Handel Arias

... and intransigence of the one-star and two-star reviews of this CD! The most vituperative of the critics present themselves as musically literate, or at least as enthusiastic listeners, yet they offer judgments that show no knowledge of baroque practice. To say that Danielle de Niese's vocal technique is "utterly out of control" is utterly nonsensical; one could quarrel with some of the choices she makes with her technical skills perhaps, but one MUST recognize that she has the control to make those choices. And to declare that her tuning is faulty approaches malicious libel; her tuning is really remarkably good, considering how boldly she colors her timbre for dramatic affect. Her tuning is almost always truer, for instance, than Cecilia Bartoli's, and about as consistent as Vivica Genoux's. Whose is better? Susanne Rydén is the only soprano name that comes to mind.

Several hostile reviewers compared de Niese to Beverly Sills. That's a valid match-up in several ways, so I dug out a DVD and some aged vinyls of Sills and listened. Both singers have amazing clarino trumpet-of-judgment upper registers, and both are ready to leap fearlessly from octave to octave. But in a direct confrontation, de Niese surpasses Sills easily. Sills depended for her 'intensity' on an unvarying vibrato, like a rookie baseball pitcher who throws only country fastballs. De Niese's highly developed technique includes a battery of vibrato choices -- wider or narrower, slower or faster, constant or expanding, or none at all -- like a wily veteran pitcher with a curveball, a sinker, and a change-up to offer at the bedazzled batter. And then there's tuning. How could anyone with clean ears not notice that tuning was Beverly Sills's weak point? Dramatic flair she had, and that's probably the basis for comparison. Sills could light up a stage. Danielle de Niese can light up a whole production, as I've seen her do in live performance of La Nozze di Figaro and on both of her DVDs, of Handel's Giulio Cesare and of Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea.

There are two tracks, out of twelve, on this CD that I consider less than satisfactory: Lascia ch'io pianga from Rinaldo, and Dolce riposo from Teseo. De Niese overpowers the former and misses the 'sweet repose' of the latter. She's better at Fury and Ecstasy than at Sorrow or Tenderness. She makes a better brazen seductress than a wistful neglected lover. In La Nozze, she was well cast as Susana, while she would have been miscast as the Countess. Think what she could do with Medea! It's odd, by the way, to find fault with an "Early Music" singer for overpowering an aria, since the usual refrain is that historically informed performers sound thin or bland in comparison to the divas of the last century. I have an inkling that Danielle de Niese's flamboyant vocalization of these arias might come rather close to the style and manner of some of Handel's favorite castrati, who were applauded for their fiery 'potency' on stage.

Normally I'd probably drop a star from this rating for the unlovely singing of the two tracks mentioned, but there's so much drive and exuberance to be heard on other tracks that I choose to be gallant. De Niese has chosen, consciously I'm sure, to interpret theses arias with her maximum dramatic intensity. Some listeners will feel that she's chosen a musical personality over refined musicianship.

Added later: Let me give you an opportunity to hear just how GOOD, how controlled, de Niese's vocal technique is: listen to the first track on this CD - the flamboyant aria "Da tempeste il legno infranto" - and them listen to the last track on the CD 'Handel: Apollo e Dafne', the same aria sung by a star of an earlier generation, Roberta Alexander, conducted by Nikolas Harnoncourt. De Niese is indisputably better technically. Her intonation is more secure and more consistent. Her articulation is cleaner and yet more florid; Alexander's phrasing sounds smudged by comparison. You may also hear what amounts to an evolution of style in the orchestra, from Concentus Musicus to Les Arts Florissants, toward a distinctively baroque affect. And I think you'll hear why conductor William Christie has chosen to collaborate with Danielle De Niese; they are on the same wavelength.

I have been listening to and performing Handel for many years. Danielle de Niese stands out from so many better known performers because of the quality of joy that she brings to her work. Her singing is committed and has a boundless enthusiasm, and, unlike several of the other reviewers here, I am convinced...entirely...by her singing of these arias. It seems that any new Handel CD at present is measured for dreadfulness against Renee Fleming's very unfortunate sortie. Danielle de Niese needs no such comparison.
I am surprised at how many commented on her physical pulchritude - yes, the unforgiving critic expects this of the modern soprano too. Such pointless silliness was never dragged out when Joan Sutherland or Birgit Nilsson were being evaluated - mercifully, one might add. And Miss de Niese sings the fioriture and runs of 'Tornami a vagheggiar...' with more freshness and agility than Dame Joan ever managed.
It was the freshness that I particularly loved in this recording, and the joy. Both, as another reviewer so aptly said, being infectious...
And the rewiewer who said he is unlikely to play this CD a second time - perhaps he would be so kind as to pass it in my direction? Thank you.

Not having seen Danielle de Niese's production of Julius Caeser from Glyndenbourne, I don't really have much to compare this too, but I must admit that I don't find this debut recital disc to be nearly as atrocious as some other reviewers out there. It's clear that de Niese is still young and has far to go, but it's an admirable first go.

The "Da tempeste" from Julius Caesar, "Tornami A Vagheggiar" from Alcina, the Semele arias, and the arias from Teseo are probably the best. The roles of Cleopatra and Morgana allow de Niese to show off her admirable coloratura, and the Semele arias are flirty and delightful. The Teseo arias allow de Niese to show off octave jumps that are fairly impressive (though, I wonder if there was a little help from well placed microphones).

The "Laschia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo is a bit tepid, and weirdly sung. Not quite as beautifully done as other sopranos and even mezzo sopranos have sung it in the past. However, the "Vo Far Guerra" is vastly better than the other Rinaldo aria.

All in all, this CD is probably nothing grand in terms of Handelian recordings, especially considering the contributions of Jennifer Larmore, Lorraine Hunt Lierberson, Cecilia Bartoli, and Renee Fleming (to name a few), but it certainly is not quite so bad as to be ignored, for it's a decent introduction to a new singer.

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