Le Nozze Di Figaro - Gramophone Collection
Wed, Oct 12 2011, 9:01AM
I hope that Richard Lawrence's Figaro marathon hasn't affected his passion for the piece. I certainly have mixed feelings about the latest Gramophone Collection. It is always good to see something different get the top spot rather than the standard war-horses and it was also nice to see recognition of Varviso's Glynebourne recording. I also don't have a problem with a DVD recommendation overall - the first time this has happened for an opera perhaps??
However, the article really did read like a horse race, with barely time to form a view on individual recordings before dashing on to the next. Yes, there are dozens of Figaros but surely an extra page (smaller/reduced artwork) would have made this article much better. The thing is I am not sure I will return to it - as I do with most GC articles - as the appraisals were not only very superficial but not really very criticial i.e. the only thing I learned about the Rosbaud recording was that Lorengar was "fresh" (she mostly always is) and Stich-Randall "in the Schwarzkopf class" (is that a recommendation?...on second thoughts don't answer that!). Sadly, not nearly enough information to make me decide whether to seek it out.
The collection is the first article I turn to each month and I do hope that a balance between criticism and brevity can be better struck in future.
PS: I did find the final choice a little odd but I'll trust Richard until I can acquire it and re-appraise. I remember it being very good (and Fleming being a gorgeous Countess) but not necessarily a reference recording (and think I remember the press saying that it was unfortunate that the production was filmed on the first night as they got much better as the run progressed). But then re-appraisal is partly what the collection is for and I thank you for the opportunity to do that.
I pity the reviewer who has to listen to multiple recordings of the same work and wonder what timescale is allocated to this task. With an opera as long as Figaro, although I appreciate there are longer works, it must have seemed daunting indeed irrespective of the delights which must have come his way throughout his listening sessions. Like you martin_opera, I was surprised by the reviewer's final recommendation and agree that it must be the first time a DVD choice was given the accolade. I remember the performance when it was broadcast and recorded it on video which I seem to have misplaced since. I recall being very pleased with it.
I was a little dispirited the reviewer described Guilini's and Solti's versions as earthbound as these recordings are two of my personal favourites. I seem to recall you are not struck on Solti's version either, martin_opera. I remember reading several years ago one reviewer commenting on the Guilini version, if memory serves me correctly, that he thought it was worth spending a year at a foreign university or words to that effect. I looked for said review on the Archive but couldn't find it. Speaking of the Archive, I wonder if there is a way of searching for Gramophone Collection articles. I must try it one day.
I agree it is difficult to form a view of each recording from the somewhat cursory comments provided by the reviewer and the article would have benefitted from a greater allocation of space.