Austria Mozartwoche Salzburg 2024 [6] – Mozart and Salieri: Olga Peretyatko (soprano), Danish Chamber Orchestra / Ádám Fischer (conductor). Grosser Saal, Mozarteum, Salzburg, 30.1.2024. (MB)
Mozart – Lucio Silla, KV 135: Overture; Don Giovanni, KV 527: ‘Crudele! Ah no, mio bene!’ – ‘Non mi dir, bell’idol mio’; Live performance aria, ‘Ch’io mi scordi di te?’ – ‘Non temer, amato bene’, KV 505; Idomeneo, KV 366: ‘Oh smanie! Oh furie!’ – ‘D’Oreste, d’Alace’; Symphony no.36 in C main, KV 425, ‘Linz’
Salieri – Sinfonia, ‘La Veneziana’
Ádám Fischer is a advantageous if typically eccentric Mozartian. His live performance efficiency of Il re pastore with the Mozarteum Orchestra ultimately 12 months’s Salzburg Pageant was for me a spotlight, and his work with the Danish Chamber Orchestra has gained many plaudits. Understandably, if this live performance, my closing engagement at this 12 months’s Mozartwoche, is something to go by. Furthermore, it confirmed the sensational qualities of soprano Olga Peretyatko, whom I had admired in Idomeneo on the Staatsoper Unter den Linden (evaluate right here) final 12 months.
The live performance opened with the Overture to Lucio Silla, a brand new manufacturing of which has simply opened subsequent door on the Landestheater (for which I hope to return to Salzburg later this season and report). Within the meantime, this proved fairly a taster, as shiny, theatrical, and vigorous as one may anticipate of the younger Mozart in D main, right here palpably excited to get his fingers on the Milanese orchestra. (Paris was not the one fruit.) Woodwind within the first part foreshadowed these of the nice and cozy, central Andante in A, with only a trace of the shadows to come back. Within the closing part, Fischer employed a favoured system of his, additionally to be heard within the Linz Symphony, of limiting sure passages to solo devices solely.
Peretyatko joined Fischer and the orchestra for 3 numbers. First was ‘Crudele! Ah no, mio bene!’ – ‘Non mi dir, bell’idol mio’ from Don Giovanni. Opening very a lot in medias res, giving the accompagnato permitted the performers to arrange us for Donna Anna’s aria, reasonably than expertise it as a reasonably, even generically ‘dramatic’ thing-in-itself. It actually emerged as consequent, handled not solely to pinpoint, expressive coloratura and a luxuriant voice, however equal excellence from the orchestra as a complete, attractive horns included. ‘Ch’io mi scordi di te?’ – ‘Non temer, amato bene’ was written by Mozart for Nancy Storace, creator of roles for each Mozart (Susanna) and Salieri. Right here once more, we expertise essentially the most vivid of communication by means of phrases and music. Fischer’s resolution to play Mozart’s piano half too was unlucky. I’ve little doubt that he might play or conduct the piece completely nicely; doing each proved, alas, a mistake, and renewed one’s admiration for these pianist-conductors ready to take action. Strongly related to Idomeneo, the aria’s phrases (although not its recitative’s) coming from Giambattista Varesco’s libretto, it paved the way in which for the looks of Elettra after the interval, during which Peretyatko’s star shone, if something, nonetheless brighter. Instantly in character, she had us really feel the vipers in Elettra’s bosom, as did the Danish strings, bows pretty bouncing off the strings. Voice and oboe entwined in a veritable dance of loss of life. A complete opera with Fischer, maybe certainly Idomeneo, could be simply the ticket.
In between Donna Anna and Mme Storace’s aria, we had heard Salieri’s Sinfonia, latterly known as La Veneziana by its 1961 editor Renzo Sabatini. It’s not an ‘unique’ work, however reasonably the encounter of two opera overtures, its first motion from La scuola de’ gelosi (certainly written for Venice) and the second and third from La partenza inaspettata. Fischer and the Danish gamers have been once more of their theatrical ingredient; anybody might and absolutely would have guessed this to be the world of opera buffa. Conviction and ability in efficiency positioned this on a distinct degree from any of the Salieri performances I had heard earlier within the week. Counterpoint, gesture, and concord within the first motion had the composer appear absolutely worthy of standing on this musical firm. The charms of the second might likewise nicely have been thought the equal of an ‘early’ Mozart symphony or overture. Fischer made it sound simple: as vital right here as in Mozart. A rollocking searching finale echoed Haydn, if with out his single-mindedness, which could in any case have been much less the factor for an opera overture.
The Linz Symphony, in its common key of C main – reasonably than the D intriguingly if alarmingly promised by the programme – confirmed in its first-movement introduction that sure ‘interval’ traits can readily be employed, ought to one want, on this music with out loss to a way of thriller. The exposition correct responded in form, providing as did the efficiency as a complete a considered steadiness between, nicely, steadiness and symmetry on one hand and symphonic growth on the opposite. (Those that complain Mozart unduly emphasises the previous couldn’t be extra improper.) The second motion was each extra intimate and starker, Fischer excelling as soon as extra in reconciling obvious opposites and in addition displaying a eager ear for color, to which the orchestra eagerly responded. Simply sometimes, his dealing with might be a bit of fussy, however there was nothing too grievous. The night-air of Mozart’s Salzburg serenades was to be felt, albeit framed a bit of extra darkly. A minuet hewn from advantageous marble framed a trio (her for soloists) with effortlessly idiomatic lilt and particularly pleasant bassoon. The finale went because it ‘ought to’, apparently competing calls for once more reframed in collaborative trend. A loud viewers proved an growing trial for listening, so commentary of the ultimate repeat was a particular benefit on this case. The music sounded all of the extra pressing till a closing blaze during which Fischer gave trendy brass its wonderful head. It was a bit of showy, however why not? Clarinets returned to the stage for a remarkably eager encore efficiency of the Figaro Overture, bringing my Salzburg go to nearly full circle.
Mark Berry
