Dupuy: Youth And Folly

Eduard Dupuy, a Swiss actor,singer,adventurer and composer, carved quite a career for himself in Sweden and Denmark during the years between the death of Mozart and the rise of Rossini. (He was actually Sweden's and Denmark's first Don Giovanni.) Apparently of a vocal range that encompassed both tenor and baritone, he tailored the role of Captain Rose in his opera UNGDOM OG GALSKAP (Youth and Folly-Copenhagen 1806) to show off his own talents. The score, which unites vocal virtuosity with straightforward musical gestures, is a considerable charmer. The tunes are lovely and the orchestration is first rate. It is easy to see why it has held the stage in Denmark from 1806 right up to the present day. The current performance is first rate, with the wonderful (and ageless) Ulrik Cold in a character role that is the strong core of the cast. Djina Mai-Mai is a first rate coloratura soprano with eerily perfect high notes. The work is performed without its spoken dialogue and could really have fit onto a single CD. Even spread over two discs with a Dupuy Flute Concerto as the charming filler, this is not a generous program. The sound recording is excellent and there is an information packed booklet with full texts and translations.