Pat of butter
La Cieca only knows what she has heard so far on Sirius (i.e., through "Che tua madre"), but, my dears, Patricia Racette is such an improvement over last season's Butterfly! Your doyenne will definitely make another visit to Minghella-land this season.
So, who caught the prima in the house? What's your take? And, those of you listening at home; is La Cieca right or not?
UPDATE: Applause after "ei torna e m'ama!" Well, yes, that is an improvement over last year!
So, who caught the prima in the house? What's your take? And, those of you listening at home; is La Cieca right or not?
UPDATE: Applause after "ei torna e m'ama!" Well, yes, that is an improvement over last year!
POSTED at
10:12 PM
37 Comments:
Right you are, LC. This Atto Due of Butterfly usually has me weary of the soprano by now. But not with Racette.
(Missed Gallardo-Domas' Cio-Cio-San, but couldn't wait for her Angelica to end!)
The only strain I hear with Patty is that which comes from giving a helluva stage performance while singing the hell out of a role.
To think I was there for her first Priestess in Aida in San Francisco... (sniff, sniff)
BTW, have officially become hooked on Sirius tonight. Thanks for all the helpful links and plugs.
Tragically, almost anyone would have been an improvement over last years butterfly. It's the only time I had ever seen Gollardo-Domas sing - is she usually... was that normal for her?
I'll listen in next chance I get which will be...Next friday. Damn it.
Ah well, I've heard her before in the role, live (she was memorizing; even in the damnable Robert Wilson Production) and I'll be seeing her live in the role in about a month and a half.
Beyond right. Not one ugly, unsteady or strained sound sound coming out of Racette all evening long - despite the fact I could tell through my speakers she was wringing every last drop out of the role both physically and vocally. Last season's Butterfly emitted a veritable smörgåsbord of screams and squawks - though I'll admit she "looked the part. I think Racette's basically silver timbered voice works well for this role because it sounds younger than warmer, more "latin" voices we ususally hear. I wish I could see it as well. And judging from the roars at the final curtain the live audience agreed with us.
BARITENOR---
I hope you meant Racette was mesmerizing....I hope she wasn't still memorizing the role when you saw her...
She was UNBELIEVABLE tonite...and Alagna was fantastic too!!
Ah yes. My daily dose of egg in the face. How I missed thee.
I want to take a moment to put to rest all these nasty accusations about my performance as Butterfly last season...you see the public was never informed that it was not me singing, it was the banruku puppet....yes that's it....it was the puppet...so get off my back everyone
She gave a fantastic performance of Butterfly here in San Francisco last year! I had to see her twice because she was just amazing. The second time I saw her, I went completely insane in the opera house hurling and just yelling brava!
What an experience!
Tonight, my husband and I were there for the Madama Butterfly. And Ms. Cieca is correct, it is a much better experience vocally than last years performance. Hearing Mr. Alagna in this role gave me goosebumbs and I even liked it more than his Romeo a few weeks back. He soared through the orchestra even during the trio in Act 3. Last year I thought Mr. Giordani was weak voiced unlike his recent Edgardo which I thought was marvelous. Ms. Racette was beautiful as Cio Cio San, although my husband Sam pointedly criticized that Ms. Gallardo Domas was more Japanese in her gestures than Ms. Racette and I would agree with that assessment. She also at times was hard to hear over the orchestra particularly at climaxes and when the brass played. However, I would say that Mr. Elder did keep the orchestra at bay. For me, I prefer a more Italian sound to Ms. Racette's more American sound however I enjoyed her performance immensely. Mr. Salsi has a beautiful lyric voice however again he was completely covered by the orchestra. An enchanting color but perhaps not right for large orchestras.
I have a question. As we have heard both Ms. Netrebko last week and Ms. Racette this week. Ms. Netrebko's voice to our ears sounds much bigger and fuller than Ms. Racette's. She is also much thinner as Ms. Racette was quite plump and large breasted for a young Asian girl. We were wondering is a Madama Butterfly out of the Question for Ms. Netrebko sometime in the reasonable future? As well, I thought she would look beautiful as Cio Cio San especially in this production. She is nearing 40, Coloratura seems not to be her strength. Am I wrong?
I suppose I'm going to blog it since I was in-house, but she was just objectively a big improvement over CGD. And yeah, that applause was a nice surprise.
Racette was a triumph; I simply cannot think of anyone else more effective to cast in this role today. SUCH an improvement over last season's Cio-Cio-San. She soared in the sustained lyric phrases of Act 2, but also made much of little word details...both her and Zifchak have such a dramatic command of Italian diction that I could have closed my eyes and seen their facial expressions/thoughts/actions at any given time.
Alagna sounded well but was a MUSICAL PIG, constantly singing behind Elder's beat (which wasn't harried by any means), and laden with bluster and self-indulgent "rubato" to the point of nausea. "Addio fiorito asil" was the most ligubrious I'd ever heard (boy, Sinopoli and him would have been two peas in a pod!!) and the opening scene w/ Cangelosi was a total mess. Poor Donna Racik must have been having a coronary in the prompter's box trying to keep it all together. The baritone was unremarkable, oversang a lot (WHY must baritones make "Di strapparvi assai mi costa" into some dramatic arietta??). Edler had his quirks, which verged on the provincial...(why was "E suda e arrampica!" so exaggeratedly leaden? and the music after "Suzuki il the!" distorted so much it sounded straight out of Rosenkavalier...and my God the wedding scene was a blur) but most of the time, he led an urgent, sensitive performance, when the right people were on stage. I can't blame him too much after that HORRIFIC and ERRATIC Aida led by Maestro oh-NO last week!! Was anyone else scandalized by that sexless bloodless piss-your-pants frantic Act 3?! And poor Dolora getting chopped off her high notes?!! VERGOGNA.
Good to see Mr. Minghella and Ms. Choa present. Their bows were greeted rather warmly. The production still looks gorgeous and the lighting outstanding (though not as precisely cued this time around).
I had to miss the broadcast tonite unfortunately, but am I the only person on earth who thinks that Racette has a definite tendency to sing flat much of the time? I've heard her a few times and I cannot escape that conclusion. Beautiful timbre though.
I saw it in the house last night. Racette not only looked stunning, but sang the score beautifully. She's fast becoming one of my all-time favorite Butterflys. "Che tua madre dovra" was a triumph...I had tears streaming down my face by the end of it. (Her final scream of "morte!" was chilling) A beautiful "Un bel di" as well.
Ms. Racette has really proven herself to be one of the most (the most?) consistent, dependable and brilliant singing actresses today. I flat out love her.
I have been saying that Racette was a winner for a while now to quizzical looks by many who should know better.
I AM REDEEMED!
I got a wonderful text message last night from a friend who was in-house:
"Racette for President"
From what I heard last night, i must agree!
Although i also loved Villaroel in LA in the Wilson production
Around this time last year you posted a podcast with Scotto's Butterfly and you lamented how no one ever applauses after ''torni e m'ama'' anymore. Im very happy to hear that P.R. earned that applause. She is a magnificent Butterfly (heard her this summer at Ravinia in the same role). Can't wait for the next broadcast.
Futurewife -
Yes, I am with you - Racette does sing slightly underpitch much of the time. Some performances come off better in this regard than others. I listened to most of the bcast on Sirius, and thought she gave an intelligent and highly accomplished reading of this extraordinarily difficult role. Still, there can be no denying that the voice isn't really a first rate instrument: there's no particular individuality to the timbre, the color palette is limited, and she must give every last iota of effort to pull a spinto-ish sound out of her essentially lyric endowment. Even with these substantial demerits, the dignity and insight she brings to her roles is quite mesmerizing. She's a damn good singer - even if her natural talent will never put her up there with the "great" singers.
Off topic but I see your Tommasini is at it agin in his review of the SFO Tannhauser:"wiry, bare-chested men dance wildly with lithe young women in lacy white dresses. There are even moments of same-sex coupling, which would have rattled Wagner’s audiences but seemed to resonate in San Francisco."
At least we are spared "lithe".
On topic Gallardo-Domas was a very fine if vocally fragile Butterfly when she sang just a few years ago at the ROH. Obviously there has been a decline.
Evenhanded:
Your assessment of Racette's voice is the best one I've ever read. I'm stunned by the raves I've read here. I also agree with Sofia. I had trouble hearing Racette at times last night, because her voice doesn't soar. Netrebko's voice does, but I don't think she's the Butterfly type. We're left without a great Butterfly, just as we're left without a great Aida. It's sad.
Racette was serviceable as she always is. Nothing exciting, Un bel di was politely applauded. I was sitting in 5th row dead center and she didn't look convincing as Butterfly, even for a second. Too chubby, too matronly.
Domas was less satisfying vocally of course, the role overcame her. But her portrayal was way more compelling. Plus she looked the part.
Alagna was drowned by the orchestra on several occasions. At least we could hear Giordani. I don't see this cast as a great improvement. Fiorenza Cedolins was the best Butterfly on the MET stage in the last 10 years, followed by Malfitano, who even in vocal decline managed a powerful performance.
Racette is a wonderful singer in her prime, and her "Butterfly" is an intelligent portrayal that even manages to get me over the icky, masochistic parts of the role. I've also heard her as Jenufa in San Francisco, where she was exquisite.
So, to answer futurewifeofflorez, yes, you are one of the few people on earth who thinks that Racette has a definite tendency to sing flat much of the time. The lady is not only usually on pitch, but she has just a plain old gorgeous voice.
I was among the last to make the cut off for rush tix yesterday (and joined the line at 4pm.) It was worth it. The production is still so gorgeous and so well executed. And I was thinking that the singing was much improved over last year, and two people said the same thing in passing at intermission. Really a magical evening...
Racette is a generic soprano, there's absolutely nothing in the sound that sets her apart. She's competent, but I wouldn't use 'wonderful' or 'gorgeous', what adjectives would be left to describe Ponselle, Flagstad or Sutherland?
Sounds like I'm going to have to make a return trip for this one (hello, rush line). And I agree with Sofia-- if Netrebko ever sings Butterfly, sign me up!
(At last year's Butterfly, I was handed a ticket during second intermission by a woman who said she "just can't listen to her anymore" and made the leap from standing room to row D center. It was *beautiful*. [The staging. Not C. G-D. Not a fan there.])
sfmike:
Your devotion to Racette, while charming, doesn't mean that everyone hears the same "exquisite" voice that you seem to hear. I have already answered futurewife, and indeed she/he is NOT alone in hearing flaws in Racette's vocal production. Is it necessary that we all share your opinion?
I wonder when Renee Fleming will try the part? She certainly wouldn't be any more out of her league in it than the rest of them. And an RF Butterfly would sell lots of tickets.
As much as I love Scotto as Butterly, my favorite recording of this opera is with Leontyne Price. Her entrance alone is glorious singing. Does anyone has any thought on that?
Please keep Fleming far, FAR away from Puccini.
I happen to love Racette, but I can see how some might find flaws in her performances.
My favorite Butterfly recording may Scotto's first attempt, with Bergonzi, but my favorite Butterfly is probably Anna Moffo.
Racette and life-partner Beth Clayton are both starring in leading roles at Lincoln Center this Fall. Time Out New York has this profile of the out and proud couple by Marion Lignana Rosenberg:
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/article/22934/double-aria
Does anybody else find Patricia Racette to have a similar instrument to Pilar Lorengar?
In any case, I found her portrayal absolutely beautiful and moving, for 90% of the opera, and she definitely pulled out all the stops for the end. I was a little disappointed with her Un bel di, as I didn't quite find it exciting enough, but then again...she still has to sing the 2nd and 3rd acts. I don't find anything Italianate about her instrument at all, but she still sounded more than decent in this role.
Alagna--ugh, you can tell the voice is absolutely trashed and he couldn't keep up with the conductor. How embarassing. He did play a convincing asshole, though.
der_neugierige disse...
Does anybody else find Patricia Racette to have a similar instrument to Pilar Lorengar?
---- Perhaps in her dreams. Patricia Racette is a fine Singer, but possess a mediocre instrument. Pilar Lorengar had a special instrument.
I wonder why people keep hiring Alagna, his voice is a wreck. Perhaps it is because the alternatives might be even worse.
When Leontyne sings the opening of Butterfly, my tears start to flow and by the end i'm usually on the floor in a heap crying--I LOVE that recording!
Yes Aidaversanoi, I agree with you. I think Miss Price's Butterfly is sumptuous and sensuous. As with most of her stuff, I think she is in a class of her own and I love her to death.
I'm a Price fan, too. A lady in a class by herself. If she doesn't come out on top in the PBS Met viewers' choice, there is no God (to quote Mel Brooks).
Evenhanded nailed it - her problem is her pushed technique (that, and to me she looks like a blowsy housewife in every single role she does). What's interesting is that her partner (Beth) is an infinitely more talent performer - a great dusky voice, raven-haired beauty,fantastic, lithe body, and on stage she is absolutely mesmerizing dramatically. But Patty has the bigger career, for some reason.
I can't wait to see and hear her on Oct. 23rd. After being appalled by CGD last year I coulbn't wait to see a real SINGING actress in that role. I have been a fan of Ms. Racette since I heard her in the Emmeline at NYCO about a decade ago. I always try to catch everything that she is performing in. Good for her.
There is a Steber live Butterfly recording from 1948 that is amazing. My choice for best Butterfly recording.
Steber 48 is Hollywood Bowl, she also recorded it commercially for Columbia with Tucker, she's wonderful there and so are her cohorts. I saw her only staged Butterfly in Philly; Elenore had greatness in her as a stage performer but not so much that night where she was awkward, but rarely have I heard the role launched on such a silvery sound, with long, long phrases.
Lee can be heard from San Fran in '61, an amazing performance. I saw her three times in '72 -- it was simply one of her greatest assumptions, I'd put it up there with her Aida. Of course she wasn't in the least Asian seeming, but it was so genuine and gloriously sung who cared? And she was heartbreaking. Very strange she came such a cropper with Manon Lescaut (her performances were truly to drop the jaw).
The very best Butterfly I ever saw was De Los Angeles, who turned me into a queen (I was 10), I wept for days afterwards (when she said 'sotto il gran ponte dal cielo' so sweetly and sincerely I just sobbed and sobbed), I'd been seeing Leeches Albanese for years. I liked Dottie Kirsten better.
After Vicki the very greatest was Toni Starr, floods of tone, a fantastic physical performance and heart for years.
Special place goes to Tebaldi (Big Renata), who was cautious physically but who poured out sounds that are indescribable and were immense. (Must have recording, the Arena Flegrea at Naples).
Little Renata (Scotto) displeased some people, and her first season she was on the butch side (she kept stamping her foot at Yamadori leading Allen Willig who was standing beside me to shout out, 'cut her head off, Prince!") But eventually she ruled, and while there were amazing performances through the years (those in either 77 or 79, I can't remember, with Patane and Aragall were astounding) her very last was the most sob filled evening in history at the Met (I mean for the audience).
Then there was Kabaivanska, the greatest, at the Rome Opera and amazingly at Verona -- she projected a kind of doomed delicacy into that immense place and the sound of her voice there was stunning.
I liked Cruz-Romo and Villaroel who both had wonderful spirit and the two I saw the latter do were richly sung. I will put in a word for Tokody in Munich who was very, very moving.
I adored the sound of Tomato-Syntax with Aragall (this was in San Fran but they made a recording, which I think you can get for fifty cents and it's one of the best).
I listened to Racette today -- hmmmmmm.
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