Saariaho True Fire Gerald Finley Sakari Oramo BBC SO

Kaija Saariaho's True Fire, with Gerald Finley at the Barbican London, with the BBC SO with Sakari Oramo conducting.  Saariaho has produced masterpieces, like Orion (2002) a breathtakingly beautiful evocation of starlight and mystery, but occasionally has lapses like Adriana Mater. But her music is too distinctive to dismiss.  In True Fire  she breaks into new territory.  The characteristic washes of multi-tonal, multi-coloured oscillation remain, but darker hues prevail. intensifying the elusive danger that lurks within Saariaho's music, which is far too often overlooked.. True Fire has a dark soul, and is all the better for it.

Saariaho's regular muse is Karita Mattila, for whom she wrote Mirages, premiered in 2008 also at the Barbican, London.  True Fire is a companion pieces to some extent, being very different on many levels, Mirage making the most of Mattila's grand dramatic intensity, while True Fire  is more suited to Finley's baritonal hues.  He's been a Saariaho regular too, for many years. singing Jaufré Rudel in L'amour de loin when Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted it in Helsinki more than ten years ago, the performance immortalized on DVD.  (Please read my review of the Met version ).  True Fire works as an exploration of Finley's timbre : colours and shadings again, and much variety in the setting.

This time the music is structured and channelled in a purposeful direction. Three "propositions", based on Ralph Waldo Emerson frame sections based on Seamus Heaney, a Native American lullaby and a text by the poet Mahmoud Darwish.  Introduced by the rumbling first "proposition" the section "River" flows strongly.   Words like "Thirst", "Night" and "River" are repeated in circular motion, "flowing, flowing". Strong currents in the orchestra, lit by fractured cells of sound which en masse sparkle with  light.  Gradually the flow subsides and Finley's voice rises to the top of his register, gradually fading.   The second proposition is particularly lush - bell-like sonorities, bright percussion, swathes of strings: "In silence" , Finley intones, barely above a growl.  Strange rocking rhythms in the Lullaby, a vigorous introduction moments of sparkling light. "In the west a dark flower blossoms, and now lightning flashes"  Again, circular forms . "Oh, oh, oh, my little one", repeating  like a set of mini-variations, the rocking rhythms taken up again in the orchestra -  hushed cymbals and gongs   In contrast "Farewell" began with hollow but carefully paced intonation  lit by short passages of orchestral complexity. "Don't wait for anyone, in the crowd", sang Finley with understated ferocity, consonants tightly clipped, the word "Narcissus" sharply sinister.  The last "proposition" is an extended diminuendo, voice and orchestra slowly proceeding towards an ending which glows, muted but forceful. What is the "true fire" in the text ? All may be fading around it but something remains firm and pure.

Sakari Oramo conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra at very short notice, receiving the score for the first time on Tuesday for Thursday evening's concert.  Fortunately he knows Saariaho's idiom well, and his rapport with the BBC SO is instinctive and strong. They've done a lot of Saariaho too, over the years. They know that this music works best when it flows naturally, like an organic form, without being pushed and pulled.  On the basis of this performance, I think True Fire is a keeper. It fits Finley like a glove, so he'll be able to sing it well for years to come, after which other baritones can enjoy its riches.   Before True Fire, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, and afterwards, Prokofiev Symphony no 5. well played but the real news is Saariaho. 

Bizet Pearl Fishers in concert ROH

Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles is notoriously hard to stage. Because the plot's so grandiose, the imagination works overtime, dwarfing the music, making it seem puny in comparison. There's a lot to be said in favour of concert performances because they shift the balance back to Bizet.

What was striking in this performance of Les Pêcheurs de Perles (Pearl Fishers) at the Royal Opera House was how delicate much of Bizet's writing really is. It doesn't jump up and grab you like the tunes from Carmen. Bizet knows zilch about Indian music but in his imagination it's delicate and refined - Le petit Trianon India, as authentic as 18th century "oriental" wallpaper. Since nowadays we think of India with more realism, we're not conditioned to Bizet's watercolours.

Dispense with the "orientalism" and think of Les Pêcheurs de Perles as French countryside, and the opera falls into perspective. Kings and Priests dominate because peasants are superstitious, and think holy Virgins will protect them.  When the chorus sings of Brahma they could as easily be singing of Jesus. Get away from extreme exotic images and the music makes sense on its own terms.

Antonio Pappano is wise to let this delicacy breathe: over-expansive gestures are best left to the histrionic narrative. Bizet imagines India in delicate, refined string textures, flute trills and gently beaten cymbals.  Crescendi build up like swells in the ocean, diminuendos evoking gracious submission. Lovely bell-like miniatures throughout evoking an idea of the East as perfumed and flower strewn as a church in France on a holy day. There's more drama in this music than the opera is given credit for, and Pappano elucidates what's there, without pushing it past its limits.The delicacy of the playing let themes, such as those from the "big number",  resurface elusively throughout the opera, sometimes so subtle they can be overpowered by being made too obvious.

The Royal Opera House orchestra deserve more appreciation than they get, so it was good to see them on stage rather than hidden in the pit. Seeing the bare structure of the stage was instructive, too, a reminder of just how much art goes into making the fantasy of opera.

Leila is a part almost tailor-made for Nicole Cabell. She's exquisite, and swathed in sapphire satin creates a character even before she sings. Pretty singing too., but the role, despite its charm doesn't lend itself to great displays of passion. John Osborne's Nadir was assertive and lucidly clear in the true French manner. His aria Je crois entendre encore, was beautifully shaped and balanced, the orchestra poised around it well, so it did feel caché sous les palmiers.
 
The duet Au fond du temple saint was very well realized by Osborne and Gerald Finley. Finley was by far the biggest name in the ensemble, however good Osborne, Cabell and Raymond Aceto's Nourabad could be. More darkness would work well with Zurga, who is a very troubled man, but Finley's singing is so well modulated that he creates authenticity without apparent effort.

I loved the ENO Pearl Fishers because the staging (Penny Woolcock) really made sense of the plot and its undertones, infinitely more so than Bizet.  That's why it was an artistic triumph, despite the poverty of the singing (with the exception of excellent Quinn Kelsey). This ROH Les Pêcheurs de Perles is a triumph for the music. Surprisingly sensitive orchestral playing, good singing and enough drama in the music to compensate for the lack of visuals.A longer and better version of this will appear soon in Opera Today.

Guess who's coming to dinner ? Don Giovanni Glyndebourne

Guess who's coming to dinner ? Be careful who you invite. They might just turn up!  Don Giovanni from Glyndebourne on Medici TV tonight Or was, at the time I posted this - suddenly there's a new notice "not available for viewing from UK" perhaps this is because the BBC is showing it at Xmas. But Medici says the film will be available "on demand" at some stage.

Please let me know what it's like especially those who've seen it live. Filmed versions of opera are always different from the real thing because what you're seeing is the view of the auteur, in this case Peter Maniura. A good film director enhances the experience, a bad one kills it. Film and live aren't necessarily the same.

But listen to that amazing playing from the Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment.  Please see what I wrote about the performance at Glyndebourne..

Glyndebourne Don Giovanni - full review

Jonathan Kent and set designer Paul Brown created the astounding Purcell Fairy Queen at Glyndebourne in 2009, so there was no chance this new production of Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne would be dull. Think about who Don Giovanni is. He's always one step ahead, adapting and changing, always on the move. Kent and Brown take their cue from the opera and its music.

As we sat waiting for the performance to start, the theatre at Glyndebourne was suddenly plunged into total darkness. A power cut? No, this was theatre, in every sense. Gradually golden light picks out the orchestra. It's a beautiful image, burnished instruments, musicians moving as in a ballet. Immediately, attention is focused on the music, as it should be.

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is one of the finest period orchestras in Europe. Historically-informed performance is valuable in Don Giovanni, not because it's authentic whatever that might be, but because it creates lighter textures, reflecting the elegant, flexible movement in the music.

Then, instead of a conventional set, there's a giant rotating cube, a square globe, so to speak, which contains "the world". It unfolds, reshaping and reinventing itself: a box of tricks, like Don Giovanni himself. Because it's meticulously designed the cube moves quickly and silently. it's much less intrusive than conventional set changes. Major transformations take place during the interludes, so they don't get in the way. This amazing set frees the action from technical limitations. allowing the drama to unfold, rapid-fire and free.

At first the cube reveals its secrets slowly. A crack appears: it's a narrow alleyway. Don Giovanni is trapped like a rat, so he lashes out and kills the Commendatore..The cube closes again, its outer walls like a stone building. Later, the cube opens to reveal a sunlit garden, complete with trees. It's the peasant wedding. So many shifts of focus. Garden transforms to ballroom, Zerlina's loyalties shift, the masked visitors move in on Don Giovanni.

Conflagration ends the First Act. While the crowd converge on Don Giovann, Don Ottavio points at objects, just like the Commendatore will later point at Don Giovanni. For now, it's just the furniture that goes up in flames. Real flames, you can smell the gas. It feels dangerous, even though you know Glyndebourne (and its insurers) have checked it all out thoroughly. We know Don Giovanni will end up in hell, but seeing him circled by fire is dramatic. It's entirely consistent with the turbulent music with which Mozart marks the beginning of Don Giovanni's end.

In the Second Act, the giant cube is transformed, as if it's exploded. Don Giovanni's clever stratagems are beginning to shatter. Instead of neat panels, wild diagonal planes, sharp angles, knife edges, if you will. Violence implicit. The pace quickens, the orchestral playing with great agility. Some of the best singing all evening, too, the cast invigorated. Movement is well blocked, the cast nimbly negotiating the change of position (and costume).

Perched dangerously on the central diagonal plane, Gerald Finley (Don Giovanni) and Luca Pisaroni (Leporello) read the inscription on the Commendatore's grave. No statue as such, but by this point in the performance the atmosphere of horror is so intense that a device like a talking statue would seem clumsy. As Finley teeters on the dangerous ledge, and Pisaroni cowers in terror, the Commendatore's voice booms out. Invisible threats are much more frightening.

A golden candelabra on a luxurious table cloth. Don Giovanni's showing off, trying to impress.  But the table's on the spot that was the grave. Suddenly,the Commendatore pops up, a corpse in a rotting, blood-stained shroud. Death levels all, rich or poor.  The corpse topples the table over, exposing its flimsy structure. Slowly, the corpse moves towards Don Giovanni and zaps him dead. Everyone gasps. A fantastic coup-de-théâtre!

It's an overpowering image. Thank goodness for the final chorus Questo è il fin, where order is restored, and we're reminded that theatre is glorious illusion.

Magnificent as the set is, this will also be a Don Giovanni to listen to audio only,  for the orchestra. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment are so good that they can generate almost demonic energy from the lighter timbres of period instruments. Vladimir Jurowski has rarely sounded more inspired, his tendency towards mysticism countered by the brightness of this playing. The music in the ballroom scene was particularly well defined. Trios move throughout this music, so defining the tripartite form in this orchestration is important.

Excellent flow between ensemble and soloists. Musicians of this calibre really make a difference This lutenist sounds truly seductive, and the harpsichord's spiky interjections signal alertness, because there's such sharpness of attack.

Gerald Finley's Don Giovanni is smooth, even a little soft-grained to start with, but then he's playing a man who achieves his aims by charm. His champagne aria, Fin ch'han dal vino, didn't fizzle but perhaps that's a hint that Don Giovanni's pursuit of pleasure is ultimately hollow. When Don Giovanni's trapped, he's most lethal. In the Second Act, Finley's voice darkens malevolently, yet he also manages to express the vulnerability in Don Giovanni's character. Does he really enjoy seduction, or is it obsession? Perhaps women are attracted because they sense that need in him.

But the operas isn't Don Giovanni's alone. Luca Pisaroni's Leporello made the dynamic between master and servant powerfully pungent. At Glyndebourne, you sometimes can't tell patrons from waiters, they're all in the same uniform, which adds extra piquancy to Mozart's subversion.

The interaction between Finley and Pisaroni is very carefully timed, superb vocal rapport. Pisaroni's Leporello is no put-upon fool, he pulls the strings. Very muscular, assertive singing, masterful in every way. At the end, Pisaroni's Leporello takes a photo of his master's corpse. Does he, too, have a "stud book" of past conquests?

The friend with whom I attended this performance has heard Cesare Siepi, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and many others in this opera, but he doesn't judge singers in isolation as if they were lab specimens. Context matters, too. "These female singers are more like real women", he said, "not divas doing a role". It's a generous comment, as Kate Royal's Donna Elvira is just too big for her, and Anna Samuil's Donna Anna, though good in general, won't go down in history. Though, given the performance history of this opera, that's a tall order.

Anna Virovlansky’s Zerlina stood out, vocally firm and bright, physically vivacious and energetic..There she is, up against a wall with Don Giovanni, eagerly co-operating. Confronted by Masetto (Guido Loconsolo) she begs him to beat her. Virovlansky makes it sound wildly kinky, hinting at the darker aspects of Zerlina's personality.

More, and production photos in Opera Today

.http://www.operatoday.com/content/2010/07/glyndebourne_do.php 

ADDENDUM : The film version shown on BBCTV (and presumably the DVD) is completely different to the live performance  Lots of closeups, which are good but very little wider angle shots, so you don't get a sense of the  quick changer movement that we saw live. Pity, as that movement reflects Don G, a quick-change artists who can swap personality like he swaps clothes. That's how he charms! He survives because he's always been one step of the game, quick witted and chameleon like.  Don G is motivated by Liberta, the need always to be free of any kind of entanglement, so when the net closes in, he doesn't care anymore. On the film, all close angles, tight spaces, darkness, no contrasts of brightness. Also you don't see how scary the angles on the set are, which is part of meaning.  Singing wise, the film was well miked so Finley and Kate Royal come over much better. It's still a big part for her  as she doesn't quite have the emotional range. Close ups and good angles helped immeasurably. Pisaroni as Leporello, though, is even better close up than live - fabulous singing, natural, animated, and a stage animal too. (He's Thomas Hampson's son-in-law). Don't judge this production by the film. They're so different you need to catch a revival.

Glyndebourne Don Giovanni - amazing !

HERE is the full review as promised. More detailed, more coherent.  :Below, first impressions

Just as the performance of Don Giovanni is about to begin, the lights at Glyndebourne black out - sudden danger! And then from the darkness emerged light, spotlighting the orchestra and conductor Vladimir Jurowski. It focuses the mind on the music, which is as it should be, but it's also great theatre - all is not what it seems at first in this brilliant production by Jonathan Kent, which truly captures the spirit of the opera.

Out of the shadows, you can just make out a gigantic rotating cube. It opens a crack, revealing a narrow alleyway from which there is no escape. Which is why Don Giovanni kills the Commendatore. Killing isn't usually his style, but when he's trapped like a rat, he lashes out at anyone in his way. Immediately he's revealed as selfish, cowardly, dangerous.

This set is a work of art in itself. It reinforces the opera, expanding meaning in support of the cast and orchestra. It's a wonder. Paul Brown, the designer, deserves huge respect. The technology that went into this would have been formidable. There's so much detail, yet everything works effortlessly. You couldn't get such flexibility (or such silent changes) with conventional sets. This  design allows almost cinematic changes of pace and focus. Because it moves so well, and is so inventive, there's no chance of it overpowering the action (like the machine in Salome) But the main thing is that it frees the action from technical limitations. It allows the drama to unfold, rapid-fire and free.

Vladimir Jurowski was inspired. Demonic energy! The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment sizzled, putting paid forever to the idea that historically-informed performance can't equal conventional orchestration. Indeed, because it was a period orchestra, textures were more flexible, lighter, more vivid, again supporting the pace of the drama. In the ballroom scene, the idea of several orchestras playing at the same time was clearly defined, so the effect was unsettling. But that's as it should be in this game of illusion.

Excellent flow between ensemble and soloists, who were superb. It really makes a difference when the lutenist sounds truly seductive, and the harpsichord's spiky interjections signal danger. Magnificent as the set is, this will also be a Don Giovanni to listen to, for the orchestra. My friend and I were truly lucky to sit (circle, middle, front) where we could see Jurowski and the OAE clearly. Orchestras are beautiful, visually (unless you're sitting among them). In this Don Giovanni, watching the orchestra added a  deeper dimension. The whole plot revolves on deception : watching the orchestra reminds us that theatre is illusion, too.

With an orchestra as good as this, and such an imaginative, supportive set, the cast have things relatively easy.  Gerald Finley's smooth, a little too laidback perhaps, vocally, but Don Giovanni seducesby his charm.   Why is Don Giovanni a compulsive seducer who cares more for quantity than quality ? A big advantage of having Finley sing the role is that he normally projects a much more relaxed image. Here he's disguised in white jacket, snazzy shades and moves his hips like a snake, It screams "Sleazeball!". But with Finley, you know it's an act, a carefully planned image.

Finley's champagne aria Fin ch'han dal vino didn't fizzle but perhaps that's a hint that Don Giovanni's pursuit of pleasure is ultimately hollow. In the second act, Finley's voice hardens lethally, with a darker edge. Is Don Giovanni demented? No-one normal invites the dead to dinner. Even as jest, it's desperation.

But the operas isn't Don Giovanni's alone. Luca Pisaroni's Leporello made the dynamic between master and servant powerfully pungent. At Glyndebourne, you sometimes can't tell patrons from waiters, they're all in the same uniform, which adds extra piquancy to Mozart's.subversion.

The interaction between Finley and Pisaroni is very carefully timed, superb blocking and vocal rapport. Pisaroni's Leporello is no put-upon fool, he pulls the strings. Very muscular, assertive singing, masterful. At the end, he takes a photo of his master's corpse. Does he, too, have a "stud book" of past conquests?

The friend who took me to Glyndebourne has heard Cesare Siepi, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and many others in this opera, so his views mean a lot. He doesn't judge singers in isolation as if they were lab specimens. Context matters, too. "These female singers are more like real women", he said, "not divas doing a role". It's a very generous comment, as Kate Royal's Donna Elvira is just too big for her, and Anna Samuil's Donna Anna, though good in general, won't go down in history. But given the performance history of this opera, the competition would overwhelm most anyone.

Anna Virovlansky’s Zerlina stood out, vocally firm and bright, physically vivacious and energetic. She's the female counterpart to Don Giovanni, She likes sex!  (Possibly more than he does.) There she is, up against the wall with DG, still in her wedding gown. Confronted by Masetto (Guido Loconsolo) she begs him to beat her. Virovlansky makes it sound wildly kinky, hinting at the darker aspects of Zerlina's personality.

In this amazing production, the first act ends with a conflagration. The ballroom goes up in real flames. It's dangerous, though you know Glyndebourne and their insurers have checked it out thoroughly. You can smell the sulphurous fumes. Wonderul theatre, but also true to the opera, for it refers to the hellfires that await  Don Giovanni (or from which he may have come).

In the second act, the net is rapidly closing in. The gigantic cube now transforms, shattering in wild diagonal planes. The angle of the main plane is so steep it looks dangerous. It should be. This is where the Commendatore is buried. A few quick changes and the dining table appears, gorgeously lit in gold. But all round it, the set's imploded, sharp angles, knife edges if you will .Violence implicit.

When Don Giovanni's trapped, he's most dangerous. Yet, Finley's snappy singing and jerky gestures indicate that defiance is Don G's way of masking tension. The  orchestra's screaming, the set screams silently, everyone knows something horrible's going to happen. And up pops the Commendatore (Brindley Sherratt, called in  earlier than planned).  He's not a speaking statue here, but a corpse rising from the grave, shroud rotting and hideous. He knocks over the dining table, revealing the flimsy construction beneath the luxury tablecloth. Again, marvellous theatre, and faithful to the spirit of the opera, because movement is so much part of it (and specially this performance). It's the ultimate dramatic entrance!  Slowly, the Commendatore turns to Don Giovanni and zaps him dead.  It's such a coup of theatre that the final chorus Questo è il fin becomes even more significant, bringing us back to semi-reality, so we don't emerge into Glyndebourne's garden too traumatized.

Photos and sound clips here on the Glyndebourne site.  This Don Giovanni has been filmed and will no doubt be issued on DVD. It's the BBC TV Xmas opera, too. Wonderful ! PLEASE NOTE,this is the full, final review : http://www.operatoday.com/content/2010/07/glyndebourne_do.php

Gerald's Glyndebourne Don Giovanni

Great pic of Gerald Finley lazing in the sun at Glyndebourne. You can tell it's a recent shot, because the lawn is parched dry. Read the story HERE. Hope the gardens are OK! But seriously, one goes for the music, doesn't one? And it sounds like this one will be good. YES IT IS !!!!!! I went 7 July, review com ing up soon- watch this site ! LOVED it PLEASE SEE my FULL REVIEW HERE

This weather bodes well for Garsington, too, where I'll be Wednesday.

At Aldeburgh, there are more wildflowers than ever: eglantine, honeysuckle, poppies, daisies, cornflowers. Combination of late Spring and sudden midsummer heat has brought the full season together in one massive display. Go, even if the Festival is over, because it's wonderful. Birds, too, nature reserves all over and organic farming which doesn't wipe out habitats.