The interesting premise for this collection is the women who sang frequently and created roles in operas presented at the court of Emperor Joseph II. Some specialized in comic roles, others were opera seria specialists; some sang in both. The singers were Caterina Cavalieri (Salieri’s mistress and the first Constanze in Abduction), Nancy Storace (the first Susanna in Figaro), Adriana Ferrarese del Bene (Cosi’s first Fiordiligi), Luisa Laschi Mombelli (the first Countess in Figaro), and Louise Villeneuve (the first Dorabella in Cosi)–sopranos light and not-so-light, and a mezzo, although in those days the distinctions were not as clear as they are now. The repertoire chosen here is rare and it is up to soprano Patrice Michaels to fill the shoes of the five divas who reigned in Vienna from about 1778 to 1793.
Michaels has become quite an impressive artist. Recordings made a few years back exhibit a limited lyric-soprano; here, the tone has ripened and the technique is impressive. She’s still essentially a lyric soprano with a fine top. When required to make wide leaps–as in arias from Salieri’s Der Rauchfangkehrer and La cifra–all the notes are there, but the lowest ones are underdeveloped. In other words, her sound is closer to Susanna’s than Fiordiligi’s, and she wisely refuses to force–she instead makes her dramatic points through intelligent phrasing.
If her voice lacks many colors, it has much else to recommend it: it’s pretty, with a sensual middle, with easy handling of trills, coloratura, and ornaments. As suggested, its sweetness undoes any possibility for big drama, but so what? This recital contains unusual music, well-performed, and not being able to re-create the art of five separate sopranos is hardly a drawback. Accompaniments are excellent, even if the fortepiano that goes along with “Non temer, amato bene” (K. 505), is a bit tinkly. Bass-baritone Peter Van De Graaf impresses in a funny scene from Salieri’s La grotta del Trofonio and in the annoying Zerlina-Leporello duet Mozart added for Vienna. This is highly recommended.
