parterre box

Well, this is what La Cieca gathers from Katharina Wagner‘s production of Die Meistersinger (without, of course, having had the benefit of actually seeing it!) KW’s basic idea is that Great-grandfather Richard presented an overly optimistic view of the dramatic action of the opera. Walther is taught by Hans Sachs to moderate his radical musical ideas by adopting traditional forms; that way his music can be understood by his audience. KW sees this compromise as a sellout, so she depicts the climactic singing contest satirically, as an “American Idol” hypefest. Walther basically grows out of his rebellious phase (e.g., splashing [...]

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A few selections from The Opera Critic, demonstrating that great minds do not always etc. etc. That is, assuming you believe that British critics count as “great minds.”

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Bayreuth scion-apparent Katharina Wagner‘s production of Die Meistersinger opened yesterday at the Festspielhaus. As you can see, this production is rather curiously cast with David Beckham as Walther and Aprile Millo as Eva. Oh, well, all right, La Cieca must have her little joke, you know. The tenor is in fact Klaus Florian Vogt, whom many of you heard sing Lohengrin at the Met back in 2006, and, if this photo is anything like accurate, is indeed the “Traumboot” above referenced. Now, be honest, cher public. If you saw this fellow approaching on a boat, would you even notice that [...]

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Our editor JJ‘s review of the Caramoor concert performance of Il trovatore (featuring Ewa Podlés as Azucena) is in the current issue of Gay City News. And for those of you who long for the gay stereotypes of yore, please note that this opera review is currently the most popular story on GCN’s site, beating out items on Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Barack Obama, and even Jim Naugle, the mayor of Fort Lauderdale!

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To while away the tedious time of waiting for the next season of Metropolitan Opera HD transmissions, here’s a montage recalling the first two decades (1977-1998) of “Live from the Met” and “Metropolitan Opera Presents” telecasts: This YouTube video originated on the MetManiac site back in 1998.

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More proof (as if any were needed) that 70 is the new 50: “Viva la Diva: Gala zum 70. Geburtstag von Grace Bumbry.” The concert (performed at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival on July 17 of this year) featured the septuagenarian siren in a demanding program of arias and scenes from Aida, Ernani, Les Troyens and the complete third act of Tosca! La Cieca offers her cher public a pair of Querschnitten from this historic concert: “Ritorna vincitor!” from Aida “Ah! Je vais mourir” from Les Troyens

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“…the veteran dramatic soprano Gwyneth Jones, who, at the age of seventy, has lost remarkably little of her decibel capacity, made a comic tour de force of the Queen of Hearts. Memories of Jones’s Elektra at the Met added an aura of menace to her antics; when she sings, ‘Off with their heads!,’ you stroke your own neck a bit nervously.” Alluring Alex Ross reviews Unsuk Chin’s opera Alice in Wonderland in the current New Yorker. Dame Gwyneth and underling in Alice in Wonderland. Photo by Wilfried Hoesl.

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