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Imports from Sweden
December 15, 2009 by rml
Sweden has given the world one of the most exciting singers of all times, which is Birgit Nilsson. Since Nilsson's retirement, the world has been waiting for the next great Swedish Wagnerian soprano – and I have read many and many times that someone should be the new Nilsson only to discover that Nilsson's name has once again been taken in vain. In any case, Swedish sopranos seem again to be the hot stuff in the Wagnerian front. I have to confess that Iréne Theorin's superpowerful top notes almost made me profane the incomparable Birgit's name, but, impressed as I was with her Turandot in Tokyo, her voice lacks tonal sheen and her phrasing could be more fluent. As for Katarina Dalayman, now that is a voice with unusual warmth and richness. It does have reasonable volume, but not enough carrying power, especially in her low register. There have been many good Brünnhildes under the same description – in her concert with Simon Rattle and the BPO in Berlin she was tested by the dramatic top notes, but she did survive commendably the heavy demands on her rather velvety voice. The only piece lacking in my puzzle was Nina Stemme – but now I have completed my collection of Swedish "dramatic" sopranos.
This evening, Ingo Metzmacher and the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin have offered a concert on the theme of temptation/seduction. After an austere, non-Gallic account of Debussy's symphonic fragments from Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien and a robust yet elegant "Mathis der Maler" Symphony (Hindemith), the audience was treated to a very special performance of the Dance of the Seven Veils from R. Strauss's Salome. After a highly electrical beginning, the performance gravitated between a somewhat Prussian rigorousness with episodes of almost narcissitic languour. And yet the conductor never let horizontal clarity go – this is the kind of music-making that feels like reading the score in its absolute structuredness and transparency. But one could do with a bit more sensuousness.
However, the program's focal point was Salome's closing scene (in its usual adaptation without Herod and Herodias – and I wonder why… there are plenty of mezzos and tenors to do that in Berlin), featuring Stemme as a soloist. I won't beat around the bush – she did not win me over from note one. Actually, I could barely hear note one… and two, three, four, five… I cannot pass judgement on a singer after one only hearing, but I regret that my first experience with her had to be with Salome, a role entirely inadequate for her vocal nature. While Salome requires a voice with a touch of metallic edge to pierce through the dense orchestration, Stemme's mezzo-tinted soprano is all roundness and rather stays on stage than fills a hall. She has been singing Sieglinde – and that seems to be a role more proper to her talents. And probably Senta. Maybe Ariadne. But definitely not Salome or Brünnhilde and I hope she has never fancied to sing something like Elektra. I have read some people complain of Dalayman's "restricted" volume as Isolde – and I can tell you that Dalayman's voice was far more voluminous in the same hall. And Metzmacher was far more considerate with his soloist than Rattle was that evening.
Under those circumstances, it is very difficult to say anything of her performance. There was not much space for tonal colouring, although she could more or less soften her tone when Strauss required mezza voce from her. I cannot say much about interpretation – she was often covered by the orchestra and had to give her 100% to be hearable. In her favour, she is in very healthy shape. Even when things were really difficult for her, I could hear to no constriction, wobble, shrillnes or any kind of glitch. She did have the occasional under-the-note episodes, especially in exposed climatic passages, when the voice seemed to loose focus and power. Before you all start to think that I am being too negative, there was this moment in which she made it work for me. The first Was tut's? was excitingly built and, when I thought she had no extra reserves, she launched the second one in a truly sensational gutsy crescendo. Then to the end of the scene she was truly shattering. Pity it was right at the end of it – I gauge that she must have more moments like that in her best days. That said, I still believe she should avoid hoch dramatisch roles – her voice is not high nor dramatic, and the frequentation of heavy repertoire will only rob the all-too-important lyric qualities of her voice. But let us wait a second opportunity to hear her before I have a final opinion.
Posted in Reviews | 11 Comments
on December 17, 2009 at 7:34 pm | Reply cavalier
With the usual caveats about venue, accompaniment, and (crucially) the kind of day the singer is having, I want to not disagree but to say that under the circumstances I recently heard Dalayman and Stemme, my impressions were very different.
I heard Dalayman as Isolde at the Met and in that context the failure of the voice to carry made her a much less than satisfying Isolde. We sat in the side parterre boxes, in my experience one of the places where singers can best be heard and Barenboim accompanied with great consideration. One is thus inclined to think that, depending on the day she was having, that's about as good as it was going to get. Still, it was Isolde, at the Met and this defect would obviously be less problematic in other venues and contexts. I would say, however, that the previous season and later in the same run I heard Voigt, Meier and even Janice Baird, and whatever the other defects in their voices and performances, the lack of carrying power was not as pronounced or problematic.
I heard Stemme as Salome in Barcelona, obviously a smaller and acoustically (in my very limited experience with it) much more congenial venue even for its size. While I would agree pretty much completely with your description of the character of her voice, I would say that on that occasion she was easily audible and very satisfying vocally (and dramatically, in an odd production). My experience with her prior to this had been very limited (a Met Hollander about 10 years which left very little impression either way – indeed I had forgotten the name of the Senta until I encountered a Stemme bio in another context) and Salzburg – again not a strong impression either way. Impressed as I was in Barcelona it still seems she difficult to understand her apparently stratospheric standing with various European houses and you are certainly right to doubt how she will do with Brunnhilde or, potentially Elektra. Still, on this occasion she was excellent and I look forward to her Ariadne later this season.
on December 18, 2009 at 11:05 am | Reply rml
Dear Cavalier,
Thank you for your comments. There's a lot to consider in what you say:
1) Based on her relatively high record of cancellation, one would feel inclined to guess that Dalayman is a variable singer.
2) As I have pointed out, I don't have a final opinion on Stemme, but the fact is that I have listened to both Dalayman and Stemme in the same hall – actually my seat for Dalayman was more distant from the stage than for Stemme. As you have said, there is the venue issue. The Liceu is a singer-friendly theatre (as well as Bayreuth and Glyndenbourne, where Stemme's Isolde first came to notice) and, regardless of how good their orchestra is, it cannot compete in thickness with the Berliner Philharmoniker and the DSO, especially when they are not playing from the pit but from the stage.
3) That said, I have to believe that she must have been in a not particularly good day. If she always lacked projection the way she did on Dec 15th, she would not be as regularly invited by prestigious orchestras and opera houses the way she is. In any case, I myself thought of seeing her Met Ariadne. As I wrote, this is a role that according to what I heard (even in a possibly not good day) would be more compatible with her vocal qualities than Salome. But in the end I don't think the show would be worth the expensive ticket price. I would be curious to hear your impressions nonetheless!
Indeed, Dalayman missed part of the run (with Meier einsprunging for her – a Barenboim feat) and one wonders weather she was sick. There was no announcement and the problem seemed to be more a lack of projection then any specific vocal indisposition but one never knows.
Apropos of hochdramatisch sopranos, I took a peak at your review of Evelyn Herlitzius' recent Isolde in Berlin. Having heard her in Erwartung with the BPO recently I have to commend your absolutely dead on description of every facet of her voice . Further, for my money and based on very limited experience, she just might be the Isolde, Brunnhilde, Salome and Farberin and Elektra to hear and see among these three and perhaps generally*. I can't speak to her acting skill but will take your word for it and the size of the voice (all the more impressive for being heard on stage accompanied by a magnificent-sounding but hardly restrained BPO and also in coming from such a slender, relatively petite** woman) combined with her attractive stage presence would make the experience somewhat difficult to equal, much less to surpass. Certainly others, including Dalayman and Stemme have in some respects more attractive, voices, and are hardly hideous or exhibit gross dramatic inadequacy. Still, an opportunity to hear a voice of that size and relative security with a compelling dramatic and visual presentation is not at all to be despised.
*Obviously not the appropriate place to get into a comprehensive discussion but the only Brunnhilde I've heard with a voice that is larger, as or more secure and more attractive is Jennifer Wilson in the Valencia Ring (concomitant with the Barcelona Salome) and she is, at least at this stage in her young career, a rather generalized actress.
**She's certainly not tiny – I'd guess 5'7" to 5'8" or so but is smaller than even some of her slender lyric colleagues like Harteros, much less any number of Brhunnhildas who need not be enumerated here. I would say, however, that Lynda Watson, one of the Brhunnhildas in last season's Met Ring (along with Theorin and Dalayman – whom I didn't hear) , a much bigger and probably taller woman, had a voice that was beset with all sorts of technical problems, was less tonally compelling and I would say at least somewhat smaller.
on December 20, 2009 at 3:24 am | Reply rml
Meier also stood in for Dalayman in Berlin this year.
As for Herlitzius, I am sure she must be a very exciting Färberin. She has the right kind of voice and attitude for the role. The evening I saw her Isolde, I thought she got a bit tired in the middle of act II. If she has the stamina for such a long stretch of dramatic singing that is Elektra, she should be also quite convincing in that role (barred the recognition scene maybe).
Considering the pros and cons, she might be a good Brünnhilde (I have a recording from Bayreuth somewhere, but it was too long ago and I would have to listen to it again) – the imposing voice and the energy are there, but not the tonal and dynamic chiaroscuro that the role requires (being realistic, who else other than Astrid Varnay had all that in the last 60 years?). But I certainly agree that, live in the theatre, her assets are undeniable for Brünnhilde.
As for Salome, I confess I let that one pass: I just thought she would not be young sounding or vocally seductive enough. Moreover, I don't like the Lindenoper's production and, having decided to see just one performance, opted for Angela Denoke, who was definitely overparted – but I admit I do like her voice, her singing and her stage performance.
on February 21, 2010 at 3:06 pm | Reply cavalier
I heard Stemme as Ariadne a couple of times and can only say that it would have been worth the while to make the trip from Peking much less Berlin. She was indeed superb and, in this context at least, more than justified the hype.
on February 22, 2010 at 12:24 am | Reply rml
Hi, Cavalier! So I've heard from many sources. As we had guessed above, Ariadne seems to be a suitable role for her. I have a tape of the opening night, but still couldn't find the time to hear it. Now you've made even more curious. Thanks!
on February 22, 2010 at 12:44 am | Reply cavalier
A slight caution: We listened yesterday and the extraordinary plushness in the middle and lower part of the voice did not come across the way it did in the theater. The voice was still very beautiful and a very distinct sense of effortless command was absolutely there but it wasn't quite the same thing. This was much more so the case with her than with the other members of the cast whose vocal character came through quite clearly. She was still the star of the show and IMHO your time will be very well spent listening to her but any opportunity to hear her live in this role is not to be missed.
on June 20, 2010 at 6:17 pm | Reply cavalier
Check that on Dalayman too. Sensational as Brunnhilde at the Bastille.
on June 20, 2010 at 10:03 pm | Reply rml
Hi, Cavalier! How was Robert Dean Smith? I'm curious about what you heard in Berlin too!
RDS was very good. The tessitura seems comfortable for him, he never had to push himself, his tone, while perhaps not lustrous was never less than pleasant (neither of the last accomplishments mean feats in the acoustic of the Bastille), and while he might have been missing the last last touch of heroic ferocity he conducted himself with more than sufficient ardor.
On a side note, he is just about the exact contemporary of Heppner and stacks up rather well against this somewhat more celebrated singer. While the latter might on a given night, offer more resplendant tone and occasionally even in the context of a poor night have some exceptional moments, and while this might well explain his greater appeal to record companies and places like the met, I do think RDS is the much more consistent performer. This was the case even ten years ago, and to me at least RDS voice is now better preserved (I had not heard him in nearly five years and was somewhat apprehensive, especially in light of his frequent assails of Tristan). It is true that I've heard Heppner more frequently but a while back I did get to hear both of them quite a few times in somewhat close proximity as Lohengrin and Walther and really do think RDS is night for night, note for note, almost every bit the singer Heppner is.
As for Berlin, I did not tragically, make it. I expand on the lamentations in an e-mail I sent yesterday. (Must run so as not to be late for La Donna at the Garnier).
on June 23, 2010 at 6:55 pm | Reply rml
I guess RDS gave himself time to mature before tackling really heavy repertoire, while Heppner was singing Tristan back in 1999. I have always thought that he was also rather a jugendlich dramatisch than a dramatic tenor. Then I found an interview where he basically agreed with me. However, he said that this enabled him to tackle dramatic roles with a more lyrical quality, whereas I would rather say that he should AVOID dramatic roles. Moreover, he does not really have the temper for stuff like Tristan. At least, that was my experience when I saw him in that role in Salzburg. He once was an exemplary Walther and also Lohengrin, but today the voice already shows some wear. Pity…
As for RDS, I have to confess my astonishment when I read that he started his career as a baritone. I don't see this baritonal tinta in his voice – as we could say of James King, for example – whose particular quality in Wagnerian roles is that round, unforced quality. In the Tristan broadcast from Bayreuth, it is indeed amazing to see how fresh-voiced he was almost until the very end of the opera. While I write this, it occurred to me that Carlo Bergonzi also sang as a baritone for a while before he changed into the tenor Fach. As RDS, he was not a dramatic tenor (and the voice did not have a dark colour either), but solid technique allowed him some really heavy roles. I guess it was Lucia Popp who said that one can sing from nature for less than 10 years. After that, you make it only on technique…
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