happy spirit
All the way from exotic Portland, Operaman writes:
Yesterday I attended the Met HD transmission of Orfeo ed Euridice and, once I have told you my reactions and feelings about this show, I cannot wait to hear what members of your cher public who saw or heard it have to say about it. And I must let it be known immediately that I don’t purport to be able to critique this work with the sophistication or depth and breadth of knowledge displayed by so many of your correspondents. My views should be considered vox pop so I hope your readers will bear that in mind.
First, the piece. Gluck. Who knew? Maestro Levine, on camera before the show, described it as a “truly great, great masterpiece of music” and while I am used to the hyperbole with which conductors and directors describe their piece of the moment, in this case I don’t know how one could argue. One thing which surprised me was that it didn’t sound one bit derivative of anyone else’s work. Not like Mozart of course who was only, what, seven years old when Gluck wrote this Orfeo? But not like Handel or Purcell or anyone else with whose work I am familiar. This was sui generis – and how exciting for that. The writing is rich, colourful and shows a respect for the drama as expressed in the libretto in a way that alas is rare in opera of any period.Â
Other than the Dance of the Blessed Spirits and “Che faro senza Euridice” I knew none of the score. How could I have missed the magnificent choruses all this time? How did I not know the music given to Orfeo which, while having been written for a castrato seems such a perfect fit for the (right) mezzo-soprano? It goes without saying that Levine and the orchestra were not just simpatico. As I sit here and remember the playing I think “ravishing” best describes the sound.
Okay, now tell me. Is there another mezzo-soprano on earth who currently can match the beauty of sound and musical intelligence of Stephanie Blythe? If she is not a superstar within the next 24 months then there is NO justice! No growling in the low register and no shrieking in the higher stuff. Just a totally seamless, mellifluous and truly gorgeous sound. It’s a big, big voice but she uses it in a way that says “I don’t need to shout. My merest whisper can bounce off the rear walls and stun you on its way back!”
My limited musical vocabulary doesn’t enable me to do justice to all Ms. Blythe brought to this performance. The shades of expression, the nuances she brought to this tragic tale. I believe that both David Daniels and J.D.deF. have both sung this piece relatively recently. I hope they didn’t hear Ms Blythe yesterday, for much as I like the voice of both those singers I cannot imagine they would not have heard themselves being totally out-classed in this role. I can hardly wait to see what star vehicle she is offered next. The Manhattan telephone book, you say? Are tickets still available? I am so there!
Both Mark Morris who was responsible for the production and choreography, and Isaac Mizrahi who designed the costumes, came in for a good deal of flack from the theater audience yesterday. As they left the auditorium I talked with people about the show (I was there representing Portland Opera) and many folks thought the dancing and the costumes were a big distraction. I kept hearing comments along the lines of “What was all that dancing supposed to mean?” That wasn’t my own view.
I don’t know Mark Morris’s work but I was rather pleasantly surprised by the dance pieces in this Orfeo. They were very , um, balletic(is that a word?) as opposed to being modern dance and while there were lengthy stretches where I wasn’t quite sure what the danceers were supposed to be telling us about the drama being played out before us I was quite happy to enjoy the dance as a purely abstract interpretation of the music. After all, no one asks what a minuet “means.” I can see why people may think that Mizrahi dressing the chorus as historical figures is somewhat chintzy but I liked it. My only criticism of the costuming would be that I found the modern dress of the dancers – including suits and ties, strangely at odds with the more historical look of the chorus.
But what the hell, most of the time I was listening to Stephenie Blythe anyway and when my attention was on the chorus it was because of the amazing sound they made. What has Donald Palumbo done to them this last couple of years? They have gone from being, I thought, rather ragged, to being very well disciplined and musically of the highest order. He must be cracking his whip in a most efficacious manner.
I have seen all of the Met movies save the Gala opening. I think I enjoyed this one the most. And ultimately that can be attributed to Gluck and Stephanie Blythe. Huzzah for them both, I say!
Saw this in the house last Tuesday. Yes, yes, yes, to the notion of Podles as Orfeo–may it happen soon! (And, yes, Stephanie IS a contralto.) But no, no, no, please keep Madame Olga and her rapidly deteriorating voice away from this work, and use her where she can still do the most good (Amneris, Azucena, et al.)!
Although I enjoyed hearing Orfeo sung, I must say, however, that the production is a waste of space. The Met could have saved a lot of money by scrapping those bleachers and all those costumes for the chorus (who seemed to be performing a patty-cake to certain passages). Sure, I picked out several historical figures among them, but who the hell cares? It was a silly party-game of an idea that should have died at the concept stage. And, finally, sorry, but Mark Morris really doesn’t have a clue about what to do with those dances in Orfeo. The dancers were graceful and not unattractive, but the steps were meaningless, their costumes were meaningless, and their integration into the opera as sung was meaningless. Not offensive at all, but simply irrelevant.
Call me a bitchy old broad — many have — but in the curtain calls I could have done without Mark Morris’s belly hanging out. Rather than the shawl, he’d have done well to go the whole opera queen (as he called himself in the pre-opera interview) route and simply wear a caftan. Millions would have been grateful.
Here in Denver, most of the oldsters in attendance seemed downright put off by the dancing. I thought it was terrific. When the Met announced that Blythe would be featured in this production, it immediately became my second most anticipated cinecast (“Sonnambula” remains first). Blythe was spectacular in Opera Colorado’s “Giulio Cesare” alongside Elizabeth Futral a few years ago. Along with Jennifer Larmore, I believe they’re the top two mezzos singing today. Op-Colo also did the Berlioz version of O&E a while back; I much prefer this one.
In a side note to Vitellia @ 32: It seems BOTH of Mrs. Croft’s boys are seriously underutilized. Dwayne is a terrific baritone who is either too lazy to seek out roles that stretch him (you can only sing so many Sharplesses and Counts), or else he needs some new representation.
Straussmonster:
Thank you so much for those resources–I’ll track them down.
Roberto A. sings the French rep with such mastery and gorgeous expression that I hope he’ll consider performing this role in a production that respects the music. (Same for Hoffman.) But I get the sense that when it comes to staging, his brother(s) can do no wrong.
Of course Podles has sung Orfeo- she’s recorded it in both French and Italian ( French is harder to find but better- thrilling, actually). She did a production in Ann Arbor with Bayrakdarian and Brandes- classy casting.
Meanwhile, here’s a press release showing how desperate the musical press is for a ‘superstar”. DDN was considerably better than I expected as Euridice, but a superstar– YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING! Can’t wait to hear Danielle’s “Come scoglio”.
When did “charismatic” become shorthand for Gelbcasting, i.e., Looks 10, Voice 4?
““Her singing is utterly delectable and completely assured…Sheer ‘joie de vivre’ and mastery come spilling across, to the eyes as well as the ears.â€
The New York Times
New York, NY – January 26th, 2009 – Following a smashing run in Mark Morris’s production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Metropolitan Opera this month which included a live HD broadcast in movie theaters worldwide on Saturday, January 24th, Decca’s own Danielle de Niese embarks on her first nationwide recital tour in February. De Niese, already a superstar soprano on the operatic stage, makes her American recital debut on February 4th at the legendary Harriman-Jewell Series in Kansas City. From there she continues on to Berkeley and Santa Monica, California, to Ohio, Wisconsin, Long Island and finally to her Carnegie Hall debut in New York. On the tour, de Niese will be performing songs and arias by Handel, Grieg, Wolf, Poulenc, Barber and Bizet with pianist Ken Noda.
Danielle’s de Niese’s Decca debut, a disc of Handel arias with Les Arts Florissant and William Christie was released in late 2007 to tremendous acclaim from journalists around the world including the New York Times who described de Niese’s voice as “seductive enough to woo gods as well as mortals.†The review went on to say, “This is Handel in all his unabashed glory, and there is nothing restrained about Ms. de Niese’s warmly voluptuous and passionate singing.†She’s been called “A lovely engaging, gifted opera singer†by ClassicsToday.com and “Ravishing†by The Wall Street Journal.
In the fall of 2009, Decca will release Danielle de Niese’s second solo recording, a selection of Mozart arias. Mozart is a natural next step for Danielle in her recording career and these selections reflect her career on stage, as well as her own favorite Mozart arias. The repertoire chosen for this new disc includes arias from Idomeneo, Don Giovanni, Cosà fan Tutte, Lucio Silla and Il Re Pastore as well as “Exsultate Jubilate,†“Laudate Dominum†and the concert arias “O temerario Arbace!â€, “Bella mia fiamma, addio!†and “Al desio di chi t’adora.†The pieces here demonstrate perfectly the combination of vocal ability, excellent technique and charismatic performances that have made Danielle de Niese so much in demand on the world’s opera and concert house stages.”
What do you want a press release to say? ‘There’s this singer who’s done a record. It’s basically OK’
Hyperbole is their job.
General Comments:
(to be read with sneer) Oh you’re excited about hearing Mattila’s Tatiana, Florezrocks? Well … so is everyone else in New York, certainly I. (But not her Puccini!) However, Netrebko is not at her best in bel canto.
Richard Croft … yes … for any pre-Mozart tenor role, I would say the ideal choice. The new Simoneau. And some late 18th century roles such as Gandhi suit him well. I’d like to hear his Mozart and Gluck, ideally in a smaller house than the Met. His brother: competent, boring.
Operaman – yes, this was NOT a great Blythe performance, catch her in the Ring or as Amneris or Isabella sometime. You’re four hours’ drive from Seattle; Speight has her in everything.
Paul – How WAS her Cesare? I haven’t heard any reviews. I’ve never seen a female do well in that role (missed my beloved TT, alas) – it’s JULIUS CAESAR, guys, it really needs someone masculine. Perhaps Baker would have convinced me otherwise.
De Niese’s voice is certainly large enough; as Cleopatra, I found her commitment, her meaning in the quiet arias lacking, but this Euridice is perhaps a sign that she is developing on that side. It’s a healthy voice of fine quality. I saw her do an Act II of Figaro with the Lindemann Young Artists (directed by Regina Resnik) under Mackerras that was the liveliest, funniest, most charming Act II of Figaro I’ve ever seen or heard, but she could wait to take on the full role. Is her extraordinary beauty against her? People look at her and think she can’t sing well, too? Well she’s potentially a wonderful singer as well. I’d prefer her to Futral as Semele.
I’d go to hear Podles as Orfeo… or Cesare… or the Duchess of Krakenthorp.
And Stoyanova or Guryakova as Aida. Hard to think of anyone else these days.
Donna Anna: I don’t think Alagna sang very well in it, either, which was a disappointment. The first ‘Eurydice!’ was not a pretty sound. The role sits very high, more so than any of the other Gluck tenor roles (although Achille can get up there). There’s a nice totally exposed high D in there in the second act.
56-
Caro, I meant the cited *reviews*.
I thought Richard Croft was marvellous in the Glyndebourne Theodora – the same one that made us sit up and take notice of David Daniels in the UK. But he seems to have gone off a bit since, if the 2007 recording of Semele with him opposite Rosemary Joshua is anything to go by. The days where he would have been able to sing a beautiful Mozartian line appear to be over, with a lot of weight having developed in the lower part of the voice, and a less easy, and less rich top as a result.