Wigmore Hall, London 9 March 2013

Simon Keenlyside, baritone  Malcolm Martineau, piano

Wolf

• Harfenspieler I
• Wie sollt ich heiter bleiben
• Blumengruss
• Bei einer Trauung
• Der Rattenfänger
• Jägerlied
• Denk’ es, o Seele!
• Prometheus
• Der König bei der Krönung

Ravel

• Un grand sommeil noir
• Kaddisch
• From Don Quichotte à Dulcinée
  • Chanson romanesque
  • Chanson épique
  • Chanson à boire

Poulenc

• Paganini
• Montparnasse
• Un poème

Fauré

• Madrigal de Shylock
• Aubade Op. 6 No. 1

Poulenc

Jacques Villon from Le travail du peintre

Encores:
Ravel: Histoires naturelles
– ‘Le paon’
– ‘Le grillon’.

 

 

Is there a better accompanist than Malcolm Martineau? I think he plays so intelligently but in such perfect phrasing – it quite astounds the listener. Sometimes its so good I almost forget the singing. it is not possible to forget Simon Keenlyside. Not would I want to – he’s a fine, fine singer. I adored his Macbeth at Covent Garden. I still recall with a certain frissance his Don Giovanni – the great Covent Garden Production – which ended with him in the buff.

Setting those vain thoughts aside. I came to this concert without previous experience if him as a singer of lieder. Others have told me that he was better suited to opera. Actually he sang the Wolf with great feeling, delicacy and perfect phrasing. Some of it was deeply moving. Wolf sits with Schubert and Schumann at the pinnacle of Romantic lieder. This group of songs show exactly why he is so highly regarded by cognoscenti.  The accompaniments are so clever and incentive with strange haunting dissonances and such suddenly sugar-sweet melodies. Keenlyside brought depth of feeling to them but perhaps excelled in his interpretation of the third song – at the wedding and later in the long Prometheus. His voice was full, resonant, lilting and his phrasing perfect.

I was heartbroken to miss the second half – this time due to my companion being unwell. I would definitely love to hear the great man sing lieder again. His arm is also better which is great news.

Keenleyside’s Eugene Onegin will be broadcast on BBC4 on Friday 12 April 2013 7:30pm.

 

Royal Opera House 13th March; 23rd March

Tosca

Conductor Maurizio Benini

 

Floria Tosca    Amanda Echalaz  Mario Cavaradossi   Massimo Giordano

                          Kristine Opolais        (23rd March)         Younghon Lee

 

                                                Baron Scarpia  Michael Volle

Spoletta  Hubert Francis Angelotti  Michel de Souza Sacristan  Jeremy White Sciarrone  Jihoon Kim

 

Chorus     Royal Opera Chorus             Orchestra   Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

 

Somehow I have not seen Tosca at the Royal Opera House since the demise of the Zeffirelli set made famous for Maria Callas. That production I had seen through several reincarnations – though alas never with Callas. Naturally, like any opera fan I’ve watched the black and white TV recording of her playing the diva –  where the cameras jump about – both Paris and Covent Garden versions. You realise even from these slight survivals that Callas was an extraordinary stage presence. Another version of Tosca from Verona with Eva Marton was for many years a staple of the Sunday afternoon lunches we shared here in London, oftentimes with my closest friends Andrew & Ian who, together with Richard & Brendan, me & Peter, whiled away so many weekends over so many years. We would sit in a haze of booze; hash & cigarette smoke and easy bonhomie, watching Eva strut her stuff. I’ve also seen Tosca at the Met in New York; several productions at the ENO; one in Cardiff and listened to innumerable recordings including the great Tebaldi and Pavarotti and Freni.

So, I’ve never seen this production. I decided it would make an appropriate birthday gift to my sister – who had never been to Covent Garden; and like the number 3 bus once I had booked it my friend Philip announced he was taking me for my birthday. The result was not unpleasant as I saw both the casts on offer this season.

It is a good but not a wholly convincingly great production. I think the church scene isn’t brilliantly staged – too much going up and down stairs; and the big Te Deum moment of the procession is lost trapped above the stage and behind the action. You lose that sense of tumult that should be playing-out in the open space of the church.

Moreover why Cavaradossi should be painting a grand mural in a basement chapel or why the choirboys and sacristans disappear into an underground sacristy only to re-emerge in the procession from back stage, again, isn’t clearly visually established. In Act II we have similar problems of entrances and exits which again makes the geography of the Palazzo Farnese obscure. Above all Scarpia’s rooms, which really should be small and suffocating appear rather to be alike a grand presence chamber with the gargantuan statue of St Michael centre stage. The set for Act III is what it is: there is a wall along which the diva can run before throwing herself off it to some grand effect. In fact Act III is well staged and introduces elements like the soldier washing himself which work very well indeed.

The costumes are fine, very much in period with echoes of Zeffirelli production – save the lovely dress Floria Tosca wears for Acts II & III. It is suitably grand. It is Empire line. It has a vast train. It makes Tosca look as if she is going to the coronation of the Empress Josephine rather than singing for her supper in the chambers of the Queen of Naples. Its gravest disadvantage is that it continuously gets in the way. Indeed on both nights it made even taking the bow turned into something of performance. In this production Tosca is expected to run; walk; turn; step forwards; then back: at every turn she is hampered by the dress. Indeed at times it entirely takes your attention. You can’t help but wonder if she will trip over. And it is absurd to put any actress in a costume and then demand of them actions which no rational person would attempt wearing such an outfit. The dress I’m afraid has to go.

Michael Volle gave us a Scarpia of unimaginable sadism. It worked very well. The barely controlled lust that builds gradually from out of his cat and mouse games with Tosca – each twist tangling her ever deeper in his web – each swipe of his claws satisfyingly drawing emotional blood. You feel Scarpia plays games not just with her but with himself; teasing himself with the prospect of having her whilst goading her to hate him. The depths of his moral dissolution are truly shocking but also alluring and spellbinding. Volle never leaves the role. Volle watches Tosca’s Visi d’arte like a snake watching its struggling prey patiently waiting for its venom to take its deadly effect. But this is not a subtle, sinuous Scarpia. Like the big set, this is a big, bold Scarpia. He commands. His voice blasts through the house. It had an almost rough-edged timbre that cut across the orchestra This Scarpia over-awes. And this Scarpia dies brilliantly and convincingly. Bravo Mr Volle…..

The two Toscas I saw had different strengths. Amanda Echalaz was less certain vocally in Act I. But her acting was assured. Her duets with Cavaradossi lacked abandoned passion but with Scarpia you could see her sense of knowing he is dangerous even as he feeds her evidence of her lover’s infidelity which predictably unleashes her irrational jealousy which is destined to bring ruin to all three of them.She was commanding in Act II but again hampered by the frock. Echalaz’s  Visi d’arte didn’t ignite the house. It was good not great singing.Her performance is Act III was altogether better but it was an uneven night. Somehow I felt she just wasn’t Tosca. Kristine Opolais was entirely more comfortable in the role. There was real passion in her opening scenes with Cavaradossi; her jealousy simmering; sometimes playful; sometimes destructively irrational. Her voice was golden in her duets with  Younghon Lee. You felt the two might actually be in love with each other.

  Again , however, Act II was altogether more problematic. She struggled with the frock and I think it inhibited her performance. Her singing was a little wild at times; sometimes too workmanlike; sometimes strained as she was emotionally too contrived. Perhaps and inevitably, therefore, her  Visi d’arte also disappointed. It is however in this production the only moment when Tosca is still. The moments when she was looking for the passport were brilliant. She is a fine actress; and this we saw again in Act III. You shared her surprise that Cavaradossi doesn’t get up –

And this brings us to the great tenor role. Neither of these men is the greatest of voices. Massimo Giordano looked the part; smoldered sexily but struggled from the off to hit the right notes. The chemistry with Echalaz wasn’t great. In Act II his vitoria! vitoria! ( this one in how it should sound!) wasn’t an electrifying moment; nor was his other big moment in Act III. There was no real applause in Act III. Again Giordano gave us a safe, well sung competent performance rather than arresting one.  Younghon Lee’s account was both better acted more vocally compelling.  His Cavaradossi in Act I really came alive. He really opened up his throat and when he did he sounded fabulous.  In fact it was the best part of the opera by far. He sang fortissimo, highnotes clear as a bell, a lovely ringing tenor, secure, no wobble; not shouty. It’s a great voice. It brought tears to my eyes in his moments in Act I alone and later he was sweetly romantic and lush in his singing with Tosca. But again in Act II he lost his way and his Act III aria was more whimper than big bang.

The conducting was fierce at times – great pace and a wonderful rousing sound. Maurizio Benini brought out a very Italian sound from the ROH orchestra. The chorus also made a magnificent noise. But the production frankly wasted them dramatically as they were really nowhere to be seen. An awful lot of costumes ready to wear but worn to little dramatic effect. I think the set for Act I needs to be re-thought.

So there you have it. This is not in my mind a world class production. We did get a world class Scarpia. I would recommend anyone to go to it to see Volle. But this was not greatest value for money. If asked to go again to this Tosca, I’d probably say, no thank you….unless the cast jumped out at me.

And Tosca’s lovely dress; I’m afraid it really must go!