LEON CAVALLO: Pagliacci.(Review)

LEONCAVALLO: Pagliacci [] Frittoli; Cura, Castronovo, C. Alvarez, Keenlyside; Netherlands Radio Choir, Het National Kinderhook and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Chailly. Text and translation. Decca 289 467 086-2

Yet another Pagliacci built around a star tenor -- or, in this case, a rising star. Granted, Jose Curds lyric voice lacks the sheer amplitude that Canio requires -- in the opening scene, the lowest phrases don't really project, while the climactic "a ventitre ore" betrays strain -- and he occasionally resorts to gimmicks, darkening vowels and pushing an open, nasal tone in an attempt to simulate the correct presence. On the other hand, his basic timbre (bright and ringy at the top, startlingly baritonal below middle C) suits the role well. Cura's tone is attractive and liquid in congenial tessitura; he sings the big aria and "No, Pagliaccio non son" freely, keeping the traditional performance mannerisms within the bounds of taste. This is a satisfactory if hardly ideal Canio, surpassing the similarly tenorcentric vehicles of Pavarotti (Decca/London 414590) and Carreras (EMI CDMB 63650).

The fuss over Cura shouldn't obscure the really first-class performance here: Barbara Frittoli's Nedda. As recorded, she has a distinctive, round, fruity timbre in the middle voice, soaring to a bright, juicy, spinning top. Her solid technique produces a firmly bound legato and allows for plenty of dynamic give-and-take. She sings the ballatella in long, arching phrases (though she doesn't quite match them in the Silvio duet), and she is alert and responsive in the ...