Paer: Leonore
Soloists
Bayerisches Symphonieorchestra
Peter Maag
This is a much longer version of the story that the Mayr which I listened to previous - there is about 2 1/2hrs of music here altogether. Again there is striking music in the arias for the main characters but a lot of the rest of it is rather thin. All very competent of course as one would expect from a composer whose work was widely performed in his lifetime but much of the invention seems rather routine. Paer also didn’t quite know when to stop - the overture came to what seemed like a resounding end and then continued on for another couple of minutes and several of the arias were overextended to give the singers plenty of coloratura opportunities - this is an Italian opera after all!. The role of Marzellina is far too prominent and showy - she appears needlessly just after Florestan and Leonora have discovered each other and instead of leaving them to get re-acquainted she sings an elaborate duet with Leonora. Any sense of dramatic tension is lost.
Within the confines and conventions of Italian opera there is a plenty here to enjoy but this is never going to be a credible alternative to Beethoven. That is too much to expect.
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