Dopo notte - Joyce DiDonato LIVE 2007 in Geneva - Ariodante - Handel

[sfkcbf]

5 stars to Handel for one of most dramatic and captivating arias. Many people try to sing it, but of course we no longer have the voices for which the aria was written, Carestini, and then Conti; therefore, all the recordings lack the vocal focus, male timbre, and especially the extended breath capacity required for a more authentic perfromance. Despite this lack, Handel continues to enchant us.

[orsosantafe]

I'm amazed by some of these comments. particularly the ones by this crightl person. some have fame thrust upon them, deserving or not, others like JdD work for it and i know personally that she is a person of the highest integrity. no one commenting on here, from what I can see, has there slightest idea of her personal life.

[cantanteporsiempre]

she does not sound very interesting

[ktxopo]

La mayoría de los críticos no han cantado una nota en su vida. Ayer estuve viéndola en Oviedo. ¡Ese Haëndel era un cabrón! La exigencia vocal es máxima.

[eyesk8er]

Personally I don't care for the sound of her voice but this version of this aria is still pleasant. However if you want to hear this aria spectacularly performed listen to Anne Sofie von Otter's version. There is just no comparison!!!

[brunotaddeo]

what an ugly voice ! her phrasing is so bad and she sings half the time off key,... as far as her looks are concerned, she looks like a pig ! how she got on i'll never know.

compare her voice with that of janet bakers ! what a difference !!!!

[AiTaiwandeRen]

Geez, what a potty mouth.

[JRZGRL55]

What does her personal life have to do with her singing? She is a consummate artist. If you don't like her, don't listen to her; go listen to someone you like. Don't buy her CD's. But don't sit here on an Internet page where you can be "brave" and snipe at her. It's actually a pretty cowardly thing to do.

[JRZGRL55]

I don't know if anyone who has commented negatively about Joyce will read this but I'd like to tell you something about Joyce DiDonato. I recently went on a cruise with her to Alaska, sponsored by the NY Met Guild. I had E-Mailed her to ask her if I could sing for her - wasn't really my idea but my choir director wanted me to ask. Joyce wrote me an extremely gracious E-mail back with basically the answer "no". But I expected that to be the answer. She is amazing. What is wrong with you people?

[Handelfreak]

Will someone please tune the orchestra?

[cantanteporsiempre]

Sometimes I think her voice it´s too light.

[IlCaroSassone]

This "Dopo notte" is one of the best I"ve heard. Brava!

[DrPrunesquallor73]

I wonder if you have heard all the Ariodantes since the disappearance of the castratos?? I think there are some, even today, who are not worse than DiDonato.

[Gudrun74]

Which Ariodante do you think was equal or better than DiDonato???

I can only speak of Europe. I've been monitoring them between Barcelona and Vienna over the last couple of years, didn't find a better one, seriously. Vivica Genaux sang an excellent Dopo Notte, but not the whole Ariodante.

[lalagonegaga]

Hm, if I might include myself into this conversation, my personal favourite is (get this... prepare yourself...) Janet Baker. :) Yes, I know the recording is ancient and that it has nothing on today's baroque standards, but still, she has something that I find perfect for this role. As for the entire opera, the best recording is Minko's, naturally. :)

[Gudrun74]

As to Baker, see my comment below, great for that time > 35 years ago. But there's not a single trill, the most essential da capo ornament. I wonder how Baker would sing it today.

Whom I'd like to hear in this role are Bonitatibus and Nesi. And Hallenberg at a less somniferous tempo than Curtis'. Perhaps this July in Beaune :-P

[Crindoro]

I agree Gudrun, sometimes "old diva worship" is a very negative and castrating influence in the current opera scene, past performances cannot and should not prevent new (coughcough better) ones from taking place

[DrPrunesquallor73]

Well, personal tastes are... personal, so I hope you'll forgive me when I say that I'm not very impressed by JDD here. She struggles. Vocally I prefer von Otter, her recording is uncallenged, I think. On stage I prefer for example Murray. She doesn't sing as well as most other mezzos, but she is sincere and committed, allows herself to be ugly if necessary. Same for Hallenberg, who completely brought the house down when she did it in Munich! (You saw that?) JDD is vain! (sorry!)

[Gudrun74]

Hi,I agree that Murray was great.Incredible that she sang more or less in a row Cesare,Ariodante,Xerxes,Rinald­o.I don't find her or ASvO poor,I just consider JDD the better Ariodante.I'm above all amazed at her trilling skills!!Really interesting how you feel she struggles,whereas I perceive her spreading pure joy singing this.Hallenberg not heard in Munich (did she step in for Kasarova?),but under Curtis the DN was terribly disappointing,sorry to say.I expected a firework but instead slept in.

[hillevifan]

I'd love to get in this conversation too! As many of you know, Lorraine Hunt is my personal favorite Ariodante! Magdalena Kozena has recorded an amazing Dopo Notte and Scherza Infida, but never the complete role, so I can't officially cast my vote for her as much as I love her ^_^

[Gudrun74]

OK, now having heard Ann Hallenberg as Ariodante in Beaune under Sardelli's conducting, Joyce has a companion on her throne. She's not the one and only Ariodante on earth any more (I deleted the resp. intro in the info field, *shake hands*).

[crightl]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is tired of hearing about JDD! Sing? Yeah. Vain, shrewd and calculating. Definitely! Now, I may be biased...anyone who knows her can tell you how personally unlikable she is. Ok, is she Italian? No. After her first measure of real success (Dead Man Walking), and subsequent "desirability", she decided to "trade up" on her current husband.

[crightl]

She started a flurry of affairs (some but obviously not all with leading men opposite her...married men, no less) and left the man who supported her for years while she perfected her act.

She's extremely deceitful, not only in her personal life, but to her fans as well. Vain--I think it might be more insecurity. She has the right look thanks to makeup artists, but if you could see her in person. Ugghh!!!

If the opera world is now quivering at my nerve, so be it. How dare I!!!

[crightl]

Stop idolizing these people, for the love of God! There is so much talent out there. Give it a rest.

[crightl]

(In fact, rumor has it she had told another major opera star--yes there are others--regarding the man this other star was dating--"He's okay--for now". This man happened to be one of her old opera commrades from back in the day and a star in his own right). Yes, she's so "classy", huh?)

[crightl]

Diva, yes. But not by her definition.

[TheOperadiva88]

OK, Crietl! That's a mouthful! Here are my thoughts...she might not be the person she portrays (and I agree with you there), but she has spent literally years perfecting this persona. She's found her nitch portraying the "sweet" and "gracious" diva. It works and it sells.

[TheOperadiva88]

Infedelities...I heard all about it, but didn't even know she was still married at the time (evidently neither did she). Checked it out, and ok, I will give you that as well. Before I proceed, you will be happy to know that what comes around goes around (hint).

[TheOperadiva88]

Now, it sounds like you are too close to this situation. Let me hip you to the opera world...this is showbusiness...cheating is rampant...people sell their souls to become rich and famous. That's the way it is. Joyce would say..."make a decision, move forward and never look back". Most (and I emphasize MOST) people in this industry are like that.

[TheOperadiva88]

Now, I was bothered when she blogged that she didn't fly back home when her mother was passing away because she had a performance and as she quoted "there's nothing you [JDD] can do". But that's just how she is.

I personally think she's geeky and immature and there's a lot of people who work off stage with her who barely tolerate her. BUT, obviously there are many people outside the industry who enjoy what she's offering, regardless of looks, weight, personality, character, integrity, etc.

[TheOperadiva88]

In summary, it is what it is. Acknowledge, accept and move on.

[TheOperadiva88]

That's what a diva is!

[AiTaiwandeRen]

Who cares, really? She a performer and a darn good one. What she does off-stage is really none of your business.

[altocontralto]

She's off from the orchestra in several parts because she fudges the note values. Of course you could just blame the orchestra. Jennifer Larmore has a nice recording of this aria.

Gotta give it to her, this aria falls right about at the end of an opera full of acrobatic singing.

[rlee1976]

I agree with you here. You can hear she really is struggling to keep up with the orchestra in quite a few places. But if she sang it straight 16th notes like a machine-gun, she'd be ok, save for but a few places where she could POSSIBLY get away with lenthening them just a tad bit... I can't imagine ever singing this THIS fast, I'd have to have a chipmunk heartbeat in order to do so!

[wironalga]

Being an italian, I can say that she's one of the very few who can articulate the italian diction properly... Vowels are very tricky in my language, as most singers pronounces them always open. The correct italian distinguishes an open vowel from a semi-open and a close ones. It may be subtle but Handel himself and his librettists did much care this matter. So full marks to this gorgeous artist!

[Gudrun74]

Tx a lot for your comment. Does she sound like a native Italian speaker to you??

[wironalga]

Her italian diction is close to perfection. I don't know much of her biographic notes, but her name is telling. She must have some italian root. She's so accurate when phrasing "mentre in orrida tempesta il mio legno è quasi assorto" , which is tremendously subtle. Most baroque performers should better care about their cleaness in words. Italian is the main idiom in this repertoire, and it is very seldom served properly. It sounds easy, only apparently. You need good practice.

[Gudrun74]

Very interesting, 1000 grazie :-)

[alexmacias]

She got her Italian last name from her previous husband.

[Homoclassicus]

Actually, I saw in an interview with her that surname DiDonato is her husband's, not hers. She has Irish roots in fact. So I guess her great Italian diction must be a matter of much talent, intelligence and study. Btw, what you mean with open, semi-open and closed vowels? I thought Italian distinguished vowels like Portuguese (my mother tongue), between open and closed ones, but what are the semi-open vowels?

[nelsonjo79]

I think it would be a sin to not mention Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. She was a baroque specialist as a violist and a great musician. She is my personal favorite, though not to take away from other mezzos, and certainly Mrs. DiDonato sings extremely well in this one.

[22and5]

Wonderful rendition! Just for the sheer joy of hearing another GREAT mezzo performing this aria, check out Susan Graham's performance with video from the San Francisco Opera production, Summer 2008.

[altodivo]

Fantastic, some of the best da capo variations for ANY aria. Hope she gets to record more of the role. Anyone got a release date for this possibly misguided Alcina?

[Gudrun74]

Hi! I read Alcina was recorded already in Sept 07, but no idea when it'll be released, it's not even displayed on amazon. Perhaps it shouldn't collide with Joyce's Furore CD?? (which is btw postponed either, not mid Nov 08, looks like supply difficulties)

[Gudrun74]

PS: In fact Joyce's Dopo Notte is for me very close to Vivica's. And it's from a non-cut almost 4hrs Ariodante staged performance in a huge huge theatre. I'm bloody impressed by Joyce's mere physical power! And she sings it in a way - I don't think a studio recording could be better. It's all perfectly in its place.

[altodivo]

Furore is not postponed, I bought a copy almost three weeks ago. Its wonderful, best Scherza Infida I've heard, even better than ASVO on the Minkowski recording.

[Gudrun74]

THREE weeks ago, really? I thought French amazon would be the fastest, but they wrote I won't get it before Dec 08. Good to have it at least on yt until then.

[Gudrun74]

Just listened to the Alcina samples on the German amazon, release date 20/3. After her perfect Ariodante, I would have rather thought of a printing error than expecting her as anything but Ruggiero. And now: she's a perfect Alcina, too! Her high notes are those of a real soprano. "Ma quando tornerai" like from Furore, then "Ah mio cor", above all "Ah Ruggiero", "Ombre pallide" amongst the best Handelian arias ever recorded on a CD (besides her own Radamisto).

[lalagonegaga]

Alcina?! o_O Gotta hear that...

[lalagonegaga]

Ok, I listened to the samples. Good God. In general, I tend to hate it when a mezzo does soprano roles. Kozena annoys me the most as, for me, she does her best in alto / mezzo rep, especially in Bach. Still, Di Donato as Alcina, going for the soprano heights, does an amazing job. Another reason for which I will probably get this recording ASAP is my favorite tenor, Kobie Van Rensburg. :)

[JRZGRL55]

It's a fabulous recording - I also have an older (1999) recording with Renee Fleming/Susan Graham/Natalie Dessay & with due respect to Renee and company, Joyce is better. And Maite Beaumont, in my opinion, is an absolutely wonderful Ruggiero to Joyce's Alcina. Kobie van Rensburg is also superb.

[KozenaFan]

Wow! That is unbelievable, and the fact that it is live makes it doubly so. My all-time favorite recording of "Dopo notte" is Janet Baker's, from 1972. It is truly one of the most incredible bits of singing in the history of recorded sound.

Joyce sang Rossini's Rosina in Chicago last season. It was quite something.

Thanks, Gudrun, for posting these Ariodante arias!

[Gudrun74]

Thanks for your comment!

I consider J. Baker's version as great - for that time, when baroque singing was still in diapers. She must have performed Ariodante already in 1964!! If I'm informed right, she was the first non-tenor Ariodante at all (in Germany, they loved to transpose Handel, the first Cesare was even sung by a bass). But for today's practice, I'm lacking da capo ornaments (there are only tiny ones), and the orchestra is not very baroque. All in all, JB sounds rather lyric to me.

[Gudrun74]

My personal Dopo Notte favs are

- in an Ariodante performance: Joyce DiDonato

- ever heard at all: Vivica Genaux

- on CD: Angelika Kirchschlager

Cheers

[thebarroque]

What do you say about Hallenberg's rendition of this goorgeus aria in the DVD?

[aurele65]

En effet, c'est une très belle interprétation de cet air. Vivement la parution de son Alcina avec Curtis même si j'ai quelques réserves. Vivement qu'on ait des infos sur la date de parution.

[Gudrun74]

What I learn more and more (said it already) is that Ariodante is a totally different category to other roles, e.g. my beloved Sesto who has as well a couple of important and challenging arias, but there are 5 - 10 good and even excellent Sestos around. But Ariodante??? Some great singers simply failed here, bunches of left out notes, sung at half speed, not sung at all because the singer wasn't 200% in shape that evening and canceled ...

[Gudrun74]

Really, a Dopo Notte sung on stage(!!) like this is totally extraordinary. I think, besides Joyce, only Vivica and - in theory - Bonitatibus would be physically able to do it at the moment.

[thebarroque]

Wow her voice is very beautiful here, and Ariodante totally fits to her, I hope that her rendition of Alcina in the Recording with Curtis be as great as this!

Thanks for post!

[Gudrun74]

Is it true she will sing ALCINA?? Bizarre, that's not a technically very challenging role. Ruggiero would be THE challenge - as we hear here, she has exceptional Carestini skills.

[thebarroque]

Yes, She'll sing Alcina In fact here's the cast: Alcina Il complesso barocco Alan Curtis, direttore Joyce Di Donato, mezzosoprano (Alcina) Karina Gauvin, soprano (Morgana) Sonia Prina, mezzosoprano (Bradamante) Maite Beaumont, mezzosoprano (Ruggero) Kobie van Rensburg, tenore (Oronte) Vito Priante, baritono basso (Melisso)