same thing in trusting this revival of Il Signor Fortunately, the rest of the cast is not Cloud Light – Songs of Norbert Palej Bruschino to a young theatre group, Teatro outclassed by Netrebko’s radiance. Te great Bogdanowicz; McGillivray; Wiliford; Sotteraneo, with no previous experience in basso René Pape (Banquo) is a distinguished Woodley; Philcox opera. Te directors of the group are all in credit to a rather short role (as he gets killed Centrediscs CMCCD 22315 their 20s and full of ideas, energy and fun. quickly) and so is the tenor, Joseph Calleja Te scene for this one-act farsa giocosa is a (Macduff), but at least he survives. Serbian ! Te song or modern-day theme park complete with Coke baritone Zeljko Lucic (Macbeth) is a fine chanson or lied machines, popcorn, balloons and silly hats. character actor with a strong voice, but no died with Benjamin Tourists of all ages wander in and out snap- match for the great Italian baritones (e.g. Britten – or that is the ping photos and are invited to join in the Leo Nucci or Renato Bruson) of yesteryear. impression you might even sillier plot where everyone lies except Exciting yet sensitively refined conducting have gotten by visiting the poor put-upon protagonist, Bruschino. In by new Met principal conductor Fabio Luisi your neighbourhood fact they confuse him so much that he ends amply compensates for the still unsurpassed record store or any up wondering who he is and there is typical legendary Sinopoli reading. concert hall. While Rossinian mayhem, except for the wonderful Janos Gardonyi Brahms, Strauss, Schubert and Mahler song music and the singing. Te polished cast are cycles are everywhere, very little in that genre mainly young people such as the soprano, Szymanowski – Król Roger seems to have originated since the middle of Maria Aleida, spectacular in her high register, Kwiecień; Jarman; Pirgu; Chorus and the 20th century. It is more that the song itself and her suitor, David Algret, a fine tenor. Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; has changed, rather than disappeared. Pianist Te principal baritones: Roberto de Candia Antonio Pappano Steven Philcox and tenor Lawrence Wiliford, (Signor Bruschino) and Carlo Lepore, the Opus Arte OA 1151 D directors of the Canadian Art Song Project, guardian of the bride, who arrives on a summed it up succinctly in the liner notes Segway, singing his cavatina riding on it ! It took almost to this recording: “…the experimentation of up and down the stage, are a bit older and a century from its the 20th century avant-garde rejected the undoubtedly best in show. In charge of it all is premiere in Warsaw intimacy that is inherent to the genre…” the conductor Daniele Rustioni who is barely in 1926 for Król Roger Enter Norbert Palej (Pah-Lay), a Polish- out of his teens, just like the composer. (King Roger) to reach born composer, still in his 30s, currently Janos Gardonyi the stage of the Royal teaching at the University of Toronto. He Opera House, Covent restores to the song what for centuries was Verdi – Macbeth Garden, in London. its golden measure: the intricate relationship Zeljko Lucic; Anna Netrebko; René Pape; Belated though it is, between poetry and music, the latter being Joseph Calleja; Metropolitan Opera; Fabio this debut is nothing an emotional outgrowth of the former. All Luisi short of a triumph. cycles included on this disc evoke an earlier Deutsche Grammophon 073 5222 It is by far the finest era, with respect for the text and an intimacy production of this modernist opera that I have of interpretation. Cloud Light, not written ! For me the most seen. Te great strength of Szymanowski’s for any specific voice, invites comparisons sublime moment in music is its exuberant, ecstatic orches- with les nuits d’été by Berlioz. Most surpris- Macbeth is the Gran tral colour, making it more neo-romantic ingly, despite being an homage to the 19th- concertato just after than modernist. Mariusz Kwiecień, whose and early 20th-century tradition of song, the murder of King portrayal of King Roger may be a career- the work sounds utterly contemporary and Duncan when out defining moment, put it like this: “To modern. It is as if after 50 years in the wilder- of the anguished a compose this music, you must be either ness, the genre is coming back into its own. A cappella chorus the on drugs or mad.” Tink Ravel, Scriabin, welcome return! orchestra finally joins Bartók, but also Górecki. In the past, infre- Robert Tomas in with a melody quent as they were, many productions of the direct from heaven opera faltered on stage because of its halting Sacred Reflections of Canada – A Canadian (and how beauti- rhythms. Te work jumps from bacchanal Mass fully did Sinopoli do celebration to a standstill oratorio within its Canadian Chamber Choir; Julia Davids it!), but that was nothing compared to the slim, 90-minute timeframe. Director Kasper Independent (canadianchamberchoir.ca) intense joy and outburst of the Met audi- Holten brilliantly unites the two polar oppos- ence following Vieni! T’affretta, Anna ites, with some help from the gorgeous set ! Te working style Netrebko’s first salvo as Lady Macbeth. And designed by Steffen Aarfing. Among the many of the Canadian that Sleepwalking Scene! Oh my! It was charms of this work are wonderful choral Chamber Choir an inspired decision to revive Macbeth for passages and showcase arias for the female is unique; with the 2014 season with Netrebko as the lead protagonist, Queen Roxana, masterfully deliv- members spread soprano. Te woman had never sung the ered by Georgia Jarman. Saimir Pirgu as the across the country, role before, her voice more suited to the Shepherd is beguiling and free. All the cast they convene at least lyrical and coloratura repertory or so people benefit from having a native Polish speaker twice a year for short thought. But they didn’t know Netrebko! (Kwiecień) on hand – the language coaching projects after learning After 2007, when she sang a few bel canto is well beyond the typical, cringe-inducing their parts at home. A rehearsal period of roles at the Met, she went back to Europe sound imitation that plagues the productions a few days is hosted by a school, choir or scoring triumph upon triumph in the most of many Czech, Polish and Russian operas in community and the choir then returns the challenging prima donna roles: Manon in the West. Antonio Pappano not only conducts favour by providing workshops before they Berlin, Anna Bolena in Vienna, Donna Anna the work, he breathes Szymanowski’s music. embark on tour. Teir mandate, therefore, is at La Scala. Nevertheless, here she is, Lady Tis production will likely propel King Roger not just to perform, but to build community Macbeth in New York, seductive in her silk into the sphere of interest of the major opera by educating and engaging as many singers chiffon dress, packing the house again to houses in the world. Bravi! as possible on each tour while introducing capacity, her voice extending to a high D flat Robert Tomas the works of established as well as emerging and also extending the Met’s sagging profits. Canadian composers. 68 | March 1, 2016 - April 7, 2016 thewholenote.com.