David Daniels [countertenor]

David Daniels [countertenor]

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SPECIAL HANDELING

David Daniels Discusses His Passion for the Baroque Master's Music
David Daniels has enjoyed the kind of success that most singers can only dream of, winning copious praise for his captivating performances in operas, concerts, and recitals and holding an exclusive recording contract with Virgin Classics. What makes his achievements so unusual, however, is the fact that Daniels is a countertenor. True, interest in Baroque music -- in which the use of high male voices was widespread -- has increased in recent decades, but men who sing in that manner today still have a lot of prejudice to overcome. Daniels's success is no fluke, though. Just ask anyone who has had the chance to experience his exquisite voice and commanding stage presence, and Daniels's star power becomes clear. Barnes & Noble.com's Andrew Farach-Colton asked Daniels about his recent recording of Handel oratorio arias while the singer was preparing for performances of Handel's Julius Caesar at the San Francisco Opera.

Barnes & Noble.com: Your first recording was an album of Handel's Italian opera arias, and you've gone on to record Rinaldo, L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Hercules, and now a disc of English oratorio arias. Why more Handel?

David Daniels: I do quite a lot of oratorio singing, so it just seemed natural that I would go back to Handel and do a disc of these English arias, which in my opinion are equal in dramatic and musical interest to his Italian arias.

B&N.com: How did you choose the repertoire for this disc?

DD: I selected four arias from Handel's Theodora, which I sang at Glyndebourne in 1996 in a Peter Sellars production with Dawn Upshaw and Lorraine Hunt [now available on DVD -- Ed.]. And that was probably the most intense and wonderful experience of my career so far. The cast was so passionate about the music and about the director's vision of the work. Everyone believed in it 100 percent -- even the stagehands. I wanted to make sure that I recorded quite a few of those arias, because I don't know that I'll have the chance to record a complete version of Theodora on CD. Not a lot of oratorios are being recorded these days.

The disc was recorded with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris with conductor John Nelson. I've done a lot with John -- we recorded L'Allegro together, and John conducted my Met debut in Julius Caesar -- so it was great to do this with him. The thing that is interesting about this disc and that is different from my previous recordings is that the orchestra plays modern instruments, not Baroque instruments. I wanted this recording to have a little bit of a different feel to it, and I think it turned out well.

B&N.com: Since you began your career about ten years ago, have attitudes toward countertenors changed?

DD: People are coming to hear me sing, and they're coming to hear my colleagues. But no, I don't think attitudes are all that different -- in fact, it continues to surprise me. I find that either someone gets it or they don't. And it's not just audiences; it's concert presenters as well. If one cannot get past the fact that a man is standing there and a high voice is coming out of him, then one's not going to be able to appreciate the musical and artistic aspects of the singing. I find that to be the case a lot of the time. And I don't think I'm being a pessimist. I really think that's the truth.

B&N.com: On your Serenade disc, you ventured out of the Baroque repertoire to sing songs by Beethoven, Schubert, and Poulenc. As a countertenor, do you feel hemmed in because you're obliged to sing the Baroque repertoire?

DD: Actually, it's the opposite. A lot of presenters only want to engage me if I sing something other than Baroque repertoire -- especially symphony orchestras. They want me to sing Berlioz and Ravel, and they don't want me to come in and sing Bach and Vivaldi. I don't think they feel comfortable selling a subscription series with a countertenor singing unfamiliar repertoire.

B&N.com: Are the worlds of Baroque instruments and modern orchestras really so distinct?

DD: I generally prefer working with period instruments, because I feel the majority of Baroque ensembles are really interested in what is happening in the drama. They accompany according to what I'm singing about; they try to match the color and intensity of the singing -- if I'm trying to be angry or sarcastic, they play in a way to match me. I get the sense from some modern orchestras that it's just another job, and they can't be bothered.

B&N.com: So it's more a chamber music atmosphere with Baroque ensembles?

DD: Absolutely. And that's how it should be -- even though we perform these operas in 3,800-seat houses!

B&N.com: What do you listen to for fun?

DD: To be honest, I don't listen to a lot of music other than what I'm performing or studying. My outlet from music is sports. I watch a lot of sports on TV, and I play basketball and tennis. That's why I try to work in the U.S. as much as possible; I go crazy if I don't have American sports to watch!

September, 2002 Andrew Farach-Colton