What have you been listening to, lately?

[Schigolch]

[Soave_Fanciulla]

This should really be called Elvira Furiosa in Bartoli's hands. And I love Gilfry's interpreation as a charming over-entitled spoiled boy. He says in the interview that Don Giovanni obviously had bad parenting with too much priviledge and no boundaries. Kind of a warning!



This DVD has had a lot of bad press, and my copy definitely has appalling synch problems, but I still enjoyed it, particularly for the lovely performance of the Maiden, sung by Tatiana Monogarova. I love Rimsky-Korsakov's "Nature" music and the interlude depicting the Tatar hordes and battle.

[Schigolch]

[Aksel]

Just saw the 2007 Peter Grimes from Zürich, and I despite very good performances from both Christopher Ventris as the title role and Emily Magee (who is quickly becoming one of my favourite sopranos) as Ellen, I was severely frustrated by the poor English pronunciation of the non-native English speaking cast (especially Auntie and her two nieces, all three eastern European), and Franz Welser-Möst who didn't manage to bring out the magic of Britten's score, leading to a disjointed and not very cohesive performance.



Right now I'm watching the ROH Cendrillon. Loving the production, and the singing has so far been really great.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Just saw the 2007 Peter Grimes from Zürich, and I despite very good performances from both Christopher Ventris as the title role and Emily Magee (who is quickly becoming one of my favourite sopranos) as Ellen, I was severely frustrated by the poor English pronunciation of the non-native English speaking cast (especially Auntie and her two nieces, all three eastern European), and Franz Welser-Möst who didn't manage to bring out the magic of Britten's score, leading to a disjointed and not very cohesive performance.

Agree about the pronunciation, but Ventris and Magee make up for it. A tender relationship broken by forces beyond their control, different from the usual brutal Grimes of say, Vickers.

[Aksel]

Agree about the pronunciation, but Ventris and Magee make up for it. A tender relationship broken by forces beyond their control, different from the usual brutal Grimes of say, Vickers.

Very true. Both were most excellent. The staging of the mad scene was really great, although it could have used a bit more mad on the part of Ventris. But to flank him with Ellen and Balstrode, each carrying a boy apprentice was just genius.

[Anne of Green Gables]

I love discovering new singers.

[Aksel]

I love discovering new singers.

I've heard some good things about that Flórez geezer.

[Anne of Green Gables]

I've heard some good things about that Flórez geezer.

Had to be from his claque he pays from his own pocket to build some reputation. How were they called... right, Flórezidos, they worship him in some secret forum that nobody can see without becoming one of them.

My heart is clear of such fancies and there's no place in't for some 3rd rate tenorinos. Here's the proof, from my recent radiograph:



WAIT DOCTOR HAD TO GIVE ME WRONG PHOTO

[Schigolch]

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Getting into the Regie swing of things. Gotta love those rats.

[HarpsichordConcerto]

Getting into the Regie swing of things. Gotta love those rats.

Any good? Worth adding to the collection?

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Any good? Worth adding to the collection?

Nah, not good enough to buy. I keep getting the giggles about the rats, especially when they high-five or wiggle their whiskers or fondle each other's tails. And Annette Dasch looks more gorgeous than she sounds. You can get the unearthly Klaus Florian Vogt in a better version with the clincher of Waltraud Meier as Ortrud:



A better bet for a Regie Lohengrin is this - at least I could make sense of what was going on, and it added to my appreciation rather than raising a lot of irrelevant questions I'll never be able to answer:



The rat-lohengrin is available complete on Youtube if you want to check it out, though: Part 1

[HarpsichordConcerto]

Yes, I have the Klaus Florian Vogt version. It's not bad.

[Aksel]

I feel it's obligatory to mention every time the Kaufmann Lohengrin pops up, that I saw the premiere performance during the 2010 Operfestspiele, and that it's utterly wonderful. Although Michaela Schuster could have piled on the crazy a bit more. Just imagine if they'd gone with Waltrud Meier as they had planned ...