Berthold Goldschmidt - Beatrice Cenci; 4 Songs

Berthold GOLDSCHMIDT (1903-1996)

Beatrice Cenci - Opera in Three Acts (1949-1950)

Four Songs
1-Clouds*

2-Ein Rosenzweig *
3-Nebelweben *

4-Time*

Berthold Goldschmidt (Piano)*, Iris Vermillion (Mezzo Soprano)*

 Roberta Alexander (Soprano), Stefan Stoll (Voice), Simon Estes (Bass),
Della Jones (Mezzo Soprano), Fiona Kimm (Mezzo Soprano), Peter [bass voice] Rose (Bass),
Endrik Wottrich (Tenor), Siegfried Lorenz (Baritone), Reinhard Beyer (Bass),
John David De Haan (Tenor), Ian Bostridge (Tenor)


Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Berlin Radio Chorus
Conductor: Lothar Zagrosek
Date of Recording: 1994

Beatrice Cenci - Opera in Three Acts (1949-1950)

Libretto by Martin Esslin after Shelley's verse drama 'The Cenci'

World Premiere
16/04/1988
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
Director: Odaline de la Martinez
Compañía: Pro Musica Chorus of London / London Chamber Symphony

World stage premiere
10/09/1994
Magdeburg
Max K. Hoffmann, director
Director: Mathias Husmann
Compañía: Theater Magdeburg


This new Sony release proves a worthy successor to Decca’s acclaimed recording of Goldschmidt’s first opera, Die gewaltige Hahnrei. Beatrice Cenci, based on Shelley’s drama about the gruesome end of the Cenci family in 16th-century Rome, provides ample material for Goldschmidt’s gifts, and the English text is idiomatically set; musically, it has a style of its own, but most often brings to mind Busoni. The dramatic weight is placed on Count Cenci’s parricidal daughter and wife’s plight, condemned to a death that Cenci himself was able to buy his way out of time and again for his own crimes. The cast is a strong one, dominated by the burnished tone of Roberta Alexander in the title role of the abused daughter. Della Jones as her stepmother Lucrezia is equally fine and there are excellent contributions from Fiona Kimm as her young brother Bernardo and Peter Rose as Cardinal Camillo; there is also a beautifully sung cameo from Ian Bostridge as a court singer. The only disappointment is Simon Estes as the Count. His monotonous, congested tone and intermittent American accent undermine his supposedly menacing character. Lothar Zagrosek, an experienced hand in reviving mid-century operas, brings out all the voluptuousness of the orchestral writing. Finally, Iris Vermillion and the composer himself provide a captivating filler in four of his songs.

Matthew Rye, BBC Music