Music reports
Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2007
Subject: Wispelwey 10 - Cello Suites 10
Pieter Wispelwey's Channel Classics CD of the 6 Suites for Cello by Johann
Sebastian Bach is devastatingly good. With Bach, every variation is
resolved perfectly. The unaccompanied cello suites are particularly dancey
and Wispelwey not only gets it, but takes it to a different level.
CD 2, track 5: Suite #4, bourree 1&2 is a superb section of music by Bach &
Wispelwey. It's lilting qualities, as the piece climbs and tumbles, weaves
a magical spell that is delicious. Take 2 is heavenly.
Like Werner Matzke's - of Concerto Koln fame, fortune and everything that
goes with it - impromptu concert of the Cello Suites at TCE (Paris) during a
delay at the start of Figaro, Wispelwey has a playful style that he combines
with rich tones and subtle phrasing. This recording fluidly floats,
dynamically rushes and quietly clings to all the delights that are Bach.
Wispelwey is a wonderful artist and his Bach Cello Suites are brilliant.
***
Date: Sat, 5 May 2007
Subject: Glyndebourne 5 - Cosi 8
Glyndebourne's 2006 production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Cosi fan tutte
is fun. The DVD from Opus Arte reveals the charm of Cosi - that is, an
intimate opera, featuring only six singers, who intertwine their parts to
deliver subtle and dynamic events.
Designer Vicki Mortimer and stage director Nicholas Hytner do a marvelous
job by keeping the sets relatively simple so that it works for the singers
and the action. Barbaro fato! - which brings us sadly to the whiny
orchestra with a pathetic wind section. The laughable horns are almost as
worthless as Don Alfonso.
Ainhoa Garmendia sings the role of Despina. She works adeptly with her
fellow vocalists. At times Garmendia needs to rope it in a tad, however,
overall, she is a fine Despina and makes many Mozart situations run.
Ferrando is a mixed bag. Topi Lehtipuu is a good partner, particularly with
Fiordiligi. He has a lovely instrument and pulls off some gorgeous phrases.
His fellow officer is Luca Pisaroni, who just keeps getting better and
better. Strong, perfectly framed for his character, Pisaroni's voice now
has a musicality that makes him a super Guglielmo.
Anke Vondung is excellent as Dorabella. Her aria - Smanie implacabili - is
terrific. A very clever score from Mozart makes that solo stimulating and
Vondung nails it. Mozart uses the sisterly partnership of Dorabella and
Fiordiligi by melding their two voices to create a third independent line.
Vondung and Persson make that happen. Their duets - Ah, guarda, sorella and
Prendero quel brunettino - are parfait. Vondung is a pleasure to listen to.
Miah Persson has a beautiful voice and is wonderful as Fiordiligi. Her
performance alone makes Cosi. The woman of the match is Persson.
Fiordiligi is one of the most difficult parts to sing and she goes for it,
producing splendid Mozart. She puts the pedal to the metal during her solos
- Come scoglio and Per pieta. Persson is an intense, sexy, tender
Fiordiligi. A fabulous teammate, she takes Cosi to all those fun places
music can travel.
***
Date: Sat, 5 May 2007
Subject: Dresden 3 - Serse 2
EuroArts' DVD of George Frederick Handel's Serse (as in Xerxes, king of
Persia) is a dazzling array of voices. Handel opera edges towards the silly
side, which the sets follow with an extended, tall, leather couch, with
enough room for a hockey team, let alone two sisters. Nevertheless, given a
chance to listen to a sterling show from Paula Rasmussen, as Serse, this is
hot.
The band, Talens Lyriques, has a lovely depth of sound. Led by Christophe
Rousset, they are tight and a treat to hear. Handel's tutti style is
begging for line separation and while they were a tad on the homogeneous
side, what can one do? Talens Lyriques are excellent.
Sandrine Piau sings Atalanta - the schemer - a largely comedic role that she
plays to the hilts. Piau has an adorable voice. She freshens up the stage
with her appearances.
Serse's brother Arsamene is sung astutely by Ann Hallenberg. She has a
wonderful sound. Playing the second banana, Hallenberg craftily goes for
the sweeter surfaces of her songs and comes across as the character everyone
is pulling for. For example, the split aria - Io le diro/Tu le dirai -
Rasmussen starts with clear, clean, kingly tones. Lovely phrasing!
Hallenberg counters with a passionate take, emotionally charged, yet fluid.
Lovely phrasing! Hallenberg is an amazing mezzo.
Paula Rasmussen is Serse, and the woman of the match. She makes it sound so
easy. Her rounded notes have a crystalline ring to them. Rasmussen softly
hammers "Ombra mai fu" - Handel covering Cavalli - that's right, a tree's
shade is everything! Her entrance to that aria is superb, as she comes in
on the backbeat, off the band's fade, and builds her elongated phrases into
something lovely. This kid is brilliant in her trouser role. BTW - if you
get a chance to hear her sing Cherubino (Figaro), go for it, as she is the
cat's pajamas - no one comes close. It is ridiculous how remarkable a voice
Rasmussen has. Her final aria "Crude furie" is extraordinary!
***
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007
Subject: BAC TCE 7 - Figaro 10
At long last, Bel Air Classiques has released a DVD of the Jun 2004, Theatre
des Champs-Elysees (Paris), Rene Jacobs/Concerto Koln performances of
Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. Those productions along with the ones in Oct
2001 were a treat to attend and having a DVD of the 2004 event is a dream
come true. You too can see Jean-Louis Martinoty's cluttered set look, the
highly raked stage (yes it was that steep) and hear, a band (Concerto Koln)
with tremendous tone, dynamics and an insanely great horn section, not to
forget, the ultimate Conte - Pietro Spagnoli.
Figaro is mostly an orchestra opera, and with Concerto Koln, Mozart and
Jacobs have the instrument parfait. During the overture and sleigh ride,
when CK is on the paddle, you want to get up and dance, or skate. They have
such a charged sound that produces this rumble. It can be a delicate touch,
or, a full force grumba. Regardless, it binds together the score in a
glorious manner. Concerto Koln's wind section is sublime. The oboe soli
during Dove sono are bewitching. The bassoons are a gift all on their own.
The horn section resonant their basso continuo parts and nail their
highlighting, for even more musical passion. Meanwhile, the basses and
cellos underscore and lift Mozart's work to new heights. Nicolau de
Figueiredo's pickup riffs on the pianoforte make delightful appetizers.
Jacobs brings this all together with a musicality rarely achieved.
Luca Pisaroni sounds great as Figaro on this DVD. He works so well with
Susanna (Rosemary Joshua). A very serious Figaro, Pisaroni's deep, strong
voice lends nice diction to the role. Joshua is a good partner, making many
passages flow. The brilliant part of Cherubino is played with some intrepid
phrasing by Angelika Kirchschlager.
Mora, mora! The man of the match is Il Conte, Pietro Spagnoli. From his
entrance just before Cosa sento!, Spagnoli proves there is a singer who can
easily hang with the full gusto Concerto Koln. His Act III solo Hai gia
vinta (I don't even like that aria) is emotionally charged and sung
devastatingly good. Spagnoli's long, alluring climbs near the end of that
aria are ooo-la-la! What makes this Il Conte special is his ensemble work.
He is there for his mates and leads by example with lovely riffs.
That naturally brings us to, the sleigh ride (last 33 minutes of Act II).
Mozart's idea of a fun time: solo drifts into duet, into trio, thru quartet,
up to quintet, until the big septet finish. It is a spell of extreme
energy, building, reverberating as Jacobs leads Concerto Koln and the
singers thru the slippy hills and valleys that makes it so remarkable.
***
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006
Subject: WSO 1 - Cosi 8
Saturday evening the Wiener Staatsoper production of Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart's Cosi fan tutte was ok. Being in Vienna, the city where Mozart
wrote much of his best work and within weeks of his 250th birthday
anniversary, was a delight.
The State Opera resides in a classic opera house. The acoustics are odd, in
that the focus is the orchestra pit. That makes life interesting for the
singers, as there are few sweets spots on the stage itself. The nasally
Staatsoper band is an ostentatiously loose collection of individuals. If
they are playing anything resembling a march, things are alright. If not,
they don't have the touch. The word ensemble, does not come to mind. Their
conductor made matters worse with her unpredictable and uneven tempi.
Despina was sung, with gusto, by Helen Donath. It is mainly a comic role,
and Donath made it work. The visual treat of the night was when Despina,
disguised as a doctor, uses ConEdison jumper cables to try and revive the
opera's two heroes - pity that did not improve their voices!
Elina Garanca appeared as Dorabella. Her strong presentation made many
elements of Cosi work. Dorabella was not a great partner for her sister
Fiordiligi, but then, there wasn't a lot there you could help. Garanca
needs to stay within her skill range. With more musicality and less show
off stuff, she could be very entertaining.
Playing the role of Don Alfonso was Pietro Spagnoli, who was the voice of
the match. His luscious tones and flawless enunciation were superb.
Spagnoli's timing and phrasing parfait gives him a musicianship few achieve.
His partnering and stage presence made the evening. Spagnoli has defined
the role of Don Alfonso.
The man of the match, most obviously, was Mozart. Listening to the gorgeous
woodwind parts - despite the fact that the WSO couldn't hack it - was
amazing. At the end of the first half, the house band was adrift. On stage
right, the lovers' quartet was totally lost. The plotters' duet, on stage
left, was trying to remember what they had done on Thursday night and
wondering why they weren't a sextet. And yet, the brilliant score of Mozart
came out anyway. It was a thrilling conclusion brought into being solely by
the composer.
***
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005
Subject: TRM 4 - Barber 2
Decca's 2005 DVD release of the Teatro Real, Madrid production of Rossini's
Il Barbiere di Siviglia is an attractive performance. So, "what's up in
Seville?" The episode revolves around a younger Conte d'Almaviva, therefore
a tenor, who is wooing Rosina and needs all the help he can get from
southwest Spain's ingenious barber, Figaro.
The Teatro Real sets and costumes are elegant and intelligent in black and
white tones. They successfully let the stage crew and actors move the
spectators into various creamy shades that aid the standard Rossini
reprising score. The striking contrasts - a DVD blanc - are highly
effective. Il Conte's opening jacket and waistcoat are particularly snazzy.
The Madrid house band is ok. They hold the work together, though at times
their conductor lets things drag. Their quick, pulsing segments are
excellent.
Doctor Bartolo is sung with precision by Bruno Pratico. He maintains his
comic role with lovely tones and well-balanced expression. That is a tricky
exploit, however Pratico pulls if off with style.
The woman of the match is Rosina. Maria Bayo is extraordinaire. Her clear
sounds and exquisite articulation reverberate through her phrasing parfait.
Bayo is a treat to the ears.
Pietro Spagnoli is the Barber of Seville. His rendition of "Largo al
factotum" is dazzling. It is a showboat event and Spagnoli enjoys himself
to no end. Figaro is the impresario that makes this opera go, and Spanish,
with his powerful voice, is outstanding.
Some of the finest tracks of this DVD are when Bayo and Spagnoli are on
together. Their mind-blowing duet "Dunque io son" while fiddling around,
under and on a table is the stuff that makes entertainment.
***
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005
Subject: A late gem from Handel
Andreas Spering - Handel - Imeneo - CD
Wow! Why has this beauty been languishing in obscurity? Particularly in
this era of near Handel-mania in vocal recordings. Thank you Mr. Spering
and Capella Augustina (comprised of many members of Concerto Koln in their
usual exquisite form) for bringing our ears this treat, superbly performed.
This opera is comprised of one beautiful aria after another. None of the
singers are "stars" or household names. Well, you can have your stars and
household names, I'll take singers with young rich voices who know the value
of ensemble and understand the composer's intent. Ann Hallenberg shines
brightest in her arias. We will definitely be hearing more from her.
Hallenberg and Capella Augustina are phenomenal with their electrifying
attack during "Sorge nell'alma mia."
Interestingly enough, my two Handel "must haves" come from the beginning and
end of his career. This and Concerto Italiano's amazing "Il Trionfo del
Tempo..." could keep me happy for a long time. This is the way Handel was
meant to be played. Luscious baroque timing that makes it hard to sit still
while listening. Please Mr. Spering and Mr. Alessandrini, bring on more!
-cw
***
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004
Subject: TCE 7 - Figaro 10
Thursday night's reprise of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at
the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris was incredible. With an augmented
cast of singers joining two robust returnees and Concerto Koln rocking, the
result was pyrotechnical.
Let's cut to the chase - Rene Jacobs' sexed up sleigh ride (last 33 minutes
of Act II) was even better than in October 2001. The addition of Rosemary
Joshua, as Susanna, added tremendous top notes to Pietro Spagnoli's Conte
and Alessandro Svab's Antonio. Add in Concerto Koln in full dance mode and
you have a total grumba performance. Ooo-la-la!
Cherubino and the Contessa were insipid. They both tended to bail out on
their solos, and were lousy at partnering. La Comtesse is usually a
liability and blew "Dove sono", which was only partially saved by the superb
CK oboe riffs. As is also standard, Cherubino didn't get that she's singing
top 10 hits - you have to go for it, like Michael Jackson.
Pauline Courtin as Barbarina and Svab had wonderful sounds and excellent
musicality. They were top shelf partners.
Figaro, sung by Luca Pisaroni, had a strong, rich voice and lovely tone. He
did have a penchant for making late entrances. However, he was into his
role and had refined phrasing.
The woman of the match was Rosemary Joshua. Her Susanna was super spunky.
She worked so well with the other singers and saved the "Take a letter" duet
with the Contessa by providing perfect support and elegant return phrases.
Joshua helped make this a memorable production.
Concerto Koln remain exquisite. The higher strings played it a tad safe and
lacked their edge at times. Nevertheless, these guys are awesome. Mozart's
continuo (bass, cello, pianoforte, bassoon and horn) is a delicious world
all its own in the Marriage of Figaro. Nicolau de Figueiredo's keyboard
dramatics were subtle, yet divine. The CK basses added so much depth and
power to the musical palette. The bassoon's playful forays were fabulous.
The horn section was sublime. They were a treat to hear! Werner, de cello,
Matzke's segments were superior. His delightful touches and tender support
made the score soar. Concerto Koln are a great band.
The man of the match was Pietro Spagnoli. After 2001, one would think that
presentation was the best possible count Spagnoli, or anyone else would ever
do. Wrong. We got the A+++ voice and a positively electrifying Il Conte.
Spanish was always there for his mates and made Figaro hum. His
articulation, musicianship, and sense of timing were sensational. With
Spagnoli on a roll, Figaro exploded with a multitude of luscious, vibrating
tones that was stunning.
***
Date: Sat, 24 May 2003
Subject: Pido 3 - Cinders 1
Thanks to France Musiques' Saturday afternoon direct net feed, from the
Theatre des Champs-Elysees, listeners were able to enjoy Evelino Pido's
direction of Concerto Koln in Rossini's La Cenerentola. Considering it was
Rossini, the performance went remarkably well.
Concerto Koln was able to revamp the standard circus music sound of the
score. Their powerful stings blended with the background event horizons of
the horns to provide the perfect foil for our friend the soaring piccolo to
give us distinction. Pido offered brisk tempi and a discerning feel for
each part's resources. At the end of Act I of Cinderella, Concerto Koln's
presto take of "Zitto, zitto: piano, piano" was splendidly invigorating.
The vaunted Vivica Genaux sounded a lot like an historical recording - you
remember 78 rpm, sure you do. No guts, just a meandering wobble that was
often flat.
Ildebrando d'Arcangelo was Alidoro. He had a strong sound, nice tone but
was a schlock rocker. This kid needs diction lessons. The world of opera
that tries to substitute variations on vibrato for articulation and phrasing
is a pathetic joke.
Carla di Censo was superb as the catty Clorinda. Her stylish pizzicato and
terrific top notes made for elegant ensemble. She nailed her last solo,
sometimes known as Clorinda's final scream. Di Censo held the line in and
brought out a refined, astonishing phrase that was incredible.
Dandini was sung by that commanding baritone, Pietro Spagnoli. His
partnering and full throttle performance leant the production resonance and
clarity. The moment of the match was Spanish's final solo. It starts with
him quietly singing this jazzy little dance section. Concerto Koln's
strings build in, raising the tonal tension. Spagnoli hits turbo voice,
blows through and while hanging out there manufactures a marvelous
modulation. It was a flash of brilliance.
***
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003
Subject: Jacobs 3 - Gassmann 1
The difference between Fellini's 8 1/2 and Florian Leopold Gassmann's
L'Opera Seria is, 8 1/2 has much better music. Rene Jacobs' production, at
Paris's Theatre des Champs-Elysees, was tightly performed, but rarely
created any interesting musical lines. As a play - a comedic farce about
putting on a grand opera - it was extremely amusing.
The cluttered stage look continued to be all the rage at Friday evening's
showing. The sets, props and costumes all worked exceptionally well. The
stage directions, especially for Act 2 - the rehearsal - were worthy of an
Oscar Wilde play, producing hilarious setups that completely hooked the
audience.
Concerto Koln was in fine form. The horns, oboes and bassoons executed some
brilliant passages, however, the entire ensemble was superb. They play with
a clarity and elan that is rarely achieved. Concerto Koln was parfait!
On stage, the lead hooty tenor, Ritornello, played by Mario Zeffiri, was a
gas. He was the perfect primo, stylishly in love with himself. Riccardo
Novaro, as the dancer master, had a powerful, clear voice and was a treat to
hear. Porporina, one of three prima donnas, was sung with gusto by Janet
Williams. She has an excellent, intelligent sound and really got into her
role.
The man of the match was Pietro Spagnoli, as Fallito. His intense tones,
superior projection and Acresesque diction were sublime. Spanish gets full
marks for his ironic portrayal of the failing producer. This guy has a
great voice.
The woman of the match was Smorfiosa, sung by Miah Persson. Her divine
phrasing lifted the otherwise insipid score. Persson managed to combine her
comic / sickly / jealous / high maintenance part so well, you knew this
chick. She was fantastic.
All of which begs the question, why waste all this musical talent on
Gassmann?
***
Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2001
Subject: TCE 7 - Figaro 10
Sunday evening at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Rene Jacobs' fabulous
production of Le Nozze di Figaro was a treat to hear. W.A. Mozart's
exquisite opera was given a striking performance primarily because of the
superb phrasing of Concerto Koln.
TCE, just across the Seine on the Parisian right bank, is an interesting
study in art deco. The theatre has great sight lines, dead sound, and is
hot as Hades. The costumes and staging were fairly good. However, the sets
and props were insipid and often got in the way of the action.
Sadly, three key roles, Figaro, Susanna and Cherubino, fell to singers with
poor voices. Figaro's diction was horrendous - which meant all of Mozart's
brilliant arias were left wanting. Susanna had a pleasant sound, but was
weak. She had a penchant for never being there for her mates, which
resulted in duets, trios et cetera missing a part. The biggest tragedy was
when Cherubino's two incredible solos were aspirated away into oblivion.
Fortunately there were some fine supporting role singers. Barbarina (Carla
di Censo) had a strong, clear sound and in what seems to be a Marriage of
Figaro standard, would have made a superior Susanna. Antonio (Alessandro
Svab) was stellar as the conte's gardener. His articulation and depth of
tone would have been exceptional for the part of Figaro. Don Basilio (Peter
Hoare) was excellent in his role and demonstrated perfect partnering.
That brings us to those wild and wacky Almavivas. Veronique Gens sang the
contessa's part. Gens had a strong and sometimes lovely voice. However,
she tended to get lost when it came to pitch and her miserable
embellishments were laughable. Note to Gens: Sing it where it's written,
not where it's rotten.
The voice of the match was easily Pietro Spagnoli, as the conte. You want
to talk about stage presence, pure singing power and impeccable diction;
that's our man Spagnoli. He is a full professional. There were times when
Spagnoli carried the cast with his full-bodied undertones cementing the
vocal structures. His adventures during the sleigh ride (last 20 minutes of
Act II) took that grand passage to delightful heights. Mozart filled Figaro
with tons of Steph Acres moments and Spagnoli nailed his. Ooo-la-la!
The man of the match was Concerto Koln. Wow. These guys have a wonderfully
creamy tone. The intense Figaro overture they played with perfectly pulsed
phrasing. Hearing all the lines so clearly weighted and yet with a sharp
edge that brought out all the resonances of the score was divine. Concerto
Koln had such tight ensemble they reminded me of the Middlebury Women when
attacking at their savage best. The result was a tremendous, thundering
Figaro.
Overall, an intoxicating evening of music in the Fields Elysian.
***
Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000
Subject: Paris Opera 3 - Flute enchantee 9
Saturday evening at the Palais Garnier, the Opera National de Paris put on a
fair performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Die Zauberflote. What holds
the Paris Opera back is the dreadful orchestra and poor singing by the
company regulars. Despite that, the brilliance of the Magic Flute came
through because of the composer's delicious score.
The Garnier is drop-dead gorgeous. It has great acoustics and extremely
good sight lines. The set design and costumes were top shelf and added to
the charm of Mozart's Singspiel. The tech crew gets full marks for the
illusions they created, especially the skill to produce characters out of
and into thin air. Visually the production was outstanding.
To me, La Flute enchantee soars or drags on the role of Papageno. Now you
can't always have Olaf Bar (the Steph Acres of Papagenos), however Markus
Werba made a poor job of it. He is a fine comic. His off the action acting
was very humorous. Werba has an interesting voice with nice tone.
Unfortunately, his diction was atrocious and he was often lost in his
partnering. What made it more tragic was that Gaele Le Roi was more than up
to her role as Papagena. Sadly the delectable "Pa-pa-pa" duet at the end of
the opera was left wanting, despite Le Roi's clear sound.
That brings us to Monostatos, whose singing part was spoken. The result was
we lost the ominous undercurrents of one of Mozart's finest villains.
Therefore the tremendous duet at the start of the finale between Monostatos
and the Queen of the Night (who was so horrendous, I don't even care to
discuss it), did not happen. How pathetic.
Luckily, the Drei Knaben (lads from the Tolzer Knabenchor) were excellent.
Their clean pitches were woven together to perfection. Their quartet in the
second half with Pamina was a stunner.
Werner Gura sang Tamino with exceptional touch. His refined voice was
perfect for the wimpy hero. Gura blended his lovely tones superbly. His
partnering brought out the best in other singers and highlighted the colors
in the score.
The woman of the match was Inger Dam-Jensen, as Pamina. Her striking pitch
and powerful presentation were sensational. Dam-Jensen made the most of her
mates and lifted the performance. Pamina was a treat.
Overall, Mozart's enchanting opera remains a delight.
***
Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999
Subject: Jacobs 7 - Cosi 8
The reason other productions of Cosi don't cut it is this 1999 Harmonia
Mundi CD recording by Rene Jacobs and Concerto Koln. W.A. Mozart's Cosi fan
tutte is loads of fun, however tres difficile. Jacobs presents a stunning
version filled with sweet songs and spirited surges - Apollo on form.
Werner Gura is a wonderful tenor. His rendition of Ferrando is superb.
Gura has exquisite tone and his phrasing is parfait. His interlacings with
Gens are lovely. Gura's top attribute is his genius to blend his subtle
tenor voice within the raging twists in Mozart's score, to provide
enchanting moments.
Don Alfonso is sung with discerning relish by Pietro Spagnoli. The foil and
plotter, he makes his role with terrific intonation and is a polished
partner. Saldo amico, finem lauda, finem lauda - why can this baritone turn
that passage into an entrancing riff? Musicality. Spagnoli's diminutive
solo - Barbaro fato! - reels with all the oil, fear, anxiety and trickery
that makes the plot run. Spagnoli = Don Alfonso.
Bernarda Fink is excellent as Dorabella. The perfect sister to Gens, Fink
lifts, counters and helps amplify their endearing music treats. Her take of
- Smanie implacabili - is remarkably timed. Fink's power during - Dammi un
bacio - makes Mozart's 1st act finale exceptional.
Fiordiligi is sung brilliantly by Veronique Gens. Her part is a tour de
force and Gens is special. She sings - Come scoglio - with long, luscious
notes, impeccably expressed. Gens' contribution to the Act One ending is
full of force and vocal quality and balanced perfectly with Fink. And then,
we come to - Per pieta - which Gens delivers with emotional poise. It is a
sensational aria and a great performance by Gens.
The man of the match is Jacobs. He weaves his own spell around the Mozart
magic and comes up with the ultimate Cosi. There's a marvelous little
thunderstorm that Jacobs brews up toward the end of Act I when the guys
supposedly ingest poison. Concerto Koln is amazing the way they billow the
cumulonimbi out of the uneasy calm of the girls duet and let it rip within
the thundering scene. The horns, bassoons and oboe are mind-blowing. The
strings skill at creating tension, and then fading away into silvery shifts
is fantastic. The basses and cellos give tremendous depth of sound, while
Jacobs controls it all with his hit and get away, bell-like tactics.
Together they set the stage and round out the tonality that transform the
singers to the highest levels. The Jacobs Cosi remains the first star.
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