Perhaps the public would prefer to judge for themselves
"John Treleaven and Linda Watson Bring Passion to Wagner's Five-Hour Love Story" -- Los Angeles Downtown News
POSTED at
4:47 PM
14 January 2008
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27 Comments:
Treleaven? Can't they find anyone better than THAT? I know that he had a nice-ish voice once, but it sounds so dry and ugly now that I'd take Reiner Goldberg over him any day of the week...or Siegfried Jerusalem.
Linda Watson is okay. I heard her as Brünnhilde in the Thielemann Ring broadcast two summers ago, but I thought that she lacked some of that cleaving godlike quality that Nilsson, Varnay, Mödl, Crespin, and Jones had in abundance. She has more of a Brünnhilde voice than Hildegard, but boy oh boy could Hildegard make any Wagner part interesting if she was on a good night. Watson could probably do better as Isolde, but then again I may be wrong.
By the way, Clifton Forbis is sounding GORGEOUS as Siegmund tonight. His voice reminds me a bit of James King, albeit a bit coarser. Pieczonka is a goddess...period. More on the Walküre later, since I'm at the peak of the love duet: "Siegmund heiß ich, und Siegmund bin ich."
forbis is coarse, but does have some very heroic notes that are quite large and resonant live.
But HOW can anyone get through Maazel's overly slowwwwwwwwwww tempi in Act 1???
Someone recently compared Treleaven's voice to a sprained ankle. I have recently sprained my ankle and it does indeed have many of the same qualities as T's voice - painful and constricting especially. The world must be extraordinarily short of Wagner tenors that he is cast so often in the major roles. (The recent ROH Gotterdammerung was a rare example of the audience palpaby rooting for Hagen in Act III.)
Watson is not so bad - her Brunnhilde at Bayreuth (from the relays I heard) was passable. Passion? Mature understanding would be closer to the mark.
Totally off topic, here is an article in which Marilyn Horne discusses her cancer.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080114/ap_en_ce/marilyn_horne_survivor
Yes, indeed. Dislocated shoulder. But in a train-wreck, probably ankle too.
tristan minstrel - where is/was the Forbis broadcast you referred to? I see that a Canadian Opera Company with him, Pieczonka and Bullock is being broadcast by Norwegian radio on Wednesday at 6.00pm GMT - streaming link from
http://www.nrk.no/kanal/nrk_alltid_klassisk
His Tristan with Brewer and Runnicles actually did not sound all that bad...really! If you listen to his voice, there are moments of warmth and beauty...and then it gets ugly. It's a voice that continues to confuse me with its double identity. Actually, it doesn't do that as much now, but back in 2003, it had potential, when not under stress, to be a passable Wagner voice. Reminds me slightly of Reiner Goldberg's voice, but then again it wasn't as nice on top.
In the house last night, Pieczonka sounded pretty and perky, all wrong for the neurotic, passionate character she was playing. A *very* good singer, surely more of an Elisabeth or Eva. I was expecting a dramatic voice, and she was like a lighter version of Jeannine Altmeyer- also dramatically.
IMO Forbis sounds not a whit like King whom I heard several times as Siegmund but to me like recordings of Vinay. The top is very exciting, though it's a dry and baritonal sound. To my surprise he was much more emotionally interesting than was she.
The goddess present was Ms. Blythe, on all eight cylinders. Brava Diva!
It's hard to find passion in Dorothy Chandler. I don't feel passionate when I pay $70 for seats that in NY would cost me $25. Le sigh...
Anyone know of some good opera companies in LA?
http://cultureonthecheap.wordpress.com
Anyone know of some good opera companies in LA?
Long Beach Opera used to be interesting but they've completely gone off the rails in the last 5 years. Where once they were doing interesting stuff like King Roger or a searing production of The Rape of Lucretia or even interesting failures like Elegy for Young Lovers, now they do stuff in parking garages and stage song cycles or stuff like Strauss' Enoch Arden. I got a phone call asking for money a few months ago and I told the woman point blank: start doing *opera* again, not staged song cycles in parking garages and I'll contribute and not a moment before.
I loved the silence on the other end of the line.
Gert: Here's your posting minus the long URL that was causing problems with the page formatting:
I think Treleaven is more like a dislocated shoulder. It's not until you hear him again that you recall the excruciating pain that you honestly believe will never end. But the memory is kind because if you retained an accurate recollection you could not carry on functioning.
Mad Musings of Me
Now, now, Henry.
Long Beach Opera's next production is not a staged song cycle in a parking garage. It's a staged song cycle in a swimming pool.
(Ricky Ian Gordon's Orpheus and Eurydice, again with Futral and hunkenclarinetist Todd Palmer.)
I must say, though, Long Beach Opera's general director looks hot in the picture on the company's homepage.
olivia -
Unfortunately there is no real alternative to LA Opera. Opera Pacific in Orange County pretty much just remounts 3 of its 6 or 7 productions every year, rarely with singers worth hearing (a business model LA is now trying to emulate). San Diego is slightly better, and I go once or twice a year, but again, I can't remember the last time I drove down there and felt like it was worth the trip. I agree with Henry completely about Long Beach Opera. They used to do wonderful off-the-beaten path stuff; now they are just off the rails! Santa Barbara also has a small company, but foolishly mounts the standard rep (upcoming is a Cav/Pag), instead of the small rare pieces such companies should and can do with much greater distinction.
I remember a Don Carlo at Long Beach Opera; must have been 1986 or 87 or thereabouts. Siepi (Filippo); Jerome Hines (Inquisitor); Richard Stilwell (Posa); Dennis O'Neill (Carlo); Katherine Czisinski (?) (Elisabetta). Can't recall who the Eboli was now. One of the best things I ever heard - Siepi even at whatever age he was then, was absolutely spellbinding. To this day I can recall Filippo's aria to the quartet (incredible) to O Don fatale as if it were just last night. Whatever happened to that company; I don't understand.
Opera Pacific is a waste of time and money. I haven't seen anything there yet that didn't leave me wanting to get my time and money returned to me.
I don't know what it is with LA Opera: it seems like their starting point is to hire whatever singers they can toss together into a season, and then after they get the contracts signed, they try to figure out what operas they can mount with what singers they are able to bring together. Sometimes they come up with something good (I liked last year's Manon and Poppea both a great deal), and then they follow up with bombs like the Mahagonny or that tortured Rosenkavalier from a few years back. What gives - is Domingo behind this?
I haven't heard Sondra R. yet, who is to sing Suor Angelica next season... but someone please tell me she won't turn it into Sour Angelica??
San Diego can be good. Saw a pretty good Wozzeck with Nina Warren as Marie.
Amen to the comments about Long Beach Opera. Even quite recently they did compelling (if sometimes flawed) work - a fabulous Bluebeard, a wonderful Charpentier/Moliere Imaginary Invalid . . .
Leper Ello - I think the process is just the opposite of what you describe in many houses these days. They decide fairly late in the game what they want to stage to fulfill their "mission" or "artistic vision" - and then they get whoever is available for the role - this explains why so many too young, "up-and-coming" singers appear on the roster in LA next year (and probably why most of the DC cast is still TBA), and - besides Domingo - no great established artists - who are all booked up years in advance. And it has to explain this season's Norma and MacBeth (apart from Lucic) here at home.
Of course those of us in the "Prima La Voce" camp would do just the opposite - book the very best possible singers for whatever they wanted to do (within reason - sorry Renaaaay, no Bel Canto for you!!) - and construct seasons that way - which of course is how it was more or less done in the golden age. One or two "young artist" presentations - at reduced prices and ideally in smaller venues - could be used to supplement a season.
chekurupi - Sondra Radvanovsky is a polarizing figure. people seem to either LOVE her or HATE her. I'm in the former camp - her Trovatore Leonora is thrilling, though I agree with those who complain she has no chest voice, a serious flaw. I first heard her do excerpts from Trovatore at that disastrous spring gala a number of years ago - the one where Bartoli cancelled and then Bordina cancelled so they just cobbled together a mishmash of whoever was in town at the time. Anyway SR's Leonora was so astounding that the stranger sitting next to me and I looked at each other and mouthed the word "amazing" simultanously.
sorry - that last comment was a response to leper ello
sorry - that last comment was a response to leper ello
CONFIRM - Norwegian Radio is broadcasting a recording of the September 13th performance of "Walkure" in Toronto (6.00pm London time, 7.00 Oslo time, online streaming available). Among the cast of Valkyries (as Schwertleite to be precise) is one Buffy Baggott, contralto -- has anyone heard of this amazing-sounding creature?
CONFIRM - Sondra R. is a case of "love her or hate her". Four of us went to "Stiffelio" at the ROH last season - three of us loved her and one simply HATED HATED HATED her. Same performance - what can you say?
CP's daughter and Charlie B:
Thanks for the feedback on Sondra R. I will keep an open mind on the Angelica; I do plan to renew my season tickets (given the lack of options on the lower West Coast). It just worries me when the marketing blurb for Trittico pushes William Friedkin and Woody Allen as the directors, and the singers seem to be footnoted. (Besides which, I can't stand Licitra, and I will have a bottle of Pepto with me for the Tabarro. His Don Carlo here last year had me laughing out loud.)
Thinking about the Long Beach Don Carlo reminds me of other truly magical performances I have seen over the years in unexpected places. San Francisco might not qualify as "unexpected" but I remember a Rosenkavalier there maybe 15 years ago with Felicity Lott, von Stade and Eric Halvorson which was terrific. (Don't remember who sang Sofie.)
And another one of the best things I ever heard was an Angelica in Toledo Ohio, of all places, maybe 1980 or 81. Lili Chookasian as the Principessa and a Patricia Craig as Angelica. Never heard of Ms. Craig before or since then, but - no pun intended, holy Toledo - it was an incredible performance. Again, I remember it like it was just yesterday, and especially the roar of approval and applause that went up at the end of that show. I remember her name because I can never forget that performance.
Others of you must have had similar experiences - real gems when and where you least expected it.
Patricia Craig was a fine singer with a gift for verismo (and lovely high pianissimi). I saw her shine as Musetta, Cio-Cio-San and the First Lady (REALLY funny and well sung) at the Met. We could use her around today.
I think that L.A. is getting a bit of a bum rap. Licitra was indeed challenged by "Don Carlo," but the production also had Furlanetto and Zajick, and they rocked the house, literally! The cast lists have been pretty incredible - Netrebko, Villazon, Fleming, Graham, Matilla, Schrott - during the last year; whether or not the productions are irreproachable, the talent has been here. Tix - as is the case everywhere - are expensive, but I don't think the audience has been shortchanged. If next season's names are less recognizable, at least some of the progamming is inventive...not to totally sound like a cheerleader...
Tonight was devoted to Linda Darnell, but LAST night I was at the Walkuere and Clifton Forbis STANK. Gravelly quality to the voice, very poorly supported, loud on the Walses but otherwise just ugly -- the one person who really didn't belong on the stage.
Everyone else varied from good to really good. Maazel was quite good.
And, not to be mean, but one of the most excruciating evenings I ever spent at the opera was an "Onegin" in Long Beach in the mid-80's...
Inveterate gossip: "Long beach opera's general director looks hot on their homepage"
Yes he's a hottie but an absolutely horrible conductor. He conducted 2 productions in Seattle (Mozart) and is was excruciating to get through. I think that enough of the orchestra musicians complained about him and he won't be back.
I'd give him a roll in the hay, though--at least once L.O.L.
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