Here's some great musical news, at least for me: South African soprano Golda Schultz (maybe my favourite soprano) is releasing a new album, called Mozart, You Drive Me Crazy!. About Mozart's music from the three operas he composed in collaboration with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. Now, there are many like this, but Schultz just gets Mozart, she is one of the most Mozartian opera singers we have now. Plus, she loves the composer so much, she is as much a fan as she is a singer. And it shows when she sings it. This album is a labour of love and I intend to either buy it, or put it on my birthday presents list. But maybe I will not be able to wait until my birthday, even though it is soon. In any case, check this video about it:
Blogue d'un québécois expatrié en Angleterre. Comme toute forme d'autobiographie est constituée d'une large part de fiction, j'ai décidé de nommer le blogue Vraie Fiction.
Interesting video about the emotional and psychological complexity of Mozart's female characters in these operas, but surely most of the credit for that must go to the librettist?
ReplyDeleteSome of the credit, defunitely, but not all and I wouldn't say most. Lorenzo Da Ponte was probably the greatest librettist of his time, maybe of all time. But operas were written in close collaboration with the conposers, who had final say and often decided which subject matter intersted them in the first place. It's Mozart's music that gives the emotional impact and resonance, that expresses the characters' true feelings.
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