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·comedy is broad, but the commentary<br />
on the human condition i's painfully<br />
profound.<br />
No concept-driven stage director<br />
or star singer can undermine the preeminence<br />
of the orchestra and its<br />
conductor in this opera, and on its<br />
most recent recording/ the ·Berlin<br />
Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado<br />
propel things alon'g with breathless<br />
momentum. Their · expressive<br />
precision play up Verdi's amazing<br />
orchestral effects, no~ably when the<br />
whole orchestra joins in on Falstaff's<br />
'the trill invades the world', atier he<br />
is dumped in' the river.<br />
Baritone Bryn Terfel's outsized<br />
theatrical personality can be too unsubtle<br />
for some roles, but he is splendid<br />
here as the buffoonish but canny<br />
Falstaff. Thomas Hampson, generally<br />
a more refined and thoughtful<br />
baritone than Terfel, makes a dramatically<br />
nuanced Ford.<br />
One of the highlights of this recording<br />
is the luminous and witty Alice<br />
Ford of Canadian soprano Adrianne<br />
Pieczonka. Soprano Dorothea<br />
Roschmann is a 'sweetly lyrical<br />
Nannetta, well matched by tenor<br />
Daniil Shtoda, while mezzo Larissa<br />
Diadkova as Quickly is wonderfully<br />
versatile. All the voices in this truly<br />
international cast are well contrasted,<br />
creating vivid clarity in the breathtakingly<br />
intricate ensembles.<br />
The generous booklet is a pleasure,<br />
with great notes by Abbado and<br />
Andrew Porter, libretto with translations,<br />
and, too rare today, biographies<br />
of the performers. ·<br />
Pamela Marg/es<br />
of Lieder lovers, Hahn nevertheless<br />
becomes a quickly acquired taste af<br />
' ter just a single hearing. These<br />
French songs wiil be a delightful discovery<br />
for many.<br />
Hahn's career bridged the 19 and<br />
ZOth centuries, was rooted in.the style<br />
of Saint Saens and never took up the<br />
innovations of Debussy. He displayed<br />
an innate ability to capture poetic<br />
sadness and tenderness to such an<br />
extent that Marcel Proust praised his ·<br />
songs as the finest since Schumann<br />
for their truth, humanity and absolute<br />
beauty.<br />
Quebec baritone Marc Boucher<br />
takes to this medium instinctively. His<br />
voice is light-weight yet tonally rich.<br />
Whether singing one of Hahn's<br />
baroqu.e parodies or more contemporary<br />
songs his interpretive match<br />
to the text is magical with a warm,<br />
lyricism balanced through his range.<br />
Boucher holds an impressive list of<br />
opera roles to his credit and his work ·<br />
with oratorio and song repertoire<br />
makes him a well-rounded performer.<br />
·<br />
The unusually titled Montreal<br />
record label of XX/ has issued<br />
Boucher's first recording dedicated<br />
to the melodies of Reynaldo Hahn<br />
and plans 2 others of French song by<br />
Faure and Massenet.<br />
Alex Baran<br />
Ideate: Songs of Paolo Tosti<br />
Ben Heppner, tenor<br />
Members of the London Symphony<br />
Orchestra<br />
DGG 471557-2<br />
/<br />
C
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