Middle aged blues
Peter Gelb‘s new broom continues to sweep at the Met. Perhaps to make room for the Gheorghiu/Netrebko/Damrau generation, the incoming General Manager is buying out contracts. Two Met artists in particular are targeted, and, oddly enough, these two ladies have quite a bit in common. Both are 40-something light lyric sopranos, and they have three names (each, La Cieca means.) Oh, and did we mention the red hair?
In the latest shipment from Berkshire, La Cieca has found a dazzler of a DVD: Lucrezia Borgia (Encore DVD 2087) from Milan, 2003, starring Mariella Devia, Marcello Alvarez, Daniela Barcellona and (Encore DVD 2087) Michele Pertusi. Renato Palumbo is the conductor. Excellent video of the stylish traditional production, and superb sound — which is a particular plus since all the leads are in excellent voice. (This is the same staging that was so famously booed when Renaay appeared in it, and La Cieca has a better idea now why that demonstration was so vehement. Devia’s Donizetti is elegance itself, with a pure line and imaginative but always idiomatic ornamentation. This, obviously, is the way the Milanese want to hear bel canto.) Look for the soundtrack to this production on “Unnatural Acts of Opera” within the next few weeks.
The first one is easy: Ruth Ann has been a mess for years and won’t be missed.
The second is slightly more challenging. Heidi Grant Murphy?
Huh. I’ve never thought of Ruth Ann as a light lyric–she sounds medium-full to me.
And as far as the Lucia goes, all I can think of is Gheorghiu, but she’s announced, and hardly American…
Of course, Ruth Ann Swenson ! She had been scheduled for forthcoming seasons, but that’s exactly the sort of changes that a new manager would make.
I missread La Cieca’s posting as saying that the ladies in question had two last names; three in total. But that’s not what she said at all. RAS certainly fits the category. Unfortunately, though. She often sounded to me as potentially being rather good if she could find the right repertoire for her voice.
Ruth Ann was first presented to the public as a coloratura and in her category she couldn’t be touched. Unfortunately, she has attemped a wholly unsatisfactory transistion to lyric rep. The last time I heard her the middle sounded opaque and the top notes sounded completely disconnected from the rest of her voice. Poor Ruth Ann has lost her way.
Uh, guys, natural or not, last time I checked Ruth Ann was a blond…not a redhead.
I, for one, would be very sorry to see her go. I’d take her Gilda – even now – over Netrebko’s pitchless, shrill whining any day of the week.
The second singer must be Hong.
ok. Hong. Also not a redhead last time I checked.
And it would be incredibly stupid of the Met to ditch Hong…she’s one of the only truly terrific singers they have left. In my opinion.
Red hair? You decide .
I’ve heard Hong do much beautiful singing through the last twenty years or so and would be saddened to see her go. Having said that, however, I’ll admit that her voice is beginning to show the effects of aging, although I wouldn’t think quite to the point of sacking her.
Incidentally, the sop that first came to my mind was Heidi Grant Murphy. Blonde, redheaded..who knows?
Hair color can change in an afternoon and of course it can be a matter of how red.
I had forgotten that RAS was packaged and sold by EMI as “Golden.” Red is just a shade (and a bottle) away!
Borrowing a page from Brett, make your own judgement
http://www.kirshdem.com/artist.php?id=heidigrantmurphy