… there’s a change in cast in the current episode of “Unnatural Acts of Opera” — Fiorenza Cossotto canceled after the second act of this 1974 performance of Norma, and the part of Adalgisa was sung in the third act by Bruna Baglioni. La Cieca makes the announcement at Unnatural Acts of Opera.
La Cieca hears (from very reliable sources indeed) that one of the first initiatives of the new Peter Gelb regime at the Met will be to build up Angela Gheorghiu into “house diva.” Apparently the new attitude will be “you’re going on, with or without that wig.” Another top-priority item on the Met’s agenda: a debut (Merry Widow?) and follow-up roles for Andrea Bocelli.
The show goes on at Opera Barga tonight, though not exactly the same show as planned. Since the Berlin Sing-Akademie (hiss! hiss!) has managed to get an injunction against “their” Motezuma‘s being performed, Opera Barga has devised a “pasticcio” version using the original libretto (public domain) and music from several other Vivaldi operas.
And the plot continues to thicken: rumor has it that the Sing-Akademie is shopping Motezuma around to high rollers like the Berlin Staatsoper and some of the big recording companies. Though, frankly, La Cieca hasn’t heard all that many people saying, “Oh, all those other Vivaldi operas are just so familiar, what we need is a really new Vivaldi opera!” More on this swirl of controversy at Playbill Arts.
The second “episode” of Norma is now available for download at Unnatural Acts of Opera. And speaking of Norma, can anyone confirm this story? It’s a regional production of the opera, sometime around the mid to late ’60s. The Adalgisa either learned the role in a big hurry or else was just congenitally not very bright (unusual for a mezzo). Well, anyway, this mezzo made her entrance in Act 2, and Norma of course sang, “Adalgisa!” And then the mezzo greeted the two children, “Alma… Costanza!” Yeah, I know, that sounds pretty apocryphal to me too.
Did you know Unnatural Acts of Opera is the only all-opera podcast in the whole, uh, podosphere? Even better, this podcast features only live opera performances, preferably demented. Our opera this time is both live and demented, with even a soupcon of backstage drama to add an extra frisson. La Cieca presents the first act of Bellini’s Norma, recorded live at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on June 19, 1974. Montserrat Caballe sings the title role. She is joined by mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto as Adalgisa, and, as I’m sure any number of sopranos will tell you, working with Flo always [...]
Those of you who haven’t had the chance to hear the “Oper” section of La Cieca’s podcast of Ariadne auf Naxos should take the time today; starting tonight a new opera will be programmed on the free player. (Both parts of the Ariadne, as well as last week’s Macbeth, will remain available for downloading via iTunes and other podcatching software.) Starting tonight, we’ll hear a favorite “Podcasta Diva” — Montserrat Caballe, that is, in a live performance of Norma with the La Scala company on tour in Moscow, 1974. La Cieca will of course inform you the moment the new [...]
La Cieca has to say she is just plain appalled at the turn of events in the Opera Barga / Motezuma fracas. Not that she’s any particular fan of Vivaldi opera, but the behavior of the officials at the Berlin Sing-Akademie (who claim copyright ownership of this 270-year-old opera) strikes her as unartistic and just plain nasty. The Sing-Akademie basically stumbled over a manuscript containing something over half the opera. They then published the Motezuma torso online, which under German law apparently grants them a 25-year copyright. Well, the law is the law, even when the law is an ass, [...]
San Francisco Opera, as always right on the crest of the wave, introduced its own podcast over the weekend. Pamela Rosenberg and Donald Runnicles yak about the 2005-06 season, which will include the premiere of the new John Adams piece “Dr. Atomic,” and some musical highlights of the rest of the repertoire are included too. San Francisco Opera 2005-06 Season Preview.
Cher Public