Tears with Tristan und Isolde at the ROH

Photo Bill Cooper at musicalcriticism.com


You all know by now I am a sap and prone to sit teary eyed through opera performances :-) No news here…However, last night’s Tristan und Isolde was to be a different kind of experience.

Today I am not on friendly terms with Mr Wagner! Not at all… but fear not, it is just lovers’ quarrel… I’m sure I will forgive and forget pretty soon :-)

This was my first Tristan und Isolde live and I feel shamelessly privileged for this to have been it! There might be better recordings as I am sure people will point out, but last night was enough to leave me with a memorable experience of it.

Strangely enough it wasn’t the music in itself that moved me to tears, or the story (not during at least) ..it was the final applause and my seat neighbours. The lights in the House went out but I could still make out the shadow of a slowly moving Nina Stemme who helped Ben Heppner up from the stage floor and holding hands they slowly approached the stage edge. The lights went on and they were showered by Bravos and applause among which they shared a warm hug. At which point I cracked under emotions :-) I sniffled my way through all the applause and am happy to say even hoarser than the performances last week left me. Among the boos for the production team the young women sitting next to me asked me: why are they doing this? I said: I have no idea, I guess too modern? She said: Ah, probably… have they not seen it before? Me: No, this is the premiere night. Did you like it? She and her boyfriends said in one breath: Oh yess, very very much! All I could do is nod and smile and quickly look away so they wouldn’t think I must be crazy for crying just then :-)

I’ll explain…

First about the neighbours… they were very clearly first time opera goers and very much in love ;-) Some date, ah? Opera, Wagner, Tristan und Isolde in a minimalist and very atmospheric production, all in German! There can’t be any more proof in the power of music than this! They had very cheap seats, we were all perched up in the lower slips, with a hand rail in front, luckily on the right side of the production so we had the privilege to see the singers all the time. All through the first introduction she was munching on a sandwich from a pretty noisy plastic bag. I though… o God noo, why mee!! Expecting the worse of the night, of course…. However as I was saying they were extremely quiet and watched and listened for 5 hours , half embraced or holding hands to Heppner and Stemme singing the story of Tristan und Isolde. And as you now all know, they absolutely loved it :-) Forgive me therefore if I think this is really romantic and somehow magical :-)

And I had one of my secret wishes fulfilled at least last night. .. have young people come to the opera and absolutely fall in love with it! Those two will be back, I know it!

Why the applause moved me so much? Or rather the singer’s reaction to it? Because I simply think that any singers who gloriously make it through this opera like Stemme and Heppner did last night deserve…. I don’t know what… but something beautiful and wonderful! Because they are survivors!

Which is where I come to my love-hate relationship today with Mr Wagner… what was he thinking??????? Yes, the music is beautiful and especially in the piano bits there are some instrumental solos to die for and be born again! But did he really think singers could get through this score unharmed? Did he ever try to sing it himself? My guess is no… I’ve never before had the sensation when listening to opera that I was witnessing sacrifice , last night I did. Nobody can tell me any singer gets through a Tristan und Isolde unharmed. I understand why they would wish to sing it and why this piece is performed, but I realise what it costs. It’s horrendous really come to think of it. I don’t think the story requires young singers, the intensity of love can be portrayed more convincingly in a more mature stage I life I think, however you need a fairly strong body to get through this. These are parts that will leave scars on your voice and possibly put an end to your singing. Yes, I know there are financial rewards that come with it, but I don’t believe singing like last night’s can be induced by any cheques.

It is a strange piece, I don’t think the libretto is a strong in characterisation like for example the one for Lohengrin. The music is grand and tender and sophisticated but also cruel and ruthless. Scenes are stretched over hours and singers are chained in the middle of the force of the orchestra in the most emotional passages. There is of course the argument that the story can be told in 3 hours rather than 5…. But seeing last night’s performance I wonder if the physiological impact would be the same. At the end of the day the potion induces irreversible and unfulfilable longing, which may only find relief in death. The ending cannot be believable unless you get to feel the intensity of the longing. It has to feel like torture to some point and in 5 hours the impact is achieved.

I think the hardest part is creating the story, making the emotions believable , outside time and almost outside the score. Trying to deliver more than the music, or making the music good enough to let the meaning flourish from within is what this piece needs to come alive. And last night it did!

I haven’t seen either Nina Stemme or Ben Heppner before so I can’t comment on how good they are as actors in general, but they fully inhabited Tristan und Isolde last night. I know people will find weaknesses in the singing ( maybe more with Heppner) but I think that would be unfair. From the very beginning there was a sense of purpose to every phrase, restrained emotion in every step, in every gesture. Even their embraces where touching and transmitted a very believable sense of longing and caring. For me there wasn’t one awkward moment during the 5 hours. I can’t say what was choreography and what was actually Heppner and Stemme becoming Tristan und Isolde. Whatever it was it worked! As to their singing she is absolutely glorious and the voice carries all the power and decision, engagement and pride one would wish from Isolde. Heppner’s voice does show what singing this part does to one, but it is still very very musical and beautiful to listen to and the ever so slight wobble for me is negligible. There weren’t any really harsh parts that I could say bothered me significantly. I am just left wondering what his voice might have sounded like before he sang the part… I can only say I greatly respect and admire him for what he still does with Tristan today.

The other total musical pleasure of the night was Michael Volle’s Kurwenal! A voice equally as warm and as powerful, who rode the orchestra with apparent ease and who created a very believable and engaged portray of a friend. His applause was very well deserved and I really hope we will see him on the ROH stage more often!

Sophie Koch as Brangane was good, but I can’t say I really warmed to either her voice or the character. But it could be due to the character itself, I find Brangane a bit one dimensional and slightly irritating, her only purpose seemingly being he exchange of the potions. John Tomlinson is a better Inquisitor than he is the King Marke, I have to say I missed Matti Salminen here. His king was as a character all he should be and for that he deserves Bravos, it is the voice I’m afraid that just can’t really fill the part anymore.

Pappano once again put his artist fingers on the orchestra strings and managed to convey both the grand and the delicate. He deserves many praise for mastering both the frightening waves and the soft caresses in this music, he showed how beautiful the score is and put another building stone in my appreciation for Mr Wagner and for that I am grateful.

Then there was the production… not at all deserving of booos in my opinion. I don’t know if I love it without reserve, it can be a bit hard on the eyes as very static all over the 5 h stretch. But it does work in creating the appropriate mood and convey the infinite longing as well as the desire to escape into death. What I absolutely loved was Olaf Winter’s lighting, magnificently atmospheric! I think the staging worked with Stemme and Heppner, I am not so sure lesser artists can carry the weight of the grey wall and grey stage floor and simplicity of black clothes as convincingly. The gymnastics around the table in the last act I felt were superfluous. A second chair instead of the table would have done the trick and would have required less effort and concentration on such detail in this most difficult of acts for Tristan. But it is a minor detail, which can be ignored. The blood bath in the end was eerie, but worked, as did the static almost still life images of people in the banquet background.

I don’t know what people want or expect of a Tristan und Isolde staging. It is not like any of the details of place and time really matter to the story. What would more clutter add? Nothing. It would of course add props to support singers in not doing anything else than sing it through. Forgivable in this score. I find this minimalist version more touching and effective, even if it required that extra something from the singers. It can only hope that in future revivals the cast will be able to do as amazing a job as the one I saw last night. Simply unforgettable!


Tristan und Isolde
Tuesday, September 29 5:00 PM
Composer Richard Wagner
Director Christof Loy
Designs Johannes Leiacker
Lighting Design Olaf Winter

Performers
Conductor Antonio Pappano
Tristan Ben Heppner
King Marke John Tomlinson
Isolde Nina Stemme
Kurwenal Michael Volle
Brangäne Sophie Koch
Melot Richard Berkeley Steele
Sailor Ji-Min Park¤
Steersman Dawid Kimberg§
Shepherd Ryland Davies


Nina Stemme Interview at musicalcriticism

Guardian article on Isoldes

And the reviews:
Telegraph
Independent
Times
Musicalcriticism
This isLondon
The Stage
Music OMH
Whatsonstage
Classicalsource
WienerZeitung

Intermezzo
TTTC
Boulezian

Matthias Goerne at the Wigmore Hall

pinched from http://www.matthiasgoerne.com/biography/

Before I say anything about the Liederabend I’ll put the performance into perspective by quoting the Wigmore Hall yearly brochure: “Matthias Goerne continues his monumental Schubert project, performing 200 songs across three seasons. Schubert’s songs number more than 600, representing over 115 poets – from those of international standing to those known only within his own circle “

So the program for the evening was:

Wigmore Hall, 20/09/2009
Song Recital Series/ Schubert Songs
Matthias Goerne baritone
Alexander Schmalcz, piano

Nacht und Traume
Der blinde Knabe
Hoffnung
Die Sterne
Im Abendrot

Totengraberweise; Greisengesang;
Tiefes Leid; Totengrabers Heimweh
--
An den Mond; Die Mainacht
An Silvia; Standchen

Die Sommernacht; Erntelied
Herbstlied; Jagers Abendlied
Der liebliche Stern; An die Geliebte


With a purpose like his it is i guess inevitable for some of the songs presented to be less known and less sung, some for maybe the obvious reason of being less interesting...

I know I am recent to this genre, but I am just as hooked :-) So I know who Matthias Goerne was and very much looked forward to hearing him for the first time. The result was somehow mixed…

He has one of the most beautiful baritone voices you can imagine, very musical and warm, ideal for lieder. And it is accompanied by accomplished technique. He seems to take a breath from his toes and channel it through his body to perfect control of emission, from the softest piano to surprising forte. She should really have great diction and in some cases he did… but in other I was left reading the program, which is very disappointing because I would have much prefer to look at the artist. It was unnerving as in the first ones if I lost track of the music I had a really hard time to find back to the text ( and I speak German…)

I can’t describe the first few songs in any other way than… plainly boring… All sounded the same and nothing really touched. Funnily enough the grave digger songs were more up beat and interesting :-) ( To bad the gentlemen in front of me continued to sleep peacefully through those as well..) The whole atmosphere wasn’t helped by the pianist uninspired contribution… it is difficult to slip into lieder heaven when the piano goes mostly “doing, doing, doing…”…

Luckily the second part brought better known pieces ( even I had heard a few before) and the foggy melancholy was dissipated to better enjoyment of the voice and delivery.

Still I was left somewhat dissatisfied and I don’t feel I have seen the best of Matthias Goerne yet. It can’t be that such a wonderful singer cannot transmit more and connect better. So I will continue with my initial plan of following him through more Schubert, thank God!! This time alongside a man I trust my ears and heart with :-)

If you are interested here are the dates I am talking about:


Sunday 28 February 7.30pm
MATTHIAS GOERNE baritone
HELMUT DEUTSCH piano
SCHUBERT Der Jüngling und der Tod; Lied im Grünen;Herbstnacht; Lied (Ins stille Land); Der Herbstabend; Drang in die Ferne; An mein Herz; Der Wanderer; Über Wildemann; Klage; Am Bach im Frühling; An die Laute; Der Schmetterling; Des Fräuleins Liebeslauschen; Augenlied; Du bist die Ruh; An die Musik; An eine Quelle; Der Sänger am Felsen; Abschied
von der Harfe; Liedesend
For this Schubert recital Matthias Goerne is joined by the elder statesman of German song pianists, Helmut Deutsch, a recent jury member for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize. The programme includes some of Schubert’s best-loved creations such as An die Musik and Du bist die Ruh. But there will be plenty of surprises in a selection of autumnal settings which explore the darker side of Schubert’s imagination.
£18 £25 £30 £35
Song Recital Series/Schubert Songs

Tuesday 2 March 7.30pm
MATTHIAS GOERNE baritone
HELMUT DEUTSCH piano
SCHUBERT An die untergehende Sonne; Der Tod und das Mädchen; Die Rose; Erinnerung; Litanei auf das Fest aller Seelen; Auf dem Wasser zu singen; Abendbilder; Nach einem Gewitter; Der Zwerg; Im Frühling; Stimme der Liebe; Die Blumensprache; Viola; An die Entfernte; Bei dir allein; Ganymed
For the latest recital in his Schubert series at Wigmore Hall, again with Helmut Deutsch at
the piano, Matthias Goerne will explore some of Schubert’s most intimate and soul-searching
songs. Death and the Maiden, for example, had such a powerful hold on his imagination that
he devoted a complete string quartet slow movement to its development.
£18 £25 £30 £35
Song Recital Series/Schubert Songs

By the way, just when i was asking the Wigmore Hall about a release on CD of a recital i have seen last year here it is:

http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/wigmore-hall-live/buy-cds/view/cd031-simon-keenlyside-24881

Simon Keenlyside & Malcolm Martineau
Songs by Schubert, Wolf, Fauré and Ravel
Recorded live at Wigmore Hall

Linda and Marguerite, operas in concert

Photo Sheila Rock

Opera in concert… a different kind of animal and used for pieces where either the plot is a bit too weak to be interesting for staging, such as Linda di Chamounix or where it is too complicated to stage, such being the case of the Damnation de Faust.

I’ve enjoyed both pieces a lot and they couldn’t be more different from each other.
Among the darkness and seriousness of the Don Carlo the Linda was like a breath of fresh air and necessary smiles.

Linda di Chamounix, ROH, 14/09/09
Gaetano Donizetti
Conductor Mark Elder
Maddalena Loustolot Elizabeth Sikora
Antonio Loustolot Ludovic Tezier
Marquis of Boisfleury Alessandro Corbelli
Intendant Luciano Botelho
Linda Eglise Gutierrez
Pierotto Marianna Pizzolato
Carlo Stephen Costello
The Prefect Balint Szabo

I like belcanto and I like Donizetti and this was indeed a good occasion to indulge in just the beauty of voices and melody. This music sounds light and is thoroughly enjoyable but must rely on steely technique to be delivered with the necessary panache.

No better example of such proficiency than Alessandro Corbelli. As in he Barber earlier in the year he is a wonderful example of how you can run don exhilarating scales with a firm whip on diction :-) Eglise Gutierrez meets almost all expectations made of such a promising young artist. However I have to say the “glass breaking” edge on her high notes thrills me much less than her smooth mezza voce. She can do the coloratura, but I think she will be more enjoyable to hear in many more role than that :-)

I don’t understand the hissing that was supposed to have happened in the first performance, I saw the second. However in the one that I saw singers seemed to be more at easy in any case and although still preoccupied with the technicalities of their roles, more emotion came through. Stephen Costello easily engaged the audience and I was actually touched by how naturally he managed to transmit the innocence and love in his character. It’s not his fault that the eternal tones of Lindaaaa! Lindaa!! Lindaaaa!!! put some smiles on our faces ;-) (remember there is a reason why this is not staged that often ;-))))
Both Ludovic Tezier and Elizabeth Sikora rounded up the cast nicely, putting their warm voices to the belcanto lines in wonderful fashion. One thing I wonder with Tezier is how come his totally charming off stage persona doesn’t transmit more on stage? It’s really a pity..

Nevertheless he was the second half in my favourite duo of the night, together with Balint Szabo ( a piece that reminded me of a similar one in Puritani)..belcanto at it’s best, scrumptious!!)

Marianna Pizzolato was a real discovery for me, what a warm voice, accompanied by a fresh and engaging personality, somebody you would want to listen to for much longer! She seems to be born to sing belcanto and i hope this will not be her only visit to the ROH!

Mark Elder energetically conducted the ROH orchestra along the beautiful melodies. An orchestra which I have to say deserves all the Bravos it can get for mastering in a matter of two weeks most beautiful renditions of Donizetti, Wagner and Verdi :-)

Hector Berlioz, La Damnation de Faust
Barbican, 22/09/2009
Joyce DiDonato, Marguerite
Michael Schade, Faust
Willard White , Mepistopheles
Florian Boesch, Brander
Valery Gergiev
London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus


La Damnation on the other hand is a piece of passions and extremes…oh and how I love it! Interestingly enough, last year when I saw this in a direct broadcast from the Met I had some reservations about the staging. But incidentally the music brought those images right back into my mind at the exactly right spots, so it must have been better than I thought!

The orchestra and the chorus were very very good, but… it’s wasn’t Levine’s take on the score which blew me away last year. Good as Gergiev mastered orchestra and chorus with iron discipline, but maybe missing some of the fantasy, not going aaaaaall the way maybe.

The opera in itself is a bit strange maybe because the first two acts are rather slow and most of the action happens in the latter two. So you have to have a Faust able to carry the weight of the first part on his shoulders… unfortunately not the case here. I am sure Michael Schade is a respectable Mozart tenor… but Berlioz isn’t his friend. He was too preoccupied with the French, the notes to be able to really engage with the character. And he was the only one of the singers who really treated this is a concert, rather than an opera. A pity, I hardly recognised the big aria in the second part…

Willard White was a last minute replacement for Thomas Quastoff , but what a show!!! Not only did he have the alluring deep voice of the devil within ;-))) but also the presence, full of irony and intent. A real treat and I liked the sparkling, less dark take on the role, fitted the fantasy much better.

Trying to remember who was the blond girl?... Um… that American whatshername??? Oh yes, Joyce something! … juuuuust joking ;-))) DiDonato is back on her two feet and looking gorgeous in a long roman-type dress. And singing like an angel!!! I know at least half the audience was there for her and it was electrifying. My neighbour tortured me all throughout the opera with his jaw-moving sounds while yawning and even he held his breath during her arias! (thank God for small miracles!!!). She was properly innocent and enchanted and how she produces those notes only she knows....they definitely sound out of this world! I really liked her first Marguerite and it has opened a new wish of maybe, one day, hearing her sing this part alongside another tenor….

Although absolutely knackered on the day I am glad I went, I really love this piece and I hope to see it staged someday live, for the singers and the music and that amazing chorus towards the end and their earth shattering Haas! Hass! Hass! Ahh, nothing like a powerful chorus piece to lift you from the dead :-)

More Don Carlo ROH...

All photos Catherine Ashmore from playbillarts.com



A few brief words about the production itself….

This is not a revolutionary, controversial take on the opera, but a classic and composed one. The sets are minimalistic and for those put off by the black walls with tiny windows all I can recommend is for them to buy the program where they will discover this a very realistic replica of the Escorial. I remember from the insight evening last year that both Bob Crowley and Nicholas Hytner visited the place and the designs reflect that, apparently even the black angels on Carlo V tomb exist and Philip’s chamber is also realistic. I think if you decide to place to story where and when it really happened, this production does it’s job. Especially costumes are elaborated to a surprising degree of detail! Unfortunately if you are not seated in the first rows or use binoculars you might miss all the intricacies and refinement of said costumes. They are most likely quite uncomfortable to wear for the singers, but they definitely help place you in time at the Spanish court. I am honestly torn on the subject… I personally love the costumes and the amazing craft of the tailors and embroiders and I am lucky to have seen them up close in the said insight evening. Jaw-dropping!! I’d love to be able to wear one of those dresses once! However, did anyone notice the Infante is actually wearing two different costumes? That in act 3 he changes into one made of black satin and until then is wearing a leather one? How many actually appreciate the embroideries, the fitting boots, the delicate stockings, the lush taffetas and incredible variety of silk and embroideries black on black on the ladies’ dresses? I can’t bring myself to call it a waste... but I sadly wonder if it is appreciated at it’s true value….

I really like the black walls and the rays of light penetrating through the tiny windows… they probably make you feel like they must have felt in that monastery, doomed, incarcerated, alone. I am not sure the moving tomb adds something, the fact that it retreats in the background does no actually manage to convey the feeling we have moved inside the space of the monastery. The box design in itself does provide almost seamless changing of scenes, which I much appreciate as it keep you captive in the music without interruption. It also improves acoustics, which is a bonus. I never get a feeling of the set being too dark, of there being too much black because it must feel like that, to show off the contrast to the scorching sunlight even more. The light in the garden scene I am told by a Spanish friend is strangely realistic and the singers probably feel in those costumes the full power of the heat under the stagelights… I thought the red brick wall was slightly strange at first de to the cone shapes on it, but on repeat viewings it just is a red brick wall and in terms of colour coding works well with the rest I believe.

I don’t think the concept in itself is original, but with the focus to make it realistic it couldn’t be. To me personally it is largely similar to Luc Bondy’s previous one, with the exception of the colour coding, where we have red here, there we had marine blue and the yellow was much more intense. However, I like the costumes by Bob Crowley more, as they go all the way and look truly authentic, not only a stylised version and therefore fit better.

The one scene which I feel is weaker than the rest is the auto-dafe. There is just too much going on. Understandably there should be a contrast between the monastery and this public scene of celebration, but it is total overkill and end up being much less scary than it should be. The church is golden, the heretics have flames painted/stitched on their costumes which look like modern paintbrush additions, the masses are screaming, the priest is preaching, the gas installation makes strange noises and finally the big image of Christ’s head comes alight with the bodies of burning heretics behind it ( bodies which from anywhere closer than 6-7 row look decidedly fake). By the way, in the first part of the hall the image is never really obscured, the cloth being from close up rather transparent showing the metal poles and make-believe bodies clearly. I agree that the angry , hissing masses are probably a more realistic depiction of truth than a composed chorus, however all the rest I could do without. We know they will be burned, the music and text emphasise it and the golden church at the back is just kitschy. I don’t think all elements should be dropped, but some rationalisation should help take the glitter factor out and put the scary factor back in. I found the slowly dropping ashes in Bondy’s version much more chilling than the flames against the Christ image with the golden walls at the back, but maybe it is just my taste.

All in all I see no problem in sitting through this performance for years to come as long as the singers are as engaged as the current cast; the production is bare enough to increase the impact of exceptional singing and acting but will also cruelly expose any weaknesses.

Talking about exceptional singing, the performances this week brought some really memorable moments.

Monday Jonas was the totally destroyed and melancholic Carlo, his own slight tiredness (due to the incredible heat suffered on stage at the hand of both lighting and leather costume with puffy pants… don’t know what is up in the House with aircon, on Friday the 18th I froze my toes off and on Monday the 21st I could have sat through it in a bathing suit, those costumes must have been true torture instruments on the day… )feeding back into the character in an amazing way, which made as far as i was concerned for the most emotional rendition of Carlo from the run. The scene in the garden with Marina Poplavskaya (called hereby - I assure you - respectfully but warmly and with my readers’ permission Popy) made your hair stand up! It is amazing how, when he has to be extra careful while singing, the piani become more fascinating and the whole singing takes on even more colours than usual. For instance in terms of the duo with Posa, the one on Monday was the very very best of the run... beyond words!!! Simon Keenlyside himself in amazing form contributed to the absolute perfection of the duet. I can’t imagine what the two could do to outdo their performance on Monday. Popy was good, but she had some trouble softening down to the level Jonas was at on Monday, however to be fair, that level of emotional connection or communication with the public is not easy to achieve.

However, on Wednesday she was a different singer!!!! You wouldn't believe how much better she was in terms of interpretation! I could really really hear how she has sung Violetta, the emotions really came through in her singing, like never before. All the duos were better and it was interesting all the way through, not only in the big aria at the end. I have no idea what determined her to put herself more out there, but it definitely worked. There were still some uphill battles on some high notes, where there is a bit of a scoop, but altogether there was so much more in her singing, her piani really were better and it sounded so much warmer and believable. More people have seen both performances and we all noticed the change, she just expressed so much more emotion all the way through. Even if at times it might sound less controlled than before it is more interesting and enjoyable. Her Elisabetta really became a human being showing love, anger, hurt, passion.. so much more than just the composed queen.

Jonas on Wednesday was a different story entirely! I've rarely seen him so bursting with energy! In his first entrance he almost knocked over a big white tree and had to actually hold on to it as it was dangerously wobbling! Both voice and presence were simply explosive. He so clearly dominated the 1 part it was palpable. I have to say it is sometimes really nice to see him become so naturally the star of the show, he is THE TENOR! And Verdi has given him some amazing music :-) The voice was just unstoppable, flowing with amazing power and confidence. Listening to his first aria literally makes my mouth water! Biiiiiig applause, probably so surprising for him as well that he started his next entrance a whole phrase earlier ;-) You should have heard his Carlo son iooooo..... Mein Gott!! And he just kept on along the same line... "Feuer und Flamme!" Any high note was so beautiful, in a crushing kind of way :-) Everyone in the audience was blow away. It was one of those nights for him that just lifts the hall. All those desiring of all things “Italianate” got all their wished fulfilled on the night ;-) He had so much excess energy he stumbled not only into the fountain, but also on the black backstage wall, almost doubling over on his exit before the veil song, he splashed the water in the fountain in the garden all over himself in the garden scene with Popy, he promptly sat on the bouquet of artificial poppies while declaring his undying love for Isabella (and made me smile in the middle of teary sniffles…poppies proved to be sturdy enough to withstand the puffy pants attack ;-))) ) … unstoppable in every way :-) The pressure was palpable also in the duet with Simon Keenlyside’s Posa, who had a slightly weaker day. His "i will sing my heart out" style on the night was totally charming while at the same time giving a very different version of Carlo. The weak and hesitating Carlo didn't really show up that day and we got much more of the revolutionary infante :-) It is just hard to feel much pity for such a feisty Carlo, when he is so obviously doing great!! :-) On the other hand he was a wonderful colleague to SK, supporting him all the way through the long and hard death scene, where the balance on the night was very different to the previous show, but nevertheless worked in terms of the Posa+Carlo bond.

Bychkov must have shared some of that energy on the night because i think the garden scene with Eboli, Posa and Carlo was faster than ever.

I am impressed as ever with Furlanetto’s Philip, a bit underwowed by Tomlinson’s Inquisitor, pleased by Marianne Corentti’s energetic approach to the O don fatale, admiring Keenlysides elegant and stylish rendition of Posa - a role which now truly fits him like a glove-,conquered by Popy’s work, dedication and growth (she has really won me over!) and simply grateful for being there and being able to listen to Jonas’ Carlo, whichever the mood of the “infante” on the day :-)

So, one exiting evening after another... wonder how the next one will be? I have no idea how the BBC will chose the bits to air on the broadcast night... the microphones for recording have been there on every night.

Last, but not least, here a review from Rupert Christiansen in the Telegraph (“that dream of a tenor…” ;-))) ):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/6227663/Don-Carlo-at-the-Royal-Opera-House-review.html



By the way, has anyone ever noticed how in Elisabetta’s aria in act 5 the last bit is introduced by a strings passage that resembles a similar one in Lohengrin in a really striking way? Really quirky coincidence this one :-)

Jonas Kaufmann Schone Mullerin coming soon...

CD coming out on the 16th of October and on this Decca link you can get a small "amuse-bouche":

http://www.jonas-kaufmann.com/schoenemuellerin/index.htm

Enjoy!!!

The live version that i saw in Munich during the summer stays with me until now and i can't wait to revive those memories from the CD... the sound of water running like quicksilver on stones; the intense green of the forest; the intensity and volatility of feelings, the tenderness, hope and sadness the story of the young man is overflowing with in both the singers voice and the pianist's fingers. The 20 songs of the cycle take you through an incredible range of emotions and you arrive at the end breathless and longing for more...

So far the Strauss Lieder CD is one of the few i keep going back to and this is likely to be another one of these. Of the few Liederabend i've heard with JK and HD there isn't one i wouldn't want to sit through again and again and again... so hopefully the collection will keep growing :-)

Don Carlo ROH

Photo from the Times online Catherine Ashmore


Update - a rare treat - Simon Keenlyside interviewed by MusicwebInternational!


I keep getting one alert after the other reminding me that I am in the middle of my experiment :-) Now if the ROH software which sends out the reminders would only know!! They’d save themselves a lot of bytes by saying: Here is your summary reminder for this month, we hope you will enjoy your run and thanks for your business ;-)

Since there will probably be more posts on the Don Carlo I’ve decided to talk about the production at a later stage and focus more on the musical bits in this first one.

It is hard to define what this Don Carlo is like and I didn’t want to comment just after the general rehearsal, since things might change and first impressions are not always the last as well :-) I don’t know where I will end up at the last performance of the run, but at the moment the journey there is fascinating. I’ve rarely, if ever, felt so engaged with a piece. The GR felt extremely long and complex, not in terms of actual physical time but in terms of density of story, characters and music. After the second take the work is more and more like a dark, mysterious black sea… that calls out to you, draws you in and traps you in its waters.

It is so intense it takes some time to disentangle oneself from the four and half hours of Verdi score and so far, getting to know the work better has only meant its spell has grown stronger rather than weaker. It is not like I wasn’t familiar with it from recordings, but live it has become a much more challenging experience. Perhaps because of all of Verdi’s works it is here where the characters are defined to the greatest detail. The music supports and shades the characters as well as the story line. The music colours itself to suit the character on stage but also to point the way of their destiny. It is both varied and tightly knotted around central lines. Characters are clearly build into the story and although driven inescapably towards their individual destinies, there is enough space around them for their personality to be revealed gradually. Each character trait discovered, each side of their personalities revealed ties them only closer into the net that is insidiously spun around them. In spite of the considerable pace of the rush towards the abyss there is a sense of balance in the work that I think comes mainly from the almost equal weight given to each player in the piece. Each scene progresses the story, but also completes the picture and gives enough variety to keep one permanently engaged and breathless.

For me this run is a particular happy case in that we benefit from gorgeous voices, which are never used to display vocal technique alone , but become the expression of the person they are inhabiting and are doubled in most cases by considerable acting capabilities and commitment to become the character, not just play it.

I have been tempted to read a number of reviews that have been written about this and production controversy aside, Semyon Bychkov’s conducting seems to split the reviewers. Technical knowledge aside that I sadly don’t possess, this is how the music felt to me these nights: The orchestra is in excellent shape and however this particular sound is obtained, to me it feels incredibly natural. Not in the sense that this is the most logical take on the score (… who knows what that is?) but in the sense that the music is truly alive! It is like a spring born at the first notes that grows, flows and blossoms naturally in every following note. I don’t know if this is a too academic or cerebral interpretation as some have said, the effect is certainly emotional, more than anything else. There is no particular sense of surprise, but definitely one of inevitability, of development and evolution in the music. Like a living thing that transforms continuously around you, with new colours continuously unfolding after each phrase. It’s not a comforting feeling, more like being trapped in a huge jungle plant, which closes its stems around you. It let’s you breath but will not let you go until it dies naturally, just as it was born.

I don’t know if this will be the version of Don Carlo that I will like most over the years, but I am certain it is the most touching and engaging I have ever experienced. It has brought me closer to both the music and its incredible variety as well as to the characters and their story. Giving the libretto a renewed read I have discovered how beautiful it actually is, in this case to no little extent due to the fact that most singers (particularly Jonas Kaufmann, Simon Keenlyside and Ferruccio Furlanetto )have excellent diction and each word is full of meaning.

Another reason why I am so taken with this Carlo is that it is different! There is little if any of the classic belt it out style of most interpretations. I’ve never heard so much of this opera sung in piano and with so much care. There is so much human suffering and doubts in this piece, why should the heroics prevail, when they clearly lead nowhere? Which brings me back to some critics raised about the apparent restraint in this retake….These come more than obviously from comparison to the previous version of this production and also from prejudices about the current singers. It always puzzles me how people think that there is only one right version of interpretation. Why can’t different singers have different takes on the personalities they are supposed to give life to? Each see them in a different light and filter their interpretation through their own personality. I have seen both and both have touched me, why not? That is what makes a revisit interesting for me, how does a different singer interpret his part, how will his singing reflect his interpretation, etc. Otherwise what would be the point of seeing a live show? I’m obviously talking about Rolando Villazon’s and Jonas Kaufmann’s Carlo, different in voice and gesture as they two are different as artists. Which you prefer is obviously a matter of taste, I still don’t see a valid reason why one can’t actually like both…

Besides repeating complaints about the production already aired one year ago ( I guess we will be revisiting those with every new revival… how... boring!) there were the obvious preconceptions about the singers: Simon Keenlyside is not a Verdian baritone… how many times have I read that now? Jonas Kaufmann is a German tenor with an unsually dark voice. Yep, that one we’ve heard before as well. The mix of the two was obviously deemed unsuccessful before they even uttered a note.. at least by some. I have to say this “pairing ” is probably the thing that delights me most about this production! Verdi baritone.. what is that? A booming voice? Now where is it noted in the score by Verdi that we need to be left half deaf by a deep dark voice ? Same goes for Carlo, who says what kind of voice the tenor must have? All Verdi said was what notes he was supposed to sing and how. As long as both tenor and baritone can do it, well then it is a valid pair of Posa and Carlo! I knew the "too dark tenor + too light baritone" was just around the corner… but has anyone actually opened their ears and listened to the two sing together? As if they have never heard the duo before? This duo as pictured in the story is that of a deep friendship of two young people who have known each other since childhood and who are deeply fond of each other. They share common ideals, albeit one is more romantically “disoriented” while the other more “practically focused” ;-) So their leitmotiv, their duos should be about shared harmonies and feelings. Remember only one of the them is a soldier, the other just a dreamy idealist. The common ground they find is in their ideals and their fondness of each other. So there is no reason why each encounter should be punctuated by displays of heroic fortes… So why should JK and SK not make wonderful music together? Why when they so obviously share common musical tastes and style, when they are each refined and accomplished artists. Yes they have similar singing styles and their voices are maybe from the timbre closer than other two artists. But in this particular case this is a major advantage, by no means a reason for critique. That their display of Posa and Carlo is more subtle, refined does not mean that it is any less powerful, quite the contrary, there is immense intensity in subtlety. I liked their take on the 2nd act duo at the premiere, but I absolutely loved the one at the general rehearsal!!! If I had my wish I would want to hear that duo, sung partially in the most tender piano, again and again and again… I do hope they will go for that more sensitive version again! It was divine!!! Now those are two singers who have mastered the piani to perfection! And I have never heard a tenor and baritone fall so naturally in sync in this duo, with as little as a side-glance, it was a glory of harmony rather than a display of competitive force :-) More appropriate for two friends, wouldn’t you say?

And when music and singing achieves such beauty it is impossible for the soul not to be touched. Who says you have to force your way into the audience’s heart????
On that note, many reviewers don’t even bother to mention the audience reaction on the premiere night for example… Roars like that night come seldom along at the ROH, at least from what I have seen. Neither Carlo nor Rodrigo were ever interrupted in their duos ( wonder if it wasn’t because the audience was too touched by the singing and music to barge in, hm???) but the applause came crashing down on both at the end, very deservedly so! Ok, you might dislike production and even conducting might be controversial, but I feel it only fair to say the audience at the ROH liked it very much.

But it is an extraordinary night out not only due to these two, Furlanetto IS Filip, in such a powerful way that he almost sings the Inquisitor ( J Tomlinson) off the stage, Marina Poplavskaya has obviously had a wonderful positive development since last time and has grown into an altogether more natural Isabella, Marianne Cornetti is an effective dramatic Eboli and they all boost each other to create what is an unmissable evening of Verdi!

By the way, since it has been pointed out repeatedly that this is subtle, restrained, etc performance DO take you opera binoculars with you!! You wouldn’t want to miss out on those details others have obviously not observed , would you? So what if you sit front row?.... I assure you those white lacy collars are fascinating!!! And there are some stitchings on the costumes ..amazing!!! Who cares what others will think of it? These are some beautiful costumes that don’t come around that often and those swords are definitely worth admiring from up close… after all, it is about enjoying oneself and not missing out on anything worth taking in… so go ogle!! And come back and share your impressions if you will ;-)

PS The other night i went full of expectation to see the ROH shop window display and what a dissapointment! No recordings of any DC in the window, none with CDs of the singers and at least two have recent CDs.. I understand contractual obligations with sponsors... but really there always was at least a corner dedicated to the current piece performed, and after all this is the opening of the season!!! ....

Reviews! ... knock yourself out if you will , i've done my homework so to speak and this was as pleasant as homework can be...

New- Times (H Canning)
DailyExpress
MusicwebInterntional
Independent
Times
Guardian
Thisislondon
FT
Musicalcriticism
Musicomh
TheStage
Whatsonstage
Classicalsource
OperaBritannia
Intermezzo
TTTCritic

Talk about Don Carlo on BBC3 radio

In Tune, Monday 14 Sep 2009 at 17:00

Presented by Sean Rafferty. With Jonas Kaufmann (tenor), Marina Poplavskaya (soprano) and Semyon Bychkov (conductor) ahead of their performance in Don Carlo at the Royal Opera House.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/ and on the top right corner of the page you have a Listen Live link, don't forget to click on it !

Linda di Chamounix ROH

Update: ]
Times Online review from Neil Fisher
Musicalcriticism review by Dominic McHugh
Whatsonstage review by Sebastian Petit
Music and Vision review by Robert Hugill









Finally, the season kicks off and it is with Linda di Chamounix in a concert performance.

More information on the plot at this Wikipedia link
Of course, Intermezzo has been there and has the story of the first performance here.

And in today's BBC3 In Tune we had a surprise musical preview:

08/09/2009 Jennifer Koh, Mark Elder
Available on IPlayer since today with 7 days left.
Presented by Sean Rafferty. With violinist Jennifer Koh and conductor Mark Elder.

You can listen to an extract of Monday's recording of Oper Rara here on In Tune

Scroll to Min 1.12 to hear Eglise Gutiérrez sing "O luce di quest'anima"!!!

Enjoy!



http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00mj5xn




For those who now feel lured to the only other concert performance, on Monday the 14th of September at the ROH, there are still tickets left:

Linda di Chamounix



Composer Gaetano Donizetti
Performers
Conductor Mark Elder
Linda Eglise Gutiérrez
Carlo Stephen Costello
Pierotto Marianna Pizzolato
Antonio Ludovic Tézier
Marquis de Boisfleury Alessandro Corbelli
Prefect Balint Szabó
Maddalena Elizabeth Sikora
Intendant Luciano Botelho

See you there!

ROH Ignite

The Teenage Theatre Critic has posted an interesting article about the Ignite event which happened this weekend at the ROH. Follow this link if you want to read more.

Marianne Cornetti will be Eboli in the ROH Don Carlo

Marianne Cornetti as Amneris and Elena Zelenskaya as Aida Photo © 2001 Ken Howard at www.operajaponica.org

This year's Don Carlo brings with it some new voices compared to the cast of last season . One of them is the American mezzo Marianne Cornetti and Eboli will be her ROH debut :-)

Photo at http://www.musicalcriticism.com

For those of you wanting to know more about her and her career there is an interesting interview over at musicalcriticism.com

She seems to love all those Verdi mezzo roles which are powerful and interesting women, so Eboli should be in good company in her repertoire. And she has some interesting things to say about the ongoing Don Carlo rehearsals: Nicholas Hytner is polishing all those little details and Semyon Bychkov is promising some pianississimo :-)

About the former i am thrilled, i thought there was some really great choreography in the production the first time around and i'd love that to continue this second time round. And if he has another thought about those screaming priests in the auto-da-fé i'd be even happier ;-)))

About the latter i am sure Marianne will not be the only happy one among the singers :-) I'm all for some piano in the right places!

And i expect Mr Bychkov to absolutely nail those duets and ensembles :-) At certain points i wouldn't mind for example Posa and Carlo to meld their voices into one line until becoming ...almost.. undistinguishable :-)

But let's hear Marianne Cornetti sing!

Marianne Cornetti sings La luce langue from Verdi's Macbeth



Thanks to SixtusBeckmesser1 for the video

Marianne Cornetti as Azucena sings Stride la vampa in Parma, april 2006.


Thanks to signorinaermione for the video

Nelly Miricioiu - Marianne Cornetti - Anna Bolena duet



Thanks to coloraturafan for the video

The ROH Don Carlo experiment

Photo from the ROH website

I have a confession to make…

I have decided to conduct a very serious scientific experiment! And while at it improve my knowledge of this complex and admired piece of music :-)

So, after careful consideration, I have decided to attend all Don Carlo performances at the ROH. Yes, all 6 of them… plus the general rehearsal.

And I’ve made sure I sit all over the place to get the best combination of sound and vision for my experiment :-)

Now, before you shake you head in disbelief... it’s not exactly an unusual idea in my case ;-) I’ve seen the Don Giovanni last season 3 times and several other productions twice and years back there is a whole list of productions I have seen 20, 30 times or more.. with different casts of course!

With certain shows it really is worth it to see more than one if you can, so you can slowly and gradually explore every nook and cranny of the music and the production. Or to just see/hear the bits you like most again and again and again ;-)

But don’t worry, I’m not just going to overdose on Verdi this September. I’ll see the Linda di Chamounix, I was even lucky enough to catch a Tristan and Isolde ticket! And I’ve got things planned at the Wigmore Hall and the Barbican. If you will, I’m having a bit of a musical celebration of my first year in the big city :-)

It might sound like too much indulgence, but I worked myself knackered over the summer and have decided to have a bit of vacation in the city instead of a summer holiday on he beach. Just stay home and enjoy the treats on offer ;-)))

So, as far as I’m concerned… let the experiment begin!

View from the jelly bean jar ( ROH '08-'09 season)

Isn’t the point about jelly beans the very fact that you can’t quite guess from their look what flavour they have? Part of the kick is expecting a certain thing and taking a chance on what you will actually taste :-) Like, say you like apple, you go for the green one … it could be apple and you’d be satisfied, but it could be lime and tart, or it could even be jalapeno if you are unlucky and you’ll burn yourself badly… or it could be margarita and that would be a plus!! Or you feel like toffee but it turns out to be peanut and you’re darn allergic to peanut! Or you dive in a for a kick of cappuccino and yuuuukk!! Oh no liquorice!!! Or you close your eyes and let you fingers play with the slippery beans and close your eyes and open your taste buds and nostrils and pure heavenly coconut!! Or French vanilla… mmmmmm….

You see, an opera season is just like a jelly bean jar! Full of yummy promises you can’t resist and you find yourself forever diving into the jar for yet one more little bean. And you sometimes get the expected, others the unexpected, sometimes the surprising and others the down right disgusting ;-)

Right now I am the proud owner of my first empty jelly bean jar! I’ve just finished my first full ROH season. People who have always lived at its doorsteps or who never get to experience the thrill will never quite grasp what it means to have such a house within reach and call it lightly “my House”. Now I feel shamelessly privileged, but never you mind, sure enough after two or three more I’ll be one of those constantly moaning and complaining while all the time enjoying one world-class performance after another ;-)))) But right now I am still not at that point of jaded indulgence, so let’s take a look back at the jelly beans which flavoured this past year’s jar…

The first and strongest taste on my musical senses this last year is THE WAGNER! Yes, my first ever Wagner! And what a Wagner this was, Hollander and Lohengrin. What a first time treat! So different in style as productions and yet so impressive. I can easily close my eyes and feel the drops in the storm on the Hollander curtain and see the body of the ship in dark wetness broken by specks of light. And it also was my first live encounter with Bryn Terfel’s rich and generous voice and stage persona.
The Lohengrin was definitely love at first sight! One that I know will last a lifetime. I hope that one day I will be saying .. this is my 54 Lohengrin :-) Happily smiling a toothless smile of old age and typing my thoughts on some virtual implant of a biological computer surely ;-)))) I think hearing that cast was a gift for a first timer, almost unbeatable. Certain lines from that 1 performance I will never forget! And the powerful and impressive Ortrud of Petra Lang! And the production, old as it may be was discrete enough to let the music live and shine through. And it also gave me my favourite conductor of the year: Semyon Bychkov I know my experience of Lohengrin would have never been as intense, had it not been for his sensitive and dedicated care for this score.

So The Wagner being the one that enriched me most from a musical point of view, what was the one which brought the most fun with it? Well there are two, very very easy to guess: Matilde and Barbiere :-) I guess they qualify somewhere between popcorn and pina colada :-) And yes of course, Juandi is the main reason why they are so much fun, but while he is the one that puts the smile on my face just thinking about these two operas, the musical moments that stay with me from these performances are Kurzak’s aria at the end of Mathile… I mean THAT COLORATURA!! A women with a spark that Matilde :-) And the small parts of joined coloratura between Juandi and Joyce DiDonato in the last act of Barbiere… that was a moment made in cotton candy heaven! Bliss, bliss, bliss, bliss…

While I am at it my women of the season IS Joyce DiDonato! Because she sang in spite of a broken foot.. but that is the least bit of it… because she was the first voice that greeted my ears in London and made me feel at home, because she made me see the Don Giovanni 3 times :-) because, because, because…. She is like the warmest, most addictive spice.. Definitely sizzling cinnamon!!

That Don Giovanni… ahhh.. my first performance of the first full season, that is forever eternalised on my wall.. umm, who is forever eternalised on my wall, MY DON, Simon Keenlyside, of course who else! But that was another perfect cast.. in fact the season began with that perfect cast and ended with another, that of Barbiere :-) This Don however delivered for me the most addictive interpretation of this aria ever: Deh vieni alla finestra…. Makes you want to jump right out of that window! :-)

The most interesting staging and most puzzling performance goes to… Die tote Stadt! One that leaves you wondering why, how, when, who??? And gives you a sleepless night or two :-) I still love Bruges though :-))) Kind of tangerine that one, you have to try it, at least once, but you’ll never quite know what to make of it.

Then there was the one “get exactly what you expect”- strawberry cheesecake of the most delicious and filling kind – Hoffmann! Rolando owns that part, just as Hoffmann possesses Rolando! I expected to enjoy it and see the best of Rolando Villazon and that is exactly what he delivered, no buts whatsoever! He was totally true to himself and his dedication and passion for singing. And for that he has my respect.

Not to say the rest wasn’t good or memorable , there were many fine moments and it was an agreeable string of flavours. Loved to hear the Turandot, Rigoletto, Trovatore, Boheme, Tosca, Traviatas, Ballo, Elisirs again :-) I appreciated Nucci’s Rigoletto, but was truly conquered by the bell like sound of Siurina as Gilda, was glad to see Roberto Alagna back on the ROH stage, lively and daring as ever, but the production was really meeeeehh! Boheme is a nice opera, but I am yet to hear one that will burn itself into my memory. Of Tosca, Ballo and Traviata I’ve written recently and I do take more fine singing from it, they were all above average by any standards. And by the way, Ramon Vargas is another of the strawberry cheesecake kind… smooth! And so is Antonio Pappano by the way, I’d always want to have my jar full of these, I need a dose every so often, at regular intervals :-)

The Elisir and Hansel and Gretel gave me La Damrau! Her Adina really had the extra depth! She’s…. umm.. I know! Strawberry daiquiri!!! Wicked and infectious :-)

Then there were all those flavours I wish I could have stuffed in my jar and never got a chance to… and I’ll be searching to taste them one day soon hopefully: Berg’s Lulu being my biggest regret…

So I’ve just emptied this jar and after gulping down a biiiiiig glass of water to clean my pallet am ready to open the next one :-)


Whatever the flavours will be this year, one thing is pretty clear, moaning and indigestion after overdosing aside... they are all of the gourmet variety!

Enjoy!

Jonas Kaufmann and die schone Munchnerin :-)

Looks like it's another painting riddle! Will this be a trend in CD covers? ;-))))

See if you can spot it, i've even left you a clue...

No monetary rewards available for the winner i'm afraid... the crisis and such, you know :-p
... Hm, but maybe i could be persuaded to write a post on a subject chosen by the one who guesses the painting first :-)

The CD will appear on the 16th of October 2009 , at least in Germany available at amazon.de , but also internationally at play.com.

Live in Munich it was really good and now you can hear the Bachlein run around stones and look at the blaue Augelein again and again and again :-)

End of season – Italian style

This summer break seems incredibly short and long at the same time…. Work is keeping me away from London, so I haven’t been to a live performance in what seems like too long already.. Withdrawal never used to be so bad ;-) And looking at the calendar I lulled my conscience with the idea that it will be long enough for me to catch up with the last of the season before the new one starts… I’m no longer sure that will be possible, but sometimes one needs to concentrate on producing the budget that will then be madly spent over the next 10-11 months ;-)

I realised that since the last “real” post I have seen some 10 shows, which makes tying all those loose ends a bit of a headache… I could so take the easy route and just talk about what so perfectly ended my musical year on a high note, but I have decided to exercise discipline for once because I have taken that route way too many times this year. Looking back on the blog over the last 12 months I realised that I have missed out quite a number of things I have seen and heard and that a reader might get a very skewed view of what music is to me. I’ll come back to this in the next post and I don’t want to anticipate too much, but I want to capture for myself as well all that has left an imprint on me, not just some of the steps. After all, trying to hold on to all the millions of seconds of joy and flashes of feelings and insights that I come across in every performance was the reason I started this blog in the first place and I feel I am not really living up to my own expectations.

Enough said about that …on to the ROH Italian season :-)

Rossini, Verdi, Puccini. Il Barbiere, Traviata, Tosca is mostly likely my list of most seen, longest known works. All 3 i am at the sing-along-stage ;-))) I don’t even need to tell you that I overdosed on the Tosca in the last year and got close to doing it in Traviata as well, which is why in the booking i skipped both. Instead I went for a double dose of Ballo, which is one of the few Verdis which I previously knew only from recordings and videos. And of course I fought to get a double package of Barbiere. This is my favourite from childhood and I can honestly say I have a full body soft spot for it!

The two also had at the time of the booking the most attractive casting for me: I could hear Ramon Vargas finally in a full length role and initially the velvet voiced Carlos Alvarez as Renato and then the one in a lifetime all star cast in Barbiere!

But things are never quite as you plan them. First the ROH lost Carlos Alvarez ( who I hope has fully recovered by now) and shortly before the actual kick off of all these performances mayhem hit the ROH casts: firstly Simon Keenlyside had to go off and rest his voice then Deborah Voigt was unwell for Tosca and the flu threatened a number of the ones still standing…. While others unfortunately were soon to be sitting rather than standing.

It surely was exciting in more ways than one! I don’t think the casting team in ROH would want to repeat the experience, but I’d say that given all the last minute crisis music came out as glorious as ever and we got to see some good and some really amazing shows.

photos by Bill Cooper at playbillarts.com

Il Barbiere…

I think had everyone’s expectations riding on it and it was one of those very happy cases of expectations being exceeded. Juandi is Juandi and he is the prince of the Barber ;-) Elegant, funny, charming, riding the coloratura up and down as if it would a fun slide over waves, utterly infectious! Somebody who can put a cheeky smile on your face while doing this is sheer recipe for happiness. He was the desperate count all the way, intelligently riding the edge between endearingly funny and OTT with a firm foot planted on the right side. I don’t know anyone else who can transform excellence into normality with such ease :-)

So how do you make an impression as Rosina when your big entrance happens already well into the show? Easy-peasy! You just call yourself Joyce! DiDonato that is ;-))) And you dish out the coloratura with just as much panache as Juandi and look cute as a button on stage! I’ve seen the Met Barber on video and was looking forward to this, but she is soooo much much better live! I have never heard such colours and such shades and richness of feeling in a Rossini lady ever! I apologise to mine and my friend’s neighbours in the amphitheatre ..we probable left them deaf in a matter of seconds after herUna voce… It was just spontaneous, irrepressible shouting and clapping! I couldn’t and wouldn’t have wanted to stop myself if my life depended on it. I still feel my throat closing in with emotion when I remember that moment! That is how sheer bliss feels like, you just burst with joy from every cell! And as far as I could tell from the overwhelming roar in my ears some 2000 people there felt pretty much the same.

The others were just as good! Corbelli should be knighted for his singing praise of the Italian language, there just aren’t any many singers where the joy of music and text compliment each other so well. Spagnoli was so much more than a replacement, his Figaro was natural and intelligent and all round secure and his interaction with his colleagues placed him firmly at the centre of the action, probably much more so than most people would have expected.

Pietro Spagnoli and Juan Diego Flórez photos by Bill Cooper at playbillarts.com

And I will never ever look at Maestro Furlanetto in the same way again!!! There is no way I can reconcile in my mind the image of the utterly mad Don Basilio with that of the regal and powerful kind Filip! So extremely different and yet so amazing … the only thing they have in common is that giant of a voice, warm and dangerous and enveloping at the same time. But I would have never thought he could let himself be so crazy … he didn’t just give it a try he went aaaaaall the way! And produced the creepiest and funniest Basilio I have ever seen :-) I have a completely new level of respect for the artist Ferrucio Furlanetto and am now looking forward even more to his Filip and his Fiesco, surely unmissable!

My only doubt before seeing the show was if Pappano and Rossini were two flavours that went well together? Well, it was like chocolate and orange, strawberries and cream..juuuuuuuuust delicious!!!! Turns out delicate, witty and playful Rossini is exactly the thing for Pappano, he was incredibly at home in the music and so obviously enjoyed it… just as much as the singers did singing it, the orchestra playing it and us listening to it :-)

Jennifer Rhys-Davies, Juan Diego Flórez and Joyce DiDonato photos by Bill Cooper at playbillarts.com

Of course there was the unfortunate broken leg and I’m afraid we will be also be left without the DVD recording of this performance…. Sadly so… and if that really were the case all I can say is that as far as I can see there is no real reason why it shouldn’t be a DVD! In fact, it would probable make for a best seller :-) It was definitely the kind of performance you would tell you grandchildren about….

Angela Marambio as Amelia and Ramón Vargas as Riccardo Photo from http://www.operatoday.com/

Un ballo…

The first time round was the very next afternoon after the Barbiere first night. In many ways a bad idea… that kind of buzz cannot be repeated easily, it was a lazy Sunday afternoon and poor Ramon Vargas was off sick; Roberto Aronica had a bad allergic reaction and the orchestra had a bit of a tired day, maybe the aftermath of the Barbiere. All in all more one of those “better miss it” performances.

Luckily, the second time things improved significantly in spite of an even earlier matinee. Main plus point: Senor Vargas was back on, sounding very well, in spite of lingering cold and he was also looking sharp and surprisingly younger than at the start of the season in Don Giovanni. He delivered exactly what he promised in an earlier interview in musicalcriticism I wish we heard more of him at the ROH, because he is one of those who know what they sing and why they choose a role and who sing at the kind of level where you can appreciate all the details the composer built into the music. If I were to think of an adjective to associate to his voice and style of singing it would probably be elegance :-) He definitely energised the stage in an otherwise pretty dull production. The ball and it’s audience reflecting mirror is definitely the best of it, with some beautiful period costumes otherwise gracing the stage and little else.

Dalibor Jenis portrayed Renato convincingly both physically and vocally, in the first evening I saw him he definitely provided one of the better moments of the performance. His “Eri tu” got well deserved applause each time, it was well delivered and managed to touch the listener. Angela Marambio has a strong and nicely coloured voice, but I fear that the part might be a little heavy for the voice at times as high notes turned harsh too often. The early hours of the second performance also didn’t favour most of the singers.

The other significant upside of the second round was the orchestra and Maurizo Benini himself. No sleepiness in sight and they delivered Verdi with elegance and precision. I’ve heard Benini recently again conducting L’Elisir in Glyndebourne and I liked and appreciated the same things about him: it might not be the most exhilarating and creative sound, but it is smooth and balanced, with all the right shades in all the right places. It may sound funny, but for my ears he simply made Verdi sound like Verdi and Donizetti like Donizetti , which is highly enjoyable and more than can be said about many conductors and orchestra’s. I would always trust him with a true Italianate sound.

Bryn Terfel and Angela Gheorghiu photo from www.classicalsource.com

Tosca …

Drama, drama, drama…. No more comments ;-))) Now, Tosca i have seen enough times this year and this will be no means be for me a memorable one, nor among my favourites this year. It was curiosity that got the better of me on the opening night. I really wanted to hear Bryn Terfel again and singing Scarpia and was curious about Mrs Gheorghiu’s Tosca, since I had missed it a couple of years back.

The backpain induced by my amphitheatre chair might have been partly at fault. But I didn’t come out floating.. Then again in the Barbiere I never noticed the same backpain…. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good performance, well sung, well conducted, but it took a while to really get rolling and didn’t reach some chords within at the expected level of intensity. Angela sounded good and I get why Tosca can be more on the feminine side, but it was a bit of an undecided portrayal, missing oomph in parts and displaying them in others. Until the last act, when Scarpia was no more, there was definitely more stage chemistry between her Tosca and Bryn’s Scarpia then between her and Marcello Giordani, her Mario that night. I loved Bryn’s Hollander and I like him as an artist a lot, but that night something was not quite there, perhaps he was too charming???

Angela Gheorghiu as Tosca and Marcello Giordani as Cavaradossi photo C Ashmore at http://www.musicweb-international.com/

The whole thing did click where I expected it least, in the last act, and although I thought the “E lucevan” would not really get me because of my preference for intimate delivery here, that was not the case. Giordani managed to show what he hadn’t that much the rest of the night, ie that he can sing in softer tones, that he can be creative and that being an experienced artist can mean more than just correct delivery. Again, a case of well deserved applause for an aria that was something more than the usual thing.

Jacques Lacombe brought the passion in his Puccini conducting but at time I felt he run away with it and it all was too loud in many places, sometimes almost covering the artists, which should not have been the case.

The Tosca had it’s moments and I’m glad I went, but I wouldn’t have gone again.

Renée Fleming (Violetta) and Joseph Calleja (Alfredo) photo C Ashmore at http://www.musicweb-international.com/

Traviata…

This also never made my to do list for the season, in spite of being one of my favourites. I decided to see the one in Munich instead, but as some of you might remember, the Verdi in the pit there left me longing for the “real stuff”…

Then there had always been the temptation of Hampson doing Germont. It’s no secret that he is an artist I have favoured for some years now, I know his voice is not to everyone’s likening but in both lieder and on stage I find him compelling and interesting. And who better to give me the “real Verdi” than Pappano ;-)))

Weak heart as I am, I ended up seeing this Traviata not once, but twice! Standing! And this is one choice I don’t regret.

I’m sorry to say the Diva of the night, Mrs Fleming has never been my cup of tea and sadly my opinion after two Traviatas has not changed significantly. Too much distortion in the sound for my taste, not enough emotional connection. It might be just my personal reaction, but it is what it is. Around the same time I saw and heard Ermonela Jaho sing Violetta from Lyon … now that was a Traviata where I cried buckets! Always a good sign with such a well known opera I think :-)))))

Calleja on the other hand I heard live for the first time in a full length opera and I was more than pleasantly surprised! Quite a development from when I have heard him in a TV documentary a number of years ago. More please! I will be looking forward to catching the Met broadcast of his Hoffmann… which is sure to be a challenge in his repertory.

He was energetic and daring enough to outshine the Diva in the middle of her big first act aria with his high note ;-))) He made for an Alfredo who’s energy on stage seemed sometimes barely contained. It did seam at times however that he was almost too thrilled to be singing on this stage to concentrate more on portraying Alfredo’s struggle with his feelings for Violetta. The pleasure in hearing him sing however outweighed the sometimes lack of chemistry with Renee’s Violetta.

No disconnect whatsoever in Hampson’s Germont! It is what I so admire about him, the ability to portray the character, to tell his story and get the public to engage with it to the point where you don’t notice the notes he is singing, but rather the emotions he transmits. Which doesn’t mean at all that you stop hearing the refinement of his singing! I am really glad we got an extra dose of Hampson in the concert with Pappano and although he is very busy with his projects in the US I hope he will be back at the ROH sometimes soon :-)

And I have to say a very big Thank you! to Tony Pappano for reconnecting me emotionally to the Traviata score… now that was Verdi! What a relief, I had thought I was slowly growing tired of it, but not a chance… now, with the right kind of sound in my ears, I’m actually looking forward to some Traviatas during the next season ;-))

And that was us, arrivederci from the ROH until September, when we kick off with some more Donizetti and Verdi :-)