Meyerbeer: Le Prophète / Horne, Scotto, Lewis

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Music reviews of Meyerbeer: Le Prophète / Horne, Scotto, Lewis

Music Review: You'll listen again and again
Rating: 5 Stars

I agree that McCracken has a unique timbre, and he resorts to crooning when the tessitura gets too high (or calls for light and sweet) but he's totally committed and as other reviewers have pointed out, this work shoudl have been titled "Fides, ou L'Amour d'une Mere" since she gets all the best stuff.
Seriously, Horne sings her tuckus off- lots of solos, 2 showstopper duets with Scotto, lots of big singing in the ensembles, and her biggest number- full cavatina and caballetta is in the last act, so many dramatic high and low notes which she attacks fearlessly. I can't help thinking of her getting through all of this onstage in one loooong live performance; only an extraordinary artist could do it.

I must say 2 things- Lewis does a fine job of keeping this big ship on course, though he drives a little hard in a few places (the Act 4 coronation scene for instance, although to be fair- with all those different forces, stage bands, etc; slack conducting leads to disaster) but he really lights a fire under the orchestra. Lots of drama and rhythmic intensity keep the excitment going.
As for Scotto- I'm a big fan, so take this with some salt: some hear her high notes as squeally. In this recording, I hear them as highly dramatic and exciting.

The only way her character, Berthe's actions make any sense is if she's nuts-- when this soprano loses her senses, she doesn't wander around in a nightie duetting with a flute. She swears bloody vengence; and when she finds her sweetie still alive, rather than flee to safety, she stabs herself to death. Like a good Lucia, we need some idea that the character is at least a little borderline from the start of the opera. Enter Scotto, who, at the dramatic moments, sounds completey insane. Those "squally" high notes shoot out of your speakers like fiery comets, her coloratura (used the very finest way of expressing extreme agitation rather than just as a vocal display) is launched at us like a barrage of heavy arms fire. One can imagine the other cast members onstage with her ducking behind the scenary lest they be blown into the orchestra pit.

It's not Dame Joan, and it's not Leontyne (no offense to either wonderful singer who could also turn on the juice when needed) but d@mn it's exciting! The climactic duet at the end of Act 3 is one of my favorite moments in French or Italian opera-- Scotto's character is practically foaming at the mouth and Horne's Fides tries to be a calming influence but ends up getting swept up into the drama. It all leads to a stretta that makes my pulse quicken every time I hear it, and one of the glorious, only-in-Opera moments where you know that a high D flat is coming, ah if only madame is brave and doesn't take the low option, and Scotto delivers the goods. I completely forget where I am when I listen to this, it's just thrilling-- now THAT'S Opera, baby!

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