ARIODANTE
Last night, after a great day of music rehearsals for Orfeo and Vespers, I was at the DNO for the dress rehearsal of Ariodante, to support my friends Andrew Tortise and Sarah Connolly, who sang in Poppea with my and are both in this production. It is Richard Jone's production from Aix-en Provence and conducted by Andrew Marcon, and....its my absolute favorite Handel opera. There was some mighty fine playing from those two, and also the divine Sandrine Piau. It certainly also provide that Handel is serious music for serious singers...he finds you out! I'm not wild about the production, I think Ariodante is Handel's most intimate and human piece, and needs a lightness of touch. That said, I was very happy to be there. Now for another full day of Moneteverdi, what could be beter?, and an evening spent working on (finishing?) the designs for Gluck Orphee.