RECORDS Sutherland Is A Victorian

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30214, 20 August 1963, Page 8

RECORDS Sutherland Is A Victorian

JOAN SUTHERLAND (soprano) with Richard Bonynge conducting the London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra: Weber— Ocean, thou mighty monster (Oberon). Massenet — Pleurez mes yeux (Le Cid). Meyerbeer—Ombre legere (Dinorah). Leoncavallo— Stridono iassu (Pagliacci). Verdi—Tu del mio Carlo (I Masnadieri); Tu Puniscimi, o Signor (Luisa Miller). Rossini—Vorrei Spiegarvi (Cambiale di Matrimonio). Bellini—Deh. se un’ urna (Beatrice di Tenda) Benedict—The Gypsy and the Bird. Arditi—Parla! Ricci— Io non sono piu I'Annetta. (Crispino a la Comare.) Tost! —ldeale. Arditi—ll Bacio Tosti —La Serenata. Leoncavallo—Mattinata. Bishop— Lo, here the gentle lark. Flotow—The last rose of summer (Martha), Wallace —Scenes that are brightest (Maritana). Balfe—l dreamt I dwelt (Bohemian Girl). Bishop—Home sweet home (Clarf) Decca stereo SETM.247/8 (two I2in, 85s). Mono also available. “Command Performance" is the title under which these two records are presented, and the idea is that this is a recital of the kind of pieces that might have been performed for Queen Victoria, who, unlike her descendants, took a great interest in music. However, the gimmick need concern us no more than did the gimmick of the “Art of the Prima Donna" set; what matters is the intrinsic interest of the music and the manner of its performance Both vary. The first disc contains all operatic arias—down to the Bellini in the list above —and the second, mostly songs. Thus the meatier pieces are on the first platter, but there is room for good recordings of these Victorian songs, which, though trifling have a definite eharm when performed in a fitting manner —though the line might have been drawn at "The Gypsy and the Bird." Similarly, just as Donizetti and Bellini are no longer dismissed because they were not Verdi or Wagner. music from the early 19th-century operas of Wallace. Balfe and Bishop is worth some attention.

Sutherland indulges frequently in her usual mannerisms of swooping up to notes and sudden surges of tone, and her enunciation is seldom vivid or meaningful. But there is more brightness and variety of tone than in her recent recording of Handel’s “Alcina” (not issued here). The great Weber scena is well sung, in a more lyrical style than we are used to. and Sutherland’s rich low notes are an asset here. Gusty phrasing spoils the Massenet aria, but Meyerbeer’s “Ombre legere,’’ proceeded by a spoken introduction and complete with its slow middle section, is brilliantly done Sutherland might well help to rehabilitate this unjustly neglected composer. The big aria and cabaletta from

Verdi's early T Masnadieri" are not especially interesting, but they are most excitingly sung. The Rossini aria, part of which was later used in the "Barber,” rather lacks humour, but the remaining Italian arias are finely sung The Arditi trifles are dazzling, but the two Tosti songs—in which Sutherland's husband, Richard Bonynge, accompanies her at the piano—are very disappointing. She chops up the phrases too much and “La Serenata” in particular compares ill with the versions of Melba and Tetrazzini, to name only two. Leoncavallo’s “Mattinata,” which has the distinction of being the first song written expressly for the gramophone (it was first recorded, magnificently, by the young Caruso, with the composer a: the piano), really needs a male voice. The English pieces, especially the pretty Wallace and Balfe arias, are very good, but their simplicity is often destroyed by affected nuances. Sutherland is not yet a mistress of the long legato line these pieces demand, and she is really more successful in dealing with music of solid worth than in trying to recapture fragile period style. Summing up, one can only say that in spite of all the mannerisms there is a lot of exciting singing and a lot of musical interest in the set, an<j all who love fine sing ing will find much enjoyment in it. Bonynge makes a good impression as both conductor and pianist. The recording is generally very good, although there is occasional distortion of high notes. With the records comes an elaborate booklet containing texts, literal translations, copious notes by AndrewPorter and illustrations contemporary with the music Porter mentions Vincent Wallace’s adventures in the South Island in the 1830 s. and readers may be interested to know that the great Hungarian soprano, lima di Murska, pictured in the booklet. was also in New Zealand. She lived in Central Otago for a time in the 1870 s, in the course of a very colourful life. VERDI: Rigoletto. Cornell

Mac Neil (baritone). Joan Sutherland (soprano). Renato Cioni (tenor). Stefania Malaga (mezzo-soprano), Cesare Slept (bass); Fernando Corena (bass) with Nino Sanzogno conducting the Chorus and Orchestra of I’Accademia di Santa Cecilia. Rome. Decca stereo SETMS24/6 (three 12in. 127 s 6d).

Gilda was the role in which the ’’new” Sutherland first created a furore at Covent Garden, some time before her Lucia made news, and this recording was made before the “Lucia” set, although it was published later. Suther-

land’s recorded performance as Gilda has met a lukewarm reception in overseas publications and it is certainly not one of her best efforts. The worst fault is that she consistently lags behind the beat. This is disastrous in Verdi, and with Sutherland’s usual mannerisms and a monotonous absence of bright tone added, the role is infected with irrelevant melancholia. The coloratura, of course, is always sung with great ease and there is some fine singing—“ Caro nome,” for instance, though it is a pity she did not use Verdi’s cadenza here. But the key role in ”Rigoletto” is the title role, and here the American baritone. Cornell Mac Neil, makes a great impression. His is probably the best-sung Rigoletto since the days of de Luca and Granforte. He has a very beautiful voice—rich, round, powerful and smooth Occasionally he does not make enough of the dark side of the jester’s character and a certain interpretative blandness results, but his phrasing is always beautiful and it is a relief not to have the music distorted by a quest for Mussorgskyan dramatic realism. Renato Cioni’s voice sounds rather tight and thin in the opening scene, but he loosens up later and he opens the quartet magnificently. His ardent sing.ng is not without a suspicion of coarseness, but his is the type of voice needed for the libidinous Duke of Mantua. Siepi’s voice is sometimes unfocused, but he makes a better than usual Sparafucile, with a feeling for the sinister atmosphere surrounding the character Corena lacks the vocal grandeur for Monterone, but Ma’agu is a good Maddalena and the small parts are well done. The choral singing is unusually fine.

Sanzogno’s tempi are often slower than customary, but he does not lack fire and his slow tempi are part of a general approach which strongly emphasises the romantic beauty of the music. In fact the whole performance is concerned as much with musical beauty as with dramatic power, which is not always the case. It is not the last word on “Rigoletto,” but it is a very good performance and should not be ignored because of Sutherland's lassitudinous Gilda. Passages usually omitted are included and room is also found for a few interpolated high notes The recording is rather variable. At times the voices sound too far behind the orchestra and the acoustic sometimes becomes too hard and hollow, but stereo places the characters effectively in the last act. A libretto comes with the discs.