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A sublime
Purcell celebration at Disney Hall |
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Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan, conductor/harpsichord
The small group of musicians of the Philharmonia Baroque all played like virtuosos on their period instruments, bringing out the clarity of lines and delicately transparent texture of each work they performed. The Philharmonia Chorale, too, was capable of irresistible force and infinitely modulated tones, notably in the heartfelt, spine-chilling “Hear my prayer O Lord” – sung almost a cappella with only basso continuo accompaniment. The instrumental works – Chacony in G minor and Suite from Abdelazer – showcased Purcell’s ingenious use of the ground bass and delectable melodic inventions that had so fascinated Benjamin Britten many years on, so much so that he borrowed the Rondeau from “Abdelazer” and used it as the theme in his “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”. The Disney is a large hall but it can also feel warm and intimate in smaller chamber music concerts. The clarity and minimal vibrato of the period instruments also helped in conveying the music in its pure and undiluted form. Soprano Celine Ricci gave a spirited account of Lucinda’s aria in the Abdelazer Suite, and conductor Nicholas McGegan clearly enjoyed himself in multitasking as a conductor and a stand-up harpsichordist. His general conducting style was direct and unfussy, allowing Purcell’s music to flow naturally and brilliantly.
To
purchase tickets for Los Angeles Philharmonic's 2009/10 season, call
(323) 850-2000 or visit online
www.laphil.org
Truman C. Wang is editor-in-chief of Classical Voice, whose articles have appeared in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the Pasadena Star-News, other Southern California publications, as well as the Hawaiian Chinese Daily.
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The
raison d'être of the concert is, of course, Purcell’s magnum
opus Dido and Aeneas, an opera so great and yet so rarely
performed. Mr. McGegan assembled a luxury cast, featuring star
mezzo-soprano Susan Graham as the Carthage queen Dido. The
words ‘star’ and ‘mezzo-soprano’ do not usually go together, but on
this night there was no doubt Ms. Graham was the star. “Ah
Belinda!”, Dido’s first aria, was sung with heartrending pathos
that foreshadow the impending tragedy. The celebrated Dido’s
Lament, “When I am laid in earth”, heard Ms. Graham pour out
her heart and her creamy silken mezzo-soprano in slow descending
melismas of the aria, reprising the final line, “remember me, but
o forget my fate!” with teary shakes and ending it in an
intensely poignant pianissimo. In the excellent supporting cast,
contralto Jill Grove (L.A. Opera’s Erda last month) sang a
powerfully comical witch with her equally ‘wayward sisters’, played
to hilarious effects by sopranos Syndia Sieden and Celine
Ricci – who were double-cast as Dido’s maidservants Belinda and
Second Lady, adding to the irony of the plot. As Aeneas, baritone
William Berger had no aria to sing, but made the best of this
ungrateful role with his firm and incisive singing. Tenor Brian
Thorsett and the Philharmonia Chorale had a jolly good time with
the comical drunken sailor’s song. Ever an astute dramatist, Mr.
McGegan added a gentle orchestral postlude after the final chorus,
bringing a hint of light at the end of a dark tragedy.