Hollanderizing
La Cieca is nothing if she is not open-minded. So can someone please explain (or at least excuse) the following statement from Bernard Holland in today's NYT?
Verdi has a way of testing his singers at the opening curtain. (See also "La Traviata," Act I, Scene 1.)
POSTED at
9:57 AM
39 Comments:
I guess he's saying that Verdi sometimes has a main character sing difficult music as soon as the first act curtain goes up (the "Forza" Leonora, Otello's "Esultate," maybe the Duke in "Rigoletto"). And yes, poor Radames has that difficult aria very early in the night.
But I really don't think the "Traviata" Brindisi is that difficult for either the tenor or the soprano. I might be wrong, but I think he is telling us that he thinks the Brindisi "tests" the singers very early in the night.
Had I been writing it, I would have referenced Odabella in "Attila" instead of "Traviata."
i assumed he was referring to celeste aida coming so early in the opera.
i think he must have seen a different version of traviata than i did :>)
Another example of misinformation in the Holland Tunnel. Even Otello doesn't declaim/sing "Esultate" until the chorus sings some music.
Yeah, the comment is accurate but the example is odd to say the least. First scene of Traviata???
let's not read it literally, he meant difficult music early in the opera, Sempre libera is act 1 scene 1 isn't it. Actually, act 1 has only one scene.
It is a fact of life that a singer, however well warmed-up he can be offstage, does experience a second "warming up" once he starts his music on stage. This is due to the fact that circunstances can interfere with vocalization right before the entrance, and the fact that the singer gets used to the acoustics (unfortunatelly, we usually cannot vocalize on stage with the open curtain, right). Most everyone who has sung professionally can attest to this.
Therefore, Verdi does give the singer some very trying music to sing right from the wings, and it must be said that it doesnt matter if the chorus did a lot of things first (like Exultate), it has to do with the singer getting used (or mostly re-used) to the conditions.
However, I'm at loss to see how this could ever apply to Traviata. Sempre Libera is sufficiently late in the opera for anyone to have warmed up by then.
As people have mentioned, Verdi has some operas, especially early, where the entrance music is fiendish, but Traviata is not one of them. Now the champ in hard entrance music to me is Bellini in Norma. Casta Diva is a bear, and you just get the recitative to get yourself ready.
Well, the libretto indicates five scenes. The first is from the curtain until Alfredo's entrance. I think our divine La Cieca is just poking Bernie with a hatpin. But then, I guess he might really believe that "Flora, amici" is a killer entrance for the soprano. Technicalities aside, TRAVIATA is a bad example, when you compare it to, say Lady Macbeth's first scene - parlando, then BANG, "Ambizioso spirto"! Further technicalities aside, the article was pretty silly. GualtierMalde's review here yesterday made BH's self-indulgent drivel look like, well, self-indulgent drivel. Time for the Grey Lady to give him the hook.
if you consider 1 minute and 35 seconds a whole scene, then perhaps act 1 of Traviata has 5 scenes. Sempre libera comes 22 minutes into the opera after the prelude and that's what Holland meant.
He writes an entire Aida review without mentioning Aida, which is just as well. I never heard or seen a soprano that huge with such minuscule notes, in fact Angela Brown has absolutely NO tops. Her acting is from a high-schooler.
The convention in 19th century Italian opera (and drama from that and other centuries) was to identify a new scene each time a major character (or the chorus) entered or left the stage. Thus the first act of "Traviata" has five scenes: I at curtain up, II when Gastone and Alfredo enter, III when the chorus leaves the stage just before "Oh, qual pallor, IV when the chorus comes back in, and V when the chorus leaves Violetta alone onstage.
That being said, if "Sempre libera" came any later during Act I, it would be during the first intermission.
Had he just said "in Act I", I doubt La Cieca would have gigged him for it, though she could have on the merits. It seems pretty obvious that Holland is trying to say that Verdi calls for some tough singing early on, before the the singers have warmed up on stage, etc. And, as you say, Violetta has a good bit to sing before the big number. We aren't in disagreement. Traviata is a bad example for that reason, and Holland is being a sloppy pedant as well by suggesting that the demands of Scene 5 occur in Scene 1.
He wrote the article about Alagna, so I don't fault him for ignoring the rest of the cast. He just wrote lamely about his chosen subject.
TKL, I saw Angela Brown sing Aida in Milwaukee, and believe you me, she has a top. What frustrated me was how she almost never seemed to let loose with the high notes. I could tell she really has some potential volume and power up there, but I think she was eternally conserving her voice. Hey, Aida is a big sing. Perhaps she's being a bit too cautious? Whatever, it's a wonderful instrument, and I hope to someday hear it pushed closer to its considerable limit (not in a bad way).
Well said Vecchia Scuola - it's the die-hard truth!
On a different note - has anyone else listened to "Maria" - Cecilia's new album? I'm rather enjoying it - I've always been a CB fan and a fan of the history behind M Malibran and I think it's great that an album like this has been compiled.
The ablum, for me, on the whole is done exquistely well. Bartoli sounds great and as always, her impeccable musicianship and artisty is evident in every phrase.
My only quip is that I think the Malibran 'version' of "Qui la voce" was unnecessary. Bartoli still sings the scene very beautiful and I think it is a treat alone in the fact that we get to hear a wonderful artist sing one of the most beautiful scenes in all of opera that she would otherwise not have sung in another context. That being said - as far as we know, Bellini never completed the legendary version of Puritani for Malibran - there is alot more to that story than what I am recalling at the moment (c.r. "Divas and Scholars" Philip Gossett) - but the 'version' seems to fall a bit flat at the end. The performance is fine - Bartoli totally sells what she does - but "Vien, diletto" without a big high note at the end seems to be so anti-climatic to me.
As for the "Casta Diva," I know it was discussed here and torn to shreds recently - but first of all, it happens to be a beautiful rendition of this aria - it's all IN TUNE (unlike someone else we know who sang this aria on a concert) and phrased very elegantly and with supurb taste. No one is saying that Bartoli is going to take on the role of Norma anytime soon - but as this project was a tribute to and in recognition of one of the greatest singers in history - it is only appropriate and fair that this piece was included. Bartoli is a consummate artists (not an opinion) - whether you like her voice or not - and I think she has presented a very successful portrait of Malibran and of herself with this album. It is disappointing that the cabaletta was not included.
BRAVA CECILIA!!
If Holland is being a sloppy pedant, some of us here are being capricious pedants. Act 1 happens in real time in one single location and the main character never leaves the stage, to me that's just one scene. But all right, have it your own way.
Angela Brown indeed never lets out her top notes, which makes me wonder if she really has them.
orestes: Well, actually the "scene 1" business was kind of an afterthrought for me. The point surely is that Violetta participates in a good deal of recitative, a brindisi and a duet before her aria. Had Holland said, "some of opera's most daunting arias in the character's first act," he would have been right on the money.
Having a few pages of ensemble singing before launching into a big aria really is a godsend for most singers, giving them a chance to see how well the voice is responding that night. It's a different feeling altogether than what is achieved through a dressing room warmup.
He is dead wrong about Traviata - the soprano has PLENTY of time to warm up before her big scene which comes at end of the first act - she starts with easy, chatty dialog, then has a light duet supported by chorus to loosen the voice up, then has a slightly more involving duet to make sure the voice is all lined up - then has a nice little rest before her big aria.
So really, when they bomb the aria it is NOT because they aren't warmed up or because it's an "entrance" aria. Just because so many sopranos "improve once past the hurdles of Act I" doesn't support his statement, it just means their coloratura or their range isn't so great.
Radames, Otello - now THOSE OPERAS have real entrance challenges, in that probably the most difficult thing is the entrance. Lucia, Norma roles like to a lesser extent (they have demanding pieces but not their most demanding piece of the night) Traviata is definitely NOT in this category.
Which is a long winded way of saying that he is just a jerk and does he know anything about opera?
And yes, in answer to the inevitable question, Casta Diva hard as it might be is NOT the hardest part of Norma. Ask any true Norma who will tell you the truth (Ha! if you're lucky enough to know one, which nowadays...).
It's funny how often people who are right are called pedants by people who are wrong.
A pedant is a pedant, either he's right or wrong.
La Cieca: Yes, a thousand times yes. "Traviata" is a bad example for all the reasons you list. If Violetta hasn't gotten in the groove by "E strano," it's probably going to be a long evening. And the other examples here, Lady Macbeth, Otello, etc. really do put the singer on the spot right away. So what was Holland thinking? Not, apparently.
Oy.
"Brindisi" is not an early vocal challenge in La Traviata, but a foreplay setting the depth of the emotional challenge that will reign throughout the opera. There is a tape of Roberto and Angela, from the 2002 (I think) Proms, singing Brindisi. Emotionally, vocally, and theatrically it's flat and leaves you neutral. Has anybody seen it?
Don't forget Ferrando opening Trov with a Bass showpiece.
Holland is a fraud. Elsewhere in the "review", he says: "With four big-bucks productions currently running, three relatively big-name tenors lurking around the house and respiratory infection in the air, Mr. Alagna and his colleague Marcello Giordani have been stepping in for each other with confusing regularity." First of all, I can't recall the last small-bucks productions at the Met (Lulu perhaps, or the Mahagonny?). Second, THREE BIG-NAME TENORS? Giordani, Alagna, and ... who? Berti? You gotta be kidding me.
Let's face it, Mr. Holland chose a very bad example to make a very valid point. All he had to do is point to Lady M., Otello or even the Duke in Rigoletto as far more germaine examples. His bad.
As others have pointed out, Violetta has a chance to sing a variety of things before getting to "Ah forse liu", and so should know exactly how her voice is responding by then (she even has a bit of coloratura in "Un di felice" in anticipation of "Sempre libera").
Generally I don't mind Holland's reviews and prefer them to Tommasini's. However, his strength is clearly instrumental music and not opera. When he's writing an recital or symphony review, I find that he actually addresses the music-making more directly than Tomassini.
bravo il tenore di coloratura superba
you review of cb's new recording is spot on and you're a brave man to post it on this board! although, for now, your comments seem to be flying below radar.
Vis-a-vis Holland's neglect of Angela Brown: Holland already reviewed the September 29 performance of AIDA for the Times, and gave Ms. Brown a near rave. He wrote:
"Angela M. Brown returns in the title role, and she is a splendid singer. It is said that big voices win out at the Met. Ms. Brown has one, but her real secret is a purity and presence that can send even the quietest passages floating out to the back of the house. She is passionate without loss of musical discipline. Her biographical materials don't show a wide range of roles, but she should be doing more."
As others have said, it was not his intention to re-review; just to comment on Alagna's performance as Radames. Other than that, most of the comments I have read here seem spot on.
Now the champ in hard entrance music to me is Bellini in Norma. Casta Diva is a bear, and you just get the recitative to get yourself ready
Oh, please, Norma's a piker. Paul in Die Tote Stadt comes out in the sixth minute, says "Frank, freund!" and then launches in to a 10-minute scene; he's singing high A/Bb's over a 110-piece orchestra from the get go.
What about Renata in the great The Fiery Angel by Prokofiev? Comes out, sings a few lines, then has a 10-minute aria to sing.
Bel canto [snorts derisively].
I nominate Turandot's "In questa reggia" as the most difficult "walk onstage and start singing for the first time" aria.
Brunhilde's "Walkure" entrance cannot be easy. Nor is Rossini's Figaro's. The Prologo of "Pagliacci" is probably a difficult sing if the baritone did not warm up by singing Alfio first.
What about Una Voca Poco fa?
sugarmezzo...
Rosina gets to vocalize a little bit during the Lindoro serenade.
But when she grows up to be Mozart's "Nozze" Countess, she has to open Act Two cold with a difficult aria.
And I forgot about Strauss's poor Elektra, who has to crawl out onstage and start with that first killer aria.
'Ach, ich liebte' has to be the all time killer opener.
Oh, I knew exactly what he meant. I sang the Baron once, and...man! All those middle C's, right off the bat? It makes "Celeste Aida" look like "Somethin' Stupid."
Re: Bernard Holland: Did it cross anyone's mind that the scene number was a typo? Perhaps a mistake in whoever typed up the layout for publication. Anyway, it would go on forever to discuss all of the operas where lead characters make their entrance singing extremely difficult music without the opportunity to 'warm' up in the theatre-In my own repertoire: Almaviva, Lindoro, Nadir, Libenskof, Rodrigo, Idreno, Belmonte-all have extremely demanding first moments - and no, those few short "Piano, pianissimo's" of the opening of Barbiere are NOT a warm up for ANYONE who then has to sing "Ecco ridente."
Whoever said that opera was supposed to be easy??!!
And, any real-live Norma will tell you that the most difficult passages in the entire role are the opening recitative and the very first note of Casta Diva. End of story. If the woman has the correct voice for the role - the remainder of the part will no doubt be a challenge at times and need to be paced through very carefully, but the passagework should not necessarily be considered 'difficult' to accomplish for one whose voice is appropriate for the part and has a solid technique. However, the opening recitative sometimes gives the soprano a false sense of security in that she might be tempted to oversing those lines with the subconscious intention of wanting to be 'warmed up' for the aria. As for the starting La of Casta Diva...what makes it so difficult is that it lies in a part of most sopranos tessitura where it forces them to have to navigate a central passaggio area - the La tends to fall just above that passaggio - once the first phrase is performed successfully, however, the soprano usually feels confident that the rest of the aria will go smoothly. This information has come from the mouths of several fantastic Normas that I know.
A simple typo. Instead of "Verdi has" it should read "Verdi had". But why Holland should want to bring that business up now, I haven't got any idea.
OK, late to the party but I just thought of a killer entrance. Florestan. He doesn't even appear until halfway (or more) through the opera and then it's on a long high G.
How difficult is the Mandarin's opening declamation in Turandot?
I agree with Rysanekfreak. There are lots of really difficult entrance arias but the worst is "In questa reggia". It's not just that it's difficult and soooo exposed. But, it's really hard to maintain key in that opening couple of phrases. There's a vague tam or gong in the orchestra and the soprano has to find the right first pitch and then try to stay on key for the next couple of lines.
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