Vivaldi / Scarlatti / Caldara / Cantatas Bonus

Allow me to admit, I am not familiar with the name of Max Emanuel Cencic prior to 2006. Initially, for me at least, he is just 'another new' countertenor (and there are quite a good number of top-notch singers under this designation, mind you).This compilation is a collection of albums issued by Cencic in the early 2000's. The contents span from works of the early to mid baroque - Caldara, Vivaldi, D. Scarlatti. The same group of instrumentalists under the direction of Ose accompanied Cencic.Having viewed, as the lead reviewer so rightly pointed out, the bonus DVD concerning the singer first, I am surprised that this countertenor is not a 'new' singer at all!And this is indeed demonstrated in the three CDs under this compilation. The highly stylish singing, utterly musical and brimming with emotional committment, is a sheer blend of drama and elegance poured forth in the medium of music with perfect vocal technique.The baroque style of Cencic is very much unlike some other eminent exponents - it is not merely flambouyant, but very much alert to all the musical inflections of the score. For me at least, it brimms with style and authenticity. I would recommend all students of baroque music to sample the performances of Cencic on these discs without any hesitation.Cencic's singing is dramatic but never 'melo-dramatic'. His sense of rhythm is astounding (I could not say the same of the other great French baroque countertenor), his intonation perfection itself (again I could not say the same of the other great French countertenor), and his range is substantial (if not as great as the rising Argentinian star), and he changes registers with almost imperceptible coherence (actually better than all other countertenors now singing).In these works, however, Cencic does not have to employ any extreme declamatory singing (as his later outputs do), since the works themselves do not call for such. Each piece is a miniature of diverse emotional out pourings given the most vivid tonal painting.These are truly exemplary baroque singing.

This set comprises 3 CDs, one each devoted to cantatas by Antonio Vivaldi, Domenico Scarlatti and Antonio Caldara and a DVD offering a portrait of the countertenor Max Emanuel Cencic. I would recommend watching the DVD first as it gives a wonderful background to the career of the singer. He was born in 1976 in Zagreb to a conductor father and opera singer mother. An early visit, as a child, to a performance of Mozart's Magic flute aroused a fascination with the coloratura aria of the Queen of the Night, and stirred an interest in singing. We are given short excerpts of filmed performances of him as a child performing in various concerts. He eventually became a child-star, taking part in opera and became a member of the famous Vienna Boy's Choir. Tours followed, and he particularly liked the reception he received in Japan. As he got older, he came to the realization that his voice would remain soprano, so he studied the countertenor repertoire. He toured Japan, Europe and America. In 1995 he performed the part of Amor in Gluck's Orfeo, in Vienna.He is interviewed in what appears to be his flat, dressed in ostentatious attire, against a backdrop of his CD collection. He relates how he eventually suffered a crisis of identity and this resulted in depression, and he had to cancel a tour of Japan half-way through. The documentary then charts his efforts at a comeback and the rebuilding of his career. A performance in Basel in Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea earned him `Best New Singer of the Year 2003' from German music critics. He refers to himself as a male mezzo-soprano.The DVD also shows him in performance. We get glimpses of him shopping, cooking and entertaining friends and family to dinner.Cencic is accompanied on this CD by the baroque group Ornamente 99, under the direction of Karsten Erik Ose. The group provides excellent light rhythmical accompaniment throughout, never sounding heavy and tedious. In the Vivaldi aria `Ah, ch'infelice sempre' from the cantata Cessate, omai cessate for instance, they provide a beautiful pointed accompaniment. The cantatas from all three composers explore the full range of human emotions. Centric meets the challenges with brilliant technique and beauty of tone. His voice offers the listener a wide spectrum of colour. Here is a singer who is totally comfortable within his range. Note his range and virtuosity in the aria `Nell' orrido albergo' again from Cessata, omai cessate. I love the beautiful clear florid passages in Scarlatti's aria `Se mi dirai' from the Cantata Tinte a note di sangue. He has wonderful smooth legato in the aria `Non v'e pena' from the cantata of the same name by Caldara. Here, there is a wonderful interplay between the singer and instrumentalists.Production is excellent. The acoustic is warm and bright allowing the textures of the music to emerge with clarity and definition. Booklet notes are informative. Full libretti are included. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this set and would have no qualms in giving it a five-star recommendation.

10 outta 10 !!!

Son 4 discos del sello Capriccio con Cantatas para contratenor: 1) A. Vivaldi; 2)D. Scarlatti; 3) A Caldara y el) DVD, retrato de la vida del Contratenor Croata Max Emanule Cencic, con subtítulos en Alemán, Inglés y Francés. Los tres discos grabados en el 2003 ,2002 y 2004, son de sonido claro,preciso, envolvente y cálido. La cantatas son bellísimas, cantadas con un gusto exquisito y el 3º disco el de Caldara, destaca porque son obras poco conocidas, pero de una gran belleza. Caldara nació en 1.670 en Venecia y su obra se sitúa en la transición entre el barroco y el barroco tardío. Prestar especial atención al Aria con violino:"Peno, è ver" de 6 minutos, 36 segundos que hacen que uno se enamore del barroco. También reseñar que el Contartenor y Director René Jacobs recuperó en 1.995, un Oratorio precioso de Caldara; "Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo", que se registró en el sello HM ASIN:B0000007C4, que recomiendo encarecidamente. Para terminar 4 discos de esta calidad a este precio ¡Muy Recomendable!.

Max Emanuel Cencic chante d'une manière comparable a Philippe Jaroussky, mais plustôt mezzo-soprano.J'ai beaucoup aimé ces disques, surtout celui de Domenico Scarlatti avec des oeuvres je crois peu connus.Le chant de Max Emanuel Cencic est adorable avec beaucoup d'émotions.

Una voce bellissima che continua ad incantare l'ascoltatore! Ho ance molto apprezziato il CD delle diverse interviste di Max E Cencic

à recommander pour tous les fans de baroque, des interpretations subtils, une voix magnifique, surprise: le DVD avec un reportage sur Cencic et des clips