ShareThisThursday, November 09, 2006
Rock/Pop:
Elton John. "The Captain and the Kid." (Interscope)
Capturing the sound of 30 years ago is often easier for cocky young artists than the ones who actually labored back in the day; the Stones being a prime example.
On "The Captain and the Kid," Elton John finds it rather smooth sailing, particularly with songwriter Bernie Taupin, guitarist Davey Johnstone and drummer Nigel Olsson all on board.
"The Captain" is billed as the sequel to "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy," the last truly acclaimed album from John's '70s heyday. Far from his slick adult contemporary of recent years, "The Captain" has the honest earthy quality he built his early reputation on.
John has created a 10-track concept album that reflects on his partnership with Taupin, starting with "Postcards from Richard Nixon," a perky piano ballad that finds them hitting these shores during the Vietnam War as "a small diversion caused by two pale kids come to play." Already, Taupin and John, rolling along like his vintage self on piano and vocals, are flashing some of the magical melody of old.
"Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way (NYC)" could stand beside a classic like "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." And they may have had "The Bitch Is Back" in mind when they wrote "Just Like Noah's Ark," about the New York club scene, although one thing John doesn't do is rock with the abandon he once did.
"... And the House Fell Down" acknowledges the rise and fall in the middle of his career, and "I Must Have Lost It on the Wind " is a hard look at a promiscuous love life.
While a few of the songs are strictly autobiographical, a handful have more universal appeal. "Blues Never Fade Away" is a beautiful and chilling ballad about the randomness of death that compares us to "targets on a rifle range" and ends with Elton singing "And I miss John Lennon's laugh." He follows it with "The Bridge," a lovely little song about life at a crossroads that has him singing "And every one of us/has to face that day/do you cross the bridge/or do you fade away?"
Rating 4 of 5
_ Scott Mervis
Classical:
Puccini. "Edgar" (Deutsche Grammophon)
"Edgar," Puccini's second opera, has always been the stepchild among its composer's creations. Even his first tentative effort, "Le Villi," gets more respect. The music of "Edgar" contains glimpses of the Puccini we all love, along with romantic arias for each of the principals. But its awkward libretto _ a ridiculous medieval melodrama about a hero's wavering between the good girl and the bad girl in his life _ precludes a permanent place in the repertory.
"Edgar" has been recorded before but never in such a high-powered, close-to-perfect rendition as this. It's remarkable that Placido Domingo, 64 when this recording was made, runs two opera companies, conducts and still manages to learn a new role every year. It's even more remarkable that this tenor sounds healthy and fresh, and that his high notes are as solid as they ever were. There isn't much to be done here in the way of characterization, but Domingo phrases beautifully throughout.
Mezzo-soprano Marianne Cornetti takes the part of the promiscuous Tigrana, the opera's bad girl, who murders her rival at the end. It's safe to say that an artist has "arrived" when she sings a lead role in a major label studio recording opposite Domingo, and Cornetti is completely up to the task. Her full, burnished sound is solid from the sultry low phrases to the soprano reaches of her climatic moments, and her artistry is that of a mature, seasoned pro.
The remainder of the cast, under Alberto Veronesi's secure baton, is first rate as well. Soprano Adrians Damato lends a creamy quality to Fidelia's music, while baritone Juan Pons sings the opera's occasionally excerpted "Questo amor" with stentorian swagger.
Rating: 5
_ Robert Croan
Lehar. "Eva." (CPR)
If you know and love "The Merry Widow," lend an ear (or two) to Lehar's "Eva," a delightful operetta premiered in 1911, just six years after the composer's masterpiece, by which time the "Widow" had become the rage of Europe. However, unlike the earlier heroine, who has her late husband's money at her disposal, Eva is a machine worker in a glass factory, and the social elements of the plot were found daring in their time.
Eva catches the fancy of the boss's son, Octave. She rejects his first advance but later, when they are discovered in an innocent but apparently compromising position, Octave tells the crowd she is his fiancee. When she realizes he didn't mean it, she goes off to Paris to become a courtesan. He follows her, proposes for real this time, and Cinderella ends up with her Prince.
Well, that's the stuff of Viennese operetta. The score is quite delightful, however, with several numbers parallel to episodes in "Merry Widow." The heroine's big solo (popular in the first part of the 20th century) comes early on, and it's opulently vocalized by Morenika Fadayomi. Its beautiful melody returns in the Finale. There's a secondary couple reminiscent of the "Widow's" Valencienne and Camille, and a strutting march number. That could pass for a reject from Maxim's.
This superb new recording, conducted by Wolfgan Bozic at the Bad-Ischl Festival, is a major event, since the only previous version was an uneven Spanish performance justified only by the presence of tenor Alfredo Kraus. The only fly in the ointment is the lack of a complete libretto. The accompanying booklet includes only essays and a rather confusing synopsis.
Rating: 4
_ Robert Croan
