Frans Brüggen has died
Early music pioneer and founder of Orchestra of the 18th Century passes at 79.
Clive Paget is a former Limelight Editor, now Editor-at-Large, and a tour leader for Limelight Arts Travel. Based in London after three years in New York, he writes for The Guardian, BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, Musical America and Opera News. Before moving to Australia, he directed and developed new musical theatre for London’s National Theatre.
Early music pioneer and founder of Orchestra of the 18th Century passes at 79.
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Back in 2102, Austrian baritone Florian Boesch and pianist Malcolm Martineau gave us a searingly intense Winterreise. Hot on its heels comes Wilhelm Müller’s prequel, Die schöne Müllerin, and anyone expecting a gentle ramble beside a chattering brook had better look elsewhere. Once again, Boesch and Martineau demonstrate how deeply one can peer into dark waters with an interpretation that’s mercurial, febrile and ecstatic by turns. The setting off is full of jauntiness – this miller is determined to find romance, come what may. Boesch wields his light baritone to great effect, toying with words and notes. Martineau’s outburst into Halt!, is the first sign that all is not well – this young man is likely to crash and burn – and the way Boesch twists the phrase “the darling girl wishes everyone goodnight” in Am Feierabend (when clearly she is meant to except the miller from her farewells) proves it. It’s a true partnership as each takes turns to play the subtext, whether musical or literary. Listen to Martineau’s staggering left hand in Ungeduld against stabbing quavers in the right – I’ve never heard it so unhinged – the music says what the words hint at. In other places…
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Although Gluck’s Orfeo of 1762 was his big reform statement, by that time the composer had spent a fair few decades committing the very sins that he so clearly wanted to stamp out. La Clemenza di Tito, a setting of the same Metastasio libretto that Mozart would prune for his own version, was in fact Gluck’s 16th opera out of around 30 that preceded Orfeo! The plot is familiar from the Mozart, as are many of the arias (it’s fascinating to hear another master try his hand at Parto, parto). Many features of the mature Gluck are in evidence, immaculate orchestration; musical invention; a sure sense of dramatic progression. Where Gluck falls down is a tendency to long-windedness – this is close on four hours of opera. L’Arte del Mondo play modern instruments in period style and Werner Ehrhardt is adept at keeping everything moving, while bringing out Gluck’s colours and ensuring recitatives are engaging. His cast is mostly excellent. Rainer Trost makes a firm-voiced, if occasionally stretched Tito while Laura Aikin is thrilling as the scheming Vitellia. As befits the central role of the conflicted Sesto, Raffaella Milanesi is the finest here, singing with ardent tone. Arantza Ezenarro makes…
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