Word: basse
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...kind of deus ex machina theatricality that so delighted baroque audiences: dragon-drawn chariots fly through the air belching smoke, monsters writhe, and looming castles collapse in a heap of rubble. Bright and vivid, Rinaldo is a bauble for the eye; as sung by an imposing cast that includes Bass Samuel Ramey and Soprano Benita Valente, it is a treat for the ear. But whether it serves Handel or the thorny cause of baroque opera faithfully is moot...
...attractions. No one can match Home in her nimble negotiation of the florid vocal line; she overwhelms its difficulties with an awesome display of rapid-fire articulation. As Al-mirena, Rinaldo's lover, Valente's limpid, graceful soprano contrasts appealingly with Ramey's dashing, formidable bass...
...Director Kenneth Frankel's austere revival, his three stars play Pinter's witty melodies and ironic rhythms with graceful professionalism. If they soft-pedal the play's bass line of sexual tension, one is grateful for a clear rendering of the text. It encourages one to conjure with the work of postmodernism's most hypnotic theatrical voice...
...fifth scene, an angel (Soprano Christiane Eda-Pierre) visits the saint (Bass-Baritone José Van Dam) as he is praying. "You speak with God through music," the angel sings, no doubt voicing Messiaen's own conception of his artistic role. "He will reply to you through music. Let the secrets, the secrets of glory open." As the angel begins to play a heavenly viol, an Ondes Martenot sounds a deceptively ingenuous melody. At once oddly angular but celestially serene, it floats above a soft C major chord in the strings and a wordless chorus. The moment...
...chapter is devoted to vegetable potages, including the soupe au pistou of southern France, Italian garbanzo and pasta soup, and gazpacho. Fish soups include a spicy Peruvian chowder, Italian zuppa di pesce, and a Mediterranean concoction flavored with Pernod, as well as an elegant oyster stew and a striped-bass offering from Manhattan...