Mozart from Perm

It sounds like a fairy tale: In the realm of the mighty and utterly despotic tsar Vladimir the Great lives over 1000 km from Zarenhof away in the easternmost city in Europe at the foot of a mighty mountain range a benevolent governor who loves art above all else. From magical sources he has money and wants to spend it for the beautiful and true things in life, not for hockey or football. A highly talented but penniless magician from Athens as centerless has drifted there on his studies to distant Siberia and those same sorcerer calls the governor to his court. Disrespectful he asks one more orchestral musicians from the most educated of the country and good singers for a chorus and gets it! And the glory of the Far East spread far beyond the world wants you to sound recordings on texts of Lorenzo da Ponte banish the undisputed most divine works of the opera world, the Mozart composed three operas. And not as verhusteten recording a theater performance, no two weeks allowed the sorcerer's apprentice with his musicians, who give the nice name given to eternal music, rehearsing in the theater of the governor, fiddle, take, realize its immodest vision: simply the best recording of these operas to make!
It's amazing in the land of poets and thinkers have since where provincial governors Orchestra resolve pardon merge where SAIs make such immoral goings-on in an opera house economically quickly put an end, but where it is also possible wohlbestallte orchestral musicians their sample times extremely reluctant about the collective agreement also extend. And now it is not available, in an elegant form of a book, the miracle of Perm, sent into the world now from a small poor but passionate publisher, no but then of a Japanese Giant Group. But the fairy tale seems so does not end there, is but a native of the beautiful Saxony beautiful singer Countess even to the orthodox faith of the sorcerer's apprentice converted his (Rondo magazine) and in the enchanting snow-covered city continues to be recorded with passion, so it promises poetic a video clip. Subtle and sophisticated marketing can indeed not be.
The miracle of Perm therefore - is the unique event? Yes, clearly, despite the high bar of René Jacobs. Teodor Currentzis, the teen as the German magic jazz musician Michael Wollny effect on the image in the book, and his Musikaeterna let Mozart really vibrate so tautly that you listen to three hours spellbound, not vorzippt the recitatives. That sounds so rhythmic, energetic, again and again, but never mannered and presents itself as Jacobs still a little in the shade. So, I get here again the comparison to the ingenious jazz improviser Michael Wollny on. René Jacobs sometimes puts even more emphasis in the sheet metal, the string sound of Concerto Köln is then but thinner and everything looks, after the first night listening comparison, almost superficial effect full. Who is stuck with Karl Böhm and even Karajan, will certainly get a shock, on the other hand entered here he saves some trials and tribulations of historically informed style of play (Harnoncourt, Östman, Gardiner, Norrington). Despite the prevailing extremism Nozze never sounds exaggerated but on difficult to describe organic way from the first to the last note under Currentzis. Also the set of René Jacobs standard while accompanying the secco recitatives by the pianoforte, which brings also in the arias, again easily topped by tight, funny improvisation. This is really beautiful, the Currentzis nothing lumps together, the music also calm and breathing leaves (canzonetta sullaria, dove sono). A little miracle is the aria of Barbarina at the beginning of Act 4, seriously sung by Natalya Kirillova because the great day is just silent.
The more contrast to Jacobs recording is the singing style that then but with singers like Keenlyside, gene and Kirchschlager that fill even big houses, still far operatic fails at Jacobs. Although it is consistently sung with little vibrato, does not that sound aseptically, as with some older recordings of early music scene. The already mentioned Dove sono Countess Simone Kermes, who do not figure reverses the Baroque fury leaves, an already hold your breath during the transition to repeat. The remains safely taste, especially in women Kermes. And probably not a dogma that men are allowed to live out more. The previously completely unknown to me singer could be infected by the conductor and go full on in their roles. Andrei Bondarenko has a virile Count, always noble, always charming (Duettino with Susanna: Crudel), appropriate boastful Hai gia vinta la causa, which has already brought more famous singers in breathlessness. Christian Van Horn Figaro differs from the timbre rather than the Count, are powerfully the swaggering Möchtegernrevoluzzionär, would probably like to be Count instead of counts. Susanna and the Countess, however differ strongly, Simone Kermes rather dark herb, as always intense, but is provided by Fanie Antonelou almost in the shadows. From a purely vocally can Count as already indicated that he does not want to miss this Susanna and she takes him with a cunning innocence and sophistication on thin ice. Mary-Ellen Nesi is a lot darker than Cherubino Angelika Kirchschlager, very nice. Witzig of blustering, pummeling Antonio Gerry Agadzhanian. You have to remember these singers names, they will consist in putting opera business, fighting in huge state operas against the orchestra? Almost one wishes them that they can stay long in this magic world.
Only the studio recording per se does not create masterpieces, showing the recording history in part sobering way. Teodor Currentzis but has used the fairytale conditions, worked hard and thus it done just in Perm a minor miracle that you absolutely must have heard as opera fan. And maybe lead the rocking rhythm and clear, very pleasant singing also young people times to the opera? The unfathomable Mozartian lightness, but also all ambiguity Fury remains at all rhythmic, rocking relentlessness, but respected. The Contessa perdono you can not escape anyway, Currentzis and his singers doing quite quiet, introverted in Mozart, balm for the soul, as the veteran classical music fans always like to say.