Limelight — May 2017

Opera

Hérold

Le Pré aux Clercs

Marie-Ève Mungers,Marie

Lenormandms,MichaelSpyrest,

Orquestra Gulbenkian/McCreesh

EDICIONES SINGULARES ES1025

(2CD & BOOK)

★★★★★

First recording in half a century

is a cause for major celebration

BruZane’slatestfromthevaultof

neglected French opera suggests

why Ferdinand Hérold was once

regarded as the country’s greatest

musician.Le Pré aux Clercsis a

light counterpart toLes Huguenots.

Despiteduelsandadeathitends

happily. Certainly happier than

forHéroldhimself,whodiedof

consumptionamonthafterthe

premiere in 1832. Only his ballet

La Fille Mal Gardéeand the brilliant

overture toZampasurvive today.

Apity,becausePréis delightful:

an elegant, refined score, mixing

pathos and melancholy with wit

and dancing rhythms. Listeners

may know the once-famous

overture and Isabelle’s virtuoso

ariaJours de mon enfance(on which

Strauss modelled Zerbinetta’s

aria inAriadne). Lesser-know n

highlightsincludeacatchysyllabic

trio (a definite earworm) and the

romanceSouvenirs du jeune âge.

The largely Francophone cast

is excellent, headed by Marie-Ève

Munger, Marie Lenormand and

the American Michael Spyres,

aversatileandstylishtenorlike

his idol, the late Nicolai Gedda.

The singers in the 1959 Benedetti

recording may be more idiomatic,

trained in the old Opéra-Comique

theatretradition.Since2004,the

relaunched Opéra-Comique’s

mission has been to explore

its heritage. This production,

enthusiastically received in Paris

andWexfordin2015,suggestswhat

delights lie hidden in the repertoire.

More like this, please!Nick Fuller

Pepusch

Venus and Adonis

Clara Hendrickms, Philippa Hydes,

Richard Edgar-Wilsont,The

Harmonious Society of Tickle-

Fiddle Gentlemen/Robert Rawson

RAMÉE RAM1502

★★★★

JohannChristophPepusch,akaJohn
Christopher Pepusch or just plain Dr Pepusch,
wasborninBerlinin1677,butmovedtoEngland
around1700wherehebecamealeadinglightof
London’smusicallife.In1726,hewasoneofthe
founders of the Academy of Ancient Music and
twoyearslaterscoredhisgreatestsuccess
arrangingthemusicforJohnGay’s
runaway hit,The Beggar’s Opera.
Thepeakofhiscareercoincided
withtheriseoftheItalianoperain
London,and,ashisinvolvement
withGay’sfamouslampoonwould
suggest,Pepuschwasstrongon
thesideofthoseseekinganEnglish
alternative to continental excess.
Writtenin1715,hismasqueVenus and
Adonislookedlikeitmightbejustthethingto
‘reconcile Musick to the English Tongue.’ For
allitsEnglishness–andit’saclearprecursor
of Handel’sAcis and Galatea–theworkis
packed with the stock in trade of Italian opera
includingda capoarias, virtuoso instrumental
effects and plenty ofaccompagnatorecitative.
So,what’sitlike?Theimmediateobservation
listeningtowhatisaworld-premiererecording
ontheenterprisingRaméelabelishowcan
this melodious and memorable music have
languished until 2017? The level of invention
maynotquitematchHandel,butit’sheadand
shoulders above Blow’s opera of the same name,

aworkthathashadseveraloutingsondisc.The

plot is a little ‘Carry On’ with Adonis hopping in

andoutofbushestododgethecuckoldedMars,

whilepooroldVenusendsuprejectedbyboth

menwhoultimatelyregardherasuntrustworthy

• some 1715 social commentary, one suspects.
  ButlistentoAdonis’shuntingsong
  Howpleasantisrangingthefields,or
  Venus’sperkyvengeanceariaCupid!
  Cupid! bend thy bow.Iguarantee
  by theda capoyou’ll be humming
  along.Thegreatestpleasures
  come in the middle of the work
  with a beguiling sleep aria,Gentle
  slumbers,forAdonisfollowedby
  Chirping warblers, Venus’s bird-song
  aria with recorderobligato.Adonis’sO!
  welcome! welcome! gentle death!is another winner.
  Thetwowomencopewellwithtrickyvocal
  roles.ClaraHendrickisawarm-tonedVenus,
  PhilippaHydeabrightAdonis.Thattheyare
  insufficiently differentiated is mostly Pepusch’s
  fault.RichardEdgar-Wilson’sMarssoundslike
  anelderlyfop–anodd,butnotinconceivable
  choice. The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle
  Gentlemen under Robert Rawson perform brisk
  andscintillatingwonderswiththecraftedscore.
  Beautifully recorded,Venus and Adonisisn’t
  just a milestone in the history of English opera,
  it’sacharmingworkthatcriesouttobeseenas
  well as heard. Highly recommended.Clive Paget

REHABILITATING DR. PEPUSCH

Turns out this composer was bigger than that old Beggar’s Opera

The Harmonious

Society of Tickle-

Fiddle Gentlemen

perform scintillating

wonders

The Harmonius Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen

82 LIMELIGHT MAY 2017 http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au

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