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Site review by Polly Nomial June 3, 2012
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
Another self-recommending set from the Dunedin Consort under John Butt.
After a three-part overture, the work is structured into 3 acts of 3 scenes almost all of which have at least 2 recitatives, 1 air and 1 chorus. The first number, musically, to stand out is that of "Tune your harps to cheerful strains" for the 1st Israelite sung most affectingly by Thomas Hobbs; the pizzicato string accompaniment and oboe counter-melody are masterly and are performed with real grace by the strings and Alexandra Bellamy. This is answered shortly by the Israelite Boy (Electra Lochhead in ravishing, radiant voice) where a harp is given a major role in the counterpoint (with the flute) - both Frances Kelly and Katy Bircher respectively deserve a good deal of praise. Robin Blaze's Priest of the Israelites gets to round off the solo numbers in Act 1 with "O Jordan, Jordan, sacred tide" in a rather mournful manner, yet his expression never strays into crude emoting but imbues the melodies with sadness that is really rather touching.
After a recitative that gives us our first glimpse of Esther herself, Mordecai's aria "Dread not, righteous Queen, the danger;" is sung with intelligence and sensitivity by Nicholas Mulroy who makes light work of the tessitura and sustained lines alike. Susan Hamilton's Esther is then given it's first "proper" outing in the aria "Tears assist me, pity moving" - her voice is verging on faltering and makes this lament very moving indeed. Hamilton then duets with James Gilchrist as Assuerus (he also sings as Habdonah) who is every bit as musical, rounded of tone as we have come to expect; this is captured in the pair of succeeding aria's before a rather sombre chorus completes Act 2.
Act 3 opens in imperious form for one of Handel's grandest arias "Jehovah crown'd with glory bright" (Robin Blaze's Priest majestic in his declamations). The next action sees Matthew Brook as Haman give a master class in how to sing simply but effectively to create a dominant persona that quite steals the show! The chorus numbers are sung by the soloists and a few others to boost the overall number to 11 and draw the work to a triumphant close.
Throughout the orchestra play magnificently, sensitive to all the soloists and are resplendent when called for; Butt's direction is also inspired with no tempo dragging or rushing, everything appears to be a spontaneous creative act under his guidance. Linn's recording in the Greyfriar's Kirk (Edinburgh) is also a delight - transparent but with body that complements the music and performances perfectly in the balances and timbres allowed.
Hugely recommended in every respect.
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Copyright © 2012 John Broggio and SA-CD.net
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Review by wilbur June 5, 2012 (6 of 9 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
There is some very nice stuff here, and the playing, in particular, is excellent. The music itself contains some very fine and virtually unknown Handel. All is not perfect, however, as with other releases from this team and Linn. The solo singing is good, but it is not right up there with the very best around these days in period performance. This would be less noticeable than it is if the recording balance were more believable. When I first put this on - for the overture - I was a little surprised that the recording level seemed a bit low (about 5 db lower than the average SACD, or so I thought at the time). So, I turned it up a bit, and it sounded great. Then, when the opening baritone recit. followed I had to madly lunge for the remote to turn the music down, the vocalist was so loud.
As it began, so it continued. ALL the vocal soloists are WAY too forward in the balance. I mean, ridiculously so! Even sitting in the very front row center at a performance in a small space you NEVER hear this sort of balance.
Now I know that recordings have to have unrealistic balances, and it's not the same thing as a concert. I get that, and I even like sitting right next to the soloist in my living room mostly. BUT to exaggerate this to the extent that the orchestra sounds under-balanced when listing at bearable levels goes too far. Other Linn recordings with the Dunedin forces are similarly problematic in terms of recorded (the 46'-long harpsichord in Messiah, for example), but I do believe this is the worst of them all. I have three of these Dunedin/Linn SACDs now, and I am perplexed that they all sound 'manipulated'. By that I mean there is no depth to the soundstage at all, and very little perspective. I wish they would abandon the individual-mic-down-the-throat-of-the-soloist approach and record with a simpler configuration. This does not seem to be a problem with other Linn SACDs, so I suspect that the engineer combined with the artistic direction is to blame. These recordings all sound unnatural to my ears, very two-dimensional and lacking a sense of the performing space. I am sure they sound just fine on an ipod or a car stereo, but that is not really the point of SACD, is it?
A pity, as the overall performance is very nice. I didn't listen to the stereo mix, as I buy SACDs for multichannel. So, disappointing in the end, I am sorry to say.
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