Verdi's Messa da Requiem was a magnificent present!
All the better for having forgotten it was coming (despite a reminder on the day itself). It's been a very long time since I've been to the Théâtre des Champs Elysées for a concert.
This most theatrical of requiems got an appropriately dramatic performance from Zubin Mehta and the Chorus and Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, with Barbara Frittoli, Luciana D'Intino, Vincenzo La Scola and Carlo Colombara as the soloists.
Beforehand, a gloomy youth appeared to make a bad news announcement, but in fact simply informed a packed house that somebody was "indisposed because of the first rigours of the winter, but had decided to perform nevertheless," so pompously that neither Catherine nor I caught the name.
One or two moments of faltering had us agreeing afterwards that it was a very red-faced tenor, La Scola, before I realised that it was Colombara the bass, who was splendid, ailing or not.
In their ensemble parts, aside from a slightly ragged start, the four were a well-matched team, but Barbara Frittoli was radiant, especially in her demanding and beautiful solos in the closing Libera me, Domine.
The only one to appear tonight without a score, she sailed through the hushed passages without a hitch, a voice new to me and one I shall remember.
I've not seen a live performance of this work before and hadn't realised what exposed roles Verdi also gives to one or two orchestral players, including a singularly lovely first flute. The Florence theatre orchestra and choir were very good, making the utmost of the extreme dynamic contrasts Verdi and Zubin Mehta allowed them.
Once you're familiar with Verdi's Requiem, the mighty storm he unleashes in the Dies Irae can never stun you quite like the first time, but Mehta did it brilliantly, pausing a little longer than most conductors I've heard after the Kyrie Eleison before letting rip. I can't remember a rendition at once as measured and as spectacularly alarming since the recording made by Giulini (re-issued in 2001) with a dream team of soloists in 1964.
Mehta and his own crew breathed real magic into the long sequence of operatic sections that follow, before the powerful choral double fugue of the Sanctus announces the more heftily orchestrated closing sections of the work.
Immensely enjoyable.
Thanks, Catherine!
12:37:28 AM link 
|
|
postbox