Pavarotti rebuffs popular opinion

Press, 17 May 1989, Page 24

Pavarotti rebuffs popular opinion

& discs

ALLAN FRANCIS

PAVAROTTI AT CARNEGIE HALL: Luciano Pavarotti and John Wustman, piano. DECCA CD 421 526-2. DDD. Texts included. (1987). Rumours that Pavarotti was on the way down are totally unfounded; the assertion that his star that shone brightly in the early 1970 s was replaced by that of Domingo, a tenor in a different field altogether, is also false. The reputed rivalry that has been the subject of much news media speculation is a myth, as both protagonists declare when they get round to discussing the “problem.” Just as it was never Pavarotti who dubbed himself “King of the High C’s,” Domingo might be forgiven for removing posters announcing Pavarotti as the “world’s greatest tenor” in a venue where he was about to perform. In no way does the review CD impose on Domingo either. This is how Pavarotti performs best, in recital with John Wustman, singing Italian and German arias and songs, without needing to lean on the lower part of the folksy repertoire. Hints that he was losing the fine edge of his voice are equally unfounded. Those who feared that he was being totally eclipsed by others should hear this recital to rebuff the popular opinion and the polls that all is well with the Italian tenor.

The programme includes 14 songs. The most well-known is Schubert’s “Ave Maria.” The remainder range from Scarlatti’s “Le Violette” and Guida’s “O Jesu mi dulcissimme” to Tosti’s “A Vucchella” and Flotow’s “M’appari tutt’amor” from “Martha.”

Pavarotti has never sounded better than in this flawless performance and deserves a wide hearing. ELGAR: Violin concerto in D minor, played by Kyung-Wha Chung, violin, with the L.P.0., conducted by Sir Georg Solti. Also Saint d’amour Op. 12 and La Capricieuse Op. 17, played by Phillip Moll, piano. LONDON CD 421 388-2. ADD and DDD. (1977).

Whatever comes to hand in this rather oddly constructed programme is the marked fragility of Chung’s playing. It would be unfair to say she lacks purpose, yet beside later soloists such as Perlman and Nigel Kennedy there is a noticeable husher quality to her playing, but delicately proficient. After her almost apologetic entrance, things move into more important realms. The third theme unfolds with a feminine charm: her bravura later has a quicksilver quality and finally the closing movement speeds along in great style.

Solti, on the other hand, extracts all the rich brashness from the L.P.O.

that is possible, making the contrast all too obvious between the orchestra and soloist.

As the work unfolds though, the listener warms to her highly individual reading. The Andante is possibly unparalleled in any version heard to date, until it is realised that somewhere along the way most reservations have dissolved, and there is a performance that stands' alongside the top few.

Little can be said about the fillers, which are simply square pegs in this context and should have been one of Elgar’s orchestral works or string sonatas.

JAMES LEVINE CONDUCTS: Various orchestral works with various orchestras in the CD “Conductor” series. DG 427 028-2. DDD.

Although he has been around the conductor’s podium for quite a while, James Levine has not been prominent on many recordings — aside from some operatic works — and suddenly we find that he is a fine Mozart conductor as well as Schubert, Dukas and most others.

In 1987, Deutsche featured Levine in a wide campaign to introduce the conductor’s “debut”’ recordings to the world, and the review CD is part of that venture. In an interview at the time, Levine declared his policy, which unconsciously or otherwise conformed with that of Bruno Walter — “Mozart had to sing,” and that “modern” or “original” versions

were relatively unimportant.

Having laid out the ground rules it is a pity that the programme is so ordinary, Levine produced a shattering account of the “Posthorn” Serenade at the time he recorded an ordinary account of the übiquitous “No. 13,” but DG have produced the latter here. The remaining selections include “The Moldau,” “Rosamunde” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

PAUL TORTELIER: “French Impressions,” played by the members of the Tortelier family. Paul Tortelier conducts the E.C.O. VIRGIN CD VC 7 90707-2. DDD. This CD has been reviewed earlier, but it has come to hand again and deserves special mention. Under the conditions here this CD would certainly have qualified for inclusion in the conductor series, enhanced by the warm, family feelings within.

In spite of the “mixed bag” nature of the programme, Tortelier reproduces the individual quality so successful in a previous session. The Tortelier image supersedes all else here.

“It would be nice to think that the world of opera is immune from the excessive partisanships that characterise spectator sport; Pavarotti and Domingo are simply the latest victims — or beneficiaries, for they are both — of a pattern that has recurred throughout the history of the art.” — Daniel Snowman. “Placido Domingo,” 1985.