Comments on: undone deal?

By: operboy

operboy — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:21:54 +0000

Having met the Mortier, I can report that he is charming. But of course, this means nothing. Can he charm his way into the pockets of wealthy donors? That remains to be seen. After all, he has been credited with leaving 2 former companies in the red- and these institutions were financed by the state. One wonders if Mortier understands what he is getting into.

To paraphrase Mae West: the bad boy of opera will need to do better.

By: Henry Holland

Henry Holland — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:02:39 +0000

Gaddes is English? Who would have known? How can you tell?

Google is your friend.

By: NYCOQ

NYCOQ — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:56:37 +0000

Hack as in bland, uninspired, when in doubt just let everbody know how loud the orchestra can play. Part of the problem may be the acoustics of the theatre but I have never come away from anything he has conducted at NYCO ravished – which has happened more than once at the Met, Carnegie Hall & NY Phil under different conductors. He has conducted a wide variety of things there and it was all just rather perfunctory IMHO.

Well at least he’s not Quelar.

By: brooklynpunk

brooklynpunk — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:09:54 +0000

I’m very curious…What , in the opinions of those who refer to him as such, makes George Manahan “a hack”?

I’ve never winced all that much at a NYCO performance, under Manahan’s baton, as I have across the Plaza, when Carlo Rizzi is on the podium…(among others…)

Just asking…..

By: mrmyster

mrmyster — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:44:26 +0000

Ref #83, Henry Holland: “Heads explode” all over Parterre? Horrors! You know Opera Folk dont like messes.
Gaddes is English? Who would have known? How can you tell? Listen, hon, as long as the opera companies don’t do Italian or French, and everything is in English, well Englishmen are just fine to run opera companies. And casting – well, isn’t the Met a shining beacon of what Anglos can do when turned loose upon casts? And somebody said Geo. Manahan is a hack?
I wont argue, but have you heard him conduct contemporary music? He’s a whiz! Nobody can tell when it gets fucked up! And have you heard Mo. S. Lord conduct? How would you describe that?
Happy Thoughts to Henry Paulson
mrmyster/santa faux

By: brooklynpunk

brooklynpunk — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:41:07 +0000

Scaramuccio:

“What a lively piece it is – surely ripe for an extravagant staging at the Met”

…we DID get it (“Benvenuto C”)., at the MET–in the ’03-04 season; and it’s scheduled to return in the next couple of seasons

By: Barbara

Barbara — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:38:23 +0000

I saw the NYCO Semele and loved everything about it. Futral was fabulous. The following week in Siege of Corinth I didn’t like her quite as much. Oh well.

By: Cocky Kurwenal

Cocky Kurwenal — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:26:18 +0000

I saw Futral in a concert performance of a Rossini thing in Edinburgh a few years ago, and I thought she was really marvellous. I think the voice itself lacks a bit of individuality and depth, but there was nothing wrong with how she was using it the night I heard her. Totally reliable, secure coloratura and top notes, despatched with more than a little style.

By: PushedUpMezzo

PushedUpMezzo — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:25:45 +0000

Think I’ll change my nom de plume to Princess Eudoxie! Or is she taken?

By: Scaramuccio

Scaramuccio — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:54:22 +0000

Wasn’t she also the Teresa in Sir Colin’s Benvenuto Cellini-before-last? Infinitely better than Laura Claycomb, who did the most recent one. Sadly, too, Giuseppe Sabbatini had misunderstood the principle of the ‘LSO Live’ recording set-up and didn’t allow it to be done, which was his loss as he was sensational. Second time around he was indisposed and we got Gregory Kunde instead, serviceable but hardly as electrifying.

What a lively piece it is – surely ripe for an extravagant staging at the Met. Only one I’ve seen on stage was Pountney’s in Zurich – what a riot. The God of all basses Ghiaurov sang the Pope, shortly before he died. I’m grateful to my dear friend in the chorus for getting his autograph for me.

By: NYCOQ

NYCOQ — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:36:26 +0000

IMHO – Ms. Futral was a wonderful Semele and a very good Princess Eudoxie in the Met’s La Juive. I too agree with Scifi – considering that Lucia was her calling card a while back – the Lucia’s were rather painful to listen to. That being said – she is a lovely person and always very professional from what my friends who have worked with her say. I have have seen her in several other roles as well and have always walked away very disappointed.

“The only thing that makes NYCO look good is Eve Quelar”

Turandot hit the nail right on the head. Everything he said about NYCO is true. It has been on steep decline over the last decade. One only goes to NYCO because you will see rep that you won’t see at the Met. There were always at least 4 or 5 productions a year that were must sees – just because they were rarities. NYCO has done a lot of interesting things in the 12 years that I have lived in NYC, but 80 percent of the time you would walk away happy to have just seen a work performed – not happy with what you saw (or sometimes heard). Manahan IS a HACK!!! Glover (who figured prominently in their Handel cycle) is one of the most ANNOYING conductors of Baroque music out there. I have yet to see a Bel Canto production from them that wasn’t marred by ugly sets and stupid directoral conceits.

Good luck to whomever is taking over on turning that company around.

By: jatm2063

jatm2063 — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:49:20 +0000

Caro Cieca, I have to ask a question.

Is Futral’s voice really as mediocre as everyone says? I have not ever heard her live.

By: whatever

whatever — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:47:01 +0000

yes, yes — hewlEtt.

sorry, i spilled my drink.

By: whatever

whatever — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:46:27 +0000

and — really — who knows more about *not* being qualified to run hewlitt packard than carly fiorina???

By: Sanford

Sanford — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:34:33 +0000

Palin isn’t qualified to run a company… nor are any of the other candidates…. that chick from Hewlett Packard said so.

By: Henry Holland

Henry Holland — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:10:33 +0000

Tsk, tsk, Mrmyster, Richard Gaddes is English. As some here would argue, that makes him immediately unqualified for any job remotely connected with opera, even taking tickets, though I love the idea of Mortier + an Englishman running NYCO, heads would explode all over Parterre Box.

By: mrmyster

mrmyster — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:16:35 +0000

It’s odd how an article about Mortier morphed into diatribes pro and con little Miss Futral! This is surely a remarkable domain!
Miss Futral always struck me as having two voices – a low one and a high one; they did not seem connected. Later on, and I know she worked very hard, better integration of registers was achieved and she did some decent work. As to #21 Walter’s posting about “most gracious and kindest,” umm…interesting observation. I would more likely say: hard-working, purposeful in the extreme, and
stay out of her way. But how can we not wish her well?
The world of opera has forever required a strong cadre of utility singers. I find EF about at the same level of artistic value as that other Southern Girl, Laura Claycomb. Isn’t that a fair comparison?
Mortier? He’s impossible on a personal basis — for all the reasons given here, and more, but at this juncture isn’t that exactly what NYCO needs? They had better get rid of the dreary and unqualified Susan Baker and replace her with a resourceful, tough, smart man who can “handle” (maybe) Mortier. Did anyone say Volpe?
At the professional level, Richard Gaddes, formerly of Santa Fe will be knocking about with nothing to do after next week, but I doubt he would take it – though qualified if the NY meanies would give him the space and support. What a working environment is New York. But, wait!!! It’s very likely Sarah Palin will become available; she is hugely the right person for that position!
That’s that for today
###

By: Hightenor123

Hightenor123 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:02:05 +0000

NYCO must survive and I couldn’t care less about what the people say here about the quality of their productions ect…
It employs young singers and gives them chances where so few other places will. If NYCO fails you will see even less American talent developed.

By: Sanford

Sanford — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:21:24 +0000

Re: RAGS

There is some wonderful music in the show. As a previous poster said, Judy Kuhn is amazing in the title song, which I vividly recall from the Tony Awards that year. The show ran extremely long out of town, and so by the time it came to B’Way, it had been cut somewhat, which may have played a role in its unsuccessful run. However, there is a stupendous cast album with the estimable Julia Migenes replacing Stratas.

The biggest problem I had with the score is that it tries to have it both ways. There are wonderful showtunes along side rather mediocre semi-operatic numbers, like Children Of The Wind.

By: Scaramuccio

Scaramuccio — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:41:56 +0000

Is this about Equus? Nice physique, shame about the acting. I was standing behind two Australians in the half-price ticket booth who were having to decide between Mary Poppins and Equus ‘because it’s got that nice Harry Potter in it’. I was tempted to mutter ‘horses’ and ‘sex’ but I let them get on with it.

By: Nerva Nelli

Nerva Nelli — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:25:48 +0000

Meanwhile, “Tony’s at his exercise!”

“Naturally, fans of the young Daniel Radcliffe will be enticed by the chance to see him, our adorable Harry Potter, in the buff.”

By: Nerva Nelli

Nerva Nelli — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:24:58 +0000

Nedda has used a whip on Tonio in virtually every production of this opera I have ever seen. Big deal.

Miss Futral was indeed at her best in LAKME, but I though t she also did very creditably in SEMELE.

By: RedBear

RedBear — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:03:59 +0000

I know nobody on the NYCO board can read French but I recommend they ask some kid to translate the French music magazine Classica. They have a long article this month on Mortier’s time in Paris and it is a record of ego, scandal and artistic failure. The only good news they found was that the new director will have a clean slate and low bar. Among the news to me was that Cambreling was paid the same as Gergiev and Salonen – the top fee – and the orchestra revolted at his “non-declared” music directorship and had to be brought off.

By: graustark

graustark — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:12:12 +0000

I loved the way Futral’s Nedda scared off Tonio with a whip last season in San Diego. She has the makings of a great dominatrix. For me, she was at her best vocally when she was an apprentice in Chicago.

By: Gualtier MaldÃ¨

Gualtier MaldÃ¨ — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:48:06 +0000

Futral sang the greatest performance of her career at NYCO – LakmÃ© over a decade ago. She was wonderful – lyrical, brilliant, silky and sensuous. Nothing that came after that quite measured up to the level of those LakmÃ©s. Either vocally or dramatically she has done solid but not really distinguished work.

By: scifisci

scifisci — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:40:26 +0000

re: futral.

I’m not sure if my ears will ever be the same after experiencing her lucia three years ago.

By: jatm2063

jatm2063 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:38:01 +0000

Ladies, Ladies! Can’t we all just get along and LOVE EACH OTHER?!

Some of you are acting like sorority girls fighting over the last hot pink g string at a Frederick’s of Hollywood clearance sale.

Crack that whip Cieca!

By: Jereasy

Jereasy — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:01:54 +0000

Just gotta say that Elizabeth Futral is one of my favorite singers. Her Semele at Santa Fe will always be a high point of my opera going, and I’ve loved her in DC, NYC, and NO, too. She and her voice are just beautiful to me.

By: Josephine

Josephine — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:31:07 +0000

That is absolutely uncanny. I do have a tendency to stay home behind my computer, and order pizza although not by phone. I usaually use two dixie cups and a string. That way I can just use the cups to pee in. I lip synch to my old recordings of Jarmila Novotna. I really need to get out and see some live opera.

By: DirkVA

DirkVA — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:30:38 +0000

I’ll be sorry if Mortier doesn’t come.