Alexandra Wilson is impressed by a faultless cast in this Un ballo in maschera
OPERA CHOICE
Verdi
Un ballo in maschera
Freddie De Tommaso, Saioa Hernández, Lester Lynch, Annika Gerhards, Elisabeth Kulman; Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden; Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo/Marek Janowski Pentatone PTC 5187 048 (CD/SACD) 131:05 mins (2 discs)
The British-Italian tenor Freddie De Tommaso is the star attraction on this new recording of Verdi’s tale of amorous intrigue. Tommaso made headlines when he was asked to step in mid-performance as Cavaradossi at Covent Garden a couple of years ago, becoming the youngest tenor and the first British singer to sing the role there in 60 years. Two solo recital albums later, this marks a first step in recording complete works.
Happily, De Tommaso turns out to be the real deal, singing with a confidence and ease that seem astonishing for a singer who was only 28 at the time of recording. His is a quintessential spinto tenor: bright yet intensely masculine, powerful when required yet capable of both deep expression (in ‘La rivedrà nell’estasi’) and moments of playfulness (‘Di’ tu se fedele’). There are no weak links elsewhere in the cast either. Saioa Hernández, a former pupil of Scotto and Caballé, is a full-voiced, authoritative Amelia; Lester Lynch a majestic Renato. Annika Gerhards gives a jaunty account of Oscar’s party piece ‘Volta la terrea’ and Elisabeth Kulman is an Ulrica with formidable contralto depths.
The Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo under Marek Janowski plays with delicacy in the Act I prelude, dynamism in the prelude to Act II and drama in the gunshot-like chords at the beginning of the scene in Ulrica’s cave. ‘Sit back and enjoy’ is the slogan emblazoned on the back of the attractively packaged bilingual libretto. I’d place good money on the fact that you will.
PERFORMANCE ★★★★★
RECORDING ★★★★★
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Christopher Cerrone
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In a Circle ICR028 50:30 mins
Of the many adaptations inspired by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa’s crime-mystery tale In a Grove, the most celebrated is Rashōmon, Kurosawa’s searching 1950 film about the nature of truth and justice. Shifting the location to an eerie, post-wildfire Oregon forest, composer Christopher Cerrone and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann set the story in 1921 – around the time it was first pu
