Opera enthusiasts and those who like Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko will find themselves captivated by Netrebko and Hvorovstovsky Live from Red Square Moscow. This particular viewer has been a huge fan of classical music and opera for almost all her life, and likes both stars a good deal, if more Hvorostovsky than Netrebko. I did find this concert captivating. The scenery looks spectacular, Russia has to have some of the loveliest scenery of any country, and it's done justice by the elaborate yet expressive filming and picture quality that has the colour and clarity that you'd expect. It would be tough to find the right adjectives to describe how good the music is, individually and ensembles in orchestra and chorus-wise, there are several favourites here while the inclusion of Russian songs Dark Eyes and Moscow Nights are every bit as delightful for their beautiful melodies and poetic words.
The orchestra bring every bit of power, emotion and nuance out of every piece, occasionally sounding a tad underpowered(maybe due to sound quality that could have been sharper or the want of a larger size but this is a big emphasis on the occasionally), but the tone, dynamic range and textures are just beautiful. The La Forza Del Destino overture will rouse the spirits and is a great way to start any concert. Constantine Orbelian conducts with a really elegant sense of line, refinement and authority, never resorting to self-indulgence. He is particularly outstanding in the Eugene Onegin Polanaise, completely understanding that the piece should be grand and uplifting. The chorus sing expressively, Va Pansiero from Nabucco is very affecting and Uzh Kak Po Mostu, Mostochku from Eugene Onegin(stylistically very distinctive, even if you don't know the chorus as well as others you can tell it's Tchaikovsky) starts wistfully and later bursts into great energy.
Both Hvorostovsky and Netrebko are both on top form, both manage to sing in their own comfort zones and both tackle heavier repertoire and to surprisingly good effect(I was not expecting Netrebko to sing Andrea Chenier's La Mamma Morta with the untaxed vocal beauty she showed). Both are terrific actors as can be seen in the dramatically riveting Eugene Onegin duet and are very communicative to one another and to the audience. Hvorostovsky, one of today's better singers, does still have the habit of breathing too noisily but the warm sizable if not large tone still remains as well as his fluid phrasing and legato lines, both in familiar repertoire like Don Carlo's O Carlo Ascolta- poignant in how expressive it is- and Il Trovatore's Tutto e deserto(commanding and not forgetting to not be too one-dimensional, easy to do as DiLuna has never been the most subtle of roles)... and in the heavier arias Tosca's Te Deum and Rigoletto's Cortigiani, sung with ferocity and feeling. His stage presence is magnetic, in Cortigiani he really does come to life.
Netrebko also sounds great, even if her diction's not always clear. Her voice is much darker than when she was singing Susanna at Salzburg- where she was also slimmer- for example but it still has the beauty and lustre(also more controlled than it can be, there is some pushing which causes some wayward intonation but she does at least on the most part sing in tune), and her musicality and expression are remarkable. Likewise with her stage presence which is always heartfelt, passionate and noble, things that couldn't be more apparent in La Mamma Morta. That is also an example of an aria that you don't expect Netrebko to sing, there was the worry on my part as to whether it would be too heavy for her, when it has been done so well by bigger voices like Renata Tebaldi's, but she gives some beautiful singing and doesn't sound taxed. She is equally outstanding in the Onegin duet, Tatiana is one of those roles where you are surprised that she didn't take it on sooner when it sounds as though she'd been singing it for ages.
Dark Eyes and Moscow Nights are lovely, unashamedly sentimental songs, sung beautifully and with a clear understanding of what they mean. All in all, a wonderful concert that you are unlikely to forget for a long while after. Judging from their reactions and how they were singing along, luckily not in a manipulative way like some of the Andre Rieu concerts have been prone to, it was clear that the audience loved it as well. 10/10 Bethany Cox
The orchestra bring every bit of power, emotion and nuance out of every piece, occasionally sounding a tad underpowered(maybe due to sound quality that could have been sharper or the want of a larger size but this is a big emphasis on the occasionally), but the tone, dynamic range and textures are just beautiful. The La Forza Del Destino overture will rouse the spirits and is a great way to start any concert. Constantine Orbelian conducts with a really elegant sense of line, refinement and authority, never resorting to self-indulgence. He is particularly outstanding in the Eugene Onegin Polanaise, completely understanding that the piece should be grand and uplifting. The chorus sing expressively, Va Pansiero from Nabucco is very affecting and Uzh Kak Po Mostu, Mostochku from Eugene Onegin(stylistically very distinctive, even if you don't know the chorus as well as others you can tell it's Tchaikovsky) starts wistfully and later bursts into great energy.
Both Hvorostovsky and Netrebko are both on top form, both manage to sing in their own comfort zones and both tackle heavier repertoire and to surprisingly good effect(I was not expecting Netrebko to sing Andrea Chenier's La Mamma Morta with the untaxed vocal beauty she showed). Both are terrific actors as can be seen in the dramatically riveting Eugene Onegin duet and are very communicative to one another and to the audience. Hvorostovsky, one of today's better singers, does still have the habit of breathing too noisily but the warm sizable if not large tone still remains as well as his fluid phrasing and legato lines, both in familiar repertoire like Don Carlo's O Carlo Ascolta- poignant in how expressive it is- and Il Trovatore's Tutto e deserto(commanding and not forgetting to not be too one-dimensional, easy to do as DiLuna has never been the most subtle of roles)... and in the heavier arias Tosca's Te Deum and Rigoletto's Cortigiani, sung with ferocity and feeling. His stage presence is magnetic, in Cortigiani he really does come to life.
Netrebko also sounds great, even if her diction's not always clear. Her voice is much darker than when she was singing Susanna at Salzburg- where she was also slimmer- for example but it still has the beauty and lustre(also more controlled than it can be, there is some pushing which causes some wayward intonation but she does at least on the most part sing in tune), and her musicality and expression are remarkable. Likewise with her stage presence which is always heartfelt, passionate and noble, things that couldn't be more apparent in La Mamma Morta. That is also an example of an aria that you don't expect Netrebko to sing, there was the worry on my part as to whether it would be too heavy for her, when it has been done so well by bigger voices like Renata Tebaldi's, but she gives some beautiful singing and doesn't sound taxed. She is equally outstanding in the Onegin duet, Tatiana is one of those roles where you are surprised that she didn't take it on sooner when it sounds as though she'd been singing it for ages.
Dark Eyes and Moscow Nights are lovely, unashamedly sentimental songs, sung beautifully and with a clear understanding of what they mean. All in all, a wonderful concert that you are unlikely to forget for a long while after. Judging from their reactions and how they were singing along, luckily not in a manipulative way like some of the Andre Rieu concerts have been prone to, it was clear that the audience loved it as well. 10/10 Bethany Cox
