**** At first glance, the program seems a Mozart miscellany. Some of the most popular arias from beloved operas interspersed with some barely known rarities. But upon listening, a program emerges that sparkles with life and enthusiasm. You can easily imagine a live performance alongside it. That's how it was originally conceived.
In the introduction to the cd, conductor Laurence Equilbey explains that the program was compiled with a live performance during the Festival La Seine Musicale of 2020 in mind. She views it as a "musical cabaret" around Mozart and wanted to collaborate with a number of artists with whom she has been familiar for many years, such as soprano Sandrine Piau, mezzo Lea Desandre, tenors Stanislas de Barbeyrac and Loïc Félix, and baritone Florian Sempey. For us as a Belgian audience, it is of course particularly appealing that soprano Jodie Devos also sings two fine arias. In the virtuosic aria of the Queen of the Night Der Hölle Rache, Devos once again confirms her astonishingly pure high notes and her breathtakingly excellent vocal artistry. Also in the more restrained aria Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio, the coloraturas shine with crystalline purity. Stanislas de Barbeyrac is a fine lyric tenor, who with excellent vocal control moves toward the high notes of Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön: an irresistibly seductive Tamino.
Sandrine Piau sings the two delightful arias of the Countess from Le Nozze di Figaro (Porgi amor and Dove sono i bei momenti) with intense sensitivity. There are also the more playful and flirtatious arias of Cherubino or the obscure cat duet from the pasticcio Der Stein der Weisen (with Desandre and Sempey). In between, Equilbey conducts her ensemble Insula Orchestra with verve in several short instrumental pieces. This alternation of atmosphere makes the program entertaining and stimulates the imagination. Experiencing it live would certainly have been great fun … But the cd brings the program to life in an extremely successful way regardless.
- WHAT: Magic Mozart
- WHO: Sandrine Piau and Jodie Devos (soprano), Lea Desandre (mezzo-soprano), Stanislas de Barbeyrac and Loïc Félix (tenor), Florian Sempey (baritone) – Insula Orchestra conducted by Laurence Equilbey
- RELEASE: Erato (1 cd)
- ORDER: JPC
- PHOTO: Jana Jocif