Notes and Editorial Reviews
AMORETTI
•
Christiane Karg (sop); Jonathan Cohen, cond; Arcangelo (period instruments)
•
BERLIN CLASSICS 0300389 (72:52
Text and Translation)
MOZART
La finta semplice:
Amoretti.
Ascanio in Alba:
Ferma aspetta—Infelice affetti miei.
Mitridate:
Lunga da te.
Il sogno di Scipione:
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Biancheggia.
Lucio Silla:
Fra i pensier.
GLUCK
Orphée et Eurydice
: Soumis au silence.
Il parnaso confuso:
sacre piante.
Telemaco:
In mezzo a un mar crudele.
Iphigénie en Aulide:
Adieu, conserve dans votre âme.
GRÉTRY
La fausse magie
: Comme un éclair.
Sylvain:
Pardonne, o mon juge.
Lucille:
Au bien supreme
The title of this disc is taken from perhaps the finest aria from Mozart’s first
opera buffa, La finta semplice
, in which the cupids gambol to the accompaniment of a soft, lyrical bassoon line. Not to ignore such an attention-grabbing title, this disc is really meant to show off the talent of soprano Christiane Karg, not via the usual well-trodden paths of bravura arias from major operas, but rather through exploring some of the lesser performed works of Mozart’s youth. Thus it carves out a niche that provides for an interesting hour or so of listening. Moreover, Karg and conductor Jonathan Cohen have chosen complementary works from two contemporaries, Christoph Willibald von Gluck and André-Ernest-Modest Grétry, both of whom were influences on the young Mozart. It is a pity that more Grétry is not available on disc, for here is a composer who wrote music that is both colorful and imaginative (and whose works include the first ever Beauty and the Beast opera, Zémire
et Azor
). Here, one finds arias from the operas
La fausse magie, Silvain,
and
Lucille
, all works that were popular at the time but which are hardly known today, even in textbooks. Gluck, of course, is better represented, and the performers have not eschewed excerpts from two standards, the aria “Soumis au silence” from the Paris version of
Orphée
and the final admonition of Iphigenie, “Adieu, conservez dans votre âme,” from Iphigénie
en Aulide
, both of which can be found elsewhere in recordings of the complete operas. His other arias, from
Il parnaso confuso
and
Telemaco
, however, take the listener back to Gluck’s early career as a composer of Italian opera, showing one of the sources for Mozart’s early inspiration.
One might be tempted to discuss the music of these excerpts, but in truth this might be better discussed as a diva disc. It really and truly is all about Karg’s voice and her interpretation. Clearly, she has power and depth, and her ability to adapt to the many moods and technical requirements of these arias is an indication of someone who will make a mark in her profession. There is a lovely playfulness in the mincing line of Amour in Gluck’s
Orphée,
which she portrays with considerable coyness, performing the aria with lightness and grace. When faced with the daunting coloratura of “In mezzo a un mar crudele” from
Telemaco
, she handles the fiendishly tortuous runs and roulades with ease and power, vividly portraying the raging Circe. In Lucille’s prayerful invocation from Grétry’s opera of the same name, she sustains the humility of the simple line with eloquence, while in the dour and emotional “Fra i pensier” from Mozart’s
Lucio Silla
, a work whose dramatic text Alfred Einstein once said would have been better suited to the composer’s mature style, she lends the aria a dark and foreboding mood. In short, she has all of the musical requirements of these works in her interpretations, from the solemn to the effusive, each sung with a conviction that is evidence of a rising star in the operatic firmament.
Jonathan Cohen’s equally up-and-coming ensemble, Arcangelo, provides a perfect backdrop. The tempos are appropriate to the moods and the playing is finely nuanced. One should mention the solo horn in the “Lungi da te” from
Mitridate
which blends nicely with Karg’s voice, a particularly fine example of their collaborative work. Listeners interested primarily in the music will of course wish to find complete recordings of the various operas, and hopefully we will not have to wait too long for the Grétry. But if you are interested in a new voice that has a bright future ahead, you might want to check out this disc.
FANFARE: Bertil van Boer
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Works on This Recording
1.
La finta giardiniera, K 196: Amoretti by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Christiane Karg (Soprano)
Conductor:
Jonathan Cohen
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arcangelo
Period: Classical
Written: Austria
4.
La fausse magie: Comme un éclair by André Modeste Grétry
Performer:
Christiane Karg (Soprano)
Conductor:
Jonathan Cohen
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arcangelo
Period: Classical
Written: France
7.
Orfeo ed Euridice: Gli sguardi trattieni by Christoph W. Gluck
Performer:
Christiane Karg (Soprano)
Conductor:
Jonathan Cohen
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arcangelo
Period: Classical
Written: 1762/1774; Vienna, Austria
9.
Lucile: Au bien supreme by André Modeste Grétry
Performer:
Christiane Karg (Soprano)
Conductor:
Jonathan Cohen
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arcangelo
Period: Classical
Written: by 1769; France
10.
Il Parnaso confuso: Sacre piante by Christoph W. Gluck
Performer:
Christiane Karg (Soprano)
Conductor:
Jonathan Cohen
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arcangelo
Period: Classical
Written: 1765; Vienna, Austria
11.
Telemaco: In mezzo a un mar crudele by Christoph W. Gluck
Performer:
Christiane Karg (Soprano)
Conductor:
Jonathan Cohen
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arcangelo
Period: Classical
Written: 1764; Vienna, Austria
14.
Iphigénie en Aulide: Adieu by Christoph W. Gluck
Performer:
Christiane Karg (Soprano)
Conductor:
Jonathan Cohen
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Arcangelo
Period: Classical
Written: 1772-1774; Vienna, Austria
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