Le Scandale, 2007 edition
Cher public, La Cieca meant to turn in early tonight, but she got one of those bees in her bonnet. This particular specimen of Apis mellifera is the "debacle" (as La Cieca has been astonished to see it termed) of Anna Netrebko's Juliette last Saturday afternoon. Such harsh criticism La Cieca has rarely heard since the infamous Renata Scotto Norma. Even La Cieca's own bitchery about Renée Fleming never (well, rarely) reached such heights of dudgeon.
La Cieca should remind herself that much of this accidie springs from opera-l, which most of the time is a valuable resource and all that, but it does seem to be a haven for every tongue-clucking old maid still hunched over her Philco every Saturday afternoon during the broadcast season. (Some of them predate Texaco, La Cieca thinks.) Anyway, the consensus over at opera-l is that Netrebko is kaput, over, finished -- that is, assuming she was ever anything to start with. The Roméo et Juliette has been called "failure" and even (yes!) "debacle." Admittedly , La Cieca occasionally amuses herself by throwing those terms (including the "d" word) around indiscriminately, but she has the defense that nobody with half a brain takes her babbling seriously anyway. On the other hand, La Cieca has her doubts that everybody over at opera-l shares her sense of light-hearted irony in these things.
Look. La Cieca regards herself as a very critical listener, but she simply cannot discern any "debacle" or even "failure" in last week's Roméo performance. Netrebko was admittedly somewhat off her best form at the beginning of the opera. She did have a minor crack on the high D in her first cadenza, and for most of the performance her voice sounded a bit cloudy and thick compared to what La Cieca (and, you, of course, cher public) have heard on Sirius and in the theater earlier this season.
La Cieca hesitates to jump to the conclusion that this one performance indicates an inevitable downward spiral toward ruin for Ms. Netrebko. She prefer to take the more cautious position that Netrebko was simply having a "B" voice day instead of her customary "A." The cause may have been nerves, or a mild case of acid reflux, or a minor allergy attack, or (who knows?) she may have been starting her period on Saturday. The point is, nerves and all the rest (including even dysmenhorrhea) don't last forever.
As, it so happens, tonight's Sirius broadcast neatly indicates. La Cieca tuned in at the beginning of the second act to hear Netrebko in fine fettle. Your doyenne will note also that in the bedroom duet tonight Netrebko is singing with a lighter tone and softer dynamics than she did opposite Roberto Alagna -- the better to blend with Joseph Kaiser's less aggressive approach, one assumes.
Well, enough scolding. A recent news story about Antonio Banderas' directing Carmen got La Cieca to thinking: how long before Angela Gheorghiu backs out of the projected Met production of the Bizet opera -- and how thrilling it would be if Netrebko could be persuaded to jump in!
Oh, and just so you don't think La Cieca has completely abandoned her position as Sultana of the Soupcons, here's a tidbit. Your doyenne hears that amongNetrebko's la Gheorghiu's upcoming projects (besides that unlikely Carmen and the perhaps even unlikelier Ghosts of Versailles) is a complete recording of Giordano's Fedora opposite (who else) Placido Domingo.
La Cieca should remind herself that much of this accidie springs from opera-l, which most of the time is a valuable resource and all that, but it does seem to be a haven for every tongue-clucking old maid still hunched over her Philco every Saturday afternoon during the broadcast season. (Some of them predate Texaco, La Cieca thinks.) Anyway, the consensus over at opera-l is that Netrebko is kaput, over, finished -- that is, assuming she was ever anything to start with. The Roméo et Juliette has been called "failure" and even (yes!) "debacle." Admittedly , La Cieca occasionally amuses herself by throwing those terms (including the "d" word) around indiscriminately, but she has the defense that nobody with half a brain takes her babbling seriously anyway. On the other hand, La Cieca has her doubts that everybody over at opera-l shares her sense of light-hearted irony in these things.Look. La Cieca regards herself as a very critical listener, but she simply cannot discern any "debacle" or even "failure" in last week's Roméo performance. Netrebko was admittedly somewhat off her best form at the beginning of the opera. She did have a minor crack on the high D in her first cadenza, and for most of the performance her voice sounded a bit cloudy and thick compared to what La Cieca (and, you, of course, cher public) have heard on Sirius and in the theater earlier this season.
La Cieca hesitates to jump to the conclusion that this one performance indicates an inevitable downward spiral toward ruin for Ms. Netrebko. She prefer to take the more cautious position that Netrebko was simply having a "B" voice day instead of her customary "A." The cause may have been nerves, or a mild case of acid reflux, or a minor allergy attack, or (who knows?) she may have been starting her period on Saturday. The point is, nerves and all the rest (including even dysmenhorrhea) don't last forever.
As, it so happens, tonight's Sirius broadcast neatly indicates. La Cieca tuned in at the beginning of the second act to hear Netrebko in fine fettle. Your doyenne will note also that in the bedroom duet tonight Netrebko is singing with a lighter tone and softer dynamics than she did opposite Roberto Alagna -- the better to blend with Joseph Kaiser's less aggressive approach, one assumes.
Well, enough scolding. A recent news story about Antonio Banderas' directing Carmen got La Cieca to thinking: how long before Angela Gheorghiu backs out of the projected Met production of the Bizet opera -- and how thrilling it would be if Netrebko could be persuaded to jump in!
Oh, and just so you don't think La Cieca has completely abandoned her position as Sultana of the Soupcons, here's a tidbit. Your doyenne hears that among
Labels: alagna, domingo, met, netrebko, rant, scandale, sirius
POSTED at
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48 Comments:
When did Netrebko start taking the D in the cadenza? The day I heard her she left it out.
FEDORA may not be right for her - yet - but she should be singing Mimi, Antonia, Nedda and Liu instead of Elvira, Lucia and Norina.
The REAL question is, when will Gheorghiu pull out of GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES?
I'm glad to read this La Cieca. I don't read opera-l (bad for one's mental health), but I did tune in both last Saturday and tonight. When I heard that crack at the beginning of last week's matinee broadcast, I thought it was going to be a dreadfully long afternoon. But she managed, happily, to recover. And tonight's performance was just lovely. I've heard almost every broadcast of R&J this season, and while I still think that Netrebko is doing the wrong rep, I'm going out on a limb here to say that this Juliet was sort of a triumph for her.
Netrebko is singing Juliette at Salzburg Festival this summer. Her doing Carmen instead of Angela is an excellent idea. Netrebko's voice is larger, darker, and with stronger lower register. And Anna can be more sluttish than Angela!
I remember seeing Netrebko's first CD in the Lincoln Center Target when it first came out, buying it on a whim, and convincing my friends the next day that she was the next big thing. A Netrebs off-day still beats the best night for many sopranos out there, and whatever she lacks in voice she makes up for in a tour-de-force performance. And while I'm all about a good voice, what I really want is a good performance.
What Anna is great for--besides a Maxim Cover (and I would so go girl for her)--is the full performance package. And (and I beat this point to the ground sometimes, but it's my field of study) for younger audiences especially, that's a huge draw. You don't realize you don't get Bellini or wouldn't otherwise care for Gounod when you're too busy watching what is a fascinating persona on-stage. I recently got the same feeling from watching a YouTube of Villazon's final act of Lucia. May not have been the best-sung version of "Tu che a dio" I've ever heard, but it was like watching Brando hold Eva Marie Saint's glove in On The Waterfront.
http://cultureonthecheap.wordpress.com
I remember Anna shooting down any probability at Carmen in an interview about a year ago. So....
Then again, I remember reading a 70s era interview with Placido D. when he stated that he would never sing Wagner.
"And Anna can be more sluttish than Angela!"
Non! Non! Non!
Carmen is not a slut.
And considering that Netrebko makes Manon look like a strung out lapdancer, I shudder to think of what she might do with Carmen, who needs a light touch and charm instead of trashy heavy breathing.
I heard Netrebko's Juliette the night Giordani substituted for Romeo. In "Je veux vivre" Netrebko totally ducked the D that is touched in the middle of the cadenza, but then sang the held one at the end (which is easier to nail."
I left at the first intermission. I hated the production and the singing wasn't good enough to make me want to hear the rest.
I happened to hear two opera goers on the subway, talking about tonight's performance. They looked a little puzzled, and talking about Netrebko said, "well other people seemend to really like her."
Bottom line with AN is that she has some talent, certainly is pretty, but what is also certain is that she has been chosen for this level of stardom. It's been planned any paid for. Enjoy it or don't enjoy it but it is what it is.
Have Netrebko and Domingo actually sung a full opera together? I know they've sung in concert, and he's conducted her, but I can't think of anything they've sung together.
I only heard about 20 minutes of the last act while driving home, and while Netrebko sounded okay, it was Alagna that I thought deserved a critical wallop. A high percentage of the pitches were flat, and he scooped into every note, crooning like Vickers or Pippo on their worst night. I was just amazed that the audience managed to applaud after suffering through Mr. Alagna's "vocal stylings."
I have to say that I physically cringed at Netrebko's crack (no pun intended) last Saturday...but by the phial scene was grinning from ear to ear. Come on folks, Saturday was what opera's all about, isn't it? That brilliant synthesis of drama, music and the human voice at its most passionate. And think what you like about both Netrebko and Alagna -- as far as I'm concerned they've got the goods, and that was more than adequately proven during the broadcast.
Miss Ellen wrote: I heard Netrebko's Juliette the night Giordani substituted for Romeo. In "Je veux vivre" Netrebko totally ducked the D that is touched in the middle of the cadenza, but then sang the held one at the end (which is easier to nail.
Actually, I think that it is only a C at the end of the aria (in the normal version in F - it also exists in G - but I doubt AN is singing that.
Sounds interesting, Domingo and Netrebko in Fedora.
Best,
Tiger
Man, I used to be one of those who strongly disliked Alagna's voice and routinely left scathing remarks about him on forums and bitchslapped those who lauded him, but for some reason, I've been enjoying his voice recently. I thought he sounded fine on the Saturday broadcast. It must have been those freshly waxed legs or that cute ass in those tight pants, who knows.
A complete 'Fedora'?? And they wonder why the classical recording industry is suffering so much. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice work, but is this just another credit to his absurdly vast discography?? I'll take the DVD with Freni anyday.
The HD broadcast last Saturday was a matinee, and she sounded like she was still warming up in the first act. Totally different voice in the 'poison aria.'
...and a new recording of Fedora with P-Dingo? sweet
Mille grazie, Cieca. Fleming and Netrebko do fan the flames on opera-l, fo shua. Yes, I heard her crack early on and my God, did she ever recover. This was live opera, was it not? As I remember, o mio Rolando was nearly burned to a crisp for his flubs in the Liceu Manon. Who of us could deal with the pressure of performing live and do as well as either of these two artists, or anyone other singer, for that matter.
I just hope that Rolando does well next month in Vienna and for the rest of the year.
As for the Fedora recording, well...rumor has it that Ms. Gheorghiu isn't showing up for rehearsals, comme d'habitude. Voyons, n'est-ce pas?
Mister Rodger you hit it on the head. She just wasn't sufficiently warmed up / awake for the first entrance. I'd heard bad things about the first aria from those who had heard it in the house, so I was actually pleasantly surprised by how well she in fact sang it. And I ADORE the staging. Rather than having someone like Ruth Ann treat it like the opera stops so she can sing a Miss America talent competition song, the character development continues through the aria (love Netrebko's fake death at the end!). By the poison aria, it was world class singing. Having seen Gheorghiu in the role, I much prefer Anna.
Saw Frau again last night (last one) and was blown away again by Brewer. Simply a goddess. Jill Grove is back and is completely recovered--a few higher notes are held longer and the chest is a marvel. She's overacting a bit, but it's that kind of role ... Voigt sang beautifully, some flatness on the break, but her command of the role continues to grow and man that top is glorious. The first time I went, Brewer held the C in the duet longer; last night, Debbie held it longer. The orchestra seemed relieved to be playing Strauss and not Adams :)
Oh for Pete's sake ... the woman's human? She's not allowed to make a mistake?!
Did anyone hear Kaiser's Romeo last night? Alagna wins out by miles. Kaiser's voice was smaller, thinner and with little emotional expression, and pinched top. This blog has been harsh on Netrebko most of the time, but I'm amazed with the support she is getting now on this posting. She cracked one note but you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I saw her at the Met and in the movies, and her potion scene, as a whole, was superb
when i heard her, she nailed the high-D and it was huge, which is not usually the case with her notes above C. However, I heard from many people that the night i went was a very special performance (last saturday, the 8th). I happened to see Anna and Joseph kaiser afterwards in the parking garage and he said it was indeed a very special performance. And Anna was skipping away giddily with her friend. I don't understand how people cannot objectively be impressed by her. I have friends who don't care for her, and while her shortcomings are undeniable, so is the beauty and power of her voice. And in R+J her weaknesses are pretty much minimized. I mean the waltz aria is 3 minutes of a very very long role. The phial aria is longer, more integral to the drama and i would take a soprano who can floor me with that over the waltz aria any day. I do have to say, anna seemed like overkill for juliette sometimes. I couldn't help but feel she should have been singing a heavier role.
Listen, Netrebko has her pluses and minuses like any major singer. However those idiots on Opera-Hell that try to totally dismiss her as some bimbo who got lucky and has no talent should be shot. What makes a star? A great voice - check, Netrebko has a naturally gorgeous instrument that sometimes is used bluntly or carelessly but is nonetheless major. Personal charisma - check, you can't take your eyes off of her onstage and not just because she is very pretty - so are several choristers and dancers onstage who fade into the scenery. She has electricity. A distinctive timbre - check, the voice has the ruby-toned dusky richness with a brilliant metallic ring, you don't mistake her sound for someone else's. Personality - check, you may not like her somewhat brazen voluptuousness and endless kinetic energy but there is a personality there. She also seems down to earth and aware of her limitations from interviews. Not just a party girl (though she does like to party!). Intensity - check, she has that onstage. Add to all of the above dramatic talent, chemistry with her onstage partners, the size and physical impact of the sound and her drop-dead good looks and yes, you have a star. An artist? Well, she was an artist in "War and Peace" - lately she has been more of a star. Would be nice if she could do both all the time. But we need stars in opera.
BTW: from Cieca's post it seems that Gheorghiu is the Fedora, not Netrebko. Also the age difference between Anna and Domingo would make it difficult to find common repertory at this juncture of their lives/careers. She is singing the operas that Domingo has had to give up even as far back as a decade ago.
i liked kaiser better than alagna (that bleat is awful). oh and to get things straight (so to speak): the high D is in juliet's very first lines, literally her opening cadenza. The waltz aria ends on a C. (as we all know, trebs ain't no joanie and sure as hell isn't singing it in G)
btw is cieca saying angela is doing fedora or trebs? cuz everyone posting seems to think she's saying trebs is but i'm pretty sure she's saying angela is....
either way, angela doing fedora could only ever be a studio creation. Much like her tosca should have been. And her Carmen. And her Manon. Um, and her Charlotte. Oh right, and leonora.
Any of these roles live would be a JOKE. I adore her interpretation on record but its sad to know that i'm listening to an artist who could have no hope of pulling off any of these roles live. (well, maybe she could do manon at glydenbourne)
Yes, Anna and Plácido were together in an opera performance: Idomeneo in Washington Opera in 2002. I have a recordinf of one of the performances.
I have almost 100 different recordings of Anna. I agree that she was not at her best at the beginning of the opera last saturday 15. December. She slightly cracked at her first aria, but she recovered pretty well and was pretty good at the fourth act.
When some journalist asked her about Carmen, she just said "Oh, noooo! This is for a mezzosoprano"
www.anna-netrebko.blogspot.com
I don't care about a cracked note. I wanna know how she sang the rest of "Je veux vivre". I've read that her singing of that aria was very sloppy. However, it is only a few minutes from a major role which suits her voice very nicely otherwise. I'm sorry to have missed most of the broadcast. I heard a couple sections of the duets, which soared appropriately. I also heard a lot of sharping from Alagna but that's typical.
While Netrebko is a much better choice for Carmen than Gherghiou (who should stick to Micaela), I wonder how well the low parts of the role would lie in her voice. If it's a vocally comfortable fit, Netrebko could be a sensational Carmen.
i wouldn't even want to imagine the debacle that would be a netrebko-gheorghiu carmen!
thruout the run, depending on the state of her shoddy technique, Netrebka has omitted or faked/white-toned the D's in the opening aria and Je Vivre on various occasions - sometimes you get both 3D's, sometimes you get none at all, sometimes she omits the final descending notes in the famous repeated phrase at the end of Vivre (one night she was gulping for air every couple of bars, and so took at breath at the end a 4 times she did this sequence, thus ommitting the final note every time). And yes, once she gets past the coloratura she can't do, the rest of the role suits her better than the other things she tries to sing, although the trueness of pitch suffers at times.
As I said before, if you hate her, there is PLENTY in this role to keep hating her for. If you love her, there's plenty to keep loving her for.
One point here La Cieca would like to throw into the mix. If Netrebko's singing of the Waltz is indeed so heinous (or, for that matter, if simply not quite up to the state of high polish on might expect at the world's greatest opera house) -- shouldn't at least a bit of the blame be shared with the company's musical staff and the conductor? They, after all, are supposed to be in charge of the musical quality of everything that goes onstage. So are you telling me that Domingo couldn't take Netrebko aside for 20 minutes and clean up those few tricky bits of the Waltz? Or, if Domingo is too busy traveling back and forth to the helipad, can't he assign a coach to do a little cleanup work with the soprano.
The question here isn't really whether she should be doing this work herself (though my opinion is she should) but even if she's lazy or recalcitrant, someone in authority ought to be able to persuade her to clean up these few bits and pieces that do seem to mar the whole night for at least a minority of listeners.
Yes, Cieca, Domingo could have done that and while we're on the subject, he should have taken Alagna aside after the prima and gotten him to correct the sharping that was all over the prima and on subsequent broadcasts. Many have pointed out that's always an issue with Alagna; you can hear it on the 1994 Covent Garden production of R&J.
In an ideal performance world, singers would have adequate time to rehearse and they'd also show up for rehearsals. Most of them do and they work hard. Domingo is probably the only one who can get away with the kind of schedule he has and when it's a role premiere, we get to hear the prompter in addition to him.
I know that I am about 5 performances too late with this AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NETREBKO (even though I think that all of that cackling about her performance ain't nothing but a bunch bitches hatin')but the FrOSch in Chicago last nite, for me, was the performance of the season. OMFG!!! Brewer has now moved into my pantheon of goddesses (La Voigt was already there) and Miss Jill Groves turned it out. It was so pleasant to hear a younger voice in the role of the Nurse. Mr. Hawlawta IS Barak. I don't know what all of that complaining about the dancers was about either. The production was magical, the singing was spectacular. A performance like last night's is the reason why I travel around the world for opera.
I'd like her to jump into "Carmen" as Frasquita.
I'd like to thank La Cieca for reminding us all that singers have "B" nights from time to time. Most of us are just not capable of being physically 100% on all 365 days of the year, and voice and energy both suffer. Female singers especially have days of the month which are better than others, and while canceling a show is not always necessary, the voice does change color slightly.
There aren't any written D's in "Je veux vivre" NOR any C's, although the C is traditionally inserted at the end of the aria. The written D is in Juliette's entrance cadenza, but it is by no means obligatory - there is an alternate, lower cadenza in the score (well, Schirmer, but still!).
I also have to chime in with the off-topic subject of "Frau ohne Schatten" at Lyric Opera. Last night's performance was absolutely sublime - I'm with NYCOQ 100%!!
Talking about Carmen, I have an idea. What about asking Mrs. Bass to finace a new production of Carmen staged/directed by Paterson with Netrebko singing Carmen, Georghiu Micaela, Alagna Jose, and Schrott Escamillo? With an up-in-front advance of 300K plus fee per performance, I'm sure they'll agree. That would be the mother of all Carmens with spilling more crude passion than Valdez's oil!
It's not that Netrebko missed a note
that matters ,it is that she sings
with the taste of a muzhik,however
she is made to look the muzhik is there
It's not that Netrebko missed a note
that matters ,it is that she sings
with the taste of a muzhik,however
she is made to look the muzhik is there
sorry I didn't know you all were at Frau last night ... would have been fun to meet up!
These women are goddesses. It's like watching Dreamgirls but better :) Seriously ... there is nothing better than an opera with THREE great ladies ... Don Giovanni, Cosi, Frau, Elektra, Ariadne, Figaro, Idomeneo, etc ... can you tell I'm a Mozart/Strauss guy?
One quibble: Hawlata is very touching but there are passages of this role that do NOT suit his voice. If he were Netrebko, we'd all be dissecting his strangulated notes in the big act three duet ... but he gets away with it!
Um, I'm sorry, but I have to say something about all this Carmen nonesense. CARMEN IS A MEZZO ROLE. Just because most Carmens just swing their hips and sing in their chest voices and don't do anything with the character doesn't mean that a soprano should sing the role. It means companies aren't hiring the right mezzos to do it. Hmph.
And yes, I would like to second whoever said thank to Cieca for talking openly about how singers have B nights. It's so true. Everyone's just doing the best they can, and more power to them.
Maybe we should all be doing more to find unknown talent and talk about THEM, instead of rehashing the big stars that companies already know about.
sugarmezzo: I have to disagree. Many successful Carmens have been mezzos, but it's nobody's exclusive property. For my taste, a soprano with a solid middle voice actually sounds better in much of the role because the leaner soprano timbre sounds more conversational.
I have a lot of lingering irrational affection for Leontyne Price's commercial Carmen (which helped introduce me to opera). But apart from that, I can't say I much like soprano Carmens, I don't even like the Callas recording.
The closest to an exception was Regine Crespin's (awesome awesomeness) but in practical terms she was at least half-mezzo when she took the role on at the met.
Doug -
It was quite unfortunte that a couple of gurgles came out of Mr. Hawlata at the top of act 3. I chalked that up to dry throat. He was much better later when he probably had a chance to gulp down some water. But the pathos that he brings to the role is just heartbreaking. Ms. Brewer's interpretation was really multi-demensional - not all harridan & selfish shrew. The moments when the set swung around and you could see her inside the house full of regret and self-douubt. Peter Curran is a brilliant director and I hope that either the Met or NYCO uses his services soon.
NYCOQ: Yeah, that's what I thought the first time. But he had trouble in the exact same spots the second time I went. There are just certain notes that don't sit well for him. I'm on his side because it's a touching take on the role ... but man, to run out of voice at arguably the most important moment of the opera ... not good. It's not fair to do so, but to go back and listen to Walter Berry rather ruins it ...
YES! I loved the introspective Brewer moments in her room. Brilliant. As was the clarity of the growing feelings between the Empress and the Dyer. And the gold man grew on me the second time ...
Not to keep going on and on about the FrOSch, but it became so much more intimate at the Lyric. I saw the production at the Met in 2001 became an instant fan of this opera and went back for the 3 performances the next season at the Met. The Met production literally brings the house (the whole light-rigging comes down from the flys) down at the end of the opera. The ending with globes was magical and not bombastic, the way it is at the Met. Having a house with more limitations forces a director to be more creative. While I like the Met's production - having the stage go up and down (think Trittico) is a great way to do a scene change, but adds nothing to the drama.
BTW I really enjoyed the Dr. Atomic as well. I have seen Gerald Finley at the Met in the Giovanni & Flute, but his performance was vocally ravishing. I cannot wait to see what the production looks like at the Met. I am soooo sure they won't get that much participation out of the Met Chorus. Question? Was the chorus that good before the new chorus master arrived this season? I have been stuck on the east coast too long. Chicago showed this New York Opera Queen a thing or two. I am happy to have learned that lesson.
I totally concur with La Cieca. I was home sick that day and decided to listen to the radio rather than going to see the Hi-Def broadcast. And yeah, that opening cadenza wasn't good. But "debacle"? Hardly. In addition to her sound being a little off, I found her being less careful with phrasing and less musical than usual. I thought she redeemed herself for the day with the poison aria, though. Opera-L is a bunch of bitter has-beens or never-coulds. Whatever.
Grazie La Cieca - you are (as always) most fair. Anna cracked 2 notes on the cadenza, and then sang her ASS off in the poison scene. I thought the HD broadcast was great - a real turning point for opera in America. Finally, technology serving live music - brilliant.
BTW - Alagna? I wished he hadn't shaved himself; snuggling up to a littler fur on a suspended bed amongst the stars would have been so nice.
Galli-Marie, the first Carmen was a lyric soprano in the Comique tradition, probably not a large or rangy voice and good with spoken dialog. One could look at the score, which the idiots at opera-L (and the worst offender is the officious speculator in autographs who is a moronic Nebs defender)never do -- Carmen lies in the middle of a lyric soprano's typical range mostly, which a few excursions upward. The card aria needs a moderate chest adjustment, and the final scene, declamatory energy. Though one would have to suffer her ridiculous attempts at French, her inability to phrase and her trouble staying truly in tune (a real challenge in the chromatic Habanera, which Georges lifted from Yradier), Nebs could flash her titties and her cunt all night and thrill everybody. But me, cuz I have more titty and more cunt than she does.
As for Barak, Benvenuto Franci sings the act three duet with Iva Pacetti on Preiser and it's utterly gorgeous (he uses a brave but marvelously done portamento). Fishy Dishy sang it wonderfully seven times in Munch 77 (I was there) and was profoundly moving all night. Theo Adam at the 2 performances I saw him do, also sang well, though not very steadily and was very moving. I prefer both to Berry but some of that is the size of the Munich house, small, Berry was probably ideal for the enormous Met. I was told in 67, my first visit to Munich that I had missed old Ludwig Weber's last appearance (it was as Barak) by a few weeks -- I would love to have seen that, everybody said he was overwhelming.
mrs. john claggart,
I don't understand how body-parts anatomical references in a street vernacular- and being a physician I'm very familiar with these parts-can clarify your position better. People are enttitled to their own opinions even if they're at odds with the pundits. Eventually, truth will reign.
Constantine, you are truly clueless.
Mrs John Claggart you are just a little too much! Witty vulgarity is fun; your vulgarity is simply vulgar and very New York. I am asking the authorities to look into the possibilty of banishing you to a Lifetime Sentence on Opera-L. I somehow feel that would be effective punishment. For them as well as you!
With all due regard,
MrMyster.
2 things -
Netrebka as Carmen - the idea that this is being rationally discussed just shows how low the art form has sunk.
Cieca -
re your above comments, I couldn't agree more about the lack of authority of the Met coaching staff, and the conductors themselves. Considering the vocal "performances" that have been suffered thru on that stage this year, I've often wondered if the coaching staff is even in the building on a daily basis - they obviously aren't doing any real work.
Let me point out that historically, the classification of sopranos into different types is relatively modern. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many different voices sang many different roles. It was really until Wagner that the issue became an issue. Giuseppina Strepponi, Verdi's second wife, debuted in Rossini's "Mathilde Di Shabran" and then went on to sing in "Oberto" and created Abigaille in "Nabucco". Mary Garden sang "Louise" and "Salome". The problem isn't with the role of Carmen. The problem is that Netrebko doesn't really have the bottom or middle to her voice for the role, as others have pointed out. I just watched the Puritani HD broadcast. She has great moments in the opera, but for me, they're above the staff (with the exception of some of the high notes). I have no doubt she could act it. But at this point in her career, I think it would damage her voice. moffo shouldn't have done it either, but she didn't record it until her voice was already in decline. And Carmen may be a "mezzo" role, but Victoria De Los Angeles sang it better than many mezzos. My fave though is Tatiana Troyanos.
Mignon is also a "mezzo" role, but Geraldine Farrar sang it as well as Marguerite and Butterfly. Trivia allert - she and Mary Garden died within 2 months of each other in 1967.
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