Texte paru dans: / Appeared in:
*  

International Record Review - (01//2015)
Pour s'abonner / Subscription information

Erato 2564623177



Code-barres / Barcode : 0825646231775
 

Outil de traduction (Très approximatif)
Translator tool (Very approximate)
 

The female contralto is generally accorded the seconda donna (in some cases, the secondo uomo) roles in Handel. It occurred to Nathalie Stutzmann that arias for many of Handel's secondary characters frequently had significant musical treasures to offer. She's put together an excellent disc of this material ‑ much of it unjustly neglected ‑ in which she both sings and conducts, collaborating with Orfeo 55, the splendid chamber orchestra she founded in 2009.

At its best Stutzmann's voice boasts a distinctively grave beauty, in mid‑range resembling on occasion a particularly full-voiced countertenor. It also can show a thickness, even what we used to call a 'fruity' quality, and at the very bottom she booms at times in a jarring, almost Clara‑Butt‑like ‑ manner. On the other hand, she can pull the vibrato out of her sound for expressive purposes, she produces blessedly clean and unaspirated coloratura, and she's entirely persuasive in matters of ornamentation.

    Chronologically the arias extend from Handel's sixth stage work (Agrippina, 1709) to his fortieth (Serse, 1738). Starting off enjoyably with the villain Polinesso's surprisingly bouncy 'Dover, giustizia, amor' (Ariodante), the recital proceeds with Dardano's 'Pena tiranna' (Amadigi di Gaula), one of  the most beautiful and sadly lovelorn of Handelian laments. Complementing Stutzmann's delicacy here is Handel's wonderful writing for oboe and bassoon. Next is 'Saro qual vento'  (Alessandro), sung by the sycophant Cleone, with its fabulous wind imagery effectively brought to life by Stutzmann. 'Non so se sia la speme' (Serse), another lament from an unhappy lover, is sung by Arsamene, today cast exclusively with countertenors but premiered by a female voice. The aria doesn't show Stutzmann to Particular advantage, with some obscured diction in the plaintive, broken line and hootinesss invading her tone (preferable here are two eminent countertenors who have recorded this lovely role, David Daniels and Lawrence Zazzo). The hooty sound also gets in the way later in Alceste's plaintive 'Son quel stanco pellegrino' (Arianna in Creta),extraordinarily exposed in its line and unusual in its extensive cello obbligato. A better bet is Zenobia's 'Son contenta di morire' (Radamisto), where Stutzmann proves herself a real tiger in her delivery. There's a return to sombre expression with the wonderful 'Voi che udite il mio lamento' (Agrippina), with Ottone lamenting the loss of his beloved Poppea. A stabbing chest tone from the singer is surprisingly effective here, reinforcing Ottone's agony for the listener. It's an excellent performance, yet here again I retain a preference for a countertenor sound, confirmed after revisiting the mesmerizing singing of Michael Chance in Philips's complete recording.
Stutzmann provides a moment of affecting gentleness in Irene's 'Par che mi nasca in seno' (Tamerlano), an expression of hope that one finds in a number of Handel's mature and supremely womanly secondary characters. Another is Cornelia  (Giulio Cesare), although the aria chosen by Stutzmann is atypically aggressive for this generally mournful figure: 'L'aura che spira', originally meant for Cornelia's valiant son, Sesto, but reassigned by Handel to Cornelia for the 1730 revival. This is a wife's outcry regarding her desire for revenge against the loathsome Tolemeo, murderer of her husband. Stutzmann is vivid, and here the booming tone at the voice's lower end fits the moment. Cornelia's gentler side is heard in the deeply touching duet 'Son nata a lagrimar', with the contralto joined by countertenor Philippe Jaroussky. His light, narrow, soprano‑ish instrument presents a timbre contrasting notably with his partner's, yet their voices go well together and their total unanimity of expression is almost eerie. At least one character here is not secondary in the opera's dramatis personae ‑ Bertarido, leading man of Rodelinda. 'Se fiera belva ha cinto' finds him comparing himself with a 'bound wild boar who, upon being freed, finds his captors scattered, since they know he'll show them no pity. Musically the crucial element here is buoyancy; this is taken to heart by Stutzmann both vocally and in her conducting, although the performance is marred a bit by some ungainly moments at extremes of range.

The last two arias present a notable contrast, Claudio's 'Senti, bell'idol' mio' (Silla), with theorbo the sole accompaniment (exquisitely played), one of Handel's sweetest love songs, enhanced by Stutzmann's flexibility and her case in 'floating' her sound; and Rosmira's 'Io seguo sol fiero’ (Partenope), my favourite among Handel's 'hunting arias". Stutzmann projects the character's imperturbable confidence and manages the low‑lying coloratura expertly. With a palpable sense of fun, she audaciously concludes the da capo for Rosmira with an extended cadenza, presenting a startlingly accurate imitation of the horns which have partnered her so superbly throughout the aria.

The disc includes five brief sinfonie, aptly placed within the programme (one from Partenope is particularly lively, airy and musically varied). Stutzmann's conducting of those pieces ‑ and, indeed, the entire disc is simply terrific. Brava, diva e maestro!

Erato offers fine engineering, texts and translations. Full synopses are not included, but David Vickers's hugely valuable essay does contain sufficient information regarding each aria's dramatic context. An adventurous release, then, full of welcome discoveries for any Handelian.

 
Fermer la fenêtre/Close window

Cliquez l'un ou l'autre bouton pour découvrir bien d'autres critiques de CD
 Click either button for many other reviews