I really must revise my opinion about JDF. It's like, every time I see him, I always qualify my review by saying, I'm not sure that his sort of voice is really in line with my 'ideal' tenor voice. And then I say, I'd like him more in different repertory, because he sings a lot of Rossini, and I can take or leave Rossini.
But each time I hear Juanito, I keep coming away completely satisfied with his performance. Doesn't mean that I am suddenly going to become a 'tenor -di -grazie -singing -Rossini' freak, but I will happily listen to Juan Diego Florez singing Rossini far more than I would listen to many other singers in my preferred repertory. And, anyway, in the second half he went into Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi and Wagner. I'm joking about the Wagner...Programme below the fold.
I do not think that he was in the best of vocal condition. There was once or twice when I felt that there was strain on certain notes. I was close enough that I could see his face quite clearly and he seemed to be wincing a few times. And despite incessant demanding applause from the audience, he did not sing Ah mes amis as an encore, although he must have known that was what we wanted and he seemed apologetic in saying that he would repeat the end part of Cessa di più resistere.
I much preferred the second half of the concert to the first, but that is largely because of my indifference to Rossini and my love of Donizetti and Verdi (I'm not overly familiar with Bellini but this concert is another step in making me realise I want to learn more). When I was listening, I could intellectualise about the brilliance of JDF's voice, especially in executing the florid runs, whereas in the second half I was moved by the beauty of the music as well, of course, by his voice. Of the pieces on the main programme, my favourite was the 'Linda' aria but overall I liked Una furtiva lagrima the best. The woman next to me, clearly a very keen fan, said that she played six versions back to back and his was the best. I wasn't going to stand there arguing, but I did remember that I intended at one point to carry out my own competitive face-off between the numerous different versions I have on disc. I like dhis Verdi, and would certainly want to hear him as the Duca di Mantova, but I feel that he doesn'thave great enough low enough notes (as yet) and I would be happy to hear him in lots more Donizetti and Bellini - and having watched his Barbiere on the TV on Friday, I would actually go to Rossini if he was in it.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening. He is exceptional in concert; there are few singers who give such a polished performance. He doesn't do a lot of interaction with the audience, although he did speak twice during the encores, and during the long instrumental passage in Granada he implored the conductor (with facial expression) to let him have a go soon. He doesn't need to play act because, although quite a reserved and undemonstrative person, as far as I can tell, he is expressive in the way he actually sings. Any pub singer can ham it up on stage but only the greats can express meaning through voice alone, with just a bit of added extra body language that comes from within. I find his diction excellent. Without following the libretto in the programme I was able to follow with ease what he was singing. I suppose, because of being such a light tenor and because of his rep, he will never be my joint second favourite singer, but each time I hear him, I like him more and more. One of the current greats of the opera world, without a doubt. A very special singer.
I'm sorry that I couldn't get better photos but I was harassed by the camera police - and I wasn't even using flash. I feel sort of guilty about that, because I was one of the first bloggers in London habitually to publish illicit photos. Where I led, others followed, and now it's like the ushers are tasked to patrol. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I almost feel as though I am being singled out. And yet, Juan saw my camera and smiled in a relaxed friendly way.
I can't understand why so many people left before the end. I will always accept that people have trains to catch. I was once at a concert next to someone who was in London for the day on business and decided to take in the concert even though he knew that he would have to leave early to catch the last train back to Leeds. But this concert finished at 10 pm, and I doubt that anybody will miss their last train as a result. Maybe they will have an hour's wait, but I would far rather sit miserably on a station than miss the encores of a concert - if I wasn't enjoying it all, I'd have been gone at the interval. Overheard on the way out some boring sod objecting to him singing 'Granada'. One cr**so**r song, in the encores, is hardly operatic sacrilege, especially as it's a song that very few people can actually sing well.
It seems that my alter ego was also there
Sinfonia - La Cenerentola/La Gazzetta: Rossini (Orchestra)
Deh! Troncate i ceppi suoi (Elisabetta Regina d'Inghilterra) - Rossini
Mystery aria: The programme said it was 'Oh muto asil del pianto' from Il Barbiere di Siviglia, but I couldn't folow the worse in the programme, which in any case says that the opera is hour six hours long and is about a 13th century Swiss Patriot who has to shoot an arrow at an apple on his son's head (which I don't remember the Barber of Seville doing, and I reckon Seville is in Spain, rather than the Alps)
Sinfonia - Il Barbiere di Siviglia/Aureliano in Palmira/Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra (Rossini believed in recycling overtures...) (Orchestra)
Cessa di più resistere - Il Barbiere di Siviglia
All'udir del padre afflitto (Bianca e Fernando): Bellini
Sinfonia - Norma: Bellini (Orchestra)
Questo o quella/Parmi veder le lagrime - Rigoletto: Verdi
Sinfonia - La favorita - Donizetti
Linda si ritirò - Linda di Chamounix: Donizetti
Encores:
Una furtiva lagrima - L'Elisir D'amore: Donizetti
La donna è mobile - Rigoletto: Verdi
Granada - Lara
Cessa di più resistere - Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Franklin
