This exciting album inaugurates an equally exciting new record label from Michael Storrs Music Ltd, who represent a number of leading international opera singers. Current and upcoming releases include Italian tenor Marco Berti singing verismo arias, a Christmas album with German soprano Angela Denoke and Japanese mezzo Mihoko Fujimura, Russian tenor Dmitry Korchak singing selections from romantic opera between 1825-40, and baritone Johan Reuter singing rare Verdi arias. If this initial release is anything to go by, opera fans are in for a treat as the new label's catalogue grows.
The intriguingly-titled Stolen Notes is a fifteen-track CD of arias, duets and other music from a large number of Verdi operas, stretching from his second stage work (and the first of only two comedies) Un giorno di regno right through to the late Shakespearean masterpieces, Otello and Falstaff. However, instead of a full orchestral accompaniment, the recording uses the renowned Parma Opera Ensemble, which consists of ten players from the Parma Opera. The dissemination of Verdi's operas in the nineteenth century was frequently via chamber music performances of his arias in public salons and private homes, and this recording evokes the same sort of intimate setting as Rossini's Serate musicali (reviewed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in April).
On the whole, the reductions are masterful. The Overture to Un giorno di regno benefits from the lightness of touch accorded by this performance by a small string ensemble, and it's fascinating to hear the inner lines of the contrapuntal Prelude to Act One of Aida played with such clarity. Once the ear has adjusted to hearing familiar music performed in a slightly unconventional fashion there are no misgivings about most of the items on the disc.
My only problem is with the final two items (from Verdi's final two operas), Ford's monologue from Falstaff and the Otello-Iago duet from Otello. Here, Verdi was writing in quite a different style, relying much more heavily on the bulk of a full orchestral palette, so Alfredo Daza's rendition of Ford's 'È sogno? o realtà?' and his duet with Marco Berti as Otello in 'Si, pel ciel' are undermined by the reduction of instrumental players (and the latter is taken rather slowly).
Otherwise, there is nothing but pleasure to be found in the recording. Soprano Annick Massis suggests she is ideal Gilda material in 'Caro nome' from Rigoletto, combining a depth of feeling with elegant phrasing, and her finely-honed duet with tenor Francesco Meli in 'Parigi o cara' from La traviata makes me long to hear her perform the entire role of Violetta. Meli impresses in all of his appearances here, perhaps a little hard pushed in Macduff's aria from Macbeth but scintillating in 'La mia letizia infondere' from I lombardi alla prima crociata and a duet from Simon Boccanegra. He has a wonderful natural Italianate tone and seems to understand the style of this music instinctively.
It's a shame that tenor Marco Berti is so underrepresented (especially considering his prowess in Verdi), but his forthcoming debut album will make up for it. He makes a credible stab at the duet from Otello, but his aria from Attila is what truly sticks in the memory, showing both the heft of his voice and his ability to control it. Alfredo Daza's finest moment here is in Rodrigo's death scene from Don Carlo: deeply felt and meltingly lyrical, it is an admirably dramatic rendition considering the singer was not performing it in the context of the opera. Dmitry Korchak appears on only one track - 'Deh! lasciate a un'alma amante' from Un giorno di regno - but this evidence suggests he has all the makings of a fine bel canto tenor, while bass Giovanni Battista Parodi is compelling in Banquo's aria from Macbeth and the duet 'Propizio ei giunge!' from Simon Boccanegra - eloquently paternal characterisations both.
There are some very minor issues of consistency with the track listings (some of which fail to mention the recitatives, even when they are performed); one might wonder why so little is written about the music in the accompanying booklet when the artists get considerable coverage; and the bonus DVD of rehearsal and recording footage adds very little to the experience. But the presentation is lavish and attractive, and I'm told that future releases have rectified these problems.
And the bottom line is that this is a superlative album that contains many gems and bears up well to repeated hearings.