We interrupt this liveblogging with this bulletin: James Levine didn’t show for the Volpe Gala. (Obviously he wasn’t going to conduct, but not even to walk out onstage?)
What’s more, Rudy Giuliani didn’t show either.
And Uncle Joe himself didn’t even make a speech.
Oh, God, how they must all hate him!
11:40: Then Rene Pape matched Hvorostovsky, then Zajick matched (topped?) them both, then who the hell had the idiotic idea of doing the Easter Hymn with a mezzo who can’t sing it and the chorus apparently stoned or else in another city? (Oh, and did you notice the long, noisy scene change afterward? Vintage Volpe.)
11:05: Finally, SOMETHING that sounds like it belongs on a gala. Hvorostovsky may not sound quite that huge in the house, but it’s a star voice performing like a star. Stunning breath control (and a fine sense of line) in the first phrase of the “Io morro!”
10:15: Admittedly only the first half . . . but a $3,000 top for this? Yes, La Cieca admits you don’t get to hear Kiri te Kanawa all that often, but the only novelty rep thus far was Fleming’s Trovatore … which is one of her current concert pieces. It really sounds like nobody is really trying to make the evening special. Or, dare La Cieca say it, like they are doing what they are required to do, and not any more — perhaps since nobody can be accused of loving Joe Volpe?
9:30: Fleming singing Trovatore on Milanov’s centenary? And, folks, the action in the chat room is so frantic, I’m going to wait until the interval to blog more. BTW, who sings Dutchman at a gala? Isn’t it a bit, I don’t know, GRIM?
9:00: Natalie Dessay starts at the beginning of the recit. for Sonnambula. I think she actually sounds more interesting now with the slight wear and tear on the voice — at least in this plaintive music. We’ll see what the cabaletta is like.
Maybe she is making more space for the “Credea” than she should. I don’t think it should be quite this much work. And of course running out of breath isn’t such a good idea.
Well, she seems to know how the cabaletta is supposed to go, but boy the voice is sketchy except at the very top. And not much of a B-flat to finish.
8:45: Placido Domingo in a zarzuela about a fisherman. Oh, it’s “No puede ser” — d’oh! And now Frederica von Stade sings with an untuned piano. If only Voigt’s novelty song were of this quality…
When I think of Yevgeny Onegin, the first name that comes to mind is Bill Irwin.
8:30: Half an hour in, and finally some opera singing. Jesus Christ, three conductors for the first three numbers!
Wow, Florez is close miked! A little tight to start with, but after the first cadenza he sounds warmed up. If only that ghastly chorus weren’t yowling behind him.
8: 20 PM: Remember, it’s NOT a contest. Except to see which first soprano sounds oldest.
8:10 PM: Voigt’s special material song is pretty damn awful. She sounds fine, but the song is crap.
Better stream at http://wuot.sunsite.utk.edu:8080/ramgen/broadcast/wuot.rm. Ah, the stunning set for the Ariadne. How appropriate for the ex-carpenter.
For an encore, Debbie will sing, “After You’ve Gone.”
Here comes Debbie.
8:00 PM: Sigh, if Renee really wants to save the Met broadcasts, she would start singing better in Rodelinda. Meanwhile, I’m off to test-drive a Lexus.
7:45 PM: La Cieca’s live-on-tape coverage of the Volpe Farewell Gala begins!
Note that the broadcast is available on WQXR’s website. The live chat has already begun; you can join by clicking the “chat now” button to the right.
Most recent news: Mirella Freni will make only a “tribute” (nonsinging) appearance, and Ruth Ann Swenson bagged this afternoon’s Elisir, so don’t expect her tonight.
At the moment, we have a violinist playing Rachmaninoff on WQXR. Not part of the gala…
The Volpethon is about to start in real time, but parterre.com’s online discussion of the WQXR broadcast will begin promptly at 7:45. Simply click on the “Chat Now” button in the right toolbar to join the discussion. (Note you will need Java enabled in order for the chat program to work. If you need more information, go here.)
Astute Anne Midgette (glimpsed earlier this week among the faithful throngs at the Millo Tosca) wonders today in the Times whatever happened to singers like Richard Leech, Sharon Sweet, Susan Dunn, Francisco Araiza, June Anderson, Cheryl Studer, Carol Vaness, Aprile Millo and Dawn Upshaw. All these artists were mainstays of the Joseph Volpe 1990s at the Met, and yet not one of them is appearing in Uncle Joe’s farewell gala on Saturday. Midgette points out that these singers are in their late 40s and early 50s now, certainly not elderly in their field. Ironically, the gala does feature a number [...]
For those of you who don’t do Skype yet, now’s the time to give the service a try. They are offering unlimited free calls to anywhere in the US and Canada from now until the end of the year. International calls to, basically, any phone in the world, cost .02 Euros per minute. Unless you are calling Skype-to-Skype, which of course is free anywhere, anytime. Besides voice communication, the Skype connection offers IM, file transfer, video phone calling, and a net meeting function that supports up to 100 participants. And, of course, it’s all free. (La Cieca finds that Skype [...]
You know, La Cieca heard there were some staging modifications to the Wilson Lohengrin since the last revivial, but who knew? As La Cieca announces in her current podcast, she will be liveblogging the WQXR broadcast of the Volpe Farewell Gala this Saturday evening. Comments will be enabled so you can be as interactive as you like. Or, come to think of it, how many of you would participate in a chat room devoted to this broadcast? Let La Cieca know and, as always, she will do her best to turn your wishes into reality.
Standing room for the Volpethon goes on sale on the day of the performance (May 20), and it will only cost you . . . fifty bucks. Nice to see that Uncle Joe hasn’t lost the common touch. By the way, has anybody read the book yet? No, me neither.
Cher Public