la cieca predicts
To finish the run of Lucia, including the HD. Just a guess, mind you.
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Can I get in those too? Seems that my coaches at IU didn’t teach me the right things.
Aw Cieca, you flatter me, but I merely just speak from experience.
Lindoro, no offense to you or your great institution, but I’ve seen some pretty heinous musical offenses come from IU grads, among other places. I don’t trust anyone’s credentials until I’ve heard them.
Not overwhelmed by Netrebko as Lucia and not overwhelmed by Coburn. I would go with Eglise. She is a fine coloratura soprano with the vocal weight and imagination to handle a role like Lucia.
isepo: It seems to La Cieca that the only safe way to get back into the scene after interrupting would be to sing the A-natural again, breathe so the conductor would know you’re going ahead, then “vi disperda.” Everyone has to be ready for that downbeat on “diSPERda,” and “vi” is not enough time for the orchestra to prepare, particularly since the flow has been interrupted for so long.
What Villazon did at that moment was correct from a musical standpoint, or let’s say from the standpoint of avoiding a trainwreck of musical ensemble — though La Cieca does not claim that this was what was going through Villazon’s mind at that point.
It is ironic, or sad or something that the notes that undid both Villazon and Netrebko were all unwritten “traditional” interpolations. But in a world where ill-informed queenlets throw attitude at a Gilda “because she ducked the high D in the Storm Trio,” La Cieca supposes singers daren’t sing anything either as written or with different variants from what happened to suit Galli-Curci.
(Not that Galli-Curci would ever have had the execrable taste to interpolate a high D into the Storm Trio, but La Cieca hopes you gather her general meaning.)
La Cieca agrees that Eglise Gutierrez would be a wonderful addition to our musical life here in New York, though it does seem she might put in a year or two at NYCO before graduating to the Met. One wonders if Ms. Gutierrez knows the soprano lead in A Quiet Place.
I agree with you Cieca, I think Ms Gutierres is wonderful material, but as an artist, she has yet to mature.
I saw a video of her as Amina and she was fantastic. This Lucia I take as work in progress. I am not sure she is ready to show her Lucia at that level. I know it is subjective, but that is my feeling. Her Lucia is not yet a mature interpretation.
Jet age is killing opera singers. No time for recovering between engagements. Netrebko sang her last Lucia at Mariinsky on January 17, and at the Met on January 26! That’s humanly impossible, no matter who the singer is and what she or he sings. What about traveling time, jet lag and rehersals? No wonder the whole thing was a mess. For Caruso and the rest of the immortals it took weeks of traveling between venues and the voice was rested. Netrebko is killing herself and had better wake up.
Cieca: well either way, ensuring a good downbeat together depends on how Edgardo delivers the pick-up line (usually worked out in rehearsal)… the upbeat goes on “vi”… so the conductor doesn’t get much time to react whether E. is holding the A or not (and I haven’t heard many people breathe before “vi disperda”) so as far as anticipating the resolution, *for me* it wouldn’t have made much difference. The players in the pit are usually glued to you during such a G.P. to anticipate your downbeat, and if the chorus is good, they are also keeping an eye on you or the prompter. Even if all this fails, there are still little tricks to get everyone back on track.
All this tedious, nitpicky shop talk aside, if Rolando indeed do this in the interest of keeping everyone together, bravo to him for being so clear-headed in such a moment of horror. MOST people I’ve encountered don’t act so logically in such circumstances, and given that he seems to think more with his heart than his head in his approach to singing and career path, and that tenors taking a mulligan on high notes has lots of precedence, and his DELIVERY, I *assume* it was more about proving “goddamnit I can do this.”
Cieca: well either way, ensuring a good downbeat together depends on how Edgardo delivers the pick-up line (usually worked out in rehearsal)… the upbeat goes on “vi”… so the conductor doesn’t get much time to react whether E. is holding the A or not (and I haven’t heard many people breathe before “vi disperda,” either) so as far as anticipating the resolution, *for me* it wouldn’t have made much difference. The players in the pit are usually glued to you during such a G.P. to anticipate your downbeat, and if the chorus is good, they are also keeping an eye on you or the prompter, and know NOT to follow the singer in moments of crisis. Even if all this fails, there are still little tricks to get everyone back on track.
All this tedious, nitpicky shop talk aside, if Rolando indeed do this in the interest of keeping everyone together, bravo to him for being so clear-headed in such a moment of horror. MOST people I’ve encountered don’t act so logically in such circumstances, and given that he seems to think more with his heart than his head in his approach to singing and career path, and that tenors doing crazy shit like taking a mulligan on high notes has lots of precedence, and his DELIVERY on the clip, it certainly came across to me that this was more about proving “goddamnit I can do this” in the face of failure.
oops sorry for the double post. I just did what Rolando did!! LOL
Sarah Coburn is covering Dessay in Sonnambula so she will probably be around.
I saw her sing Carmina Burana with the New Jersey Symphony. She can hit all the notes but tried to “act” it and just came across as fake and calculating. I know many colleagues who would not be upset if they never had to work with her again.
I am seeing Eglise Gutierrez thrown around a lot as a possible replacement in Lucia. For some reason I am still on the fence with her. I have seen her (right after seeing S. Coburn in Lucia) and it was a mixed bag. Where I was totally impressed with Coburn and her voice, I was less impressed with Gutierrez. This is only going off one live performance, so I could be way off base, but the overall impression was less so with Gutierrez. For sure, Eglise has a good voice, and is a vivid artist, but the top seemed thin (and yes, I have seen the video of her Sonnambula with the really nice high F) but in Cincinnati the top notes did not ring out. I think she has a lot of work to do before she will be ready to sing in the larger houses. If she took on Lucia at the Met, it could go either way. My guess is not as spectacular as people would hope.
Since you are all pressing me on this stupid Sarah Coburn issue, I will say this. I find the voice to be thoroughly run of the mill, and frankly, so do many others in the business which is why she sings in minor regional houses and covers at the Met.
She’s a minor league actress, and on top of that a massively open homophobe.
I find her father’s and her politics repulsive and disgraceful.
Sour grapes? Bitch, please. I wouldn’t waste my time on even thinking about Coburn, much less writing about her if I didn’t have to read these absurd hyperbolic defenses of her “work.”
But Cassy, dear, you didn’t answer my question… couldn’t you post some excerpts of your singing? I would seriously like to hear them, and I bet I’m not the only one; my guess is that you are really very good.
Mrmyster, #105 directly addresses Kashania’s question, hence it concerns Cura.
I’ve given this Coburn woman a listen, and she strikes me as rather in the Dessay mould only with a better fundamental technique and a less distinctive timbre. Rather shallow artistry – I get the impression it is all about showing herself off to her best advantage, with serving the composer being a secondary concern at best. And the voice and technique, whilst good, are nothing compared to June Anderson in her prime. This is all based on several YouTube clips mind you, perhaps live I would change my mind. But I certainly wouldn’t seek out an opportunity to see and hear her live. The lady La Cieca posted a clip of strikes me as far more interesting.
Not casting someone for being homophobic would be the first step down a very very dangerous road indeed. Run of the mill voice, minor league actor- fine, don’t cast her. But however personally repellent I might find right wing politics I’d never use them as a reason not to employ someone.
Thanks 103! – last time I heard Pamela Coburn and was deeply impressed was in 1997: Four Last Songs. I always wondered what happened to her afterwards.
Pamela Coburn was an ensemble member at the Bayerische Staatsoper in the 80’s. She has to be more than 50. I was never impressed with her and found the timbre ordinary. She would sing many of the Price roles without the vocal glamour of Price. If Popp, Varady or Price were not available then you would end up with her in many of their roles.
Cassandra (133) I do not know Sarah Coburn, and would have no idea if she is a homophobe or not? While that would really put me off to the singer, I still have to say that I enjoy the singing. Not all artists are “good” people. I am sure we don’t have to go down the list to acknowlege the history of great singers being bad people. That said, I really doubt this information is true. Knowing the tenor that she sang with in the Cincinnati (openly gay) he never mentioned anything at all about Sarah.
The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree r140.
I’m not going to say anything else about her.
while her father is a hateful, crazy, homophobic right-wing NUTJOB (and I’d argue against the arguement that he’s respected in congress – he’s known as a nutjob there as well), if Sarah is as homophobic as an above poster has claimed, well, to me that would be a great way to kill your opera career in the US. NOT that the US opera world is a hotbed of support for gay liberation – it’s not. But you are going to be working with a LOT of gay men in the opera world (I know, big news) – managers, publicists, music staff, admin. staff, dramatic staff, wardrobe, makeup, etc., and being known as a homophobe is not going to win you many fans backstage.
I just listened to Sarah Coburn’s Lucie clips and really liked what I heard. There’s a shimmering quality to her tone that reminds me a bit of Sills. And she has the coloratura chops.
re posting no. 51: “Sills had the most vicious viper tongue in private about singers and thought no one, especially Joan, better than herself.”
that may be. i didn’t know beverly sills. but here’s what she had to say to an interviewer in opera magazine (dec. 2006):
“When asked about today’s singers, Sills speaks with enthusiasm of Renee Fleming and Natalie Dessay. ‘Nobody is making more beautiful sounds today than Fleming, nobody.’ Of Dessay’s Ophelie in Hamlet, she remarks, ’she’s my kind of singer, a real singing actress — phenomenal.’ ”
as for sills’ supposed special contempt for joan sutherland, in the same article sills is quoted as saying sutherland had “the voice of the century.”
anyone looking for a “vicious viper tongue” about current singers — or safely dead ones — is in the right place here.
Hello all…Just curious who Cassandra is, since this person seems to know me so well. I usually avoid reading any kinds of posts like this, but my mother-in-law (of all people!) informed me of this thread, and I am not afraid to write my REAL name and defend myself. I do not mind criticism of my singing; that comes with the job. Personal slander is another story. Back up your malice with details, please.
Sarah, I thoroughly commend your attempts to ascertain that particular poster’s identity, because he/she is one of the most mean-spirited, clearly embittered individuals to contribute to this blog. If in the time it takes me to write and post this, he/she reveals himself/herself, then my bad, but I think you will likely be waiting a long time. The bullies around here are absolute cowards when it comes down to it, I guess that’s self-evident. But, good for you for putting people like Cassandra on the spot! This site needs to start holding itself accountable for some of what goes on here. It’s not as if La Cieca is an anonymous entity. Far from it. I think some moderation may be in this blog’s future, though I won’t hold my breath waiting for that, either. I guess if the consequences become severe enough concessions will occur, however. Btw, why are people saying Beczala is going to step into the L’Elisir now? Massimo didn’t cut the mustard? This is what people meant by the pressure of those HD’s….the MET keeps floundering in the face of these casting predicaments. Just let Massimo do it.
Hilarious, they seem to have fallen silent!!!!!!!!!!!!! What idiots. Nothing to say, ANY OF YOU? Well, Sarah, you have accomplished what no one has been able to do, ever! They must be hiding on another thread….
First of all, let me say that I have only praise for Sarah Coburn’s singing and have had the pleasure of doing so in print.
How many of us have relatives, close relatives whose attitudes or politics we don’t share or are actually actively embarassing to us? Especially older relatives. I mean I have had to endure silently my late father spouting the word faggot in my presence while I had to eat silently.
How do we handle it? Am I enjoined to publicly denounce him and distance myself from my father? I had a relationship with him that had to be kept in a balance. Some people publicly oppose their parents, others feel that it is a private family matter and must be dealt with in that fashion.
These attacks on the lovely and talented Sarah Coburn have a lot of insinuation but very little factual information to back them up. Even if Sarah doesn’t like homosexuals, blacks, liberals or communists if she manages to work with them in a respectful and civil professional manner, is she to be publicly crucified? Has she been slighting to her non-white, non-evangelican christian even god help us liberal colleagues?
The fact that she doesn’t publicly denounce her father or his politics may come from her Southern background and her sense of discretion.
But her relationship with her father is her private business and the only parties accountable are within her family. Everything else is nobody’s business. Just like what is between married people. no one outside should feel entitled to judge or criticize. It is between the two parties involved.
Very classy response, Mr. Malde. You did your fellow bloggers proud on that one.
I have no idea who is singing the rest of the Elisirs but I think Giordano is scheduled to sing in Munich soon so he is probably not available for the whole run. I have a ticket for the 11th and the Met website is still listing Villazon for that date.
Sarah Coburn, if you are looking for Cassandra you have to look for him/her in the most recent posts. This is an old thread, and he/she might not even realize you have posted the above. I myself have just gotten up to speed and realized this is an old thread. No wonder I was confused about Beczala! You might have to remind Cassie why you are looking for him/her, though it may need no further explanation…