Le Concert d’Astrée, 10th Anniversary Concert, 19.12.2012

Emanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d’Astrée have celebrated their 10th anniversary in the grand manner; in the world of baroque music this is what comes closer to a gala, with celebrity guests, gags and tv cameras. Haïm has chosen to concentrate on her favorite composers, Rameau and Handel, with the occasional visit to Lully and Purcell.

Haïm is a rhythmically vivid conductor who stimulates her musicians to engage and who is always ready to dare (sometimes at the expense of textual fidelity, it is true). She never cheats, though, and the panache is always there. She is also very sensitive to singers, trying to color the orchestral tone to their suggestion. The opening item, the Danse du grand calumais de la paix from Les Indes Galantes cracked with excitement and one couldn’t help but moving to the rhythm. If I am not mistaken, she has conducted some of the orchestral numbers in her concert with the Berlin Philharmonic this year, but with her own band the effect is obviously earthier and more convincing.

In the Handel part, I was particularly taken by the way she could find dramatic truth in the contrast between sections in the arie da capo, particularly telling in the sharp accents in the section B of Lascia ch’io pianga. Orlando’s Fammi combattere exuded vigor and grace, while arias like Venti, turbini (Rinaldo) and Ciel e terra (Tamerlano). Haïm is typically French in her almost studied exuberance, and was always ready to have fun, as in the Caribbean accents she added to Purcell’s Sound the Trumpet from the ode to Queen Mary, with spirited improvisations from Philippe Jaroussky and Pascal Bertin.

The distinguished guest singers offered compelling performances. If Jaël Azzaretti could float her high notes most consistently, she would have been perfect – her voice is extremely sweet and flexible. Her nightingale aria for the shepherdess in Hypolite et Aricie was ideally beguiling, but her contribution as Bellezza in the quartet from Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno could be lovelier. Anne Sofie Von Otter offered a austere and classy account of Phèdre’s remorse scene. Stéphane Degout was perfectly poised and offered noble phrasing and clear diction in Antenor’s aria Monstre affreux from Dardanus. Patricia Petibon relished the campy physical comedy in the aria of La Folie from Platée, but it is also true that she sang it with accuracy, charm and lustrous tone. Karine Deshayes brought a rich, full yet clear mezzo and absolutely musical sincerity in Tristes apprêts from Castor et Polux. Sonya Yoncheva brought sexy back to the trumpet+drum aria with her rich and flashy voice – and she herself is sexy too.

Cristopher Purves’ Fra l’ombre e gl’orrori was a bit showy even if I am truly impressed by his perfectly focused extremely low notes and long breath. Ann Hallenberg proved that there is no overornamentation if you use it for expressive purposes in a a lovely and touching Lascia ch’io pianga. I had never heard Marijana Mijanovic before and cannot say if her voice was always that small – and her coloratura is some thing that the word “aspirated” can only partially describe. Natalie Dessays sang charmingly her duet with Degout from Les Indes Galantes, but had to work hard for purity in the duet from Dixit dominus (with an ideal Deshayes). Cleopatra’s Se Pietà, on the other hand, went beyond the occasional patches of nasality and other small glitches: that was the voice of a tormented soul, of a wronged queen – and prettiness was clearly not what she (and Handel) wanted. Sara Mingardo is the musical personification of dignity in her majestic voice, solid low notes and directness of expression. A great account of Piangete, sì from La Ressurrezione. Rolando Villazón was not in his best voice but he truly rocked in Cielo e Terra with his rhythmic buoyancy, dramatic engagement, exciting divisions and the usual take-no-hostages attitude. Sandrine Piau does not have the voice of a Handelian prima donna, but sang a clean, affecting Piangerò la sorte mia.  Philippe Jaroussky was brilliant, extremely sensitive in his Son nato a lacrimar with an inspired Von Otter and offered a coloratura showpiece in Venti, turbini. Lorenzo Regazzo and Laura Claycomb transformed Argante and Armida’s Al trionfo del nostro furore in opera buffa and I’m not sure that is the spirit. All in all, a great evening and a most happy anniversary!

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