Recensioni del profilo
1Many composers also perform on an instrument and conduct. But, in two recent concerts at Carnegie Hall, Thomas Adès took this to another level, demonstrating yet again his extraordinary skill as an all-around musician.
Recensioni di produzioni precedenti
5Only after the intermission does the evil germinate: The black clothes of mezzo Christianne Stotijn (Humans) and baritone Mark Stone (Death) mark the mood. The latter impresses with an excellent pronunciation of the German vocal text. / Erst nach der Pause keimt das Böse auf: Die schwarze Kleidung von Mezzo Christianne Stotijn (Menschen) und Bariton Mark Stone (Tod) markiert die Stimmung. Letzterer besticht mit einer exzellenten Aussprache des deutschen Gesangstexts.
The climax, however, was still waiting, for Adès really hit the mark with the Totentanz setting. The theme is immediately touching and one is thrown somewhere into a tableau that feels as if it were right between Mahler's "Lied von der Erde" (in the farewell-death phase) and Bartók's "Bluebeard's Castle" (in the dialogue of death with a second person). But Adès finds his own dramaturgy and, above all, fantastic sound developments for the "unspeakable" that Death - in persona of the powerful baritone Mark Stone - serves us here. / Der Höhepunkt aber wartete ja noch, denn mit der Totentanz-Vertonung ist Adès tatsächlich ein Wurf gelungen. Die Thematik berührt unmittelbar und man ist irgendwo hineingeworfen in ein Tableau das sich anfühlt, als wäre es genau zwischen dem Mahlers „Lied von der Erde“ (in der Abschieds-Todes-Emphase) und Bartóks „Blaubarts Burg“ (im Dialog des Todes mit einer zweiten Person). Doch Adès findet eine eigene Dramaturgie und vor allem fantastische Klangentwicklungen für das „Unsägliche“, was der Tod – in persona des mächtigen Baritons Mark Stone – uns hier auftischt. (Mehrlicht)
The Exterminating Angel is an international co-production, and Tom Cairns's staging scored a hit at last summer's Salzburg Festival. It arrives at the Royal Opera House garnered with critical plaudits and was greeted by the Covent Garden audience with wild approval, so I feel duty-bound to join in. Almost. The composer's orchestrations are undeniably bold and scintillating, and he has the knack of tempering musical challenge with approachability.Christine Rice as the pianist sings with exemplary clarity and expression, whereas Amanda Echalaz as the hostess makes one grateful there are surtitles.There's some above-the-stave virtuosity from Audrey Luna as a high-flying, high-lying opera singer. In places she sounds uncannily like the Ondes Martenot , the electronic instrument of warbling soundwaves that Cynthia Millar plays from one of the side boxe.What exactly is the Exterminating Angel? Adès describes it as an 'absence', although it makes more sense to see it as the thief of free will. We, like the sheep who safely graze as the audience enters, go astray and follow each other blindly towards annihilation. As a parable for our time, that's chilling.
And the singers have to be versatile; for instance, the accomplished British baritone Mark Stone (who will be performing Wotan in Norway next month) has to sing ‘The White Knight, The Cheshire Cat, a Soldier, Bottle 3, Cake 3, Baby 3, Oyster 3, Passenger 5, and Daisy 3’
