Simon Keenlyside & Malcolm Martineau

Precious little pearls from an evening of song i was lucky enough to hear live :-)

Especially for a dear friend, looking forward to enjoying one of these evenings together in a few months time :-)

Standchen



Auf der Brucke



Der Knabe und das Immlein



An die Geliebte



And this was the last encore of the evening, gently sending us home :-)))

Hotel



Enjoy everyone!

Thanks very much theflossie100 for sharing!!

And not at all meaning to spoil the "spleen"... but if you haven't seen and heard it yet, RUN, RUN RUN!!! While it's still on, it's a gorgeous night at the opera!! I've seen it 3 times and could do with 3 more!

Macbeth Backstage

A bit of beauty....

"Ave Verum Corpus" by Karl Jenkins. Sung by Bryn Terfel and Simon Keenlyside


No words, nothing else, just enjoy!

I'll have my virus with some music on top please

Stonehaven (near Aberdeen), the North Sea... a piece of heaven!



Warning : this is just a post-beginning, i'll write more tomorrow and hopefully get things up to date :-) And i'll get back on the comments re the Met Tosca, of course :-)

----------------------

Luck comes in strange ways…. I’m lucky to be back in London, sleeping in my own bed tonight! Oh, no I didn’t miss out on all the volcano fun, how could i? Given my track record volcano-cancellation was just what my weird travel log was missing… just one more involuntary adventure … (remember this?)

At least I was stuck on the island ( and not off the island), in Scotland and took the beautiful journey down south. But since lady luck seems to think I need some spice in my life the day started at 7am, work until 2pm, train at 3pm (after prayers and begging to find a seat … )…. For 8 hours! Five of which were spent in the charming company of a group of underage drunks 2 seats in front of me and a stag party, just as drunk, 3 seats behind me. The stag-boys were dressed up elegantly in fishnets, miniskirts and strappy tops, all dolled up with make up and stilettos… Not even the oomph of JK’s truly jaw-dropping “Vittoriaaaaaa!!!!!!” in my ears could drown out the rowdiness.. And I lost track after 6 bottles of booze each because I got too distracted by listening to ”Dolci maaaaniiii” . Lucky me they never suspected that I enjoyed myself by listening to Tosca over and over again… they might not have departed so “peacefully”…. At least I can’t complain that my 130GBP ticket (which was sold to me as first class, but turned out to be my usual cattle class..) didn’t come with entertainment for the journey.

Finally at the edge of London some 3 hours and a train-sandwich-dinner later another surprise… Fire alarm at King’s Cross! So we took a break in the darkness of the city, because after all we were in really no hurry to get home. …One hour later on the underground thinking that I may yet make it home I hear: This train is held at a red signal, please wait for further announcements…Wait we did, I wasn’t too keen on jogging home with suitcase and backpack in tow ;-)) Then there we go, miracle happens and we move again!! But miracles don’t last long, 2 more stops down the line: This train is held at a red signal… and you know the drill. The two other passengers in the wagon gave me the looks when I suddenly started giggling uncontrollably!

So you see, “things” always happen when I travel :-) I’ll never know why. The good thing is after a volcano nothing will phase me :-) And as they say, Ende gut, Alles gut!

This was just the end of a couple of months where various viruses found an unusually strong attraction to me and where I tried to duck them to still be able to enjoy some music. And enjoy I did!!! A Konigskinder in Zurich, 2x Goerne with Schubert at the Wigmore, Hamlet from the Met in HD, the amazing Mariss Jansons with SOBR and Shostakovich, the Gambler and the Turco at the ROH :-)

More on these and on Stonehaven once I wake up from the dead tomorrow morning….

One thing I can tell you, I think I finally found spring!! And it smells of the sea and has cold hands when it caresses your hair and face :-)

Crossing fingers for all the stranded travellers to find their way back to their homes as quickly as possible!

Good night!

To a much too beautiful start...

What a wonderful beginning to my musical year!!!

After what I have seen and heard in the last weeks of the old year I would say it is exactly what the “soul” doctor ordered!

At my parents home we are lucky to get all things artsy/musical like 3sat, arte, mezzo, etc so I was all to happy to indulge in the “Operafest” 3sat and ZDF had prepared around the 10 most popular operas, according to viewers’ choice. A brilliant idea and I wouldn’t question the choice of productions that was broadcasted because if we all start saying what our favourite production of a certain opera is and try to decide on one it will all end up in blood and tears ;-) However, when you indulge in such a density of them over a short period of time you realise a lot of things about your own tastes and preferences in music and opera productions.

And you are allowed to frown and laugh at the fact that I scheduled my family and friends visits at holiday time around the opera-broadcast schedule. I basically ended up dragging people along to see these :-) or making sure I was back home to watch. Thank God most of them were pretty late at night due to time difference so everyone is still talking to me ;-) Although my parents did complain about the overdose of opera in German with no subtitles…

So there was: Lohengrin, Rosenkavalier, Don Giovanni, Tosca, Aida, Fidelio, Boheme and Zauberflote. Unfortunately I wasn’t home any more for the Carmen and Traviata. But I had seen both recently and we watched the Carmen from the Scala together. Of course I did vote as well and before you ask, yes I votes for the winner too, Traviata :-) My favourites change these days frequently, but because I was home and we were going down memory lane opera wise anyway, I just couldn’t deny all those 40 or more Traviatas seen :-) You can google all the details yourself, I’ll just resume which they were: Lohengrin Munich June 2009 (Jones, JK, Harteros, etc), Rosenkavalier (BadenBaden2009, Fleming, etc), Don Giovanni (Salzburg, Kusej 2006, Hampson, Schafer, etc), Tosca (Bregenz, Himmelmann2009, Michael, Saks, etc), Aida(Bregenz, Vick2009), Fidelio (Valencia, Valencia 2006 (Mehta,´Alli; Meier, Seiffert, Salminen), Boheme (2009 movie, Villazon Netrebko), Zauberflote (Zurich 2007, Kusej, Strehl, Mosuc, etc).

Tell you what, by the end of it I was sure I need I break from Regietheater for at least half a year! I don’t mind it, in fact I like to see modern twists on long known operas every now and then but I realised that I could not live in a world where that is all I would see of opera. Of the above Fidelio and Rosenkavalier were sort of traditional and Boheme was the movie. However the latter 2 operas are far from being any of my favourites, in fact they are the two I like least of the above list (and yes I mean Rosenkavalier and Boheme). Fidelio was an interesting set and well worked costumes, but other than that it was rather the reverse extreme, stand still singing all along. And I don’t like feeling like in a costume museum with back-round music being played. As for the others, however good the singing was, I ended up being slightly frustrated by the constant distraction from the music, the guessing game as to what was supposed to happen next and all the elements that had little to do with the story or what the text was saying at that particular moment in time. I knew all the operas and could in the end filter out the disturbing elements and try to find my way back to the music. But as the days went by I tried to think of somebody who had never seen opera before, didn’t know the pieces, but say had the curiosity to sit through all of these productions. I honestly wonder what they would have understood? It seemed like a video mix of a news channel with current images of crime and normal life tossed together with a back ground of classical music. The stories just blurred into each other, distinctions lost. Kusej’s Giovanni and Zauberflote stood out a bit , but they were in many ways similar as visual treatment, for two operas which are not. Also all of these productions seemed to favour harsh light, bizarre dressing taste (or lack thereof) and many also considerable stage mechanics. Of course I am exaggerating, as the experiment in itself is exaggerated. But compiled like this I felt struck by how much of the identity of the pieces was lost and how similar the visual interpretation became.

And it is particularly sad because some of them were absolutely brilliantly sung, like the Lohengrin and the Don Giovanni! Well, the Tosca and the Aida where double disappointments, not much to salvage besides Saks’ Scarpia. I love Aida, but the blue giant feet, the splashing about in the water and the Aida as a cleaning lady on top of the mediocre singing was too much to take. Never mind about Mario singing dolci mani with Tosca nowhere in sight (well she was somewhere on top of the eye, fluffing about with the pink frock..) The eye movements were interesting, but out of context I felt and I any case if I want to see really cool engineering tricks I go to the cinema and watch the Matrix… or James Bond ;-) Now those are tricks! And there is a place and time for everything, directors just have to get it right. And there are plenty opera directors out there who get it right and who find ways of interpreting and telling the same old story anew, without clashing with the music or disconnecting the visuals from the actual plot. Why many believe that “modern” directing in opera means inserting a completely new story into the old I don’t know. Some clearly believe that the old one can be chucked away easily, but they are wrong, it just cannot disappear, it is right there in the music and the text. Piling sets on top of it and alien gestures does not delete it, just hides it under the rubble, still visible, making it just an unsatisfying and confusing experience. But there are those like Carsen, McVicar, etc who love the music and the story and use their imagination in telli the story in a fresh way, basically bringing it alive in front of me, while maintaining its magic, the illusion of the show. It doesn’t need to become reality to feel real.

In any case, not all was bad, even these had their moments, like the beginning of Act 3 in Lohengrin which has much more intimacy than many traditional productions, who bring too much of the “hero from another world” into the relationship between Elsa and Lohengrin (if only building that house would not take 2 acts of .. well.. rubble!) (And I haven’t forgotten I still owe you all the story of “my” Lohengrin..) And the bikini-clad ladies in the Giovanni had something appropriately chilling to them, giving the performance a darker tone.

As to the singing and the music, well, there is the only reason why I watched all in the end, in spite of the productions. I could never get enough of hearing Anja’s Elsa and Jonas’ Lohengrin, I rediscovered Christine Schafer as Donna Anna and found as always, that she is one of the most touching singers I’ve ever seen, it was good to see Ildebrando as Leporello (something he is really good at, and to forget this stiff Escamillo), the Rosenkavalier had a great cast ( which I could listen to for hours (just not singing that particular opera…nice arias but to me it just doesn’t glue together and there are far too many ladies singing too much of the opera), Waltraud Meier is a wonderful Leonore, but Peter Seiffert is I’m afraid past his Florestans (and it is true what they say about Valencia opera – absolutely amazing orchestra and chorus!!). Boheme is a movie, so it all sounded good and looked good, I watched it, did the crying, but am still left with the same feeling as before: I never have the actual impulse to go and see it, I don’t long after it. I will trod along for a good reason, but somehow the end of it never leaves me wanting to book the next performance again. Which doesn’t stop me from really liking Musetta and having a favourite out of it: “vecchia zimarra”. I just don’t like it, that’s it. (or maybe I’m just waiting for Mr Tony Pappano to conduct it and do the “unlocking” for me.. after all it worked wonders with Tosca! )

On top of this we watched the Carmen from the Scala and listened on New Year’s Eve to the Met broadcast of the Carmen premiere… I know it’s hideous to compare, but at such short distance from each other impossible not to do :-) Obviously can’t compare the productions, but I can say some things about the on from Scala: I can’t understand all the uproar and the fuss. It wasn’t mindblowing in any way. not bad, not good, not too out there, not too anything if you ask me. I don’t think this is a production to stand out in any way. The was gratuitous flesh in a production that was supposed to be about feminine values, there were loads of priests and crosses which didn’t add, but luckily didn’t disturb much. Costumes were ok, but I have seen better pants and more flattering frocks for the ladies. The lighting was really good, but overall it felt as though the detailed work had gone into filling the space around the main singers, into putting movement, action around the set constantly. I liked Micaela transforming into Jose’s mother, but that is about it. I don’t know how it came across live, but to me the focus was everywhere else, but on the main characters. Such details on chorus and dancers, etc (how much this added is debatable) and such lack of it for Jose, Carmen, even Escamillo. That was a topical Escamillo if I’ve ever seen one (I’ll not go into details about the bull picture and all the rest, as this, for anyone who knows a bit about Spain had nothing much to do with what corridas are all about and all to do with preconceptions and stereotypes). The interaction between the characters lacked something and there were details which spoiled the atmosphere a couple of times (at least on close up via TV): Carmen wears lycra pantyhose all the time!! (Carmen, the gypsy.. lycra pantyhose.. who thought that was a good idea!) , Jose looks in the last act as if he just came from the tailors, nice suit jacket, pressed, crease-free shirt, make up all in place. And the big scare, the rape scene is … well, not scary enough and rather funny at times (one hand leaning on Carmen, one hand fumblig pants… at least they stopped there because imagine Jose singing the end of Carmen with his pants around his ankles… no giggles!). I’m not saying it couldn’t have been… possibly yes. Does it add anything to the end? No, the killing is quite enough violence. Or if you do go with the idea, it must be convincing, this wasn’t.

The singing was of course a different thing, as the French have said it these days as Jose, Jonas Kaufmann reigns supreme, and I would have loooved to hear him live in this role! Anita R has indeed a wonderful voice and she will be a very interesting singer to follow, but she has yet to go a while before becoming Carmen other than vocally :-) Barenboim made interesting choices for the music, but I have to say retrospectively I liked Pappano more and also Yannick Nézet-Séguin in the Carmen from the Met, maybe a more expressive, passionate Carmen is more my thing.

Talking about the one from the Met, I was curious to hear it as I saw the same Jose and Carmen (Algana and Garanca) sing it in ROH and wasn’t all that blow away. Live the production I hadn’t seen before was not as good as on DVD, it’s nice all right,and for me personally works better than the Scala one. Still I would definitely be a buyer of a more modern Carmen (eg the one in Zurich which had it’s moments and it’s interesting images). But at that point I wasn’t convinced Garanga is the thing. But hearing her now from the Met I liked her more and I think I will end up linking her as Carmen, that is if she puts the reigns on the overacting in ROH. I think she still slaps the men-eater a bit to thickly on. Vocally however she sounds like Carmen, at least from the Met she did and she can really sing! As far as Ecsamillo go…. My favourite is definitely… Kyle Ketelsen. Ildebrando is scared of the horse and can’t really scare Jose. Mariusz Kwiecien is not quite there vocally and I think Schrott didn’t have his best day at the Scala premiere when the video was made. But at least he looks and acts very convincingly like his character. I would like to hear him live with this as well. But I have seen Kyle Ketelsen sing it and he hits the right spot of vocal comfort with the score and convincing, underplayed self-assuredness. Algna I am sure is a wonderful Jose… on the day he doesn’t confuse it with Turridu. He can sing the role well, and it is audible, but at some point the acting, or rather overacting takes over and music goes out the window… and that happened at least when I heard from both the ROH and the Met, before the end of the last act, and I can’t say I like it.

So, once again, I end up hugging the ROH Carmen DVD close to my heart and brood over not having seen it live. It still is the one I think about whenever I think of listening to Carmen.

But, all of these more or less satisfying productions, and especially the 3sat Regietheaterfest left me longing for a bit of illusion, a bit of romanticism and to just find back to the simple, pure pleasure of music. Which is exactly what I got with Werther! And I am lucky enough to continue this mood with 3 lieder recitals, the first one being right his very evening:

Click on the joint picture for more details of the Simon Keenlyside recital at the Wigmore tonight. It will be repeated on Monday, for anyone wanting to go. I was hoping for Dichterliebe… but no such luck :-) Still I like the program and am greatly looking forward to hearing Simon again! Back in London after a highly praised Macbeth in Wien and a Posa in Munich, where he sang it even better than in London a few months ago! Which I thing is unfair of him!!! ;-))) But it is probably the consequence of careful voice development at the hands of Verdi :-) I’m happy for Mr Keenlyside and will continue to cross my fingers for his debut later in the year in his well loved Rigoletto :-)

The will me more lieder next week from Christian Immler and Helmut Deutsch (thanks Intermezzo for the tip!) and again click on HD’s picture for details. These will be more modern works that I have not heard before, so greatly looking forward to the encounter!

And then the week will end with Joyce DiDonato’s canzone d’amore :-) At the Wigmore again, details in the picture:

Oh, yes and there was this Werther in Paris during the weekend… the question being of course, to be or not to be across the channel … with the Eurostar.

Maybe all this will just be too much beauty to take in!

Reminder: Don Carlo ROH, Saturday BBC Radio 3

Update: the microphones were stuck to the border of the stage, above the orchestra, that is why you can at times hear the orchestra, especially horns, flutes etc and percussion louder and you can also hear Simon's decided steps ;-))) And Jonas singing from Popy's lap as if he was singing into you ear...

Gorgeous isn't it? Ahhhhhhhh..... reliving it exactly as i remembered it ... http://operaismagic.blogspot.com/2009/10/don-carlo-roh-from-heart.html

Can't wait for the La pace dei sepolcri!!!! ;-)
PS BBC stream seems to be good and holding up to the international "attack" ;-)



Photo: Catherine Ashmore Marina Poplavskaya (Elizabeth de Valois) and Jonas Kaufmann (Don Carlos)

On BBC Radio3 at 18:00 UK time ; 19:00 CET (Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Austria, etc), 13:00 US East coast (New York), for other locations and times, this is a useful site.

On the BBC Radio 3 page, there are also some longer interviews with Semyon Bychkov and Jonas Kaufmann, to listen click HERE (there is also some more information as well as pictures).

For those who couldn't listen to the JK interview on line, here it is:

To listen tomorrow evening to the broadcast on the internet click HERE or HERE.

To listen with surtitles click HERE.

Berg's Wozzeck with Salonen and Keenlyside

Simon Keenlyside as Wozzeck © Opéra de Paris / Ruth Walz 2008
Alban Berg's Wozzeck
Royal Festival Hall
Thu 8 Oct 2009 7:30pm
Berg - Wozzeck (semi-staged)


Esa-Pekka Salonen conductor
Simon Keenlyside Wozzeck
Katarina Dalayman Marie
Hubert Francis The Drum Major
Robert Murray Andres
Peter Hoare The Captain
Hans-Peter Scheidegger The Doctor
Anna Burford Margret
David Soar First Apprentice
Leigh Melrose Second Apprentice
Ben Johnson The Idiot
Philharmonia Voices

Jean-Baptiste Barrière video direction

If you want to get a bit of a feel of what last night was like here a small video courtesy of PhilharmoniaLondon




.......Every now and then my ears need a breath of fresh air and I generally need to do, see and hear something “new”. And after an intensive Verdi, Wagner, Bizet, Berlioz treatment Alban Berg does seem like sparkling fresh and new :-)

Well, ok, not all new… I had read Georg Buchner’s “Woyzeck”, albeit many many years ago and at least the main singer of the evening is all but novelty to my ears ;-) But, I had never been to the Southbank centre before, I had never crossed the Hungerford bridge before.

To be honest on paper it looked like just as much pleasure like going to the Barbican, that is .. none! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some wonderful evenings at the Barbican but getting there and out of there I hate, it is almost creepy if you have to do it like me on foot around the area. But I was intrigued by the music, wanted to hear and see Esa-Pekka Salonen conduct it live and wanted to understand why Simon Keenlyside is such a big fan of this particular opera and role. So I rushed through the working day, literally put trainers on while dashing out on the street to make sure I could make it fast enough to the underground and armed with a mental image of the tfl journey-planner hurried into the unknown …And that is all the preparation I had time for, no pre-listen, no browsing the libretto, not even a lazy reading of the synopsis…

It is beyond odd that I came out of a most depressing piece with a feeling of accomplishment and almost elation. And it is entirely due to the fact that the quality of playing and singing on the night was exceptional!

Berg’s music is these days less of a surprise to newcomers as it has actually been around for almost 100 years. To me it sounded much smoother than I expected although full of contrast and colour. It doesn’t flow harmonically in a traditional sense, but changes abruptly as do the feelings of the main characters. It spite of it’s apparent harshness and abrupt twists and turns it does not estrange you, but on the contrary traps you, engages you. Salonen created with the Philarmonia a sound that while precise and extremely well coordinated was never detached, but profoundly touching and emotional, lending the piece a strange, almost romantic feel at times. Curious, because I had to think back to the Damnation at the Barbican last month and precisely this kind of feeling was not always present there. The final musical attack on the death scene was marvellously violent and obliterating:-) It gave that almost cleansing feeling, I guess an almost cathartic release from al the pain and torture, at least that is how it felt to me.
(Esa-Pekka Salonen in a Figaro photo from this interesting article on Wozzeck in London and Paris and his work with the Philharmonia Orchestra. And here you also have an interesting article from March 2008 when Simon Keenlyside made his debut in the role at the Opera de Paris (in French). )


The singing was under the strenuous score amazingly lean and clear and also in character. Peter Hoare’s Captain was appropriately sharp and hysterical with some nerve tingling top notes and Hans Peter Scheidegger’s earthy bass come over convincingly scary as the crazy doctor. Katarina Dalayman’s Marie infused her interaction with her son with warm sadness and some gorgeous low notes and at times of remorse conquered with her Wagnerian panache the piercing top notes. The Philarmonia Voices provided the edgy, strong and chillingly “happy” and contrastng chorus interludes before the final resolution. Everyone’s diction was good, at least good enough for me to be able to understand the text without having to look at the surtitles to my upper left, which would have been immensely distracting.

In fact the semi-staged performance work really well, with everyone to only being well suited to their parts from a musical point of view, but also providing reliable acting. So much so that the visual display to my left behind the orchestra on the big street proved more of a distraction than an addition. The interaction between the characters, even if only on a meter wide band around the orchestra and confined to a few chairs, was captivating enough, that one didn’t want to look away. I suspect this was less of a problem if seated in front with everything going on in front at various levels. But sideways, after I while I stopped looking at the screen when singers were on stage and only looked back during the musical interludes. I ignored the surtitles altogether, even if I missed the odd word here and there, too much neck-twisting!

I think the visuals were not a bad idea, but sometimes too repetitive and probably would have worked more in a completed non-staged performance, concert with singers on stage most of the time. With the acting and singing going on and the orchestra on display on stage, it was too much to focus on. However, I have to say I appreciated the almost static (by comparison to the rest of the images) red moon among trees at the end. Effective for the completion of the “bloody” mood.

The major reason why I don’t believe this particular performance benefitted from the creative visual is… Simon Keenlyside. It would have been an absolute shame not to focus on him while he was on stage…. No image, no matter how ingenious is better than that! I’m starting to grasp maybe not all why he loves the part, but just how much he does! It was heart wrenching and scary to watch his Wozzeck. So obviously the physically fittest of all the cast he managed to “brake himself” to the point of complete merger with the character. The gestures, the poses, the steps where so incredibly natural it was chilling. I really wonder how he does it, is it choreographed? Does he do it mostly spontaneously, is every movements carefully placed? Having seen him as Posa so recently, this was a total revelation of what he is able to do. Did he look and sound crazy… yes and no… is Wozzeck the crazy one or is he rather the temporarily sane one in a screwed and screwed up world? I guess it isn’t about certainty with either Berg or Keenlyside as Wozzeck, it is about the questions he makes you ask yourself. It is very touching how he hangs on to every shred of sanity and logic and belief to prevent the slide towards the abiss, but everyone inevitably pushes him nearer to the edge. I personally like the fact that the others seemed madder than Wozzeck, that his thoughts seemed sometimes to come from introspection rather than a wild mind. However the gestures and movements enforced the sensations that lucidity is ever farther away… Keenlyside is too sophisticated an artist to be just the object of abuse of doctor, captain, lover …. He lends his Wozzeck a touch of Hamlet at times I felt, which managed to draw you in even more than being a mere onlooker of a poor man’s unavoidable decent into death and /or madness, whichever you feel has come first. It’s even more admirable that his voice sounded in this ruptured part generally even smoother and cleaner, warmer and easier handled than in his recent run of Posa… figure that…

He’s left me wondering what he can do with other characters, amazed by what he can create outside his voice and, to be honest, almost frightened of how deep he is able tor reach within with the characters he portrays. I hope he can rid himself of them as soon as he steps off stage :-) And it has left me also strangely looking forward to hopefully heaingr him in a liederabend where he is not a single character, but many, all filtered and contained within the artist, the Simon Keenlyside I can recognise as himself and where the voice is the impulse that drives the stories.

There were of course 10 minutes of very very enthusiastic applause for everyone!
And I’ll be definitely looking forward to more Salonen and Philarmonia Orchestra in the near future! It seems to be a an exciting and dynamic match :-)

The Royal Festiva Hall at the South Bank centre at night, photo on Panoramio.com by paulie455

So I left the Royal Festival Hall with a smile on my face and crossed the bridge back to the underground under the crisp winds. I stopped in the middle of the bridge to listen to the melancholic jazz music that came from a saxophone player, to smile at the city lights under the huge bright moon on what was a wonderful night over the Thames…. Lingering along the bridge I suddenly realised how beautiful London can be at night and while i looked at the people filling in the streets towards Covent Garden for the first time I felt like I belong here and I’m really happy to be here :-)

And all that thanks to an evening with Berg’s Wozzeck… now how weird is that????

This concert was recorded by BBC Radio 3 for broadcast in Performance on 3, at 7.00pm on Thursday 15 October.

Reviews:

What'sonstage

MusicOMH

Telegraph

And some interesting contributions from bloggers (including a few photos from last night):

Entartete Musik

Classical Iconoclast

Framescourer

Don Carlo ROH ...from the heart

photo Catherine Ashmore at musicweb-international.com

Ohh Carlo…..

How do you put so much music into words without exaggerating, without leaving important things out and without boring everyone to death… I suspect I’ll become one of those old grannies who will forever pester her grandchildren and everyone else she meets with the story of the Don Carlo she once saw… and nothing will be quite like that Carlo she saw in her days :-)

Of course every performance is unique in its own way and maybe many are worth seeing and some even remembering for a long long time… But we probably all have some recordings at home which leave us wondering what it must have felt like to be there, what did the public think when they listened to it live? Did they think 20, 30 years later or more people would think it special, reference it and constantly compare others to it? I’d love to be able to go back and sit through one of these and compare the feeling to the one I’ve had during this Don Carlo run. And apparently I wasn’t the only one thinking that this was not just your good performance of the week, or the season. I’ve heard many people around me say that it is the best they have seen, or rave about how extraordinary x or y was. The overall smiling faces at the exit also confirmed the kind of festive feeling the evening had surrounding it. It’s not that usual to see smiling faces after almost 4h and a half hours of opera, especially when the most loved characters end in brutal death :-) And still this tale of love, betrayal, freedom and politics left many elated. It also seems the word spread during the run that this is a must see thing, as many famous faces were sighted in the hall ;-) Even singer colleagues travelled to enjoy it.

Having said all this …. I am reluctant to be so definitive about things that I see, because it always is a personal view and my criteria may well be different than other people’s; besides this is not about giving out titles and prizes. So I will rather stick to this:

They have been of the performances I have most enjoyed over all the years I have been seeing opera and will definitely be of the ones I will never, ever be able to forget. Musically this cast and this orchestra and this conductor have revealed so many new facets of this piece, I am grateful for being able to see all performances! It has been a very very happy time, more so than I even expected and the feeling of joy was increased by the feeling that every evening I shared the “buzz” with people surrounding me in the audience. What more can I ask from going to the opera than being given these short, but unforgettable moments of happiness :-)

In a piece where I heave learned to love every single note it is hard to single out those which are “extra special”… I’ll try to mention a few, but wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up retelling the whole opera ;-)

So, I loved…


Jonas doing the softest little trills on “Benedici un casto amor” in the first act and the audience on the last performance remembering that is was his only aria and giving into the impulse of applauding him…

Popy and Jonas really bringing out the fresh chemistry in the first duet; it felt like the perfect carefree young couple freshly in love….

Jonas posing as if in the portrait he has just given Elisabetta and making the audience giggle very single time and then bursting into the “Caaaaarlo son ioooo... e t'aaaaaamo!”…. ohhhhhh….

Pumeza Matshikiza well sung and lively Tebaldo, she definitely was a sparkling stage presence :-)

Robert Lloyd for being part of this production and lending the ghost of Carlos V that world-weary and at the same time peaceful quality

Simon and Jonas for delivering my favourite “Dio, che nell'alma infondere” ever !!!! especially the retake in piano is the most touching and musically stylish I could have imagined. I am grateful to both for putting all their singing and acting skills into creating the friendship bond between Rodrigo and Carlo on stage. It was natural and warm and very touching. Of course there was general choreography, but in all the times I have seen it there was never a gesture that seemed purposely placed or born out of anything else than live interaction. It actually was different every single time and made it exciting to go and see what they come up with or end up doing on the night. Which doesn’t mean I didn’t find the fist on chest thumping just a tiny bit funny… I know it fits the plot and it ties the friendship and Flanders and it is an encouraging gesture, but grown men doing this kind of exaggerated gesture today do look a bit odd :-)

Simon “handling” the court ladies and their curiosity in a most elegant and clever fashion. After the first performance I was waiting for the “D'un gran torneo si parla già, E del torneo il Re sarà.” like for a piece of candy... Verdi must have really loved Posa’s character, because there is not a note he sings that isn’t delightful! And Simon’s slightly annoyed smiles while responding to Eboli were priceless :-)

Popy delivering with dignity and total regal air “Un favore chiedete alla Regina.”

The whole duet between Carlo and Elisabetta in the garden.. from the “Io vengo a domandar grazia alla mia Regina” to the “Ah! maledetto io soooooooon!” Here like in the duet Rodrigo/Carlo each performance brought something new and the interaction became increasingly natural. I love every note, every word of it… Jonas burnished and finite tone in “Mi volsi a un gelido marmo d'avel” and the desperate dip into the fountain , Popy’s equally emotional “Perchè, perchè accusar il cor d'indifferenza?”, Jonas singing the most unbelievable “Perduto ben, mio sol tesor, Ah, tu, splendor di mia vita” (especially that last viiiiiiiiit-aa somehow touched you straight in the heart), Popy singing ever so softly over Carlo’s head in her lap “Ahimè! Il dolor l'uccide... /Tra queste braccia io lo vedrò Morir d'affanno, morir d'amore... /Colui che il ciel mi destinò! ” and Carlo coming back to his senses in a lost piano and then in an emotional outburst on “Elisabetta! tu... bell'adorata” while trapping her within this arms and Popy bravely resisting :-) and pulling herself proudly up in the “Compi l'opra, a svenar corri il padre/Ed allor del suo sangue macchiato /All'altar puoi menare la madre.”. You have to admire a woman and singer who can deliver those lines with such willpower and despair at the same time.

Sparks flying in the confrontation between Rodrigo an Philip … it was never any other way than heart-stopping and riveting. I almost stopped breathing every single time and the gradually darkening lights to intense red perfectly accompanied the tension… which was for me absolutely explosive when Simon delivered the “Orrenda, orrenda pace!(deathly silcen) /La pace dei sepolcri (buuuummmm!!!!!)O Re, non abbia mai di voi l'istoria a dir:Ei fu Neron! (in chilling voice)” aaahhhhhh, amazingggg!!! Simon’s exaltation in the delivery of the aria ending in “Date la libertà!” and Furlanetto’s amazingly shaded, varied depiction of the king with his deeply ingrained convictions of reigning through fear and death, his admiration of the idealist, his well meant warnings, his doubts regarding the Queen, every gesture perfect, nothing too much, nothing too little… “La morte in questa man ha un avvenir fecondo.” The whole weight of the world is lying in his voice and words when the king says “O strano sognator! Tu muterai pensier,Se il cor dell'uom conoscerai,Qual Filippo il conosce!” Up to that last gesture which is looved and waited for where he extends his hand to be kissed and then almost seems to want to caress Rodrigo’s hair and in the end decides to do neither... The whole play of voices and words, of piani and forte or covered darkness and open sounds… so much to see, hear and feel in something over 10 minutes.

Back to the “lovely” things in life … Jonas saying “A mezzanotte al giardin dellaRegina sotto gli allor della fonte vicina… È mezzanotte” with so much lightness and youth fullness that you can’t help being touched but Carlo’s forever hopeful soul :-) Simon almost dashing out of Carlo’s arms after Eboli with drawn dagger …scary that one. I liked the fact that it was physically challenging, there wasn’t any mock fury, the struggle, pulling and pushing was all real.

Verdi’s genius in creating the terzetto started by Eboli with “Trema per te, falso figliuolo” it takes a really good orchestra, an excellent conductor and 3 great singers to pull that one off with such punch!

Then the next bit of Carlo&Rodrigo interaction with the “A te! All'intimo del Re...!...Sospetti tu di me? ...No; del mio cor sei la speranza. /Questo cor che sì t'amo /A te chiudere non so. /In te riposi ogni fidanza; /Si, questi fogli importanti ti do. Io m'abbandono a te ......Tu puoi fidar in me.” Incredible! The contempt in Jonas “Intimo del re” and Simons shades of anger, disappointment, disbelief and hurt in “sospetti tu di me?... di me? ” On one night he actually shoved Jonas hard ;-) and that heart felt hug at the end… ahhhh and yes, the fist on chest thing again :-)

The bells going round the house before the autodafe , the Flemish deputies choir and the looks exchanged between Elisabetta, Philip and Carlo in this scene

Furlanetto’s “Ella giammai m'amò...!” , the very very very best today, no doubt about it. The setting for the scene is perfect, every single word and turn of voice fits every word. It never felt like singing of certain known phrases, but like what it really should be ... an intimate confession. You are held captive by every word and although long and intricate it always felt over in a second. Grazie maestro for the understated, elegant and exquisite demonstration of what a wealth of experience, talent and a wonderful voice can do in this role. Regal in every aspect :-)

Rarely in an opera are political conflicts so ironically and effectively presented like in Don Carlo, and the “chat”between the Inquisitor and the king is an excellent example thereof. I’m going to stop myself from citing the entire libretto from it, although I honestly think I would enjoy it even if the muppets sang it! Luckily, not the case here :-) I do have my favourite words, shreds of music even here : the Inquisitor saying “Le idee del novator in te son penetrate!” and of course famous almost last words ;-))) “Perché evocar allor l'ombra di Samuel? /Dato ho finor due Regi / al regno tuo possente...! /L'opra di tanti di tu vuoi strugger, demente! /Perchè mi trovo io qui? /Che vuol il Re da me?/” “Santa Claus” Tomlinson was really scary here and I felt an incredible chill when he said in his deep, hot-as-the-flames-of-hell voice the last two lines, finite and like a unmoveable death sentence. You can hear in these deceptive words all the crucial decisions he has made and that this will have consequences, and not of the happy kind. Bravi!
I love the next scene between the king and Elisabetta just as much, and a little bit more for Popy than for Furlanetto ( not that he wasn’t great, it needs two for this martial drama to unfold). But Popy was here every single time better and better and a true French princess and Spanish queen. There is incredible strength of character and power of expression in this young, slender, elegantly pale singer and you can’t help but feel proud of her in this scene. Her “Io l'oso! Sì! /Ben lo sapete. Un di promessa /al figlio vostro fu la mia man; /Or v'appartengo, a Dio sommessa, /Ma immacolata qual giglio io son. /Ed ora si sospetta /L'onor di Elisabetta...! Si dubita di me... /Chi m'oltraggia è il Re!” I like it so much that she isn’t just the unjustly accused, but the whole weight of her acknowledgment of her destiny, duty but also status comes through. Overall I really liked Popy’s gutsy Elisabetta, no meek, oppressed women, but a real queen, even though a deeply unhappy one. And Furlanetto’s king is frighteningly out of control in his “Ardita troppo, voi favellate! /Me debole credete e sfidarmi sembrate: /La debolezza in me può diventar furor. /Tremate allor, per voi, per me.” Another one of those many moments which make your pulse race…


Posa’s death scene…really hard to describe, because this too was born again every single time… I’m dangerously close to thinking that I’ll never see another Posa dying more beautifully and realistically in the arms of another Carlo… I had a big knot in my throat already when Posa sings “Felice ancor io son se abbracciar ti poss'io!”… And I like that this particular Carlo doesn’t take that long to understand what Rodrigo is talking about, you feel his stupor and dread already at “Convien qui dirci addio!”. I’ve rarely heard a voice as sweet at that of this Rodrigo telling Carlo not to cry: “Ci congiunga Iddio nel ciel, /Ei che premia i suoi fedel'. /Sul tuo ciglio il pianto io miro; /
Lagrimar così, perché? /No, fa cor, l'estremo spiro /Lieto è a chi morrà per te.” And that last word held on a seemingly endless tone while touching their foreheads... It almost felt like the connection between the two singers gave their joint force to the phrases. After the gun shot the last performance gave the perfect ending to Rodrigo’s life as well. The choreography of this scene has always been brilliant, but given the circumstances must be really hard to execute because both singers are facing the audience and supporting a dying Rodrigo or holding his hand while not really facing each other is not easily achievable without it looking awkward. Thursday they both fell with perfect coordination and without even exchanging a look on their knees, where Rodrigo tells Carlos Elisabetta is expecting him in the monastery and gradually falls in his arms while dying. Carlo supports him partially so that singing doesn’t become an act of torture while resting his head crying on Rodrigo’s shoulder. At the right time according to the text he extends his arm to grab the one extended by Rodrigo and when he finally dies “Ah! ... di me... non... ti... scordar...! “ Carlo gently slides Rodrigo to the floor, while holding his head so that he doesn’t end up bumping his head on the stage floor, making sure he doesn’t role into a position that he would either not look lifeless or which would be impossible to hold until the soldiers lift his body up. It really takes these two to pull something like this off, unspoken coordination and attention and consideration for the colleague and all this while singing and listening to the text as if having a conversation in a lunch break. I really can’t thank Simon and Jonas enough for the faultless singing in this scene as well as for all the efforts made to create it anew every time and make it absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking to watch.

Almost the end, you’ll be happy to know :-)

Popy huuuge aria in act 5 is something for which she deserves many many Bravos. I am not a big fan of long soprano arias, not even with Verdi, but she worked and worked and worked on this one until she too managed to fill the hall with only absolute silence and her voice. Although a certain tenor would certainly love for the old forgotten Verdi aria here to be reborn.. I wouldn’t want to miss this one… ideally I would have them both ;-)))

The final duet Elisabetta/ Carlo is almost as beautiful as the one in the garden scene, and even sadder if possible… and if you are not yet under the spell of those magically spun piani, this will get you there for sure! I really felt my heart soar on the “Si, con la voce tua quella gente m'appella./E se morrò per lei, la mia morte fia bella!” and just dissolve at “Non vedi, Elisabetta! /io ti stringo al mio seno, /Nè mia virtù vacilla, /nè ad essa io mancherò! (desperate!)/Or che tutto finì /e la man lo ritiro dalla tua man, /Tu piangi? (of course she does, who wouldn’t????)”.
Of course there is the killing and the excellently choreographed swords fight, however for me it could end ethereally and oh so sadly on their intertwined voices singing: “Ma lassù ci vedremo in un mondo migliore, /Dell'avvenire eterno /suonan per noi già l'ore; /E là noi troverem nel grembo del Signor /Il sospirato ben che fugge in terra ognor!/In tal di, che per noi non avrà più domani, /Tutti i nomi scordiam /degli affetti profani.”... Brava Popy for holing her own in the piani and those who haven’t heard Jonas sing them, you have to try and catch him do it!!... you have no idea what you are missing :-)


Fine.

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

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 :-)

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

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!

Munich weekend: Russn, Dirndl, Kaiserschmarn, Traviata, Jonas Kaufmann, Simon Keenlyside and more

I knew you'd like this picture ;-)



If you're thinking - what's this gotta do with the Traviata???... well, probably nothing :-) But it turns out i had a bit of a Dirndl&Lederhosen weekend ;-) My weekend away turned out to be filled with loads of stuff, music only being one of them.



Upon arrival there on Friday i made my obligatory way to Marienplatz in search of food and drink and found out the town was celebrating its 851 birthday this very weekend! The preparations were already gearing up and the whole weekend the town was filled with blaring Volksmusic and people proudly wearing their bestest Lederhosen and Dirndl :-) Of course i once again missed out on a great photo-opportunity because i hadn't brought my camera with me.



You're probably giggling at the mental image of it all right now ;-) ... hmmm, well how about this little secret: It was a lot of fun for me and not for any touristy reasons you might think, but because it brought me "back to the past" in a flash to my own years of Dirndl wearing, Polka dancing and Volkslieder singing years. Shocked? :-))) It might be beyond your wildest imagination, but i am indeed the proud owner of my very own little Drindl in which i enjoyed hopping around to Volkslieder next so some cute Lederhosen wearing boy :-) There were some totally yummy grown up versions around this weekend in Munich and some really beautiful dresses as well! I really wish i didn't live miles away and could get a new Dirndl made.... no chance i could still fit into the one i was wearing when i was 12! :-)



I know such frocks are always the joy of tourists, but worn by the locals in the right place and at the right times they are beautiful to look at and a pleasure to be worn :-) Just like kilts in Scotland ( for which i definitely have a soft spot!), trajes de fallera in Valencia, Dirndls in Bayern are the thing to have!


Anyways, in the absence of appropriate attire i joined in the other obligatory activities :-) I went through the selfimposed torture of having a couple of Russn (Weissbier with lemonade), Wurst with Sauerkrauft in this place which i warmly recommend (Hofbrauhaus):

and, of course Kaiserschmarn (eggs, milk, vanilla, butter in gallons, raisins, sugar and heavenly apple-pure with fragrant cinnamon)! If you are experiencing a slow death by pictures i'll not be made responsible! ;-))))

It's all even yummier than you can imagine!

In case you are wondering why not straight beer... well, because as usually, flying from Gatwick means you don't get to sleep in your own bed at night if you fly at 6am! And while i couldn't stay away from local festivities, i didn't want to waste a perfectly good opera ticket by dozing all the way through the evening's Traviata :-)

I did miscalculate though... the icecold beer did wreck my throat .. again! And i sat through the Traviata in the boiling temperature with a parched throat and trying to swallow as little as possible to avoid coughing more than Violetta. I didn't have a marvellous evening. - for various reasons, but the important thing is: my parents absolutely did!!

Probably haven't told you i dragged them all the way to Munich to hear Jonas Kaufmann in an attempt to show them what the fuss is all about and to avoid being disinherited because of visiting them less often than i travel to hear Herr JK sing. So i begged for the tickets some year ago, was lucky enough to get them, organised the trip, booked the hotel, etc and hoped he would do the rest ;-) The fact they would get Angela Gheorghiu as Violetta was supposed to be the cherry on the cake. Well, different cherry again and again, as we found out on the evening when arriving at the opera.

I stressed about the change, i stressed about who they would like and who they wouldn't, i guess i mentally even prepared an extensive defense speech, in fact i probably stressed so much i forgot to relax and just enjoy... I needn't have worried! My parents couldn't care less that Mrs Gheorghiu wasn't there, as long as Jk was, they were happy. I fact, to my utter amazement and... em, embarrassment.... they mutated into fans from his first notes. The kind of fans who shout Bravo Jonas!, who i had to stop from carrying 3 magazines to be autographed, who i had to reassure that no, he wouldn't leave before saying hi to everyone at the stagedoor, who had to have a photo taken with him and yes, sighhhhhh... the kind who i literally had to peel off him to leave...

Now you are laughing, but i assure you, you wouldn't have, had you been me, trying to play it cool though this all! ;-) I'm glad they had a blast though and i'm sure they wouldn't mind repeating the experience ;-) Next time i'll be firmer... only 1 autograph per person!!

On to the Traviata.... the above Provenza and Non udrai rimproveri i have borrowed off someone, thought you migth want to hear Simon Keenlyside's first Germont ;-)

As for my impressions of the night... they are mixed bag. First of all i broke my own two main rules: have a rest before a performance and don't have expectations. I was too tired, not feeling well, suffering from lack of air and excess of heat in the hall to really be able to concentrate on the performance. Besides telling myself not to expect anything in a Traviata is like telling a fish not to swim! So the fact that i didn't fly off high with emotions on the night is probably more my own doing than anything that happened or did not happen on stage.

The conducting was just as bland as i had heard it from the first night, not maybe the worst in itself, but making Verdi sound monotonous is not a good thing. It's not supposed to sound like a bunch of repeating rhythms with accents of percussion. And the passages from too slow to too fast were brisk. It just lacked overall in intensity, which didn't help my own problem. It is a fact that good singing alone cannot make a performance become exceptional. Everything has to fit and glue together. You can still enjoy the parts and appreciate individual quality, but it is unlikely to take you to that special place :-) Traviata for me used to be an easy trip to that "place"...normally...

I think on this night, knowing it all too well and expecting certain peek moments by default did not work for me. The production in itself didn't help either. It wasn't bad or ugly, on the contrary, just unexpectedly realistic. Germont does not warm up to Violetta's pain until the end, in their first encounter he's brought the daughter along for greater impact, impatiently looks at his watch and makes signs behind Violetta's back that he will be with his daughter as soon as he is done. He can't even bring himself to shake Violettas hand or make some gesture of warmth when she asks for a fatherly embrace. Ok, the man is on a mission, but hearing Simon Keenlyside's warm voice and seeing the gestures of rejection is somewhat startling :-) He makes a very believable character, too much so ;-) Alfredo i'm afraid did not have a better fate in the eyes of this producer. In the Brindisi he is more concentrated on swishing a cup of champagne across his shoulders and behind his back, impressing the guests with his bending skills and daring them to try the same trick, than actually paying attention to the girl! Ok, i was amazed at the gymnastics but thought... what the ???? He should be all over her, shouldn't he? He's not the shy lover in Un di felice either, more assured than expected and things feel quickly resolved to both parties satisfaction. Come second act he is blissfully unaware of anything going on, contently balancing on a swing in the garden comtemplating the satisfying state of his life. When she is lost in tears trying to say her good byes he laughs, not taking her seriously at all and ultimately assured that she just loves him to bits and that is how she gets, an emotional girl, not anything else. In the third act there is no throwing of money around, he packs the money in a controlled cold fury in her hand.

Realistic? Surely..... Violetta after all is misunderstood and alone almost to the end. You could boil the story down to the hard facts, but i don't think Verdi meant it that way and Dumas certainly didn't. Or maybe i am just incurably romantic and would like to believe that in spite of misunderstandings, social constraints, innocence and misguided pride the binding emotion in this story is love. There certainly is in Verdi's music and some of that chemistry and tender emotion got lost for me in the evening's performance. I think the concept in itself sought to eliminate the extra sweetness in the plot. The rather rudimentary conducting never managed to touch upon that layer in the music. Sadly, it is probably exactly this extra sweetness that i tend to fall for in the Traviata. I've not grown tired of it in 30 yeards and i missed it the other night.

But let's not blow things out of proportion, this is not a post about my favourite Traviatas or a box of Kleenex that never got used on the night. It wasn't a bad night and i don't expect to be knocked over by a tide of emotions every time i step into an opera house. Sometimes you just appreciate good singing, since it is not given that you will always get it.

Myrto Papatanasiu, who was a last minute replacement for the ailing Anja Harteros, who herself replaced the ill Angela Ghoerghiu did a good job. She sang a vocally secure and technically quite accomplished Violeta with good diction and elegant stage presence. Her performance was rightly applauded and she gets mayor brownie points for pulling it off so well musically. The problem for me was that she was altogether too secure and selfcontained to make a truly believable fragile Violetta. Her voice has an extremely secure but glassy edge in the high notes and i just missed a bit of vulnerability in her performance.

Jonas Kaufmann played his character, such as it was designed in the production, very believably and his voice was secure and thrilling all the way. There were some beautiful and elegant piano notes at the end of Dei miei bollenti spiriti and the Parigi o cara will always be a reminder for me of the first time i heard not only his voice, but his special brand of singing. In the more energetic passages, such as the O mio rimorso, one could hear glimpses of what could one day be an exciting Manrico, should he ever decide to sing Trovatore. Overall i think that i prefer his more vulnerable take on the Alfredo, like for example in the Paris Marthaler Traviata. I missed some of the depth of feeling that i have heard so many times in his Mario this year or the lost and confused overwhelming passion of his Jose, shades of which could maybe be part of Alfredo. Obviously this particular production build Alfredo along tougher, less romantic lines.

Simon Keenlyside's Germont was a very pleasant response to the question of his development into further Verdi roles. Just listen to the above bits! The singing stays incredibly elegant all throughout and the flexible drive behind Non udrai is something not usually found in typical Verdi baritones. I enjoyed hearing hat second bit so much!!!! The voice expands without any pressure to fill all notes and he can crank it up more than one would expect ;-) What makes listening to him a real pleasure is that in Verdi, as in everything he sings, he brings to the lines a care for details, a creativity in shades that few strive to achieve these days. Proof to anyone who cares to listen carefully that Verdi is so much more than belting out strings of hum-ta-ta.

The singers definitely showed a better understanding of Verdi than the conductor tonight. All three were generously and repeatedly applauded, after some 10 min of applause at the end i stopped counting. And the main arias within were also punctuated with applause, which gave a slight feeling of concert rather opera, but with well known pieces this frequently happens :)

On a last note... nice to see Jonas Kaufmann finally singing on the Munich stage and wonderful to see the bond between him and his home town audience already growing strongly. I'd say from what i have seen, happy circumstances for both parties :-)