With this post, we embark on a new regular-ish feature at Parterre: reviews of new vocal recordings and video offerings. The reviews will not cover all new releases and I encourage the parterriani to provide their thoughts on these or other recent-ish new recordings in the comments. As always, your own review submissions are welcome, too!
For our first review, we turn to the new recording of Dido and Aeneas featuring Joyce DiDonato, Michael Spyres and Maxim Emelyanychev leading Il Pomo d’Oro.
DiDonato’s performance displays all of her familiar virtues: impeccable musicianship, clear diction, and intensity of expression without any over-emoting or falling into bathos. The ensemble matches her in responsiveness while occasionally skirting the line of being too “extra.” For a taste of this, listen to how Beth Taylor as the Sorceress snarls the line “The Queen of Carthage, whom we hate” or the Varèsian percussive eruption for the storm that opens the second Act.
Michael Spyres is not even in “baritenor” mode for this recording; he has gone full baritone. His singing has the vocal center of gravity of a Kurwenal, not a Tristan. Fatma Said does not make a particularly strong impression as Belinda, a common fate of many in this part.
Back in the early 1980s when I was but a fledgling opera queen, I imprinted on Janet Baker’s first recording of this work. Now, hearing this newer performance, I no longer recognize that older one as “mother” and this will take its place as the one I turn to most frequently.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
