Opera Suggestions

[emason]

I haven't seen it, but I am afraid it won't translate well into the HD broadcast, with all the close-ups and angle changes... I may try to get a ticket during this run.

Good point. Hearing/seeing it in the opera house is always first choice, if possible.

[kwanfan1818]

I loved "Anna Bolena". It's a great score! I haven't heard it since NYCO produced it in the 70's with Beverly Sills, but by the time she sang it, the last opera in the "Queen" trilogy ("Roberto Devereux", "Maria Stuarda", and "Anna Bolena") her silver-toned voice was in tatters. I was very glad to hear Anna Netrebko sing it: she doesn't have the clean ornamentations or trills that true coloratura sopranos do, but she had oomph and passion.

The costumes by Jennie Tiramani were spectacular. She's a specialist in Elizabethan period costumes, but she had to do a lot of research for this, since it took place in the 1530's. If I can manage one of the encores, I'll give it a try, just to look at the clothes.

Next up is "Don Giovanni". In the "Anna Bolena" intermission, Mariusz Kwiecien was interviewed with Barbara Frittoli and Luca Pisaroni. Kwiecien said that he hurt his back on the tour in Japan, and re-hurt it in dress rehearsal during the duel with the Commendatore. Peter Mattei takes over the role of Don Giovanni for next week's performances, but Kwiecien, who was only out of the hospital for four days after back surgery from the injury, looked very spry, and he expects to sing the rest of the fall performances, including the HD broadcast on 29 October.

Not that there's anything wrong with Peter Mattei's looks, but Kwiecien as Don Giovanni and Pisaroni as Leoporello are bringing the and eye candy.

[kwanfan1818]

From the Seattle Opera blog:

If Carmen and her friends were on Facebook...

[SaSherka]

From the Seattle Opera blog:

If Carmen and her friends were on Facebook...

This link has been making rounds the last few weeks and is, imho, THE BEST Carmen promo I've seen (I absolutely love Carmen). It's even funnier for those familiar with all the Facebook features used.

[jollibee]

Has anyone seen this First Night movie? Sarah Brightman starring in an opera movie. Care to review?

[SaSherka]

Has anyone seen this First Night movie? Sarah Brightman starring in an opera movie. Care to review?

Wow, thanks for posting. This looks like a delicious adaptation of Cosi Hope there's more to the movie than the trailer suggests.

I am off to the 6-hr Siegfried Met HD screening. Saturdays are my relax and recharge days, but, no: woke up at 8am to get to the movie theater, so I expect to take naps.
Anyone else going?

[emason]

No Siegfried for me, but I will be seeing Don Giovanni on Monday night. I shall report.

[kwanfan1818]

Please report on how "Siegfried" was and if The Machine behaved.

I heard Jay Hunter Morris as the "Siegfried" Siegfried in San Francisco this summer, and while he doesn't have the most beautiful voice, he sang like he understood the text and the musical line. I've heard a little of "Siegfried" over Sirius, but not the whole performance or at a time when I was concentrating fully.

[emason]

Please report on how "Siegfried" was and if The Machine behaved.

Can't speak for Siegfried; as I indicated I'm not going. However, there was a problem with The Machine the night I went to Valkyrie last season. Actually, it may not have been The Machine's fault. One Valkyrie slid off and fell under The Machine and off the stage, but from where I was sitting I couldn't tell if she got the timing of her slide wrong or something else happened. The Valkyrie did have to be helped up from under the slide and offstage by another Valkyrie. She made it back on stage for the important line she had to sing but was noticeably absent from the curtain calls.

[SaSherka]

Please report on how "Siegfried" was and if The Machine behaved.

I heard Jay Hunter Morris as the "Siegfried" Siegfried in San Francisco this summer, and while he doesn't have the most beautiful voice, he sang like he understood the text and the musical line. I've heard a little of "Siegfried" over Sirius, but not the whole performance or at a time when I was concentrating fully.

Back from a marathon day of opera (Siegfried HD followed by Philippe Jaroussky in Handel & Vivaldi's opera arias with Apollo's Fire)

This was my first time seeing/listening to Siegfried and while I listened to the Sirius bcast of the prima, I wasn't paying much attention then.

To my novice Ring/Wagner ear, everyone sounded great in HD (and I am pretty picky), no Machine malfunctions. Loved JHM. I couldn't have asked for a better first Siegfried portrayal! No idea how he sounds in house, but in HD he sounded pretty nuanced. He looks much hotter in costume than in regular clothes Almost believed Siegfried is 17 years old.
There was a short film about JHM's unexpected and meteoric journey to the Met before the 2nd act, but I think I missed most of it. He seems so overjoyed by his experience that it's contagious! Very heartwarming to see!

I can't wait until Deb Voigt hosts more HD broadcasts. She's hilarious! Ms. Fleming gets on my nerves as hostess-by-the-script.
I am exhausted, so I don't know if the above makes any sense... Will check back after a good night's sleep!

[kwanfan1818]

Thank you so much for the report!

I love Deborah Voigt, even when she's not at her best. I find her a delightful stage presence, and I love when she hosts.

[SaSherka]

Thank you so much for the report!

I love Deborah Voigt, even when she's not at her best. I find her a delightful stage presence, and I love when she hosts.

Oh, a man next to me sighed at the end of Act 2 before curtain calls that there were no women in the opera Then Mojca Erdmann appeared (she was just a projected 3D bird, singing backstage), and then, of course, it was time for "Bondage Brunny" (see costume pics) to wake up in Act 3. Deb Voigt sure acted the part and sounded better than on opening night stream. In the beginning, I thought she had a cramp in her leg from lying on The Machine / The Rock waiting for Siegfried, but then she seemed fine.

Deb Voigt is hosting Rodelinda with R. Fleming (yay, payback!), The Enchanted Island with Joyce DiDonato (who, in turn, hosts Faust), Ernani and La Traviata.
More here: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metope....aspx?id=17524

[emason]

Don Giovanni report: the new production is FUGLY; it looks like a slum and Barbara Frittoli
sounded awful tonight - like a cat in heat, hooty and screechy at the same time.

That's all I'm saying; I don't want anyone running me out of town on a rail.

[SaSherka]

I am going to the new Met production of Faust this Saturday. Very much looking forward to it after listening to the prima last night. Jonas Kauffmann as Faust doesn't hurt either

emason, I saw Don G in HD and didn't mind the production as extreme close-ups carefully hid the background for the most part. Loved Luca Pisaroni as Leporello.

[kwanfan1818]

Jonas Kauffmann as Faust doesn't hurt either

Loved Luca Pisaroni as Leporello.

ETA: Picture of Pisaroni with his and wife Catherine's dogs:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Q&A:
http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/intervi...YMgLE.facebook

Fred Plotkin interview with him on video from NYU's Casa Italiana
http://player.vimeo.com/video/30814147?autoplay=1

Pisaroni and Kwiecien, who's no slouch in the department, either:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

[emason]

emason, I saw Don G in HD and didn't mind the production as extreme close-ups carefully hid the background for the most part. Loved Luca Pisaroni as Leporello.

I, too, loved Pisaroni and thought he should have gotten double pay for having the scenery move and CLANK very loudly during the Catalogue Aria. Pisaroni was the highlight of the performance for me.

Last week I saw Rodelinda (I never met a Baroque opera I didn't like) and I talked it up so much to a friend of mine that we are going to the HD telecast on Saturday. This is my first HD broadcast so I'm looking forward to the experience and to getting a closer look at the costumes. I don't use opera glasses and one can't really see the costume detail from the balcony of the Met.

[kwanfan1818]

One thing that's very different is that because they mike the singers so close to the stage, the singers who sounded smaller and/or covered in the house will sound the same as the singers with bigger voices. (Well, except Hans-Peter Konig who booms larger than most in the HD's, too.) It might be an initial jolt when you hear the HD balance, especially if you've seen them live.

I saw "Rodelinda" in Dallas before they built the Winspear Opera House, and the acoustics where like waves: as a singer went laterally across the stage, the volume changed radically. I'm looking forward to seeing this again at one of the encore showings.

[emason]

One thing that's very different is that because they mike the singers so close to the stage, the singers who sounded smaller and/or covered in the house will sound the same as the singers with bigger voices. (Well, except Hans-Peter Konig who booms larger than most in the HD's, too.) It might be an initial jolt when you hear the HD balance, especially if you've seen them live.

I saw "Rodelinda" in Dallas before they built the Winspear Opera House, and the acoustics where like waves: as a singer went laterally across the stage, the volume changed radically. I'm looking forward to seeing this again at one of the encore showings.

Andreas Scholl sings beautifully but has a small voice; I expect him to sound very differently for the HD broadcast. Thanks for the warning.

[emason]

OK, who besides me went to Rodelinda today? More importantly, what did you think?

[SaSherka]

Have to catch the encore HD broadcast of Rodelinda as I saw the new Faust Sat eve. Pape is a true devil & he stole the night! Poplavskaya was very good, but Kaufmann was a tad underwhelming. Poplavskaya was in good spirit afterwards, cheering on fellow cast members as we were leaving past the stage door.
Have to miss Faust live HD due to going to GPF, but will watch the encore. I expect Valentin and Wagner to sound better than in house.