Adam: Le Toreador

Opera no 86

Adam: Le Toreador

Soloists

Welsh National Opera

Richard Bonynge

Adam is remembered mainly for his ballet music, in particularly the score to Giselle but he also wrote several operas. The most famous is probably Le Postillion de Longameau, becuase tenors like to tack the very high leading role, but this one has not been completely forgotten. That is mainly because of the variations on ah vous dirai je maman (Twinkle twinkle little star to you and me) which has been recorded by most of the coloratura sopranos from the early days of recording onwards. Those variations have a flute obligato - not uncommon in show pieces for the soprano - but here the added twist is that the love interest is himself a flute player.

I thought that this was a gorgeous little work. It has a charming overture and everything comes across fresh as a new coat of paint. You can certainly see why Adam had such success as a ballet composer - he has a real sense both of melody and of style. I’m pleased to have given myself the chance to hear the opera for the first time.

Nicolai: The Merry Wives of Windsor

Opera 13

Nicolai: The Merry Wives of Windsor

Soloists

Bavarian State Opera

Robert Heger

In the days when concerts regularly started with overtures the overture to this opera was one of the most regularly performed pieces. But these days overtures are much less commonly played and so this has rather fallen from familiarity. I'll return to it later.

The opera, which dates from 1849, was Nicolai's last - he died aged 38 only a couple of months after the premiere. I thought that it was a delightful work -it is infused with the spirit of Weber and, especially, Mendelssohn. Some of the pieces in the opera could have passed for additional numbers in the incidental music to A midsummer night's dream and I am sure that Mendelssohn would not have disowned them.

This is very much an opera about the merry wives themselves - the role of Falstaff is surprisingly small, though I suspect that with the spoken dialogue taken into consideration it is a much more expansive role on stage than it is on disc. The ensembles are a real joy and there is great good humour throughout - even when Falstaff is being pinched!  Some of the solo arias are a little cloying and there is too much old-fashioned ornamentation but that it a minor drawback in what is otherwise an impressive score. Who knows what Nicolai might have written had lived another 30 years.

Back to the overture. As I listened to the opera I mentally ticked off the appearance of all of the themes from the overture except the most famous one - the C major tune that forms the second subject. But it never appeared.  What confidence to reserve that lovely tune just for the overture and keep the audience waiting for its (non) appearance.