… does Sondra Radvanovsky (particularly in middle voice) sound eerily like Shirley Verrett?
[Our Own Gualtier Malde (along with a few thousand other people) attended the public dress rehearsal of the Met's new production of La sonnambula this morning. Here is his report.]
Innocence, rustic naiveté and virginity just don’t get no respect no more. I should know, I grew up way out in central New Jersey and couldn’t get a date (a male one that is) at all in high school. I didn’t get no respect and sadly neither does Vincenzo Bellini and more importantly, Felice Romani these days, at least at the Metropolitan Opera.
These two men, one a poet in words, the other a poet in sound, deeply loved and respected the simple Tyrolean villagers in their opera semiseria La sonnambula a simple tale of love, marriage and misunderstanding. The creators of the current production of La sonnambula feel that the plot, characters, words and music are something that the audience must be distracted from lest their simplicity offend hipper-than-thou sensibilities. Read more »
La Cieca hears the distressing news from Paris that Rolando Villazon was advised by his current management to cancel his March appearances as Werther in order to “rest and refresh the voice,” but as of today is still planning to go on in the Massenet opera. Villazon’s appearances in Paris run through March 18, leaving a gap of less than two weeks between his final performance there and his first Nemorino here in New York.
UPDATE: Per the Opéra National de Paris website, VIllazon has canceled the first performance of the Werther revival but still plans to sing the remaining repetitions beginning March 3. Read more »
La Cieca continues her salute to the diamond birthday of Renata Scotto with a new episode of Unnatural Acts of Opera. The podcast features the first act of La sonnambula as performed at the Teatro la Fenice on May 26, 1961.
Renata Scotto (Amina), Alfredo Kraus (Elivino), Ivo Vinco (Rodolfo), Rosa Laghezza (Lisa), Marisa Zotti (Teresa). Teatro La Fenice, Venezia, Nello Santi, conductor.
[La Cieca's old, old, old friend Camille attended Montserrat Caballe's Valentine's Day duo recital earlier this month. Her reactions -- which she admits it took her some days to sort out in her mind -- follow.]
After some reflection and reviewing Caballe’s Orange Festival Norma, once again, I can merely pipe up with my opinion that she belongs to such a rarified class of singer that it is not for mere mortals to quibble about her dalliances or far-fetched caprices.
THAT SAID, this recital was not, however, in the category of wonderful self-parody, a la Freddy Mercury/Barcelona, or even the absolutely mind-boggling appearance I saw on Dutch T.V. in 1995, when I watched in orrore extremis as she actually did sing, in duet fashion with some other old Dutch mole, “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones.
No, “A Special Valentine” was all just kind of sad. She really should not appear anymore. For any reason. Let us keep our memories. Read more »
A preview the new Decca recording of La sonnambula with Cecilia Bartoli and Juan Diego Flórez. Comments?
Now, you know La Cieca likes taking a confrontational attitude with operatic authority figures as much as any other gadfly. But she is going to say that this Jeremy Gerard may be carrying the bitch-slapping just a wee bit too far in his current Bloomberg.com screed on the New York City Opera’s year-long hiatus (”City Opera is in dire financial straits and the recent hiring of opera newbie George Steel has hardly brightened the mood of doom” is one of the milder rebukes Gerard delivers.)
Your doyenne is beginning to believe that those conspiracy theories about the malign influence of Manuela Hoelterhoff may not be so far-out after all. Or is there another explanation for Bloomberg’s ferocious attitude toward The Man of Steel?
Cher Public