Giulio Cesare Glyndebourne 2006

So from the shortest piece in the whole entire world, we move onto a full 295 minutes of pure genius, perhaps the finest opera seria ever written; Handel's Guilio Cesare.

I sat down this morning fully intending to watch half an hour of the recorded opera on TV...but with a steady supply of coco pops and aria after aria, delight after delight - I couldn't take my eyes off it.

The opera itself runs like a 'Handel's Greatest Hits' and this particular award-winning production from Glyndebourne is both magical and imposing; transferred to the 20th Century British Empire, but with definite elements of visual fantasy. If I could, I'd just paste the entire opera on here, it's THAT worthy - but I'll have to choose my top-favourites...

1)

First is Sarah Connolly's (aka Giulio Cesare, the tyrant himself) first real beast of an aria Empio, diro, tu sei which he breaks into upon being presented with the head of his defeated enemy Pompey. Real typical Handel 'angry' aria, but its wonderful all the same - perfect angular line for the strings, with ample opportunity for a few vocal runs for old Cesare. Connolly is supremely convincing too - great acting throughout this - with subtle changes in the vocal colour to just give us a bit more extra meaning...that's all it takes! Only two unsettling things about this clip:

1) She looks suspiciously like Stephen Fry in the Giulio get-up

2) Sound's like she's singing about Gnocchi in the second phrase...which just makes me hungry...

I'm disproportionately annoyed that my favourite Sesto clip (L'angue offeso mai riposa) doesn't appear to be on youtube...so I shall have to in fact settle on my 3rd favorite...as I've already written about Cara speme. All the same...its ACTUALLY amazing...

2)

The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is showed off wonderfully here, and someone is really banging out that harpsichord, which can only be good news. Nice example of the de capo (ABA) aria here as well, with an eerie little return of a melodic idea from Cara speme in the middle section. Angelika Kirchschlager is also completely believable as the pre-pubescent Sesto; artificially it may be the lovely bowl haircut, but it's more likely to be that lovely, innocent clear tone, a bit reminiscent of a boy soprano.

3)

This melody is heartbreaking. And there's something that I can't quite put my finger on about the orchestral accompaniment that's truly magical...it might have something to do with the fact that it's quite sparse and that Handel was THE genius of chordal progressions. Also, watching this is like a master class in how to breath properly - which was definitely what the costume designers had in mind when sketching up the possibilities -or lack of them- for this scene...

You wouldn't believe how long it took to whittle this down to a mere 3 peices...and I'm even saving Piangero, la sorte mia until after I've learned it, in the hope that I'll have a bit more insight. But to sum up, I am NEVER deleting this recording from my sky+ library...unless of course someone would like to buy me the obscenely priced DVD? Any takers?

"Ombra mai fu"

This has successfully completed my transformation into Handel's biggest fan. I've already waxed lyrical about his wonderful vocal writing, so there's not really much more I could possibly say on the subject...but Ombra Mai Fu from his opera Xerxes is one of the most beautifully calming arias I've ever come across.

Though...the text is a little bit strange! In opera we're used to Romantic expression of massive passions and feelings in the form of a lovely little compact aria. However, this seems to be about a tree. King Xerxes seeks enlightenment from said beloved tree as the plot of the opera begins, opening with what is now perhaps one of Handel's most celebrated pieces. The story of Xerxes is a little bit confusing...I think I'll have to watch it sometime to fully understand - but for now I'll just paste a particularly mind-bending extract from the all-knowing wikipedia;

King Xerxes, looking up from contemplation of his beloved tree, sees Romilda, the daughter of his vassal Ariodate, and makes up his mind to marry her. However, Romilda and Xerxes' brother, Arsamene, love eachother, while Romilda's sister, Atalanta, is also determined to make Arsasmene hers. Amastre, Xerxes' fiancee, forsaken by him for Romilda, disguises herself as a man and observes Xerxes.

Well that's a crazy love-rhombus and a disguise already established and they haven't even got onto the main plot yet! It's one for watching more than reading I think...

The beauty of this music mirrors the beauty of what Xerxes is singing about. It's simple, and natural - everything seems to grow from an organic place - no note is superfluous. In a good interpretation, like Bartoli's, the first note grows and blooms as it moves through the pulse of the music. It's regal, as one would expect from a King, though not haughty - the perfect representation of a figure alone in contemplation.

Handel was a legend, who could elegantly transform something that on the surface is about a tree, into something much much more :)

"Where shall I fly?"

I've become a complete Handel fiend...so I'm going to keep going in that direction I think :)

In my meagre 17 years, I've come to realise that Handel must have been psychic. Or a woman. Or both. This may seem like a bit of an odd statement - but he seemed to really know the exact limits of the female voice, had the ability to write to the very boundary, and tiptoe along the line of the voice's capability. This makes for a) some brilliant music to sing and b) a great listening experience. This aria, "Where shall I fly?", from Hercules must be one such boundary-tiptoeing example. Taken from Joyce DiDonato's collection of 'mad scenes', Furore, this aria is quite simply terrifying - especially when you see her amazing crazy acting...

The aria, as the title of DiDonato's CD suggests, constitutes the mad scene, and the denouement, of Handel's musical drama. Hercules' wife, Dejanira, is pretty pissed at the thought of her husband returning home with a rival for his love: Iole, daughter of murdered King Oechalia. However Dejanira thinks she has and ace up her sleeve, and sends Hercules a robe that apparently possesses the power to restore his love for her. Little does she know that it had actually been poisoned by a centaur who was mortally wounded by Hercules. Dejanira is driven mad with grief and regret when she learns of her husband's death - resulting in the exert that I've been having a listen to.

There are so many elements of this aria that just scream 'I'M ABSOLUTELY CRAZY', that it's going to be quite a challenge to just focus on a few. However, the first thing that arrests the listener is the very very busy orchestral accompaniment; it seems to mimic the thoughts that must be running through, and completely suffocating, this woman's mind. It seems to run away from itself, as Dejanira must be desperately trying to run away from the reality of her actions. This is interestingly contrasted by the eerily beautiful interlude, where she asks to be hidden from 'their hated sight' - the complete contrast in mood created by the different styles of expression, perfectly paints Dejanira's madness - as she skips seamlessly from one emotion to its polar opposite. Aristotle, the father has tragedy, has said that the perfect example of this genre must evoke 'fear and pity' in its audience - and this is certainly achieved here, as we travel with Dejanira through fury, grief, fear, and back again.

I was scared watching DiDonato singing this. It's a truly amazing, yet terrifying experience - mainly for the fact that she completely embodies the character. Or maybe she is a little bit crazy; who knows! I love how she slightly lets her voice go - there is what seems like a subtle relaxation in relation to sound production which really allows all emotion to just pour out of her. There is a raw sound to all of it - some parts even verging on cultivated shouting - that just equal perfection for me. I now can't hear anyone else singing it. Plus, she's got the 'Hello, I'm mentally disturbed' anxious rocking down to a T.

"Ye boundless realms of joy"

I've just got back from Evensong rehearsal - and all I can say is - Anthem 18 from Handel's 'Chandos Anthems' is LOTS of fun to sight sing. In the frantic effort to get in notes and words, it was a surprise I came through alive. But I did! Hurrah!

Unfortunately we don't have a Baroque orchestra accompanying us, but I think I'd trade them any day for the wonderful acoustics we get in a Cathedral. One of my teachers has said that it's best to have lessons in a 'dead' room so that you're pleasantly surprised at even a slightly better acoustic - but there's nothing like the vaulted ceiling of a Cathedral to put a singer at ease!

This, kids, is contrapuntal to the extreme...it was so mental to sight read whilst everyone was doing their own thing around you...though, that's a choir for you! Matters weren't made all that much better due to the interesting publication we had, which had a lovely octave G over the page turn...oh HI! However, no amount of moaning can detract from the fact that this is a lovely anthem.

One of my particular highlights, is how every part comes from their different winding paths for certain important phrases such as 'His praise your song employ', 'above the starry frame'...and so on. Very simple, but has a very poignant effect on singer and listener alike I think. Though it's the weaving of the vocal parts that really pulls the listener along, and gives it that lovely baroque bounce :)

"Cara speme"

I went into HMV today and spent such an obscene amount of money on music, that I think I'll have shoppers guilt for the rest of my life. However, in no way, shape or form do I feel guilty about buying this Wigmore Hall live recital disc. I was pretty much in tears when I went to book tickets for DiDonato's 2010 recital, only to realize it was completely sold out already; so I bought this as a, only slightly less exciting, consolation prize.

All of it's stunning, as expected - especially Hahn's 'Venezia' cycle, of which I'm already looking for the sheet music. However, as a newfound Handel fan - it was the encore of 'Cara Speme', from Giulio Cesare which really caught my ear :)

The aria is sung by Sesto (who was initially cast as a Soprano but Tenors were used even in Handel's lifetime) when Cleopatra agrees to help him avenge the murder of his father...by killing her brother...Oh opera, you're so brilliant in every single way. However, far from a fierce declaration of revenge (a bit like Magdalena Kozena's version), DiDonato gives this a softeness, and pensiveness which makes you feel he's doing this, without doubt, for the love of his father. This probably owes to the legato accompaniment as much as her sweet voice.

What first struck me about this recording, with simple, flowing piano reduction - was that I couldn't hear a lot of the typical Handel-y elements that are present in a lot of the Baroque recordings. However, the 'bounciness' of Handel would stick out like a sore thumb on this CD, which is really akin to 'easy listening'. I also love music with killer baseline. To illustrate this, I can tell you that, next to my numerous recital, full opera, extract, ballet, and song CDs - I have Lauren Hill, The Fugees, Eminem and Alicia Keys. I'm not all nerd...but the nerdy stuff's the best. But anway, a killer bassline...this has one, believe it or not. In fact, much of the accompaniment is only in bass and tenor clef :) So, as I was saying, the piano not only makes it fit in perfectly with the other repertoire on the disc, but also gives it a bit of a facelift, slightly modernizing it.

There is one part, in this entire aria, that I wait for - simply for that 'goosebump' sensation that only great music can cause. It comes on the word 'lusingar', and it leaps and descends and then rises again so majestically...I've rewound so many times to listen to it (it happens at about 1.45 in the Kozena video clip). Strangely, this part stuck out to me as sounding oddly 'modern' - even by Handel's 18th Century standards. I don't know what it is about it, but the series of notes seems decades ahead of its time compared to the rest of the piece - even on the more traditionally baroque recordings. It also has my beloved piano baseline running underneath it :)

Either way, the entire thing is beautiful - and what was initially intended to be the 'consolation' CD, has now made me even more disappointed that I'm missing out on seeing this great artist live. I'm going to have to see her sooner or later - she more than deserves to join the legends who've signed my i-pod :)

Top left: Roberto Alagna, Middle right: Renée Fleming, Bottom middle: Elina Garanca...there's some room for Joyce there somewhere...

UPDATE: Check out this legend...I found him on my youtube travels :)