Last week, the Barihunks blog posted a
review of a recital by French barihunk Edwin Crossley-Mercer. And it turns out they've been
tracking him for a while.
In fact, Barihunks named him Hottest Recitalist in their Best of 2010 and they averred that "it was as much for his artistry as his hunkiness." (prematurely gray, hyphenated name, easy on the eyes, and really big...hands—what's not to like? Oh, and he sings really really well, too!)
In fact, Barihunks named him Hottest Recitalist in their Best of 2010 and they averred that "it was as much for his artistry as his hunkiness." (prematurely gray, hyphenated name, easy on the eyes, and really big...hands—what's not to like? Oh, and he sings really really well, too!)
So, tonight I noticed that the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (an offshoot of Claudio Abbado's European Community Youth Orchestra) is collaborating with Opéra de Dijon on a production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. And guess who is playing
Not Don Giovanni, but a good opportunity
to become familiar with his hands voice.
The production will be streamed
live on medici.tv March 28th, then available on demand for a few months. There also will be a “making of” video presented during intermission.
You can find out more about
this Don Giovanni in Dijon from Chamber Orchestra of Europe. If you're a Francophone,
you can also read about it at Opéra de Dijon. And if you want to read more
about Edwin Crossley-Mercer, Barihunks has mentioned him quite a few times.
My comment will be limited to underscoring his astounding ability to project the emotions in the lyrics into the the hearts of those in the audience; thus he belongs to the rare breed of those who do not just stand there and "belt it out" but who stand convinced of the authenticity of the role played in both recital and opera and of the responsibility to make the audience grasp poetry firmly in both hands.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing that out. His interpretations are very engaging. Apparently he studied some with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. I hadn't heard this Beethoven song before; I'm very impressed with his ability to communicate. There is also a clip on YT of him singing "Les feuilles mortes". Again, one gets a strong sense of communication from him in this French evergreen. I am really looking forward to his Don Giovanni.
Delete"Since Greybeards inform us that youth will decay", another Beethoven arranged Irish song from a French television show on the Beethoven theme, but perhaps you have already heard it:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX3eU9OXyUg
http://download5k.com/movies_torrent/12371-fr2-la-bote-musique-de-jean-franois-zygel-beethovx27-on-the-rocks-2012.html
ReplyDeleteFree download of the TV programme on which you can find the three songs performed by Edwin Crossley-Mercer, in addition to a musical surprise at the end of his set.
Thanks for the links!
DeleteI've heard him twice in the last couple of years and can't say that I've been overly impressed with his voice. He does have a wonderful stage presence though. As a poster mentioned above, he definitely doesn't do the stand and belt thing, which is good to see in such a young singer. But IMO the voice itself isn't interesting; to be fair, many said that about DFD's voice as well, so maybe his technique will carry him.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the most interesting performers are not the ones with the most phenomenal voices. Conversely,some singers with beautiful voices are not terribly interesting to watch/listen to.
DeleteI've not had much exposure yet to ECM. What do you feel he's lacking?
Well, I just have not been impressed by the natural qualities of his voice, when I have heard him (3 times). To start with, he has no squillo in his upper range, it gets kind of muffled. And it's not exactly the biggest voice in the world. In opera that makes his voice sound kind of dull, not bad by any means, just not distinctive. But in song recitals you don't always need a ringing top, so it doesn't detract much. I was by no means trying to denigrate his voice, though. In fact not too long ago I heard the American baritone Lucas Meachem, who I thought had one of the most boring voices I've heard in years, and yet it seems he sings on some of the most important stages in the world! I just can't imagine ECM excelling in the opera repertoire, I think as someone mentioned above his voice is much better suited to song. I think the expressive, theatrical qualities might be able to help him make up for a less than distinctive voice, i.e., an ability to express the text, good acting etc.
DeleteThanks! I appreciate the more detailed impression. It's so much more interesting to know WHY someone likes or dislikes something. Especially when they can articulate it,as you did. It sounds like he'll be doing more and more recitals. Meanwhile, I'll be interested to hear his Don G. Thanks again for your feedback!
DeleteWhat must be borne in mind is that Mr Crossley-Mercer has not thrown himself "à la Villazon" into everything that was offered to him. He has done more work on his technique over the last three years than a man could shake a stick at. What Cleveland's performance proved yet again was that whether it was in Moscow, Saint Petersburg or Le Musée d'Orsay (Winterreise, probably the best ever heard over the last two decades) the audience reaction brought the testimony that this man has worked, honed and smithed his art and combined it with an emotion that others cannot equal.
ReplyDeleteAllow me to underline a phrase in the Cleveland review: "These are not imitations." He has been intelligent enough to bide his time and this patience has paid off, because, reviews like those I have read and performances, like the Winterreise at the Musée d'Orsay, which I have attended are not coincidental or freaks. They are unique, just as he his voice can whisper or fill an opera like the Bastille, when others, many years his senior in the cast for Carmen were inaudible. That takes technique, projection and scenic presence. He has not finished honing his craft and he will knock more than a few over, I firmly believe.
ReplyDeleteThis recent performance with David Fray produced this write-up and gives an honest appraisal, not a gratuitous one; I was in attendance:
http://www.musicologie.org/publirem/edwin_le_magnifique.html
Thanks for that link. With my rudimentary comprehension of French, I'd say the reviewer was impressed. (even just starting with the headline) With the help of Google translate I got a bit more:
Delete"Edwin Crossley-Mercer ...seems so at home in the Germanic repertoire...
[the] intelligence of his singing, the subtlety of his understanding of the texts, the absolute highlight of his talent, which is compounded by the profound beauty of tone, could only send the listener dazzled."
Here you will find a review in English of his Winterreise performance at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
ReplyDeletehttp://imgartists.com/artist/edwin_crossley_mercer
I fully understand what is referred to by a lack of squillo in the upper range which is evoked by the contributor above. However, having heard him many times, I would return yet again to what I heard when he was in the company of those many years his senior at the Bastille in Paris, which is an enormous house. No squillo problems there for him, but his elders struggled with the acoustics and could sometimes be barely heard above the orchestration. I respect the opinion of others and the reasons advanced. Nonetheless, we shall remain close observers of his role in Don Giovanni and of his role as Figaro in Los Angeles. There is always a margin for attending to the details mentioned. I doubt that such a detail would escape ECM, although I have no complaints to make and his clarity of diction and his voice projection, which others did not apparently have, were, in the Carmen reviews, for example, a regular facet of his vocal achievements noted by the critics. I am by no means a specialist and bounce my common sense off the reviews I read after a performance attended. Let us remember that thirty years of age is only the beginning of maturity for a baritone.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to be reminded of EC-M's age. The other evening, I heard a 30-year old bass who sounded mature beyond his years. I am looking forward to hearing how he develops artistically.
DeleteThanks to all for the thoughts and feedback on Mr. Crossley-Mercer. From what I've heard and read, we should keep an eye (and ear) on him!