endless pleather, endless love
Washington National Opera has posted a preview clip of their Lucrezia Borgia (opening on Saturday), and La Cieca predicts they have a hit on their hands. Renée Fleming, though she looks far too young to have a grown son, seems to be singing in a more straighforward and honest way. Hunkentenor Vittorio Grigolo charms even while handicapped by a Billy Idol wig and metallic faux-leather jerkin. If there is one point that puzzles La Cieca, it is that Kate Aldrich should be singing the Brindisi when she so obviously should have interpolated Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller.”
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Dear La Cieca
There’s a clip on YouTube of our divine Angela singing
‘La ci darem’ with Sting. He’s OK – less gravelly than I would have imagined.
Anyone – justanothertenor? – attend opening night last night? Anything to report?
Pardon my desire to interject here. I, unlike so many here, take no grave issue with Fleming as Lucrezia. Of course, I would prefer to hear the likes of Devia, Sutherland, or Gruberova, but I have always felt that Fleming planned her career in reverse having performed many heavy roles from the likes of Otello, Rosenkavalier and Faust (albeit quite well) before undertaking some ‘lighter’ repertoire such as Traviata, Armida and Lucrezia. Perhaps she would have done better in these Bel Canto roles had she not already been so heavily steeped in the more dramatic repertoire. Certainly her Mozart was outstanding when she came onto the international scene and she has always done very well with the French and Straussian repertoire.
I have many reservations about Grigolo. To my knowledge, he is one of the many young tenors whom the late Pavarotti, upon first hearing them, declared his “successors” which perked the ears of many of the powerful opera moguls and agents of Italy into guaranteeing careers for these young men (Pirgu, who just sang Rinuccio in LA and who will sing Alfredo in Santa Fe with Dessay next year is another one of these “Little Pavarotti’s”). The thing that worries me is that while they all seem to possess good instruments and no doubt much talent, they are extremely incomplete in their vocal training and are certainly treading into repertoire far too heavy far too soon. Grigolo, the Golden Child of La Scala, has already done a Don Carlo and continues to sing much of the standard Puccini and Verdian repertoire. For my ears, both having heard him live and through pre-recorded media, he is someone who is not vocally benefitting from his constant forays into the ‘cross-over’ repertoire (such as his position with Il Divo several years hence and much of the pop concert work he does in Italy). He already resorts to many unnecessary mannerisms in his singing including an increasingly prominent “tenor grace note” even to access the passaggio. I find that he sings too open and throaty too often, the sound doesn’t always maintain a pleasant spin, and can often sag in pitch between F and A, not to mention his ever omnipresent tendency to push his voice for drama. The instrument is a beautiful, naturally lyric voice that should probably refrain from so much of the Puccini and Verdi that most of Italy seems to be convinced he is the torch-holder. Pirgu, as well, as evinced by his debut album, constantly has many pitch and support issues, a tendency to widen and spread the sound in an effort to emulate Corelli (not unlike Parterre Box’s ever dear Costello), and an over-darkened timbre that tries to convince the listener that the voice has more weight to it than it does in truth.
I would prefer not to resort to idle gossip or imprudence concerning Grigolo, but seeing as I know quite a few singers who have worked with him or covered him, there is no question that his extraordinarily good looks have enabled him to make the kind of career he is currently enjoying. He is very much a celebrity in his native Italy, manages several endorsements and allegedly is quick to brag of his outrageously numerous female conquests (From the sound of it, he might very well be opera’s living Don Giovanni). I shan’t disclose the number that has been voiced to me by several, unrelated individuals.
This production has got to be the gayest, most fabulous, mess I have seen in quite while. Mr. Grigolo is an even bigger HAM in this than he was in La Boheme last season. Goodness knows, he is cute and has a BIG voice. Enough to drown out everyone within 30 feet of his mouth. A pity since it seemed that some other cast members did have lovely voices. The production team had the good judgement to have him perform most of the 3rd Act naked from the waist up. My darling husband commented that the KenCen Opera house stage unfortunately was not big enough for both Mr. Grigolo and Miss Fleming.
You may know that the story ends with the tenor (Mr. Grigolo) refusing an antidote the poison his mama has slipped in his and all his frat boy buddies drinks. He says that he can’t live without his best friend (the mezzo in the trouser role). Well! Suffice it to say that these boys were more than just “friends” in this production. They were kissing in back alleys and humping on the stage. At one point Mr. G grabbed (his/her) butt and the mezzo was not ready for it. She pushed him away.
I have a friend in the chorus and he says that this was all new at opening night. We loved it. Oh…Fleming was good, she comes out at the end in some kind of suit of armor with a long cape she kept tripping over. Fabulous.
Anyone who calls themselves Gay needs to race to DC to see this. Fleming’s performances are sold out but plenty of tix left for La Sondra. I’m going again on Friday to see her. Get some cheepo tix on Goldstar events .com
Enjoy!!!!
I think I will pass, jazz tenor and soprano in the leads, not for me.
How amusing that Pirgu was mentioned to sing Alfredo to Dessay’s Violetta next summer, for I just saw him on a little video clip sing a bit of Act II of Traviata with another lady about 15 to 20 years his senior, Mariella Devia.
Well why shouldn’t Alfie be younger than Violet? She’s a professional after all, and he’s just a cub. You know, Hon Chevalier Dupin, with all due (?) respect to you, I am not so sure based on this Alfredo snippit that Pirgu has “pitch and support issues,” however you might define them. I think he has Giuseppi di Stefano issues, if I may put it that way. The voice is produced very openly right up through the passagio — too open, and yes it can sound a tad unsupported around Ab to Bb, though he seems to hint at having a high-C at the end of the cabeletta. Clearly it’s a talent BUT “you can never judge a tenor until he’s 30,” as my old voice teacher said, so we shall wait and see. Dessay’s about the right weight of voice for him, I thought Devia, whom I respect infinitely, cast him in quite some ombra! I rejoice in Devia’s singing every time I hear her!
Cheerio from Santa Faux
Flora Bervoix del Rio Grande
OK, hit me with a bottle of La Voce. The lady in the TrekMovie photo probably is Jane Wyatt. Allmovie,com says that Jane was in several episodes of Star Trek as Spock’s mother. All those TV mothers start piling up in my old age; Ma Nelson, Ma Anderson, Ma Brady, Ma Cleaver, Ma Goldberg, I even have a vague memory of Millie’s Ma played by Florence Hallop, and Peggy Wood as I remember Mama. And we should maybe include Sophie Berger.
Re # 43:
[Grigolo]” should probably refrain from so much of the Puccini and Verdi that most of Italy seems to be convinced he is the torch-holder”
“[He]… is very much a celebrity in his native Italy”
Totally NOT true. Hardly anyone here in Italy knows who he is or is even aware of him being a tenor. Most people couldn’t pick him out of non-entity, never mind considering him Pavarotti’s successor or any of the above-assertions being true.
He doesn’t really sing much here at all, or at any rate not in A Houses. Was at the Rome opera in Trav I think, but unfortunately (for us!) the Rome Opera is hardly of any standard to be boasting proudly anymore. He has swiss management so he is engaged abroad a lot more.
PS: ChevalierDupin you think that the soprano roles in Otello, Rosenkavalier and Faust are heavier than those in Traviata, Armida and Lucrezia???
Seriously!??
Saimir Pirgu, an Albanian still in his 20′s, actually has a rather small repertoire and sings Mozart, Rinuccio, Fenton, Edmondo in Manon Lescaut, Nemorino and now Alfredo. He stated in an interview in Vienna he that is only learning one new role per year. He had enough florid ability for Don Ottavio and is a rather charming Nemorino on stage. His Vienna debut was in 2004 and he was about 23 years old at the time.
After reading the above 49 posts, all I can say is thank God I’m seeing Sondra on 11/15 and not… her! (When I heard… her… with those endless mannerisms do Lucrezia with OONY, I kept muttering “Just sing the damn thing, will you?”)