Concert Kurzak-Alagna - Wiener Staatsoper, October 2016
While the Wiener Staatsoper is visiting Japan, on Wednesday the singers' couple Aleksandra Kurzak and Roberto Alagna were invited to perform on its stage as part of the soloists' concerts. A colorful bouquet of arias and duets from the two artists' vast repertory thrilled the spectators.
" Lips are silent,violins whisper: Love me!" she sings in Polish, he in French. But naturally we understand well what Aleksandra Kurzak and Roberto Alagna chose to perform as an Encore. A true couple - they are also partners in life - recently celebrated in Halévy's La Juive at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich.
Now in Vienna they offered an impressive tasting of it. She, overwhelming as Rachel, with "Il va venir", he, powerfully poignant in Eleazar's great aria "Rachel, quand du Seigneur". That makes us think, just at the time of the 78th anniversary of the Crystal Night, that we could also have an exciting "La Juive" Vienna with these two performers. It is in Fiordiligi's aria "Come Scoglio" that Aleksandra Kurzak proved all her talent in Mozart, while Alagna boosted his tenor a little bit further in an interesting rarity, an aria from "Joseph" by Méhul. A little later, both, and the audience with them, took great pleasure in the duet "Caro Elisir" from "The elixir of love".
In the second part of the performance, they could also express their love as Desdemona and Otello, then as Marguerite and Faust. Kurzak delighted the audience as Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea and as Liù while Alagna did wonders as Maurizio ( "Adriana Lecouvreur") and Calaf. Warm applause for this couple of sympathetic singers."
Kronen Zeitung - Stefan Musil
While the Vienna Opera is touring Japan, Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak were performing on the Austrian stage. It was more than a concert, a real treat for both eyes and ears.
The program started very emotional with "Ange Adorable" from Romeo and Juliet by Gounod. Aleksandra continued by performing with grace the aria of Fioridiligi in Cosi fan Tutte by Mozart, "Temerari..come scoglio". It was Alagna's turn to show how he dominates the French repertoire among many others, performing the aria of Joseph "Vainement Pharaon" from the French opera of the same name by Etienne Méhul. Both artists then shone with a nostalgic sigh for Paris: the Violetta / Alfredo duet "Parigi o cara" from Verdi's Traviata.
Kurzak expressed many feelings in "Il va venir" the plea aria of Rachel by JF Halevy, while Alagna performed the dramatic aria of the same Opera "Rachel quand du Seigneur ...". It is a carafe of water, brought on stage by Alagna, which then served in lieu of "Elisir d'Amore", in the famous and delightful duet "Caro Elisir", with Kurzak as Adina and a madly in love Alagna as Nemorino.
They returned to the Italian repertoire after the intermission. Both gave a beautiful and intimate interpretation of the duet Desdemone/Otello, "Già nella notte" by Verdi. Then came the turn of a frightened and sobbing Nedda (from Pagliacci of Ruggero Leoncavallo) with "Qual fiamma avea nel guardo".
It was a rare pleasure then to hear an aria by the same Leoncavallo, in his own vision of "Bohème", "Adorata testa", in which Alagna embodied all Marcello's despair with an impressive last dramatic note.
Kurzak then gave the aria of Adriana Lecouvreur by Cileas "Ecco respiro appena" to which replied Maurizio's "L'animà ho stanca". The handkerchiefs appeared in the concert hall when Kurzak became Liù (Turandot) and sang "Tu che di gel sei cinta" by Puccini. My pleasure hit a peak when Alagna answered with the famous aria of Calaf "Non piangere Liù". And to finish this second part, a come back to French opera with the last duet of the program, between Faust and Marguerite, "Il se fait tard" (by Gounod).
At the Wiener Staatsoper, you probably need a lot to get the audience up on its feets. It was nevertheless fully satisfied and, combining the first timid bravos with a sustained chorus of applause, it greeted warmly Alagna, Kurzak and Jeff Cohen, visibly happy. "Merci beaucoup, Roberto!" "Serdecznie Dziękuję", Aleksandra!"
www.alles-klassik.com - Ingrid Adamiker