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Verdi: Otello - Davis

Verdi: Otello - Davis

LSO Live  LSO0700 (2 discs)

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Opera


Verdi: Otello

Simon O'Neill (Otello)
Gerald Finley (Jago)
Allan Clayton (Cassio)
Ben Johnson (Roderigo)
Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Lodovicio)
Matthew Rose (Montano)
Lukas Jakobski (A Herald)
Anne Schwanewilms (Desdemona)
Eufemia Tufano (Emilia)
London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis (conductor)


Verdi had retired from opera following the premiere of Aida in 1871 but was eventually persuaded by his publisher to work with the librettist Arrigo Boito. As with Falstaff, Verdi’s final opera on which they would subsequently collaborate, they turned to Shakespeare for inspiration. Otello, which was premiered in 1887, marked a significant evolutionary development in Italian opera and is widely regarded as one of the great operatic masterpieces.

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DSD recording

James Mallinson producer
Jonathan Stokes and Neil Hutchinson for Classic Sound Ltd balance engineers

Recorded live at the Barbican Centre on 3 and 6 December 2009
Reviews (2)
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Review by John Broggio - November 3, 2010

Wow!

What a performance, staggering playing, conducting and singing in equal measure in one of the greatest opera's ever written.

The sound is taped at a level that is far from high but the opening storm sequence has one pinned to the back of the seat in awe - the crackle of lightening and rumbles of thunder roll ominously around the listener in multichannel - it must have been incredible to have been present at the performances as the electricity is inspirational on disc. The LSO play their parts with a passion that one rarely experiences from a traditional UK ensemble - just listen to their depiction of the sea for an illustration. But this performance is more than just the opening turbulence (impressive though it is) and fortunately for the listeners, the ensemble more than lives up to the myriad of demands made by Verdi.

Simon O'Neill's Otello is simply superb, never allowing his voice to become raw and always singing with emotional intelligence and a clear diction that would render a libretto superfluous to those fluent in Italian. Both he and Gerald Finlay (Jago) - incredibly well matched stylistically, yet contrasted in timbre - bring an interest to the quasi-recitative sections of Act I ("Rodrigo, ebben, che pensi?") that some only manage in the raise-the-roof choral numbers! Similar considerations apply also to the Cassio of Allan Clayton and Rodrigo of Ben Johnson who help along a marvellously jaunty drinking song. The London Symphony Chorus revel in their Act I number "Fuoco di gioia!", with their orchestral counterparts providing the detail that enables the listener to see the flames of Verdi's inspiration. The Montano of Matthew Rose is also of the high quality that the rest of the male cast have established; it is a shame his Act I role is so limited given the quality of singing. Having had to wait until the end of the first Act for Desdemona to make entrance, one hopes that Anne Schwanewilms lives up to her colleagues - and she does! Her duet with Simon O'Neill is so beautifully sung that one feels tears welling up as Sir Colin Davis and the LSO provide a sublime accompaniment for them to weave their magic.

In Act II, Finlay conveys the Jago's deception of Cassio with convincing nonchalance - Clayton is touchingly naive. The great monologue in which Jago reveals his inner torment and warped thinking is one of the crucial moments of the score and apart from Finlays superb realisation of Verdi's trauma, the LSO play superbly under Davis - never afraid to play loudly but always ensuring that his voice is (just) heard above the orchestral turmoil. The continuing deception displayed towards Jago is also chillingly caught - in this interpretation, one can believe how Otello was deceived and the contrast between his scheming and the radiant innocence of the children playing (as depicted by the chorus) is telling. The suspicions of Otello are vividly painted by Finlay but almost more impressive is the confused response of Desdemona to Otello's dismissive behaviour. The following ensemble number (in which Eufamia Tufano's Emilia is introduced) reinforces the tug of emotions felt by the differing protagonists; all is characterised with great success before the great duet and monologues of Jago and Otello close the end of Act II that signal the fate that Verdi has lain in store for the characters. The dramatically credible and sympathetic singing of both Finlay and O'Neill is very effective here and compares favourably with past greats who've conquered these roles - they may be captured as having smaller roles but that is more likely to be the accurate reflection of what is heard in the concert hall than the multi-miking techniques that have previously been applied in this and similar works.

In spite of the wonderful singing from Schwanewilms and O'Neill, the mood is not let up at the start of Act III - with Schwanewilms wonderfully conveying the hurt, confused emotions that Desdemona must arise from Otello's disbelief of her fidelity, while O'Neill adds a perversely delicious sharp tongued attack to his timbre which adds to the contemptuous tone of the words. At he dismissal of Desdemona (end of Scene II), the orchestral eruption displays Otello's mood to perfection and points up the bitterness consuming Otello almost more vividly than O'Neill manages. Clayton also gives an "innocent" reading of the score so that Jago's deception of Cassio seems more all the more believable and tragic as a result. Like the opening storm, the trumpet fanfares that signal Otello's return are spaced around the auditorium in multi-channel before a most spectacular choral contribution greets the entrance of the Doge and his entourage. At this point, the last "named" soloist, Lodovico (Alexander Tsymbalyuk), enters and the contributions of Tsymbalyuk may be short but they are up to the same standard as the others and so his small but crucial role is dispatched with the skill required. Another wonderful ensemble is created by Verdi in the finale to the act before Jago is allowed to revel in his forthcoming victory as chorus ironically proclaims their support for their hero Otello. Once again, Davis chooses the tempo's with aplomb for the tension is allowed to build and build without even once deflating.

The opening to Act IV is portrayed by the orchestra with the forlorn quality that reveals the fate awaiting Otello and Desdemona. Even in the plaintive duet with Emilia, Schwanewilms turns her tone into a searching, desperate plea for reassurance which, although given, is never sufficient to allay her concerns. This culminates in one of Verdi's most beautiful acts of composition - Desdemona's "Ave Maria"; beautifully sung it ends in rapt silence with absolutely no way of knowing this was a concert performance. The off-stage calling from Emilia is very well done to represent her knocking from outside the bed chamber. O'Neill's final contributions before Otello dies are as unrealistically beautiful as one could wish for - and who would want it any other way? The LSO successfully realise Verdi's woodwind writing to form an organ-like sound, stirring in the mind the vision of a funeral service. A very fine and moving ending indeed.

As indicated along the way, the contribution from the LSO and Sir Colin Davis is beyond reproach. They give as much as the VPO did under Karajan and Solti in their famous collaborations. Sir Colin shows himself to be fully at one with the spirit of Verdi's score and this performance must easily count amongst the very best this opera has ever received. Others that need a great deal of praise are the audience, for they are so quiet that one would never have imagined they were present and they restrain from applauding towards the ends of Acts unlike many opera "fans".

The engineers also deserve a huge pat on the back for this is not only good sound from the Barbican but good sound, full stop! Do take care though, for the dynamic range is huge (as it would be in concert) so setting for "easy" listening at the quieter moments invites damaging both equipment and ears - but that is how it should be if that is how it was performed! There is a clarity, richness and space that was completely lacking in early LSO releases; this rectifies all major problems and more releases like this (both artistically and sonically) would grace even the most exacting listeners' shelves.

Very strongly recommended - a late entry for my disc of the year.

(Purchased)

Copyright © 2010 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):

stars stars

Review by Graham Williams - November 6, 2010

The heroes of this recording of Verdi’s penultimate opera, recorded live at the Barbican between the 1st and 6th of December 2009, are undoubtedly Colin Davis and the players of the London Symphony Orchestra. Davis unleashes the opening storm with a ferocity and power that plunge the listener straight into the drama. The added sound effects of huge claps of thunder and cannon shots, both here and in Act 3, certainly give the surround speakers a real workout for those listening in multi-channel, but some may feel that, though undeniably exciting, they are a touch overdone particularly when the orchestra and chorus struggles to be heard above Nature’s tumult. It is also a pity that an organ is not used during this opening scene. Throughout the opera, however, Davis’s firm direction and youthful drive, (remarkable at 82 years young!) illuminate the score in a way that is testament to his long experience in the opera house, and the LSO respond with enthusiasm and electrifying playing.

The Otello of the young New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill comes as a most welcome surprise. He had stepped in to these Barbican performances at short notice having never sung the role in public before. As a rising Heldentenor, his experience in Wagner definitely stands him in good stead for this taxing role. O’Neill makes his entrance with a ringing ‘Esultate’ that confirms the power and stentorian quality of his voice. He does not have an Italianate sound or an especially beautiful voice, but he can deliver all the notes without strain and his performance is remarkably assured, particularly in the circumstances of this recording. I have no doubt that with time he will further develop his interpretation of the character, which at present is a little two-dimensional. It is, however, a pleasure to hear the part sung so thrillingly by a real tenor voice rather than, as so often, a pushed-up baritone.

The Iago of Gerald Finley is also a memorable and certainly interesting performance. Finley is the possessor of such an alluring voice that it might seem difficult to imagine him as portraying Otello’s scheming nemesis and personification of evil. What he does, however, is to emphasise the insidious malevolence of the character, while his honeyed tones are always a joy to hear. Both his chilling Act 2 ‘Credo in un Dio cruel’ and subtly insinuating ‘Era la notte’ illustrate the range of his interpretation.

Anne Schwanewilms is incomparable as a singer of Strauss and Mozart, but for the most part here seems to me to be miscast as Desdemona. In the Act 1 love duet her silvery voice sounds tremulous in comparison with the confidence and firmness projected by her Otello, while the lack of a convincing Verdian line, woolly diction, and occasionally suspect intonation, does at times disturb. She is at her finest in Act 4, where her singing of the ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Willow Song’ communicate Desdemona’s purity and innocence most movingly as the tragedy reaches its zenith.

The smaller roles of Cassio, Roderigo and Montàno are all strongly sung (by respectively Allan Clayton, Ben Johnson and Matthew Rose) and the sonorous Lodovico of Alexander Tsymbalyuk is equally impressive. The redoubtable and well-disciplined LSO chorus are heard at their best in the big Act 3 ensemble where Davis inspires all his forces to deliver a blazing culmination to the act.

No one who loves this opera would want to be without at least one of Placido Domingo’s many recordings on both CD and DVD and for many (including me) Jon Vickers would also be indispensable. Nevertheless the opportunity to hear one of a new generation of tenors tackle Verdi’s most challenging role so impressively is not to be missed.

The multi-channel 5.1 recording by Classic Sound does, with some success, attempt to elevate the recording to something more than just a record of a concert performance. As well as the sound effects mentioned above, perspectives such as the trumpet fanfares in Act 3 and the off-stage chorus in Act 2 are well managed and the balance between singers and orchestra is fine throughout. The two-disc set comes with a full libretto in Italian and English.

Recommended with just a few reservations.

Copyright © 2010 Graham Williams and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):

stars stars