Being Beauteous

Anu Komsi · Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra · Uusinta Chamber Ensemble · Benjamin Britten

2011 · ABCD 331

Credits

Performers: Anu Komsi — SopranoOstrobothnian Chamber OrchestraUusinta Chamber Ensemble
Composers: Benjamin BrittenHans Werner HenzeArnold SchoenbergNiccolo CastiglioniKarol Szymanowski
Conductors and other contributors: Juha Kangas — ConductorSakari Oramo — Conductor

About this release

Britten - Henze - Schoenberg - Castiglioni - Szymanowski
Being Beautiful
Anu Komsi soprano
Central Ostrobothnia Chamber Orchestra
Juha Kangas conductor
Uusinta chamber ensemble
Sakari Oramo conductor
The talented soprano's colorful vocal art on a wide scale
Being Beauteous is a stunning new album by our international coloratura soprano star Anu Koms. The red thread of the album is the poet Arthur Rimbaud, whose texts both Benjamin Britten's Les Illuminations and Hans Werner Henze's Being Beauteous are based on.
In Britten's work, the Central Ostrobothnia Chamber Orchestra plays under the direction of Juha Kankaa, in other works Anu Komsi is accompanied by the Uusinta chamber ensemble with varying compositions led by Sakari Oramo.

Tracks

Les Illuminations Op. 18 (1939)
1.Fanfarecomp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004592:01
2.Villes (Towns)comp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004602:11
3.Phrasecomp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004611:18
4.Antiquecomp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004622:08
5.Royauté (Royalty)comp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004631:31
6.Marinecomp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004641:01
7.Interludecomp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004652:35
8.Being Beauteouscomp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004665:05
9.Paradecomp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004672:34
10.Départ (Departure)comp. Benjamin BrittenISRC FIABA11004682:55
11.Being Beauteous (1963)comp. Hans Werner Henze (b.1926)ISRC FIABA110046914:45
Herzgewächse (Foliage of he Heart) Op. 20 (1911)
12.Herzgewächse (Sydänkasvillisuutta) Op. 20 (1911)comp. Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)ISRC FIABA11004703:03
Les Illuminations Op. 18 (1939)
13.Terzina (1992-1993)comp. Niccolo Castiglioni (1932-1996)ISRC FIABA11004715:16
Slopiewnie (The Cherry Trees) Op. 46b (1921)
14.I Slowisien (Cherry Blossom): Andantino dolcecomp. Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)ISRC FIABA11004722:26
15.II Zielone slowa (Green Joy): Moderatocomp. Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)ISRC FIABA11004732:01
16.III Sw. Franciszek (St Francis): Lento assai, Divotocomp. Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)ISRC FIABA11004742:47
17.IV Kalinowe Dwory (A Red Song): Allegramente ma non troppo vivacecomp. Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)ISRC FIABA11004751:08
18.V Wanda: Lento assai, Monotonniecomp. Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)ISRC FIABA11004762:36

Reviews

These five poems are superb examples of his art, while Anu Komsi brings her focused and in-depth interpretative skills to new heights in this small masterpiece.
Audiophile Audition · Steven Ritter · July 16, 2012
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This varied repertory is sung to perfection and with consistent vocal beauty by the remarkable Finnish soprano Anu Komsi.
ClassicalCDReview.com · Robert Benson · August 23, 2012
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In recent years, recordings seem to have mainly featured tenors, so Komsi’s reading is most welcome for its spontaneity and lack of “Britishness”, in comparison, say, with Felicity Lott’s classic version.
SA-CD.net · John Miller · October 4, 2012
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Komsi seemingly easily encompasses the vast range and tessitura of these complex piece.
American Record Guide · Charles H Parsons · November 12, 2012
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Anu Komsi levytti hienon teoskokoelman
”Komsin levyn ohjelmisto on kunnianhimoinen ja saa minulta kehut jo pelkän valikoimansa perusteella. Hurja taidonnäyte on Arnold Schönbergin ”Herzgewächse” op. 20: siinä Komsin on laulettava kolmiviivainen f pianissimossa, vokaalilla y!
[…]
Henzen teoksessa Radion sinfoniaorkesterin muusikot ja sellisti Ulla Lampela näyttävät kyntensä kamariorkesteri Uusinnan nimen alla. Kapellimestarina on Sakari Oramo. Brittenin energiatasot nostaa Keski-Pohjanmaan…
YLE Uudet levyt · Janne Koskinen
Hekumallista koloratuurilaulua
”[…] Brittenin laulusarja Les Illuminations ja Henzen Being Beauteous Rimbaudin runoihin hekumoivat aistinautinnolla. […] Schönbergin Herzgewächse yhdistää lähes kolmen oktaavin hiuksianostattavat hypyt varjoisasti hamuilevaan säestykseen. Castiglionin Terzina ja Szymanowskin laulusarja Slopiewnie (Kirsikankukkia) ihmettelevät maailmaa lapsenmielisesti.
Anu Komsi on tunnettu korkeista pianissimoista ja osumatarkkuudesta. […] Juha Kankaan johtama Keski-Pohjanmaan kamariorkesteri lyö Brittenissä laudalta monet muut levytykset.
Jukka
Helsingin Sanomat · Jukka Isopuro
”I don’t know if the planning was deliberate, but the effect of coming past the familiar string-orchestral sounds of Britten’s Les Illuminations (where Anu Komsi is accompanied by the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra) to the remaining four pieces (whose delicate traceries are outlined by the Uusinta Chamber Ensemble) is rather like coming through a waterfall into a secret cave, with Komsi acting as a guide to the mysteries within. Her liquid tone weaves its way through the shimmering colours,…
FMQ · Martin Anderson
”Juuri tällaista soololevyä olen Anu Komsilta odottanut ja kaivannut! Ohjelmisto koostuu 1900-luvun haastavimmista lauluteoksista, jotka yhdistää kokonaisuudeksi jännittynyt ja herkkä sostenuto-tunnelma. […] Levyn orkesterit sopivat Komsin kunnianhimoiseen, tarkkaan tyyliin.”
Kare
Rondo · Kare Eskola
Komsi sings the 20th century with help from husband Oramo
”[…] Described as having a ‘dynamic coloratura voice’, Komsi is no ordinary, girl-next-door soprano. Her singing comes on a generous scale, with a wide range and bags of personality – easily enough to encompass every aspect of this multifaceted 20th-century programme. […] It is hard to imagine a programme that is more imaginative or singing more compelling.”
Richard
Gramophone · Richard Fairman
”Anu Komsi has an extraordinarily beautiful and interesting voice: small yet headily vibrant, with a timbral similarity at times to Janet Baker; she can also drain the voice of vibrato and sound very close to a boy soprano. […] And what a performance they give here! Rhythmically alert, even pointed at times, the music dances as if on the head of a pin, and Komsi injects a musical and textual interpretation that makes one’s head spin. It’s so hard to describe, but the best way I can put it is…
Fanfare · Lynn René Bayley
Hot on the heels of Anne-Catherine Gillet’s performance of
Les Illuminations ( review )
comes another, quite different one from the Finnish coloratura
soprano Anu Komsi. My suspicion that Britten wasn’t totally
in sympathy with Rimbaud’s poetry is unsupported by documentary
evidence, but in my own case there is no doubt: Rimbaud prevents
me from fully appreciating the work.
MusicWeb International [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Apr12/Beauteous_Alba331.htm]
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