translation:
DiDonato: suffering and fireworks
byFloris Don
Klassiek Joyce DiDonato en Les Talens Lyriques o.l.v. Christoph Rousset. Gehoord : 7/12 Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
bron NRC
The credit crisis lets feel itself also in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw
The concert of mezzo soprano Joyce Didonato with Les Talens Lyriques was to be sponsored by the American business bank Lehman Brothers. But in september the bank declared it's bankruptcy and the Dutch daughter firm could only pay a part of the sponsor amount. The Concertgebouw supplied the difference.
So American DiDonato could wait upon herself with a complete Händelprogram: Furore, after her last cd. Furious are the torn characters who pass by in a mourning procession. It leads to madness scenes in which both composer and performers can run themselves.
DiDonato didn't only give off firewroks: next to harsh poignancy, a rattling 'r' and seemingly effortless vocal somersaults she also exposed the deeper suffering.
Fragile but certainly find were her intones at the most vulnarable moments.
Les Talens Lyriques and conductor Christoph Rousset offered her a tightle framed lively accompaniment full with dynamic contrast. In Where shall I fly from Hercules ("Let me be mad") the lashings which the, by guilt digested, Dejanira calls upon herself, were picured with piecing string figures.
But not everything was madness. In the lament Scherza infida from Ariodante Händel shows his more modest side, that DiDonato and Rousset approached with a big musical freedom. After the welcome soul rest of the first encore, Ombra mai fu from Serse, in Dopo notte there even was room for joyous exuberance.
translation : Joop Schilperoord
Volkskrant :
translation:
DiDonato shows how madness can take possession of a human being
Aria’s van Händel. Joyce DiDonato (mezzosopraan). Les Talens Lyriques o.l.v. Christophe Rousset.
Amsterdam, Concertgebouw, 7/12. Guido van Oorschot, De Volkskrant
Anger, 'mind dismay' , madness: according to Georg Friedrich Händel you access the derailing spirit best with hunting three-sounds, exploding tone sorts an a rhytme of 'run or stand still' In the series World famous Baroque orchestras Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques added some crazy dissonants and 'richocheting' bows.
But mainly it was Joyce DiDonato who showed how madness can take possession of a human
Clearer then Bartoli and warmer then Von Otter - DiDonato posesses a precious voice.
That the mezzo is upcoming, you could only deduct from the number of artistical scouts. And as long the American keeps changing her performances in New York and Vienna with opera roles in Houstaon and Wichita, something remains to be gained for the smaller purse owners.
Her first Händelopera, Giulio Cesare, she sang in 2001 in Amsterdam. Big was DiDonato's surprise when conductor Minkowski told her that she better put some more blood and dirt over the notes.
She benefited from that, though the lang line tending to the colors of a setting sun remains her strongest aspect. "I die", Meda sings and there Didonato rolls out the velvet already. "I will come hunting your soul" the deceived Ariodante warns, and you can hear how the mezzo can dilute her voice with sinister 'dust and broke'.
Any complaints? Maybe a single wish. Less 'studied enhancements'. More profile in the swift work. But the Amsterdam opera public in the meanwhile admitted its defeat
After the encor Ombra mai fu the 'brava' clang on DiDonato.
Aria’s van Händel. Joyce DiDonato (mezzosopraan). Les Talens Lyriques o.l.v. Christophe Rousset.
Amsterdam, Concertgebouw, 7/12. Guido van Oorschot, De Volkskrant
Anger, 'mind dismay' , madness: according to Georg Friedrich Händel you access the derailing spirit best with hunting three-sounds, exploding tone sorts an a rhytme of 'run or stand still' In the series World famous Baroque orchestras Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques added some crazy dissonants and 'richocheting' bows.
But mainly it was Joyce DiDonato who showed how madness can take possession of a human
Clearer then Bartoli and warmer then Von Otter - DiDonato posesses a precious voice.
That the mezzo is upcoming, you could only deduct from the number of artistical scouts. And as long the American keeps changing her performances in New York and Vienna with opera roles in Houstaon and Wichita, something remains to be gained for the smaller purse owners.
Her first Händelopera, Giulio Cesare, she sang in 2001 in Amsterdam. Big was DiDonato's surprise when conductor Minkowski told her that she better put some more blood and dirt over the notes.
She benefited from that, though the lang line tending to the colors of a setting sun remains her strongest aspect. "I die", Meda sings and there Didonato rolls out the velvet already. "I will come hunting your soul" the deceived Ariodante warns, and you can hear how the mezzo can dilute her voice with sinister 'dust and broke'.
Any complaints? Maybe a single wish. Less 'studied enhancements'. More profile in the swift work. But the Amsterdam opera public in the meanwhile admitted its defeat
After the encor Ombra mai fu the 'brava' clang on DiDonato.
Translation: Joop Schilperoord
Joyce DiDonato legt de lat hoog voor Cecilia Bartoli
Het komt niet zo vaak voor dat je een tot inalle onderdelen perfect recital van een zanger bijwoont. De Amerikaanse
mezzosopraan Joyce DiDonato betrad daar het podium met een volledig aan
de opera’s van Händel gewijd programma, dat even schitterend van opbouw
was, als geniaal van uitvoering.
Zondagavond werd dat utopische werkelijkheid in de grote zaal van het Concertgebouw.
English translation:
Joyce Didonato puts the bar high for Cecilia Bartoli
It doesn't happen often that you attend a recital of a singer, which is perfect in all details. The American mezzosoprano Joyce DiDonato came on stage with a program, completely dedicated to Handel, which was as superb in build-up, as genious in perfomance.
On Sunday evening that became the utopian reality in the grand hall of Concertgebouw.
The large hall of Concertgebouw can be rather .intimidating. DiDonato told the audience, between the singing, that many years ago she attended, as singer-in-training, a performance of Jessye Norman, while sitting at the cheapest place back in the hall. Never, she told, had she heard a voice fill a space so imposingly.
DiDonato, in all aspects less 'voluminous' as Norman, has been listening then well, because also hér voice took, completely and comfortably, possession of this hall, the ears of the auditors did not have to give a single concession.
That it can be else in this, for its acoustics praised, hall, the diverse performances of Cecila Bartoli have made clear. The little voice of the sympathetic Italian singer can have large difficulty with that. Coincidentally Bartoli will make her appearnce at Concertgebouw next week again. Didonato has put the bar for her colleague rather high.
Together with the eagerly playing baroque orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, conducted by Christophe Rousset, Didonato framed her recital with, at the beginning, three large fragments from 'Teseo' (1711) and, to conclude, two scenes from 'Hercules' (1745). Thereby she presented the first, forceful and forcible, Handel-woman (Medea) and the almost latest (Dejanira). Because the audience did not applaud, a lied-recital atmosphere took shape during these large fragments.
The tone build-up of DiDonato is so pure, her breath control so exemplary and her phrasing so musical that during the first fragment (no overture) magic seemed to flow through the hall. Brilliannt to hear how she put the aria 'Scherza infida' from Ariodante, the pièce de résistance for any Handel singer, at the beginning of the second part. Unbelievable that this aria was comletely unknown only thirty years ago. The deep sadness of Ariodante was reversed in the encore in exuberant joy when she made the hall explode with a spectacular version of 'Dopo notte'. The slowly sung 'Ombra mai fu' from 'Serse' came before that, as first encore hit like a hammer stroke, rarely
Translation: Joop Schilperoord
It doesn't happen often that you attend a recital of a singer, which is perfect in all details. The American mezzosoprano Joyce DiDonato came on stage with a program, completely dedicated to Handel, which was as superb in build-up, as genious in perfomance.
On Sunday evening that became the utopian reality in the grand hall of Concertgebouw.
The large hall of Concertgebouw can be rather .intimidating. DiDonato told the audience, between the singing, that many years ago she attended, as singer-in-training, a performance of Jessye Norman, while sitting at the cheapest place back in the hall. Never, she told, had she heard a voice fill a space so imposingly.
DiDonato, in all aspects less 'voluminous' as Norman, has been listening then well, because also hér voice took, completely and comfortably, possession of this hall, the ears of the auditors did not have to give a single concession.
That it can be else in this, for its acoustics praised, hall, the diverse performances of Cecila Bartoli have made clear. The little voice of the sympathetic Italian singer can have large difficulty with that. Coincidentally Bartoli will make her appearnce at Concertgebouw next week again. Didonato has put the bar for her colleague rather high.
Together with the eagerly playing baroque orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, conducted by Christophe Rousset, Didonato framed her recital with, at the beginning, three large fragments from 'Teseo' (1711) and, to conclude, two scenes from 'Hercules' (1745). Thereby she presented the first, forceful and forcible, Handel-woman (Medea) and the almost latest (Dejanira). Because the audience did not applaud, a lied-recital atmosphere took shape during these large fragments.
The tone build-up of DiDonato is so pure, her breath control so exemplary and her phrasing so musical that during the first fragment (no overture) magic seemed to flow through the hall. Brilliannt to hear how she put the aria 'Scherza infida' from Ariodante, the pièce de résistance for any Handel singer, at the beginning of the second part. Unbelievable that this aria was comletely unknown only thirty years ago. The deep sadness of Ariodante was reversed in the encore in exuberant joy when she made the hall explode with a spectacular version of 'Dopo notte'. The slowly sung 'Ombra mai fu' from 'Serse' came before that, as first encore hit like a hammer stroke, rarely
Translation: Joop Schilperoord
