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| Reviews of Opus X | ||||||||||||||||
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| Bach: Cantatas Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen & Ich habe genung. Elja Puukko (baritone); Opus X orchestra; choir; dir. Petri Tapio Mattson. Fuga. 110 FIM. Here we have a genuine Easter time recording of real merit. Not the least surprising fact is, that the CD is an entirely Finnish product. It is an excellent indication of the high standards of our Baroque music culture, that in the field of highly demanding repertoire such as Bach cantatas there is released a recording, which can compete with the most outstanding Central European recordings of the last decade. Already the orchestra on the recording, Opus X directed by Petri Tapio Mattson, which consists of second generation Finnish Baroque musicians, arouses attention. The orchestra performs in a colorful and energetic style with which we are familiar from many German orchestras, on the other hand being capable of lighter phrasing, too. Only the contrasts between piano/pianissimo and forte nuances could have been bigger in the finale of 'Ich habe genung', in which the solo oboe is also at times put in the shadow by the rest of the ensemble. Although Elja Puukko has given proof of his abilities in church repertoire before, I wouldn't have believed him to reach this high on his first recording. His baritone has gained in sonority and openness of sound, its timbre possessing beauty and individuality. His singing has become more nuanced, and the figural singing is good as well. The interpretation of 'Ich habe genung' comes close to perfection, since the lovely lullaby aria 'Schlummert ein' is soft and calming, and the finale aria 'Ich freue mich' proceeds in a swift tempo without becoming muddled. The pronunciation of German is exceptional by Finnish standards. The approach to the recitatives could have been even stronger and more involved, but everything is already fine this way. The duration of the CD is not too generous, falling a bit short of 40 minutes. That shouldn't keep listeners from observing the most essential thing: Elja Puukko offers both controlled and addressing cantata interpretations. This is not a slight achievement. Veijo Murtomäki; Helsingin Sanomat, 25.3.1999 |
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