Monteverdi Monday (with Haim Hair)

Eyebags pointed out that last week was Haïm Week at France Musique. To ensure that "Haïm Hair" remains a thing, I am posting this Warner Classics promo video for her recording of Monteverdi's Orfeo.

(Incidentally, I finally heard Haim the Band—they're not bad, but they're no Emmauelle!!)

Monteverdi Monday – Nerone in Love (Another Clip for the Otterphile)

Anne Sofie von Otter in pants again; this time as Nerone. She/he is so seduced...and we can see why. Mirelle Delunsch is a pretty irresistible Poppea! This performance was recorded in 2000. I haven't found a  recording of the whole performance yet, but there are more excerpts on the Toob. Look for them!!

Must-See Monteverdi from France

Technically, Magdalena Kožená and Rolando Villazón are the "star power" in this program. Ms. Kožená really does shine (RV, not quite so much, but we still love him), especially in her solo turns as Octavia and the lamenting Nymph (She seems to be pregnant again, which lends a special poignancy to her Octavia. I'm surprised no director has explored the idea of Octavia being pregnant when Nero dumps her. Maybe someone has and I just haven't seen it.)

But the real stars here are Emanuelle Haïm and the vocalists and instrumentalists of her Concert d'Astrée. 

The program, a "Monteverdi Gala" performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées last February, contains opera excerpts and madrigals, and it's great fun. And of course, the music-making is marvelous as usual. Conductor, musicians, and the audience all seems to be having a great time. And you will, too!  

(Unless you don't like Monteverdi, in which case, you won't enjoy this concert at all.)

Meanwhile, here's the concert, as seen on the Arte Concert website: 

Monteverdi Monday – Magdelena Kožená and David Daniels: Pur ti miro

From a November 23, 2005 Concert in Paris. (Sadly, it's audio only)

Haïm Hair*

I am not talking about Haim, the Band, although they have hair, too. I am talking about Haïm, the conductor (conductress? conductrix?) and Baroque music guru. 

Emmanuelle Haïm is a talented and expressive musician, and a strong leader. A whole bunch of top-notch, not-necessarily-baroque-specialist singers have stepped on stage or into the recording studio with her, including Rolando Villazón, Joyce DiDonato, Topi Lehtipuu, Susan Graham, Natalie Dessay, Laurent Naouri, Ann Hallenberg, Véronique Gens, etc., etc.), plus the usual Baroque suspects.

Monteverdi Monday – Richard Croft & Patricia Schumann

Richard Croft and Patricia Schumann as Nerone and Poppea sing Pur ti miro. It’s not an "authentic" performance, although the edition was prepared by René Jacobs. But when Richard Croft is singing, who cares? This is from 1993; he had (and still has) such a bright clear, unaffected voice.  And the staging is kind of erotic, in a non-explicit way. Happy Monteverdi Monday!

L'Incoronazione di Poppea: Pur ti miro

Monteverdi Monday – 1610 Vespers: Duo Seraphim/Tres sunt

This is not opera, but it sure is operatic. This is another selection from the 1610 Vespers, one of the "concertos" that are sung in between the choral psalms. I believe the Vespers are to Monteverdi;s operas are what Verdi’s Requeim is to his operas. This is also another selection from Christina Pluhar's energetic recording of the Vespers with L'arpeggiata and a host of early music singers. No big names in this excerpt, but they do a great job. 

Monteverdi Monday – Melanto and Eurimaco Get Down!

A while back, I posted another version of this duet featuring Malin Hartelius. That version is well-sung, sweet, and cute; and it's definitely G-rated  for family viewing.  This version of the Act 1 duet from  Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria is more... well... earthy. This is a convincing pair of young lovers—both easy on the eyes. (I think Ed Lyon qualifies as a Hunkentenor!) If we were thinking early baroque opera was stuffy, here's some evidence to the contrary. 

Monteverdi Monday – Psalm 122

Psalm 122: Laetatus Sum (a sei voci)

L'Arpeggiata

In addition to inventing opera, Claudio Monteverdi wrote a bunch of madrigals and a whole lot of sacred music. While initially, there was a stylistic difference, his sacred and secular works started to sound more and more alike. This is an excerpt from Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine, also known as his Vespers of 1610 (which I believe is when the set was first published.) Vespers is an evening worship service that consists mainly of psalms. Monteverdi's choral settings are still in a somewhat older style, with lots of polyphony, and in between are "concerti" or settings for one or more voices, that are much more operatic. Although he does let the operatic style sneak into the choral bits, too.

Monteverdi Monday – Philippe Jaroussky and Nuria Rial: Pur ti miro

I "discovered" the performance of Monteverdi's Zefiro torna by Nuria Rial, Philippe Jaroussky, and L’Arpeggiata after one of my readers (Juha) mentioned that they had recorded Pur ti miro from Poppea.  There are actually are three different performances of Pur ti miro by L’Arpeggiata on YouTube: 

Monteverdi Monday – Nadia Boulanger and Friends

Nadia Boulanger

Claudio Monteverdi

If everyone who claimed to have studied with composer, conductor, and teacher Nadia Boulanger, she would have to have been at least two people. However, she did have a strong influence over 20th Century American music, having taught Copland, Piston, Harris, and Bernstein, to name a few. (But not Gershwin. Boulanger was among many European composers who felt they had nothing new to offer this already popular and financially successful American composer.) 

Boulanger was the first woman ever to conduct the Boston Symphony and the New York Philharmonic (and several others.) She also was the first person ever to record the music of Claudio Monteverdi.

Monteverdi Monday – Rolando Villazón sings Sì dolce è 'l tormento da scherzo

Rolando singing Monteverdi?!? OMG, what are they thinking!?!?

This clip and the related discs remind me of those old Monteverdi recordings, back in the day, before "historically informed performance" practices became more widespread. And when singers didn't specialize quite so narrowly. 

Monteverdi Monday – Philippe Jaroussky & Nuria Rial

In 2000, Christina Pluhar formed the loose-knit early music group L'Arpeggiata. Her performances may annoy the purists. In addition to early music performance practices, her group incorporates elements of jazz and world music. One thing I especially like is her addition of drumming to early dance music, which is more authentic than we might think. You might consider L’Arpeggiata’s style as "Renaissance/Crossover."

Monteverdi Monday – Danielle De Niese and Philippe Jaroussky



Danielle De Niese

Philippe Jaroussky

So, Nerone does end up with Poppea after all, in the final scene of L'Incoronazione di Poppea. Their beautiful love duet is an ironic ending to a cynical opera. 

This is the Pizzi production again.  

Monteverdi Monday – Philippe Jaroussky and Mathias Vidal

In this scene from Pier Luigi Pizzi's production of  L' incoronazione di Poppea, Emperor Nerone (Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, right) and his friend Lucano (Tenor Mathias Vidal, left) are singing about how beautiful Nerone's girlfriend Poppea is and how much Nerone loves her.  

Or are they?

This clip might make some folks uncomfortable and others may find it hot.  (Some may feel both ways about it.)

Monteverdi Monday – Simon Keenlyside is Orfeo

Here is a young-ish Simon Keenlyside in a beautiful (if slightly strange) production of L'Orfeo, choreographed and directed by Trisha Brown and conducted by Rene Jacobs in 1998. The singing is lovely, the dancing is lively, and you gotta admire all the singing while leaping about. 

                                                                Orfeo is happy 'cause he just married Eurydice.

                                                                We are happy 'cause he is singing & dancing!

Gratuitous Friday – Malin Hartelius sings Monteverdi

A duet from Act 1 of Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria. 

Malin Hartelius as Melanto

Roger Widmer* as her boyfriend Eurimaco

Zurich Opera's Orchestra la Scintilla, Nikolaus Harnoncourt

*Roger is a delightful tenor! I wonder what he's been up to lately.