Saturday Matinee – Cosi Fan Tutte in Santa Monica (via Lyon)

I thought I discussed this 2011 French production of Cosi fan tutte in my own blog when excerpts of it appeared on YT a year or so ago. But apparently it was in the comments section in another blogger’s domain (most likely The Earworm, who has written extensively on other Cosi productions). I was drawn to it at the time because I was looking for anything that German tenor Daniel Behle was involved in. Meanwhile, there are other good performances here, and it's yet another take on the "lovers on vacation" theme—this time in Southern California.

This is another “not happily ever after” Cosi. In this production—as happens so often these days—it turns out that the couples were not well matched to begin with; and three of the six principals clearly are not pleased by the final outcome of Don Alfonso's experiment. I offer this tidbit not as a spoiler, but as an enticement to take some time with the performance.

This transfer is not perfect. There are some hiccups, stutters, and skips; but not enough to spoil the performance—and it’s free.

Lionel Lhote (Don Alfonso)

Daniel Behle (Ferrando)

Vito Priante (Guglielmo)

Maria Bengtsson (Fiordiligi)

Tove Dahlberg (Dorabella)

Elena Galitskaya (Despina)

Orchestre et Choeurs de l'Opéra de Lyon

Stefano Montanari (conductor) 

Adrian Noble (stage director)

Recorded in 2011 at the Opéra National de Lyon

Another Gratuitous Daniel Behle Post

So, Daniel Behle just got a recording contract with Decca (who hasn't, you ask? Well, JK for one...) And since it's the year of the Gluck, he has a brand new recital of Gluck arias, both rare and familiar. The first video is a promo clip with some chatting and rehearsal moments. 

The second video is a complete performance of “Quercia annosa sull'erte pendici” from Antigono (no, I've never heard of it either.) Finally, we have an audio-only clip of a more familiar aria (unfortunately for him—and I do love you, Daniel—he has a ton of heavy competition on this one, including (to name but two) the recent La Monnaie performance by Stéphanie d'Oustrac, and an awesome Richard Croft recording. But we won't write him off for that. He has a lot to offer, and (hopefully) many more years of singing ahead of him!

Die Winterreise im Sommer – Daniel Behle and the Oliver Schnyder Trio

In honor of this Daniel Behle Winterreise post hitting the top 10 this month (even though it was originally posted nearly a year ago), here is the video of the live performance associated with that rehearsal clip.

I noted last September that it must have been strange singing this chilly cycle in the heat of an Austrian summer. We notice that Herr Behle takes off his jacket early in the program. Will he take anything else off? (He doesn't, but it did make you stop and wonder for a second, didn't it?)

Gratuitous Friday – Daniel Behle is Don Ottavio

This is from the recent Paris Don Giovanni. 

Act 2: Il mio tesoro intante

Daniel Behle is a Pearlfisher (in Concert)

I was going to post one of the Ottavio arias from his recent Paris Don Giovanni, then I came across this performance of Nadir's aria, Je crois entendre encore from Bizet's Pêcheurs de Perles. Just when I think Daniel Behle can't impress me any more than he already does, I come across another performance like this. 

Sunday Brunch – Daniel Behle and the Oliver Schnyder Trio

Here are two songs from Schubert's Die Winterreise, concluding the recording sessions by Daniel Behle (recently seen as Don Ottavio in that Paris Don Giovanni) and the Oliver Schnyder Trio on June 17, 2013: "Erstarrung" and "Rückblick" in Daniel Behle's own transcription for tenor and piano trio. They performed this live over the summer, and the recording is due out in November.

Ask And Ye Shall Recieve – the 2013 Paris Don Giovanni

Just yesterday I wrote that I wished we could see this whole production. Lo, and behold, here it is. The entire opera is embedded below, and if you click here, you can go right to Donna Elvira's entrance for Ah, fuggi traditore! It's Christmas in September!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Don Giovanni (1787) 

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées 2013 

Markus Werba | Don Giovanni
Miah Persson | Donna Elvira
Daniel Behle | Don Ottavio
Sophie Marin-Degor | Donna Anna
Robert Gleadow | Leporello
Serena Malfi | Zerlina
Nahuel Di Pierro | Masetto
Steven Humes | Le Commandeur
Chor des Théâtre des Champs-Elysées
Le Cercle de l’Harmonie
Dirigent | Jérémie Rhorer 

More Music of Agostino Steffani – Cecilia and Friends

Found while browsing teh Interwebz:

Cecilia Bartoli has top billing, but if you drill down a bit, you'll find who drew me in: 

• Daniel Behle
• Julian Pregardian (yes, son of Christoph)
• Nuria Rial

Product Description from Amazon.com:

...Cecilia Bartolis exploration of the music of Steffani continues on from her best-selling recording Mission with an album of the celebrated Stabat Mater alongside Steffanis greatest sacred works for chorus, orchestra and soloists, constituting the most comprehensive collection of Steffanis sacred choral music on CD.

Daniel Behle’s Lieder Surprise – Schubert's Nachthelle

No, it's not Schubert's hell-night! In German, hell means bright! I know; it's confusing. But the point is, imagine listening to a lovely recording of popular Schubert Lieder sung by a light romantic, lyrical tenor, and all of a sudden...there is a chorus singing—a four-part men’s chorus! 

I’d never heard this piece before and I think it's a beautiful gem. And it certainly was an unexpected surprise in a recording of Schubert Lieder for tenor and piano.  (Is it just me, or is Daniel Behle channeling a bit of  Daniel Craig in this photo?)

Sunday Brunch – Daniel Behle Sings Schubert

Schubert: Der Hirt Am Felsen

Daniel Behle –Tenor

Andy Miles – Clarinet

Oliver Schnyder – Piano

If player does not work, 
click here to listen.



Graham Johnson calls this a "trouser cantata," as it was written originally for soprano, but it seems pretty clear that the narrator is male.  Prima Donna Anna Milder requested a showpiece from Schubert, and Mr. Johnson tells us that Schubert:

Gratuitous Friday Special Edition – Die Ferne Geliebte is Closer Than You Think

You know how you hear a piece maybe one time—maybe it was a long time ago—and you never really think about it again? Then all of a sudden it's everywhere you look (listen). I finally downloaded Christian Gerhaher's recording of Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved) (mostly for the Berg and Schoenberg selections) and rediscovered the joys of this song cycle.

Beethoven's little work allegedly started the whole German song cycle craze. Most song cycles we know comprise many individual songs, and this one does, too, but Beethoven's prototype is a continuous stetting. Many recitalists will program just a few songs from a Schubert or Schumann or Wolf cycle, but I can't imagine anyone excerpting one song from this set. The final stanza of the opening song even comes back at the end—very cyclical.

Gratuitous Friday – Daniel Behle: Lieder Revolutionary

So, as I mentioned the other day, I was listening to more of the Schwetzingen Festpiele Concerts. I clicked on an unknown (to me) name, and found a program of lieder by Beethoven, Grieg, Schubert, and Richard Strauss. What drew my attention was Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Feslsen, with clarinet, almost always sung by a soprano. 

And Speaking of Don Giovanni...(In Paris)

Markus Werba and Miah Persson

So I was listening to more of the Schwetzinger Festpiele Concerts. I clicked on an unknown (to me) name, and found a program of lieder sung by tenor Daniel Behle.  

As is my wont, when I find a "new" singer, I googled Herr Behle, and discovered he was in a recent production of Don Giovanni in Paris. So I googled "Don Giovanni Paris 2013" and found the Théâtre des Champs Elysées site and schedule. This is the order in which the cast is listed there:

Markus Werba Don Giovanni 

Miah Persson Donna Elvira 

Daniel Behle Don Ottavio 

Sophie Marin-Degor  Donna Anna

Robert Gleadow Leporello 

Serena Malfi Zerlina 

Nahuel Di Pierro Masetto 

Steven Humes The Commendatore