Anne Sofie von Otter.(recital)(Sound Recording Review)

Anne Sofie von Otter

"MUSIC FOR A WHILE" Baroque melodies by Purcell, Dowland, Monteverdi, Ferrari, Frescobaldi, Caccini, Strozzi et al. Vinikour (harpsichord, chamber organ), Lindberg (theorbo, lute, Baroque guitar), Ericson (theorbo). Texts and translations. Archiv B0003460-02

In this compilation of Italian and English Baroque songs, Anne Sofie yon Otter demonstrates once again what makes her artistry so special. Von Otter's ability to embrace multiple musical styles authentically has often been praised, but even within music of the same period, the mezzo approaches each song on its own terms, giving it exactly what it requires both emotionally and stylistically. In Benedetto Ferrari's "Amanti, io vi so dire," a raunchy admonition to avoid love at all costs, von Otter assumes a slightly drunken, masculine persona, painting her invective with delicious details, such as the painful, flatted croon on "cruda" (cruel) and the full-out belt on "pazzia" (craziness) and "spine" (thorns). She follows up with the delicate, introspective "Se l'aura spira" by Frescobaldi and the sorrowful "Dovro dunque morire" by Caccini. Her dramatic abilities are neatly on display in several selections by Monteverdi, including "Quel sguardo sdegnosetto," with its written-in laughter on repeated notes, and the lullaby "Adagiati, Poppea" from L'Incoronazione di Poppea. Usually sung by a tenor in the drag role of ...