Press Archive
2016-07-20, La Provence, by Olga Bibiloni
“Je viens de chanter à Mexico, à San Francisco.La musique classique est universelle, présente dans le monde entier. Moi, j’ai bénéficié de l’effet Internet, je suis un peu la “génération Internet”. Quand certaines vidéos sur Youtube prennent de l’ampleur, vous savez qu’elles seront vues partout.” […]
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2016-05-29, Klassieke Zaken, by Hein van Eekert
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This is a fan translation – no infringement of copyright is intended. If you are the copyright holder and have any objections to this being online, drop us a line and we will remove it immediately.
We believe the publication fulfills the conditions of “fair use,” for discussion and study.
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When you think of the sometimes un-earthly voice of Philippe Jaroussky, you somehow expect him to come floating to the interview. Nothing like that: It’s a happy, friendly man, courteous, with a sociable presénce, and an enthusiasm that could be called child-like – if it wasn’t rooted in an impressive mountain of knowledge about his own work and that of others. Moreover, even if he knows a lot about the past, he is certainly not “retro.” He can’t be, he says, because “The countertenor is a voice of the future.”
We want to know more. The countertenor voice? The one that is often used to sing the Ancient music of the castrati? “The sound evokes the past, but it’s a modern voice type. It really came back en vogue since the sixties. During the past eight years, I got lots of offers to sing modern music. I often have to decline, because studying requires a lot of time for preparation, and I don’t always have that.” Jaroussky participated in Only the sound remains by Kaija Saariaho, because he know she wanted him and not just the ethereal, androgynous sound of any countertenor: “When I was asked, it was also agreed that this production would be taken on tour to different cities, including Amsterdam. She wrote two scenes for me because I wanted to audition. I wanted her to get to know my voice.” In the end, Jaroussky was cast in two roles in the opera, instead of only one he was originally planned for.
Next to the modern repertoire, there are earlier works. We talk about forgotten composers: there might be a reason why they are forgotten. Bach and Händel are great geniuses, but how about lesser-known names? “Geniuses are not always the greatest innovators,” Jaroussky says. “Agostino Steffani didn’t have Händel’s genius, but he has caused big changes. Alessandro Scarlatti is also very notable. They don’t always have the big hits, but they are bolder and more prone to trying out new things than Händel.”
“Geniuses are not always the greatest innovators”
Jaroussky does a concert tour which also takes him to the Netherlands, with a sample of the works by composers we don’t hear performed often enough. The arias he came up with himself: “I research in libraries, for manuscripts of arias that I want to include in the programs and if you’re looking for something, you often end up finding something even better. You read the sheet music of an aria, you turn the page, and there is suddenly a much more interesting piece.” This involves contemporaries of Bach and Händel as well as composers of an earlier time. “There are composers like Jomelli and Traetta that are yet to be discovered. I also like the era of early Baroque a lot; for example, many operas by Cavalli are being staged. His Ercole amante in Amsterdam was set in scene both modern and Baroque.” That’s meant as a compliment, because Jaroussky is fascinated by the combination of contemporary and historic. This is partly because our modern era allowed the sound of the old music to return in its full glory. “Cavalli has many recitativos: It is really dramatic. And think of Niobe by Steffani: A beautiful opera with da capo arias, dances, and comic relief characters. We now don’t only have the voices, but the orchestras as well, and that’s very important. Producing an opera like Vinci’s Artaserse wouldn’t have been possible without the virtuosity and the lightness of the modern Baroque orchestras. With the recording, we set out to prove that not all countertenors have the same colour of voice. I also discovered that there often is a sad, decadent note to the music written for castrati.” Händel, for example, wrote for the castrato Carestini: the title role in Ariodante as well as the role of Ruggiero in Alcina. “Ruggiero is an anti-hero, who is under Alcina’s thumb. It fits my character more than Ariodante, who I would have liked to sing, but it just doesn’t suit me.” There will be a DVD release, directed by Katie Mitchell: “What is great is that the staging is based on the libretto as well as Orlando Furioso by Ariosto. So Alcina and Morgana are old women, pretending to be young. It is modern and Baroque at the same time.” There it is again: modern and Baroque. The combination characterizes Jaroussky as well: the sound of the past, the voice of the future.
HEIN VAN EEKERT
NATURAL HIGH – PHILIPPE JAROUSSKY
The term countertenor has become common knowledge. Yet there are people who yet have to get used to the sometimes apparently unnatural high male voice. For these people, there is but one advice: Listen to Philippe Jaroussky. His voice, tone, and diction are so immediate and natural [vanzelfsprekend en natuurlijk] that they only invite to be surprised and delighted to hear so much beauty. On this compilation CD with some highlights from his oeuvre, every track is a hit. Of course, the French countertenor excels in the Baroque repertoire from Monteverdi to Vivaldi, but he equally feels at home in the early classical works by Johann Christian Bach or a nineteenth-century song by Reynaldo Hahn. And of course, he is surrounded by the best musicians and ensembles such as the Ensemble Matheus and L’Arpeggiata. An introduction for less than ten euros that will prove worth at least double the price. Jaroussky lovers should just buy a few as a gift when they visit friends to bring instead of flowers. Success is guaranteed.
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2016-05-06, al chile… Poblano!, n. A.
“Sé que el concierto está totalmente vendido y que habrá una pantalla para la gente que no pueda entrar, creo eso hará un ambiente particular, por lo que espero sea toda una fiesta y un encuentro que me marcará a mí y al público mexicano”, puntualizó. […]
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2016-05-06, Excelsior.com.mx, by Juan Carlos Talavera
Al mismo tiempo, la poesía te hace soñar y te transporta a un mundo que intenta demostrar otra realidad, añade, “Pero hay algo más que me gusta de la poesía: su humildad y su sinceridad. Podría decir que son palabras que no necesitan del dramatismo para ser escuchadas, es decir, sólo necesitamos decir las palabras con la más grande humildad y sinceridad. La poesía es una escuela para el cantante que está acostumbrado a exagerar un poquito en el mundo de la ópera. La poesía es otra manera de alcanzar la honestidad”.
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2016-05-06, CDMX
06 mayo. El contratenor francés Philippe Jaroussky, ofrecerá un viaje por la canción francesa de finales del siglo XIX e inicios del XX, con el concierto que realizará en el Palacio de Bellas Artes. Karina Corona.
2016-04-27, Juventud Rebelde, by José Luis Estrada Betancourt
De cualquier manera es un estudioso, y disfruta la investigación. «Parte de mi trabajo consiste en entender lo que canto. Para poder elegir qué camino tomar debo conocer bien las partituras, saber el cómo y el porqué. Fui a las bibliotecas buscando a Mozart y terminé grabando un disco de arias de Johann Christian Bach. De la misma manera, fortuita y mágica, Metastasio me llevó a Caldara. Y así tantas otras cosas».
Para nada sorprende a Jaroussky que una parte del público lo adore, mientras la otra no quiera saber que existe. «O se nos ama o se nos odia. La reacción es extrema porque no está la indiferencia. Mientras a unos les parece ridículo que un hombre cante tan agudo, otros ensalzan nuestra voz», señala, aunque de seguro vino a actuar para nosotros consciente de que fanes se le sobrarán en Cuba.
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2016-04-15, NDR, interview by Marcus Stäbler
Disclaimer
This is a fan translation – no infringement of copyright is intended. If you are the copyright holder and have any objections to this being online, drop us a line and we will remove it immediately.
We believe the publication fulfills the conditions of “fair use,” for discussion and study.
Source/Read more: [x]
~
Caption: Born in 1978, countertenor Philippe Jaroussky has been awarded the ECHO Klassik multiple times.
He is one of the superstars among the countertenors of our times: Philippe Jaroussky. In the season of 2016/2017, the Frenchman is Artist In Residence with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester. Marcus Stäbler met him for an interview.
Mr. Jaroussky, during the new season you are going to be artist in residence with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester. How does it feel to be able to establish a somewhat closer relationship with an orchestra and an audience?
Philippe Jaroussky: I am very happy. I feel I am being loved a lot in Germany in recent years (laughs). And I am looking forward to get to know Thomas Hengelbrock, whom I haven’t yet worked with.
If you only know the chief conductor of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester from a distance – what kind of impression do you have of him, and what do you expect from the collaboration?
Jaroussky: I know his recordings and I like them a lot. He has a very diverse repertoire and conducts a lot of different things. What is interesting is that we are both share a passion for Agostino Steffani, a baroque composer who is little known today. Thomas Hengelbrock has re-discovered Steffani’s opera “Niobe,” and I very recently recorded it with a different orchestra. Great music. I sense there’s a common curiosity about works that are rarely performed; I think that Thomas Hengelbrock and I share a certain openness in this regard.
Quote: “I don’t want to spend my life singing the same 20 arias over and over; I want to surprise the audience as well, and take risks.” – Philippe Jaroussky
From 2017 on, the concerts of the orchestra [the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester] – among others, two programs of yours – are going to take place at the Elbphilharmonie. Because of the high costs and the delays in the construction, the new building is seen very critically, very similar to what happened to the new Philharmonie in Paris, inaugurated in 2015. Is there something we could learn from the experiences there?
Jaroussky: Many people claimed beforehand that we didn’t need another concert hall in Paris, that barely anyone would go there. That’s wrong, as we can see now. There is actually a new audience that is attracted to the Philharmonie – and I am sure the same thing is going to happen with the Elbphilharmonie. Of course, you in Hamburg had to wait too long already for the opening. However, I am sure all of the problems are going to be forgotten when it begins. I have to say that I’m a bit proud to sing at the inauguration of the Elbphilharmonie, because in Paris, I hadn’t been invited (laughs).
Caption: Philippe Jaroussky doesn’t want to be limited to the classical Baroque repertoire for countertenors.
Let’s talk about the concert programs of your residency. In the series NDR Das Alte Werk you devote yourself to cantatas by Bach and Telemann – what is it that you find interesting about this music?
Jaroussky: I took a little time to study German repertoire. I learned German in school, but talking and singing are two entirely different things, and the German language has an altogether different colour than French or Italian. Because of that, I was a bit afraid to try and approach Bach’s works. His music is said to be difficult for singers, in parts because it is written as if he had been writing for instruments. In the meantime, I feel quite comfortable – and I think that my voice fits, because there is something instrumental about it. Some people say I sound like a violin, after all.
Caption: Just as inseparable from the history of Hamburg like the Gänsemarkt: Georg Philipp Telemann, who had the post of “städtischer Musikdirektor” [Hanseatic Music Director] from 1721 until his death.
Anyhow, to me, it is very important to sing German repertoire as well at a residency in Germany. Moreover, I think the combination of Bach and Telemann is exciting, especially because the composers are very different. Apart from that, I’d like to sing more sacred music in the future. Of course, I still like the “light” pieces, the coloraturas, but my voice has evolved over time.
Your stylistic range mirrors this evolution. At the start of your career, you focused on baroque music, yet in the meantime, you’re at home in other periods as well. For instance, with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester you are going to perform the romantic cycle “Les nuits d’é té “ by Hector Berlioz, …
Jaroussky: … which is very well known with female mezzosopranos. But I’m not the first countertenor: David Daniels recorded the cycle, and excellently! Of course, it is a challenge. However, it is just important for a singer to follow their instinct. With Berlioz, it is not quite as easy to find a balance between me and the orchestra as it is with smaller ensembles – I am sure however that Thomas Hengelbrock will be very delicate about it. Furthermore, my voice has grown in the meantime, it has more body than it used to have.
At the opening night to the new season, titled “Une affaire française,” a contemporary piece is on the bill as well: the “Sonnets de Louise Labé,” for countertenor and orchestra, written for you by Marc-André Dalbavie in 2008. Would you like to briefly introduce the piece?
Jaroussky: It is very hypnotic music, full of emotions. The sonnets that Dalbavie chose as a libretto were written more than 450 years ago. They are written in old French, which means there are more colours than in modern French.
When I first saw the sheet music, I was surprised, because it didn’t appear very “modern” at all, as you would expect from a contemporary composer. I perform it quite regularly, about one or two times a year, and it is really a success with the listeners. The colourful orchestration sounds very French, and there are quite a few subtle interactions between the voice and the instruments.
Caption: He used to try to persuade people: nowadays, countertenor Philippe Jaroussky wants to kindle strong emotions.
Countertenors being not limited only to Baroque and Classical but also singing Romantic, Impressionist, and contemporary pieces is a relatively new phenomenon. Has the job description changed during the last years?
Jaroussky: Yes, absolutely. People used to think that countertenor voices were very limited regarding their capabilities. However, the image is changing a lot. When I watch videos on YouTube or listen to CDs, I experience a new generation with incredible voices. It has become much easier to find high countertenors; this used to be altogether different. Maybe we will have a countertenor soon who sings the Queen of the Night, who knows?
A few decades ago, men who sang with high voices were considered quite exotic and, as a result, were sometimes met with supercilious glances. How is it nowadays; are countertenors a part of everyday life, or do you still occasionally get some strange reactions?
Jaroussky: I would say it has become normal. However, there are still people who are going to a concert and don’t know what they are in for. A few years ago, a girl in a church had to laugh out loud the moment I started to sing (laughs). She simply wasn’t prepared for what she heard. Actually, I don’t think it’s a bad thing when we trigger a reaction. Some people love countertenors and rave about angelic voices, others veritably hate it. At the beginning, I wanted to convince everyone. Nowadays, I think this isn’t my job. Emotions are a lot more important. If there are three or four moments of strong emotions during the two hours of a concert, it’s worth something.
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2016-04-06, BBC Radio 3, In Tune, by Sean Rafferty
Sean Rafferty with a lively mix of music, chat and arts news, including live music from the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, and interviews with some of the winners of the 2016 BBC Music Magazine awards.
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2016-03-16, Place de l’Opera, by Francois van den Anker
Mett Only the Sound Remains van Kaija Saariaho opende gisteravond het Opera Forward Festival. Enkele uren voor de wereldpremière sprak François van den Anker met de componiste over haar motieven en het werk aan haar opera. “Ik hoop dat het mensen aan het denken zet over hoe we omgaan met verlies, met dood.”
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