Never before have I heard this mass - Neue Merker, (Austria)

Reviews

(Translated from the German)
Never before have I heard this mass - often described as the “last opera” of the 
composer – so dynamically and sensitively  nuanced in its performance.
There was much more to it than the fortissimos and competition singing among the soloists and Robert Bass’s fantastically well prepared choir (a special thank you- bouquet to the highly challenged sopranos). One heard the finest nuances of wonderfully internalized pianissimos to the well known warmest fortes of the Dies Irae.  Thus also the sacred content of the work became discernable in a convincingly new way.

The altogether young musicians of the Verbier Festival Orchestra played with such devotion, joy, technique and concentration that one imagined one was listening to an orchestra that has grown together over a long time. Maestro Levine obviously rehearsed very intensively with them, conveying his interpretation of the work so convincingly that he could, without any outward showing, sit, seemingly withdrawn in himself, giving minimal signs, conduct and put his stamp on the evening.

And now to the highly renowned quartet of soloists: they accepted and supported James Levine’s interpretation wonderfully. All four, each of them endowed with a beautifully timbered voice did not simply sing ‘come what may’ to impress and shine with their beautiful voice but were also convincing singing piano and mezzo forte.
Barbara Frittoli’s soprano has warm and secure high notes: from silvery-floating expressive piano to the powerful fortissimo needed for the tutta forza’s.Dolora Zajick convinces, after a long career, her voice still perfectly intact. She
produces from low to high a seemingly registerless warm and flowing belcanto-sound. Marcello Giordani was maybe the “weak point” in the quartet; he was really good,but did not reach the world-class format of his soloist colleagues. And finally: last but not least, René Pape, a warm, noble timbered bass voice of a rare select quality  …  fantastic.
A wonderful evening, which was more than well worth the trip to far-away Verbier.         …   Great Rejoicing!

-Marcello Paolino