What opera have you been watching lately?

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Pivque Dame from the Mariinsky: ery good singing, traditional production, with minimal attempts at acting.



Semiramide with Anderson and Horne: truly exceptional singing, high camp in the acting and costumes (putting a succession of very silly high hats on Marilyn Horne will NOT make her look taller and more masculine), another airing of Sam Ramey's Chest (is it ever under wraps?) and the production on a Zeffirelli scale. Was surprised there were no elephants.

[Florestan]

With English subtitles:

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Just waaay too schmalzy for me (I mean, it's a brutal story!), and Renee's singing too mannered.

[Festat]

Rossini's La pietra del Paragone with wonderful Sonia Prina. This production is wild and has a humor reminiscent of Jacques Tati (which is always good) but it can be absolutely distracting. Not that it is that much of a fault, though, the plot is as crazy opera buffa as it can get. Singing is great.

[MAuer]

Conductor: Zdenek Košler
Cast: Gabriela Benačková (Mařenka), Peter Dvorský (Jeník), Richard Novák (Kecal), Miroslav Kopp (Važek), Marie Veselá (Ludmila), Jindrich Jindrák Krušina), Marie Mrázová (Háta), Jaroslav Horáček (Mícha), Jana Jonášová (Esmeralda), Alfréd Hampl (head of the circus), Karel Hanuš (comedian masquerading as Indian Chief)

Amfortas’ recent purchase of the audio recording from this 1981 made-for-television video prompted me to dig out the DVD and watch it again. The cast is first-rate and the production is very traditional, though showing its age a bit now and then. The two tenors, and to a lesser degree, the heroine, sing their arias looking directly into the camera in close-up shots, making the viewer feel as though he or she is being spoken to. It’s a shift of perspective – from viewing events to suddenly seeming to be part of them – and feels odd. Still, this is a pleasure to listen to, and the folk dances are fun to watch.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Le Nozze di Figaro from Amsterdam(on Opera Platform) in an interesting production by David Bösch. Stéphane Degout as a particularly sleazy Count and Marianne Crebassa as a puppyish Cherubino were the standouts, but a good ensemble cast, conducted by Ivor Bolton. Recommended.

[Florestan]

But I sometimes wonder if an opera director just doesn't want to spend the money on sets and so assembles something like this which looks like it could all be obtained cheaply from garage sales.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

But I sometimes wonder if an opera director just doesn't want to spend the money on sets and so assembles something like this which looks like it could all be obtained cheaply from garage sales.

Some of the sets and costumes were more spectacular:

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Oyez oyez, fans of top-notch counter-tenors (Fagioli/Sabadus), impenetrable opera plots, decadent Roman emperors, black leather costumes, comic tenor Nutrices and early Baroque music: Cavalli's Eliogabalo on Culture box from Paris.

Well this was everything I hoped for and more. Fagioli really is the most astonishing singer, with a rage from high soprano type notes without a register break down to baritonal chest voice. And he certainly chewed up the scenery as Eliogabalo. The plot definitely has resonance today with its themes of abuse of power. The music is absolutely gorgeous and ends with a quartet with hints of pur ti miro from Poppea. Someone please follow up with a CD version.

[Florestan]

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Prince Igor from the Bolshoi, in a rather sadly cut but sumptuous and cohesive production

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Very different productions and I like both

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

Next May I'll be taking a friend who's a complete opera newbie, to see L'elisir d'amore. She's been badgering me (nicely!) to take her to see an opera and she didn't want (a) a complicated story or (b) a tragedy and it so happens that there's a dress rehearsal we can go to so won't need to stay overnight in London.

I've given her this for homework but watched it beforehand. I'd forgotten how good Rolando and Trebs' comic timing is.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Next May I'll be taking a friend who's a complete opera newbie, to see L'elisir d'amore. She's been badgering me (nicely!) to take her to see an opera and she didn't want (a) a complicated story or (b) a tragedy and it so happens that there's a dress rehearsal we can go to so won't need to stay overnight in London.

I've given her this for homework but watched it beforehand. I'd forgotten how good Rolando and Trebs' comic timing is.

It is brilliant! Rolando juggling oranges!

[Florestan]