Che faremo?
Due to server snafu, La Cieca has had to repost the "Che Faremo" poll. Please feel free to vote again (or for the first time!)
Labels: daniels
POSTED at
4:39 PM
Labels: daniels
POSTED at
4:39 PM
116 Comments:
What about Sarah Connolly, shes a huge star in the UK, much more so than Alice Coote.
Jelanik once did a record show in which he played examples of the all the voice ranges and sexes who had been Orfeo at one time. Why not get a deep baritone to do the role, and he might look convincing in a toga. Sorry, Dolora.
I'm surprised that your list did not include Magdalenda Kozena. She is the only person (with the possible exception of Podles) who could replace Hunt Leiberson.
I see that Bejun has stopped by to cast a vote for himself?
Haven't had time to watch Video clip you had on here yesterday! Please could you put it back???
Sarah Connolly is very accomplished, I have seen her on many occasions at English National Opera, but I have to confess she is somewhat of a charisma-free zone, she's always struck me as solid and efficient on stage, and the voice is well produced but lacking in nuance - she certainly can't be compared to Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, who I saw live in Theodora reducing an entire theatre to tears in 'As with rosy steps the morn'. Alice Coote I only saw once in Orlando at Covent Garden, where she was very unhappy (much too low), and got replaced by Bejun Mehta - maybe they should cancel - Lorraine Hunt was one of a kind.
LHL was one of a kind, all right, a really special, unforgettable artist, but that doesn't mean she's the only person who can sing Orfeo. DD sang it magnificently in Chicago last March -- he's a sensitive singing actor of the first water (claims to have learned a lot from performing with LHL in "Theodora" and "Xerxes") and something of an idol in New York -- he would seem to me the most logical choice for the role. (I have never found Connolly effective -- merely competent -- in stage roles, and have not yet heard, though I've heard good things about, Coote. The Met hasn't spat politely at Podles in 20 years -- a great error, IMHO, but still: an awful lot of bridges would have to be mended.)
Hans Lick
I sadly know very little about Ms. Lieberson...I don't even know if I've ever heard her sing before. However, although I certainly don't wish to show any lack of compassion because it was clearly a very tragic situation. I don't know if it is disclosed to the public what she died from, but I will say that the poor woman had several destestable afflictions. But concerning the votes: My vote is to cancel the production of Orfeo and open up a production of Orphee by the same composer...yes, that's right, I think the Met needs to put on Gluck's 1774 Paris version of his opera. For one thing, the music is MUCH more interesting and the orchestration a bit fuller in places (and no, I am NOT speaking about the orchestrations done by Saint-Saens and Hector Berlioz where they incorporated a full romantic orchestra when they discovered and revived this version for Madame Pauline Viardot-Garcia. In this version, the protagonist is a French Haute-tenor which also included a fabulous bravura aria that Gluck took from one of his earlier italian works to act as the finale of Act I. Sadly, people even today know of this aria mainly in the mezzo repertoire because of great women like Horne and Verrett who both concertized with it frequently. However, it must be stated that the aria was NOT intended for mezzi or countertenori and those voice types sing a transposed version of the aria. I personaly use this aria very frequently in my auditions, especially for European countries because this version of Orphee is still rather popular in some areas. It really is a gem in the operatic repertoire, and to my tastes, a whole lot more interesting and not nearly as boring as the original Italian version.
It strikes me that the edition of "Orfeo" selected for Ms. Hunt Lieberson would not include the "Amour viens rendre" or whatever it's called to close Act 1. And it also seems to me that a Podles "Orfeo" would pretty much require the inclusion of that aria.
I also wonder about the participation of Podles in a Mark Morris production.
Though I voted for Podles just because I think her return to the Met is long overdue, I prefer a more pure sound for Orfeo. Daniels, Graham or Mehta would all do very well as far as I'm concerned.
BTW, La Cieca, I love the straw poll idea. We should have more.
What about DiDonato? She's already at the house during the same time period for Barber. I'm sure there's plenty of Rosinas waiting in the wings that could do the last couple of those. Love to see Podles back - but not in a Mark Morris production.
I've seen Podles in Tancredi at the Naradowy in Warsaw (they seem to revive it almost annually for her,) in Guilio Cesare and Oedipus Rex in Toronto. In the first two cases (admittedly little more than concerts in costume) dramatically she was stodgy but in Francois Gerard's searing AIDS as the plague Stravinsky she was riveting. In all three performances vocally she was stunning - like rich dark silky chocolate. Perhaps Morris will be able to work his magic on her.
But il tenore may have a point – the tenor version in French would be an interesting alternative as the production was to be built around the very individual talents of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Any thoughts on who could do it?
-
Not surprising that Podles scored higher than everyone else. She certainly has more voice than David Daniels. Zajick would be fun in a loud way but otherwise miscast. Susan Graham, like Fleming, is becoming just a bit ubiquitous. This is a great chance for them to get Podles, or someone else unfamiliar to Met audiences, and blow the house away. Let's hope they have sense enough to be brilliant and adventurous with their casting.
Hurrah for that, but it probably won't happen.
La Chieca, Forgive me, but I wish you had waited a couple of weeks before posting your query.
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson was an artist of the highest caliber, and her loss is incalculable. Anybody who ever heard her live knows this. And, it is a tragedy that we have so few recordings of her.
Don't get me wrong, I adore Eva Podles; she is a great artist. However, LHL and Podles are/were as different as night and day.
LHL loss was WAY too early and, right now, I simply feel for her family and her husband, the wonderful composer Peter Lieberson. Listen to his Rilke songs.
She had a voice that made the angels weep.
Nicola321 I am sure that neither La Cieca nor any of us who posted in anyway meant disrespect to Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Rarely have I seen an outpouring of such love and heartfelt grief as has appeared on blogs, newspapers and even commercial websites (Nonsuch had a lovely tribute though strangely nothing from the Met or Les Arts Florissants.) Not one bitchy or catty comment just the feeling of a shared loss and emotion often as open as the emotion she brought to everything she did.
Ah, La Cieca, you just supported my point. The bravura aria in French is actually the text "L'amour renait dans mon ame"...for some reason, when females sing it, the text was changed to "Amour viens rendre". I don't know why this change of text, especially since Orfee is still a male character. I have not, as of yet, been able to discover a reason for this alteration in text. At any rate, I really would love to see Orfee revived in this country. Gedda sang it, but to my knowledge he did not sing the bravura aria. However, his recording of the act II aria with oboe and flutes is breathtakingly beautiful!
I wonder if there is a full recording of Rocky Blake singing it...I have his recording of the aria.
Leopold Simoneau also recorded the Orphée under Hans Rosbaud in the '50s. I had both that and the Gedda (which I believe came from a performance at Aix) at one point - I don't recall if Simoneau did the big aria at the end of Act 1.
.... it just occurred to me (you may think I'm slow ... I think I'm piu lento) that DD either is or is not a great choice because he's already on the roster to be singing Giulio Cesare at the Met during the very time of the Orfeo production ... which means he'd have to cancel Cesare (boo-hoo) if he sang Orfeo (yay). Anyway, he'll be around.
Gentlemen: have any of you actually heard Podles lately? I heard the second of four performances in Dallas of Rodelinda (opposite the superb Ruth Ann Swenson) and was most disappointed. The timbre is hollow and tattered. She struggled valiantly with the coloratura of "Vivi, tiarano (sp?) at a non-fast tempo. In short, this is hardly a voice that merits a new production in 07.
:Sigh:
It's really sad that we even have to ask this question. But given the inevitable, how about Jennifer Larmore? She's still got an Orfeo in her, I'm sure.
simoneau doesnt sing the 'bravour' aria at the end of act 1 ... in any case, it is apparently not even written by gluck. but it brings the act down well i find
I agree with mikedfw. Podles is a bit past it.
A bit past it, yes. But, she can still deliver the goods.
Ahh...habs mir's gelobt, what you say is actually fiction. The real history behind the aria is that shortly after the Paris performances of Orfee, an individual (who I don't remember - it's told in Groves) claimed that Gluck stole the aria from some other composer. Alas, the truth behind the matter is that Gluck DID write the aria, originally in Italian for one of his earliest operas - sadly, I have yet to discover which one - and this other composer stole it from Gluck and pawned it as his own. If anything, I think it brings an exciting conclusion to the act...especially if the singer does a fierce cadenza. But the aria is all Gluck.
I saw Podles in the Dallas "Rodelinda" and she was fabulously virtuosic, especially the "Vivi, tiranni."
And yes, Gluck did write the bravura aria...at least if we are to believe the liner notes to the old Decca complete recording with Horne. The problem with it is that we are to believe Gluck was into "reform," getting rid of all the display coloratura in an effort to achieve sublime purity through simplicity. And then we have this wonderfully fast and thrilling aria that leaves the audience cheering and wanting more of the same, when they're not going to get it.
Are we supposed to vote only once? (I voted for Podles.) Or are some people now voting once a day?
Like American Idol, but with more bitchy queens than just Simon Cowell?
podles' orfeo at carnegie hall last year was magnificent. yes she still has it in her. she is incredible.
Like La Cieca, I really can't see the Polish Princess in a Mark Morris production, no matter how overdue she is for a return to the Met. I think Stephanie Blythe could make a smashing Orfeo (not necessarily in a Morris production), or perhaps Anne Sophie von Otter. I cringe as I write this, but with Gelb seeming to be so production and "name" concious (and I can't honestly see this happening), but I wonder if we may end up seeing Denyce Graves in the role?
anne sofie von otter would make a good choice as orfeo - she is tall and slim. stephanie blythe i cant see in a mark morris production though ... unless the singers are in the pit and the action is done by dancers on stage (which mark morris has done before).
denyce graves. ummm. lets hope she wouldnt wreck it like cant help loving dat man. or is pregnant ... like when i saw her as delilah. it all of a sudden gave samson some kind of very weird infatuation to be attracted by an eight month pregnant lady! and a pregnant orfeo would defo be a first ;)
I voted three times. One time for Bejun, because I would like to see it, but then two more times to cancel the production because I felt guilty for even thinking it.
I seem to remember (Im exhausted today) that the aria was claimed as being by Bertoni - who later wrote his own Orfeo with the same libretto, also sung by Guardagni and it was also very successful. There was no dispute between the two composers - in fact they admired each other.
Why not go the whole way and do the first modern performance of the 'London' version with lots of additional de capos arias by JC Bach - I mean the 'reform' opera is hardly an evenings entertainment is it!!!!!
lamilasta has hit on a brilliant idea. Insert lots of bravura da capo arias.
Let's have Bartoli as Orfeo, and she can insert a dozen forgotten arias by Scarlatti, Salieri, and Vivaldi. Each act can be 70 minutes long. Everyone can just stand still and sing. Perform it in Museum Dress from the Met Museum of Art.
Kathleen Battle as Amor????
Denyce Graves as Orfeo would be a disaster. I heard her recently as Azucena (in the last year or so). It was disastrous and ugly.
Bartoli would certainly be fun. No doubt she would sing the aria everyone is sniping about above.
von Otter would also be nice. More voice.
Stephanie Blythe? Vocally it would be pretty nice, but I can't imagine her in a Mark Morris production either.
Rysanekfreak, we can gladly agree to disagree about the current state of Podles . . . and your comment about Battle as Amor made me laugh so hard I spit out my chicken salad lunch! Thanks!
Did anyone hear Podles as Julius C. in San Diego?
Another viable Orfeo would have to be Sarah Connolly. I just saw the DVD of her Julius C. from Glyndebourne last summer: superb voice and a lithe woman who would fit nicely into a M. Morris production.
OOPS, I'm repeating Sarah Connolly praise from early in the postings, mea culpa. I promise to pay more attention!
Has anyone heard the bizarrely decorated Mozart snippets Kozema sings in her to-be-released CD from the DG? I signed up (forget actually how, via www.dgclassics.com) & I get these periodically: very interesting!
I heard Podles a couple of months ago. The size and quality of the voice are still remarkable. She sang Rossini's Giovanna D'Arco cantata and not all of the coloratura was effortless. However, the spots where she had trouble were very difficult sections. She wasn't having troubles with "run of the mill" coloratura. But there were some big leaps and runs where she had to insert a high C. That's where she wasn't exactly polished but she still got through it.
The other item on the program was Joan's farwell aria from Tchaikovsky's Maid of Orleans. I did notice that on her high A, the sound had developed a hollowness that I haven't heard before. But then again, this is a woman who is well into her fifties and she is still sounding pretty damn good.
So, her tone is hollowing out at the top and her coloratura is a bit more effortful, but she could still blow away the competition in many alto roles without exhibiting any weakness.
I think Kozená would make a wonderful Orfeo.
I also like the idea of getting a high tenor to do the role as Orphée. The Leopold Simoneau recording is one of my favorite accounts of the opera. Richard Croft recorded it with Minkowski but he doesn't sound half comfortable with the tessitura as Simoneau dispite the benefit of a period pitch of A403. Croft sings the bravura aria but with the text "L'espoir renaît dans mon âme." I'll let you textual scholars figure that out.
I've always thought Paul Groves would be a perfect Orphée though I haven't heard him sing lately. He certainly has the right voice for the role and could easily manage the tessitura at modern pitch (though even Gedda and Simoneau transposed some of the passages down). He's done other Gluck roles wonderfully before.
Lorraine's Orfeo would certainly have been something. The role would have been particularly suitable for her. I can think of no other singer more capable of calming the Furies or the Blessed Spirits.
Rysanekfreak - so glad we re of the same mind - I d love it! (except Bartoli but we won t go THERE again, please). Perhaps just all male sopranos (just like the performances in Lisbon under Mad Queen Maria) Christofellis, Maniaci, Wong and Jouralski for a start.
Yes every act at least 70 mins every aria at least 10.Cut all the dry recit and ballets -we dont want anything even remotely French.
After all Gluck did go back to writing operas of a decent length so he obviuosly realised the error of his ways.
Viva La Opera Seria.
Even better would be to have Orfeo(in the decent Italian version for Millico) as an intermezzo (its short enough and almost just a ballet anyway) - I could go to the bar and just pop in for the one decent aria - (the fabulous one they usually cut at the end of act one).
The rest of the evening would be a revival say, for instance, of Scarlatti's Miridate Eupatore or Hasse's Attilio Regolo (fabulous scores) - hopefully produced in the way Rysanekfreak suggests with huge panniers all round.
Heaven.
5KOwwM The best blog you have!
59XaRe Please write anything else!
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Thanks to author.
Wonderful blog.
Please write anything else!
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Wonderful blog.
Wonderful blog.
Wonderful blog.
zVPA1D write more, thanks.
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Please write anything else!
Magnific!
Please write anything else!
Nice Article.
Hello all!
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Hello all!
Please write anything else!
Good job!
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Wonderful blog.
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Magnific!
Good job!
Calvin, we will not have an anatomically correct snowman!
Hello all!
Good job!
Calvin, we will not have an anatomically correct snowman!
I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
Energizer Bunny Arrested! Charged with battery.
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
Please write anything else!
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies
Hello all!
Good job!
A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.
A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.
I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
Energizer Bunny Arrested! Charged with battery.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
Magnific!
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Hello all!
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
When there's a will, I want to be in it.