2015-11-10_02 featured press

Bachtrack – A profoundly impressive Theodora from Les Arts Florissants in Amsterdam

2015-11-05, Bachtrack, by Olga de Kort

Handel’s characters found their excellent performers in Katherine Watson, Philippe Jaroussky, Krešimir Špicer and Stéphanie d’Oustrac. The pure voice of Watson is full of beauty and inner persuasion. In her duets with Didymus it blended beautifully with the tones of Jaroussky. D’Oustrac set up a forthright Irene, while Špicer portrayed a compassionate Septimus.

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2015-11-12 featured press

de Volkskrant – William Christie ontlokt veerkracht, stuwing, kleur en eendracht – Translation

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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2015-11-07 featured press

Place de l’Opera – Christie opent de hemel in Theodora

2015-11-07, Place de l’Opera, by Jordi Kooiman

Haar geliefde Didymus kreeg in Philippe Jaroussky een voortreffelijke vertolker. Deze countertenor laat het nooit afweten: met die unieke klankrijkdom in zijn stem en zijn voorbeeldige muzikaliteit weet hij iedere keer weer je hart binnen te dringen.

 

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2015-11-05 featured press

France Inter – L’humeur vagabonde

2015-11-05, France Inter, by Kathleen Evin

Le contre-ténor Philippe Jaroussky pour son dernier enregistrement Partenope de Handel disponible dès demain chez Erato et son concert le 13 janvier au Théâtre des Champs Elysées

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2015-11-02 featured press

Parterre – martyr system

2015-11-02, Parterre,  by Christopher Corwin

At this best, Jaroussky can still be fiercely moving but much of his music on Saturday seemed to lie awkwardly for his high countertenor, repeatedly pushing him into his weaker middle and lower registers. He also suffered more than anyone from the cuts that denied him the opportunity to carefully build his arias through their intended ABA progression. His—and Watson’s—finest moment came at the end in the transporting “Streams of pleasure” where the doomed lovers anticipate their imminent doom in music of ravishing sensuality.

 

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2015-10-02_02 featured press

Philippe Jaroussky on Facebook – “Goodbye NYC …”

2015-11-02, Philippe Jaroussky on Facebook

“Goodbye NYC see you next time in may!”

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2015-11-03_02 featured press

The New York Times – Review: ‘Theodora,’ Once a Handel Flop, Is Celebrated Anew

2015-11-03, The New York Times, by Anthony Tommasini

Handel doesn’t give us some Christian dogmatist, but rather a liberal-minded Roman officer who advocates tolerance, plaintively sung by Mr. Jaroussky. There may be countertenors with brighter, bigger voices, but few with such melting sound and elegance.

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2015-10-24 featured press

France Musique, Station Opéra – “Theodora” de Georg Friederich Haendel

2015-10-24, France Musique, Station Opéra

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2015-10-23 featured press

Res Musica – Theodora avec Stéphanie d’Oustrac et Philippe Jaroussky : Divin Crépuscule

2015-10-23, Res Musica, by Alain Attyasse

Philippe Jaroussky est absolument éblouissant, comme l’on pouvait s’y attendre, de par son métier solide et son expérience aguerrie de ce répertoire. Les airs vifs sont parfaitement en place avec des vocalises nettes, précises (« Kind Heaven, if virtue be thy care) et la messa di voce véritablement radieuse ( « Deeds of kindness to diplay », « The raptur’d soul »).

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2015-10-21 featured press

Opera Today – Theodora, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

2015-10-21, Opera Today, by Frank Cadenhead

The Roman officer who tries to save Theodora, Didymus, was sung by the celebrated counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky. While the voice seemed to have a bit less impact that in the past in this same theater, it retains the superb grace and beauty which took him to the top. This and his instinctive theatrical sense make him appealing as the Roman officer who questions the authoritarian state.

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