Why did the podcast cross the road?
This week's podcasts feature a reprise performance (the 1977 Turandot starring Luciano Pavarotti, Montserrat Caballe and Leona Mitchell) with all new chatter from La Cieca. In the current episode, she yaks about the Volpe Farewell Gala and poses yet another of "The Enigmas of La Cieca." It's all at Unnatural Acts of Opera, of course.
POSTED at
11:45 AM
73 Comments:
Here's an interesting tidbit about this )truely demented) performance: The Small role of the Second Handmaiden is sung by none other than Carol Vaness at the start of her career.
I was lucky enough to see one of these performances, and it was demented indeed. If memory serves me right, it was a Ponnelle production, with one of the steepest staircases ever seen. I feared for Montsie's life. To top it off, Prince Charles (pre-Di) was in SF during the run and attended one of the performances. The city was going nuts in general and by all accounts that particular night went stratospheric in excitement.
Yes, I saw one of the performances. Yes, the staircase was steep. Caballe was given a dawrf as her "cane." She kept her taloned-hand on one of his shoulders as he walked her up and down the staircases. It was very cleverly done.
Some of the maidens offered up to Calaf in Act Three were supposedly topless (it was very dark) and people were afraid Prince Charles had been offended. The protocol! The protocol!!
If I remember, poor Liu ran into the knife that Calaf was holding. Then, they placed her body on top of the prompter's box, where she had to remain motionless for the rest of the opera.
The entire performance was greeted rapturously by prolonged waves of cheering. The balcony was especially demonstrative. Curtains calls were deliriously wild. Caballe and Pavarotti took a lot of bows together at the end.
This was the first time I ever attended an opera in San Francisco, so it sure was special to me.
Wow - I'm green with envy - what a night to be there. The closest I've come to that was in a Sutherland Lucia - where at the end amidst a standing ovation everything that wasn't tied down went up in the air.
A friend who was present at one of the Nilson/Corelli Turandots at Covent Garden in the sixties said much the same thing.
How wonderful it is when everything comes together and dementia rules!
I haven't seen anyone on this list ever refer to the Die Walkure DVD from the Met which I play often and love to death. Being the traditionalist that I am- I love the trad sets and costumes and the singing is sensational. Jessye as Seglinde is (in my view) sensational as is Behrens and James gorgeous Morris.
In watching it today I can't help thinking that you guys and gals are so lucky to have Jimmy Levine- I hope he returns to the podium soon - he's awesome - nothing he can't do.
Has anyone figured out the "mystery" Turandot, yet?
I am pretty sure that Nilsson never sang Turandot at CG with Corelli she sang with James McCracken and various other tenors - Corelli sang Calaf with Amy Shuard as Turandot the Liu's were often Marie Collier and Maria Pelligrini! To be sure I would have to check my back programmes.
My first Turandot was at CG with Shuard and Sandor Konya. Are there any recording of him in the role? He was one of the few tenors who could successfully move between Italian and wagner roles. Gala have issued MET off the air recordings of him as Lohengrin,Walther and Erik. There is a live Scala Parsifal with him and Rita Gorr- that is something I would like to hear.
Pellegrini made a promising start but soon disappeared. I heard her as Manon Lescaut with the Welsh Opera. I think Mauro was the Des Grieux. He made his debut as the Lamp Lighter in the same opera at CG.
Kerr perhaps it was la Scala then(although I was sure it was CG.) Although the venue may be in doubt, - the performance certainly wasn't. Apologies if I'm wrong.
E2RHje write more, thanks.
Please write anything else!
Good job!
Wonderful blog.
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Hello all!
Good job!
Thanks to author.
Nice Article.
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Thanks to author.
Wonderful blog.
Nice Article.
Wonderful blog.
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
Calvin, we will not have an anatomically correct snowman!
A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
C++ should have been called B
Ever notice how fast Windows runs? Neither did I.
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies
Clap on! , Clap off! clap@#&$NO CARRIER
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Thanks to author.
If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
Clap on! , Clap off! clap@#&$NO CARRIER
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
All generalizations are false, including this one.
If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
Hello all!
Energizer Bunny Arrested! Charged with battery.
Good job!
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Hello all!
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
Energizer Bunny Arrested! Charged with battery.
All generalizations are false, including this one.
All generalizations are false, including this one.
Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
C++ should have been called B
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.
640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates 81
All generalizations are false, including this one.
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home