Netrebko/Hvorostovsky
Recital at the Royal Festival Hall
This was a highly enjoyable evening featuring two of the most glamorous stars of opera today (and don’t they know it!!) The repertoire was varied if not hugely adventurous and the singers were accompanied by an excellent Lawrence Foster and the Philharmonia. It made a change from some of the penny plain accompanying artists who have marred certain recent vocal concerts!
After an expansive reading of the Guillaume Tell overture with the cello section excelling in the opening section, Hvorostovsky opened with Wolfram’s Abendstern aria. Although his famous breath control stood him in good stead for the aria the preceding recitative seemed uncomfortably low for him. Netrebko then gave us Strauss’ rapturous Cäcilie. Her German is, as yet, a touch generic and her tone somewhat dark for this work where (for me) the current benchmarks are Fleming or Kaufmann.
After a spirited performance of the Rakocsky March (although no one matches Davis in this repertoire) it was on to two items from Gounod’s version of the Faust legend. Valentin’s farewell to home and friends suits Hvorostovsky well and he spun the elegant lines without short-changing the emotion. I was less enamoured of Netrebko’s Jewel Song. Leaving aside that, for me, the aria is forever saddled with the childhood memory of Bianca Castafiore (of Tintin fame) the part of the virginal Marguerite does not seem an ideal fit for the overtly sexy Netrebko. I also regretted the omission of the preceding recitative.
After the brief interlude from Pagliacci the act concluded with the Nedda/Silvio duet. This was one of the highlights of the evening with both artists giving full measure to both music and emotion. Perhaps the concert platform is not the ideal environment for this steamy duet but while the singers kept within the bounds of propriety there was plenty of implied passion.
The second half kicked off with Arditi’s Il Bacio with Netrebko in fine form. However cutting the phrases before the final high d makes the climax somewhat abrupt. Hvorostovsky next tackled Cortigani. I persist in finding his voice one size too small to encompass the opening of this monster set piece. One has to go back to Gobbi, Milnes or Warren to hear it given full value. Hvorostovsky also had momentary problems of sagging pitch in the quieter sections. However he regained top form for a superbly expansive rendition of Yeletsky’s gorgeous aria from Pique Dame which was complemented by Netrebko in soulfully pensive mood for Rusalka’s Song to the Moon. It would be interesting to hear her in the full role some day.
And so to the climax of the evening – The final scene from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. With both artists on home turf and pulling out all the emotional stops this was thrilling music making at its best. The audience response was rapturous and they were rewarded with two encores including Netrebko on full flirt setting with Lehar’s Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss. Despite some minor niggles this was generously programmed and absorbing evening with real vocal and dramatic thrills provided by the duet sections.
– Sebastian Petit
