Gluck

The Mozartists. 1774 – A Retrospective

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

MOZART 250
1774 – A Retrospective
The Mozartists, Ian Page
18 January 2014

Zimmermann: Symphony in E minor
Gluck: “Par un père cruel” and “Jupiter, lance la foudre” from Iphigénie en Aulide
Anfossi: “Care pupile belle” from La finta giardiniera (UK première)
Salieri: “Sperar il caro porto” from La calamita de’ cuori (UK première)
Mozart: “Ergo interest… Quaere superna” K. 143
Mysliveček: “Pace e calma in questo segno” from Artaserse (UK première)
Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A, K. 201
Gluck: Scene from Act 3 of Orphée et Euridice

The Mozartists‘ monumental MOZART 250 project has now reached its 10th year with an exploration of the year 1774 and the opening programme of their 2014 season. Continuing the pioneering work of Ian Page’s Classical Opera (which I first reviewed in 1998), the renamed Mozartists started MOZART 250 in 2015, the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s childhood visit to London. The project will follow his musical journey up to the year 2041, the 250th anniversary of his death.

As usual, the opening programme of the annual series places Mozart’s music in its wider musical context. Their programme “1774 – A Retrospective” gives an overview of the musical world 250 years ago when Mozart turned 18. Alongside two pieces by the young Mozart (“Ergo interest… Quaere superna” K143 and Symphony No. 29 in A, K201) were an extended scene from the Paris version of Gluck’s setting of the Orpheus legend and three UK premieres. The inclusion of premier performances is a subplot of the MOZART 250 series. Ian Page plans to include at least 100 such compositions during the project and after the first ten years, is already approaching 50.

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Karina Gauvin: Nuits Blanches

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

Nuits Blanches
Arias from the 18th-century Russian court
Karina Gauvin, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Alexander Weimann
ATMA Classique ACD 22791. 57’04

This recording (Nuits Blanches = White Nights) explores, in theory, music from the Russian Court in the 18th-century. The “in theory” bit is because there is very little music on the CD that was directly associated with the Russian Court, although there is certainly evidence of music that would have fitted the title rather better. With the exception of Christoph Willibald Gluck (whose presence on this disc is the weakest link to the title), the composers are unlikely to be known to anyone but the most dedicated follower of Russian musical fashion. Continue reading →

Gluck: Orpheus and Eurydice

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

Gluck: Orpheus and Eurydice
English National Opera, Harry Bicket
The Coliseum, 31 October 2019

Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice was the third of the current English National Opera (ENO) series of four operas based on the Orpheus myth that I saw, although it was the first to be performed in the series. It was also the earliest of the series, the most telling omission being Monteverdi’s 1607 L’Orfeo. In a nod to the Berlioz anniversary year, Orpheus and Eurydice was performed from the 1859 edition by Berlioz rather than Gluck’s own 1762 Vienna score or his 1774 Paris revision.

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Gluck: Bauci e Filemone & Orfeo

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson

Christoph Willibald Gluck
Bauci e Filemone & Orfeo (from Le feste d’Apollo)
Classical Opera/The Mozartists. Ian Page
Queen Elizabeth Hall. 29 May 2019

As a continuation of their Mozart 250 project, Classical Opera travelled back 250 years to explore the year 1769 with extracts from Gluck’s Le feste d’Apollo, composed for the wedding celebrations of 15-year-old Ferdinand, Duke of Parma and the 23-year-old Austrian Archduchess Maria Amalia, youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I. She was against the idea of this dynastic match from the start, not least because she was in love with a Bavarian Prince, who was deemed socially beneath her. Given that background, it must have been a bit of a strain for her to sit through the three short operas that make up Gluck’s Le feste d’Apollo, two of which were performed in this concert. The opening extract Bauci e Filemone is a rather soppy story of the power of love, whilst the well-known story of Orfeo tells a similar, but rather darker tale of love and relationships. Continue reading →

Gluck: Orphée et Eurydice

~ Andrew Benson-Wilson ~ 1 Comment

Gluck: Orphée et Eurydice
Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner
Royal Opera House, 24 September 2015

With the Royal Opera House home team playing away in China, the field was open for a take over by the period instrument brigade. Although the house band of the ROH (and other opera venues) have been getting better at adopting suitable ‘period’ performance techniques in recent years, I have suggested many times over the years that they bring in a specialist orchestra for their ‘early music’ productions. On this occasion there was a more-or-less complete take-over by the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, together with the Hofesh Shechter Company of dancers. The directors were Hofesh Shechter and the ROH’s own John Fulljames, and the conductor was John Eliot Gardiner. This was part of the Royal Opera House’s recent focus on the Orpheus myth that started with their Roundhouse production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo last February (reviewed elsewhere on this site). Continue reading →