2015-11-11, de Volkskrant, by Frits Van Der Waa

Please scroll down for an English translation

Alle vijf zangers, voorop sopraan Katherine Watson en countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, leverden geweldige prestaties, op de voet gevolgd door de mooie donkere mezzo Stéphanie d’Oustrac, tenor Kresimir Spicer en bas Callum Thorpe. En de spil was, in alle bescheidenheid, de intussen 70-jarige éminence grise van de barokmuziek, dirigent William Christie, die zijn equipe veerkracht , stuwing, kleur en hartverwarmende eendracht ontlokte.

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All five singers, first of all soprano Katherine Watson and countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, delivered a great performance, closely followed by the beautiful dark mezzo Stéphanie d’Oustrac, tenor Kresimir Spicer and bass Callum Thorpe. And pivotal in all modesty was the now 70-year-old eminence grise of Baroque music, conductor William Christie, who elicited resilience, trim, color and heart-warming unity from his team.

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Translation to English, by MVK

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William Christie elicits elasticity, trim, color and harmony from his team

All five singers in Handel’s Theodora deliver great performances. The performance of Les Arts Florissants has an enjoyable easiness about it.

At a concert performance of an opera it does not happen that the choir joins a party scene and loosely runs across the stage. However, on Saturday at the Concertgebouw, it happened when all the singers were in front instead of neatly behind the orchestra. 

All five soloists delivered a great performance

That’s only possible if you know the music by heart. Having sung played it several times in staged performances before, the singers of Les Arts Florissants know the music of Handel’s. Therefore everyone felt completely at home in his role, which resulted in a performance that had a pleasant easiness about it. Incidentally, in Händel’s time, such an oratorio was performed on stage; the musical difference to an ordinary opera lies mainly in the name of the beast.

Theodora is not really exciting. The story is about the early Christians persecuted by the Romans. The contrasts in the first act are effective: the Romans are being accompanied by trumpets and timpani, while the Christians who renounce the world are drawn in sparse, sometimes monophonic lines. Eventually the pace slows down, the contrasts blurs and the result is a more average Händel – which still is not bad, especially in the choral passages.

All five singers, first of all soprano Katherine Watson and countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, delivered a great performance, closely followed by the beautiful dark mezzo Stéphanie d’Oustrac, tenor Kresimir Spicer and bass Callum Thorpe. And pivotal in all modesty was the now 70-year-old eminence grise of Baroque music, conductor William Christie, who elicited resilience, trim, color and heart-warming unity from his team.

Theodora G. F. Handel, by Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie. Seen: 7/11, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

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