Hunks in skimpy loincloths have long been a feature of productions of twentieth century opera, especially during the Christopher Keene era at New York City Opera. But you don’t often get to see much homoerotic action in bel canto works like Norma, more’s the pity.
[via Barihunks]
As everyone knows, practically nobody reads the Saturday edition of the New York Times even during the winter, much less on the first weekend of the summer when everyone who might be interested in giving money to an opera company is on their way to the Hamptons.
So it comes as no surprise that it is tomorrow’s edition of the Times that breaks the not very pleasant news that the 2008-2009 season at the New York City Opera will consist of exactly two performances. The budget for this (ahem) abbreviated stagione? Oh, about, say, $32 million.
By the way, did La Cieca mention that the NYCO orchestra will stay busy touring the boroughs with a program of Messiaen, Stravinsky, Foss, Reich and Varèse?
Coming up on the Fourth of July weekend: Anthony Tommasini examines Gérard Mortier’s medical records.
Prince of Puppyliciousness Juan Diego Flórez goes classic this afternoon for Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice broadcast live from Madrid at 2:00 PM EDT. Soprano Nicole Cabell is Eurydice and Jesus López Cobos conducts. To hear the broadcast, open the Radio Nacional de España player.
Not Tosca, of course, cher public — La Cieca could never say that about her dear, dear Tosca. But it does seem both shabby and shocking that the combined forces of The New York Philharmonic and Charles Zachary Bornstein, the Philharmonic’s Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence would not at the very least ask for a retake of the following video clip embedded in the NYP’s site. Wait patiently through the early platitudinizing for the final thirty seconds or so of the clip, when soprano (?) Courtenay Schowalter bravely attempts to sight-read the spiky intervals of that rarely-heard vocal work “Vissi d’arte” whilst Maestro Bornstein fakes the accompaniment by ear. (What, the New York Philharmonic couldn’t afford a vocal score of Tosca? Or couldn’t they afford a Scholar-in-Residence who can read six flats?)
Member of the cher public Max writes:
Don’t know if you’ve gotten reports on this yet, but Jonas Kaufmann’s Cavaradossi at the Royal Opera (May 23) was singing like I haven’t heard since young Domingo (only Domingo never had that kind of ease on top). You could feel the waves of sound from his “Vittoria” but it was also so musical, so beautifully phrased with such beautiful clarity of
diction and awesome command of dynamics.He’s German but looks like a Roman god.
Gavanelli was a disgusting Scarpia (but effective in that way), Martina Serafin a surpisingly fiery and full-voiced Tosca and Pappano and the ROH orchestra were splendid.
Here’s a clip of Kaufmann singing “E lucevan le stelle” for German television earlier this month.
More jokes to follow — cher public, don’t be shy.
In news that La Cieca is pretty sure has fallen far below Jeffrey Vanderveen’s radar screen, a further casting rumor for next season’s Rienzi at Opera Orchestra of New York has emerged. As if Lauren Flanigan (Irene) were not superstar enough to supply name recognition for the company’s 47th production of the Wagner opus, the role of Adriano, written for the 19th century’s foremost singing actress Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, will be sung here in New York by none other than … Eva Urbanová?
Oh, what fun Mmes. Flanigan and Urbanová should have backstage, swapping stories about their triumphant Met performances as the Foreign Princess in Rusalka! And how much more enjoyment will we, the public, take in recalling a time when OONY presented operas people actually wanted to hear featuring singers people actually had heard of!
UPDATE: On the other hand, La Cieca hears that we just may get Sam Ramey as Creonte in Medea, which would certainly be luxury casting. Though, again, it doesn’t help that Rienzi any.
Legendary, lovely Evelyn Lear is a lady who knows what she wants. La Cieca hears that for a recent master class engagement, the veteran diva had only a few simple requirements: “Cups and water, and the water should not be iced; a mirror; and a box of Kleenex for when I make the students cry.”
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Cher Public