is a brilliant
Proserpina. Christine Nonbo Andersen is a bright Euridice, and before
she appears (SACD 1 tr. 9), Ms Nonbo Andersen has already made her mark
with a fine Ninfa 1 (SACD 1 tr. 5). Adam Riis is agreeable as Pastore
2 and Apollo, Karl Peter Eriksson is a sturdy Plutone and Steffen Bruun
impresses as a black-voiced Caronte. And there is no weak link among
the rest of the cast.
How does it stand comparison with existing recordings? Very well indeed! My
two favourites are Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Warner Classics 2564696458,
super-budget price) and John Eliot Gardiner (DG Archiv 4192502), with more
starry casts, the latter almost over-the-top with Bayreuth’s then reigning
Wotan, John Tomlinson, as Caronte. Malmberg’s more intimate and small-scale
version on the new BIS is a worthy alternative and arguably more
historically correct. I am happy now to have all three (plus a number of
other versions that don’t quite qualify). Readers who are contemplating
buying their first L’Orfeo are well advised to choose this one and
those who already have a couple of favourite sets on their shelves,
probably need it as a corrective.
Göran Forsling