La Sonnambula
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Music CD Cover
Composer: Vincenzo BelliniConductor: Evelino Pido
Orchestra: Orchestre & Choeurs de l'Opera de Lyon
Performer: Natalie Dessay
Performer: Francesco Meli
Performer: Carlo Colombara
Performer: Sara Mingardo
Performer: Jael Azzaretti
Performer: Paul Gay
Performer: Gordon Gietz
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Music Label: Virgin Classics
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Viva! Viva Amina!
- Tutto E Gioia, Tutto E Festa
- Viva Amina!
- Care Compagne, E Voi, Teneri Amici
- Sovra Il Sen La Man Mi Posa
- Lo Piu Di Tutti, O Amina
- Perdona, O Mia Diletta
- Prendi: L'anel Ti Dono
- Ah! Vorrei Trovar Parole
- Domani, Appena Aggiorni
- Vi Ravviso, O Luoghi Ameni
- Contezza Del Paese
- A Fosco Cielo, a Notte Bruna
- Basta Cosi
- Son Geloso Del Zefiro Errante
- Davver, Non Mi Dispiace
- Che Vaggio?
- Oh Ciel! Che Tento?
- Osservate: L'uscio E Aperto
- E Menzogna
- D'un Pensiero E D'un Accento
- Non piu Nozze
- Qui La Selva E Piu Folta Ed Ombrosa
- Reggimi, O Buono Madre
- Vedi, O Madre, E Afflitto E Mesto
- Viva Il Conte!
- Ah! Perche No Posso Odiarti
- Lasciami: Avver Compreso Assai Dovresti
- De' Lieti Auguri a Voi Son Grata
- E Fia Pur Vero, Elvino
- Lisa! Mendace Anch'essa!
- Signor? Che Creder Deggio?
- Oh! Se Una Volta Sola
- Ah! No Credea Mirarti
- Ah! Non Giunge Uman Pensiero
Free Music Notes for La Sonnambula
Free Music Review: A Critical Edition Performance - with cuts, alas.
Hit: 3 Stars
The particulars:
Amina: Natalie Dessay
Elvino: Francesco Meli
Rodolfo: Carlo Columbara
Teresa: Sara Mingardo
Lisa: Jael Azzaretti
Alessio: Paul Gay
Un notaro: Gordon Gietz
2 CDs
Orchestra, Chorus, Opera Lyon
Evelino Pido, conductor
Recorded November 2006, "during and subsequent to the concerts at the Op?ra de Lyon" (numerous takes?)
The first thing one should know about this recording: there's cuts. Lots of them. What makes this so indefensible - not only in these times of striving to restore the aims of "somewhat" correct performance practice - but the booklet notes makes much ado about this performance being based on the new so-called critical edition of the opera. Restored are some keys, and claims are made for orchestral "details" - including the restoration of the duets for trumpet prior to Elvino's aria in act 2 - well whoopteedoo - that aria in itself is CUT CUT CUT!
Poor Lisa, that tarty wench, she only gets to whine for one verse each in her 2 arias. Rodolfo loses his second verse of "Tu non sai." "Ah! vorrei trovar parole" is halved. Numerous other trims. None felicitous, in this, a comparatively short opera.
What is the logic here? I figure that with the embarking upon a critical edition, there would be as well aims to full restoration in every sense. A scholarly (in the best sense please) aim in researching ornamentation, working with the singers, and making it stylish, innovative, spontaneous, would be the ideal. It isn't realized here. Amina gets all full measures in her big scenes, but that's it. What was the decision based on? That second verses slow the opera down? That the singers don't wan't to be bothered with annoyances of decoration? They can't do it? Then bel canto shouldn't be in their rep.
I don't get that Evelino Pido has any great love for this work. The tempi are often slow, lacking in pulse and impetus. Everything sounds clean and clear, scrupulous, but it sounds very deliberate, not surging with life and vitality. There is little theatricality, it sounds so carefully delivered. The Bernstein performance from La Scala, also cut, wildly eccentric, and sometimes shamefully indulgent - bristles with sparkle and whiz-bang theatricality.
Natalie Dessay is the set's chief selling point and virtue. She gives a lovely, understated reading of the role. In light of her intense *in extremis* Lucia, it's nice to hear a more relaxed approach. Some of her vocal shadings are exquisite, as is her delicate sigh effects which work nicely in her characterization. You can audibly hear a sense of care and means to achieving a flesh-and-blood portrayal. The Sleepwalking scene is quite moving, with many finely limned touches incorporated throughout. The voice has also gained a warmth in the middle register. Some of the ornamentation is quite individual and interesting.
Against that, Dessay, only 41-42 when this was recorded, sounds vocally worn-out and aged. It appears that the vocal crisis she had a few years ago and subsequent rehabilitation has effected only a partial recovery. The vocal cords don't vibrate properly; you can tell they are afflicted, loose and flapping. Dessay tries to control the waver by beginning a tone straight, but it winds up being a tremolo. The upper note in a line from an interval is almost always unsteady, and at forte, it often bulges and veers precariously out of control. The close microphoning does not help, and the cold digital hardness must surely accentuate what was possibly not so evident in the house. There's a certain fatigue to the relentless brightness of listening to this "empty chasm" space engineering. Dessay works hard to kick in the trills, and sometimes slows down the rhythmical impetus to get the voice settled; and there are a lot of long pauses that pulls down the momentum. The staccati are as pinpoint as ever, some of the coloratura accomplished, though some of the descending chromatic scales are slightly blurred.
Francesco Meli has perhaps the healthiest voice on here, and he sings sweetly, with a most attractive melting timbre, but there's also some muscling out of the tone. The interjections during "Ah non credea," though, are some of the most heartbreakingly sweet I've ever heard.
Carlo Columbara has a welcomely rich tone, maybe one of the better current Rodolfos on record, but that's not saying much. He too in unsteady, with some of his sustained tones having a really pronounced beat. I hate to keep harping on this factor, but he, like every other bass nowadays, ignores the upward slurs in "Vi ravviso" - they are so important to the expression of this beautiful, elegiac aria. Those slurs serve an important function. The piece is very emotional, but also very contained in an aristocratically elegant way; the slurs give that nice, sweet little lift of endearment in the character's nostalgic yearning. Again, Pol Plancon, Cesare Siepi and Plinio Clabassi are the models. Plancon's is a true thing of beauty, the attractiveness of personality just oozing out in spades from within the 1907 sonic murk.
The Lisa, Jael Azzaretti, has a noticeably healthier, fuller voice than Dessay, but so much of her work is compromised by the cuts.
There are now many fine Sonnambuli on the market - one can take their choice in terms of their favorite divas - Pagliughi, Callas, Sutherland, Devia, Gruberova, Orgonasova. I have all of them, all with merits. If you like Dessay, this new one will probably please you. As for me, I can't believe the decisions to somehow just chuck chunks of the score, whilst proudly offering the "critical edition!"
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