Review - Joyce DiDonato in War & Peace, Hong Kong City Hall, 16 January 2019

Scenes of horror, scenes of woe from Jephtha (Handel)
Prendi quel ferro, o barbaro! from Andromaca (Leo)
Sinfonia from Rappresentaione di anima e di corpo (Cavalieri)
Chaconne (Purcell)
When I am laid in earth from Dido and Aeneas (Purcell)
Pensieri, voi mi tormentate from Agrippina (Handel)
Tristis est anima mea (Gesualdo)
Lascia ch'io pianga from Rinaldo (Handel)
They tell us that your mighty powers from The Indian Queen (Purcell)
Crystal streams in murmurs flowing from Susanna (Handel)
Da Pacem Domine (Part)
Augelletti, che cantate from Rinaldo (Handel)
Dopo Notte from Ariodante (Handel)
Encore:
Par che di giubilo from Attilio Regolo (Niccolo)
Morgen (Richard Strauss)

Il pomo d'oro
Maxim Emelyanychev (director)
Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano)
Manuel Palazzo (dancer)

This recital was my fourth experience of live performances by Joyce DiDonato, and especially personal in terms of programming and presentation. It served as a personal reflection of her anxiety by the recent and current progression of world politics and social agenda. A liberal agenda is in the air protesting Donald Trump for his disrespect to woman's rights and retreat from international corporation. Nevertheless Joyce is optimistic by the future and believes through cultural exchange peace can always be found and share joy together.

The design of this recital is an anthology of varied works by different representing composers, particularly from the Baroque period, to construct an opera of operas in the context of the principle theme 'war and peace'. A raging introduction was given through a doom telling prophecy from Handel's oratorio 'Jephtha' and suicidal madness from the lesser known opera Andromaca by Leo. Dido's lament and Agrippina's curse displayed the revengeful character in torment. A display of twisted humanity and abnormality turned norm during war, betrayal and slaughter. Lascia ch'io pianga from Handel's Rinaldo concluded the first half on a subtle sentiment.

The second half instead focused on music painting and tranquility from Handel's oratorio Susanna, and again the opera Rinaldo where a singer enjoyed a duet with the recorder imitating bird singing. The two athletic arias from Handel's Ariodante and Niccolo's Attlio Regolo were left towards the end for a technical brilliancy fireworks. The evening ended on a moving and forward looking note with the ethereal 'Morgen' by Richard Strauss.

In conjunction with the Baroque spirits, the inclusion of a dancer on stage, special lighting effects and imaginative video display, tasteful gowns designed by Vivienne Westwood added the flamboyant dramatic effects that very much celebrated. Though it took some time for Joyce and the ensemble to synchronise in the first half. Maxim Emelyanychev attempted to display his multi talents both directing from the keyboard and even playing the cornett, but some weird continuo moment especially in Lascia ch'io pianga that disturbed the pure and still impression that the singing aimed for. 

Joyce's vocal condition was also not in the best form as the tuning went noticeably flat in Dido's lament, and lacked some energy in sustaining the runnings during the athletic arias. Though her sheer emotions, vocal richness and stage presence rectified the shortfall. I also felt the recital as a whole was beautifully rendered and a lot of thoughts put into the presentation format. Most importantly the message and courage she made through this project showed an established artist can bring hope to the masses in this ever more divided world.

(Photo credit: Premiere Performances of Hong Kong)