the sonnambula chat
La Cieca thanks all you cher public who participated in the live chat during the broadcast of La sonnambula, and a special thanks to featuring your guest host Sanford.
Cher Public
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why would a diva who has sung sonnambula all over the world say “scandale, but what do I know about Sonnambula!â€
one would think she’d know a lot about sonnambula.
brian, she was making a joke ;-]
Yes, let’s take a closer look at the voices from the past. That Pav guy. Nice voice, the top frayed significantly after the early 1980s, but the man couldn’t read music. Not musical at all. No respect for the source material — everything sounded like he wrote it. Domingo has kept his voice longer, although the top was always a strain for him. The Met has transposed nearly eveything for him for the last 20 years. Sutherland? So fat and ugly and her voice could go seriously off the rails at any time. Callas? What a harsh voice, like steel being sawed. And she missed more glory notes than she hit.
That said, they’re the best 4 of my lifetime. You can nitpick anyone.
I’d really love to be enlightened about the comment at 30 complaining that Florez doesn’t have that Tagliavini-Valletti “smile and sweetness”. Just how many “smiles” does Elvino have in his role? None in Act 2, except perhaps a couple of bars at the end (but a transport of joy is more than a smile). No smiles at all in Act 1 Scene 2. Perhaps Act 1 Scene 1 then ? The mood of “Prendi l’anel” is rather solemn and that of “Son geloso” is jealous-repentant. Sure there may be a few smiles in the associated duets. For me, based on the text and music, Elvino is not a “smiley” role . And how “sweet” is the singer supposed to be when for much of the role he’s jealous, angry, despondent, betrayed etc. I guess the comment is a generalised one, made to damn a fine singer of today by comparison with someone’s dead idols.
Maybe Florez isn’t the equal of some voice from the tombs, but those of us who actually want to see and hear a LIVE Sonnambula are sure not going to be hearing any of these mythical heroes (some of whom, like the excellent Kraus, were criticised in their day). I’ve heard Florez as Elvino live in London, on the decca set with Bartoli and various “live” recordings. He sings accurately (can we really take that for granted?) and with elegance, style and taste. I’d say he’s as good and persuasive an Elvino as you’re likely to hear today.
But then I’m with Constantine A. Papas who on a recentish thread (Mme Cedolins’ dress) kind of deplored those who never say anything positive “looking always at the past and living in the past”. Oh, is that the same Mr Papas who came out with the “same old, same old” above ?
Sanford did a great job of hosting the live chat, at least the first act, because I bailed out after that; couldn’t take any more of vinegary Dessay. The homophobia I witnessed was distressing. Not sure what happened in the second act. Sonnambula can work even in a big barn like the Met if you have the right singers and the right production and the right conductor.
As for Mary Zimmerman, I saw her Argonautika in D.C. in Jan 08; it was tedious and in many ways infantile. Renee, put your foot down and say you don’t want Zimmerman directing you in Armida.
Finally, JDF is something an acquired taste. He can be very good, but he can also be bleaty. Larry Brownlee is coming on strong and to my mind has a more listenable voice.
Whew! Where is the truth???!!! Well, as usual I’ll have to attend the HD theatre transmission or listen on Sirius to subsequent broadcasts to find out. Ironically THE NEW YORKER
that came yesterday contains a long interview with Dessay that addresses many topics here considered. Not to miss, folks. As for #29 Almav, if Mary Z. said Sonam cannot be staged in 2009, she may be right; my question is, why stage it in the early 19th C. when it was written. Well, there IS one answer — the music. The silly little opera is beyond help, but the gorgeous memorable melodic music is the essence of bel canto and should be treated with respect and not trashed up with an irrelevant production.
Zimmerman is deplorable, everything about her is, especially that she is English and brought over from London is contemptible. Boo hiss Gelb & Co.
Buy American, you dorks! God, I hate that English screwing around with ‘concept’ productions. This too shall pass, and if and when we get some more good bel canto singers, opera will improve.
B.T.W. NEW YORKER says essay is age 43. She seems to be getting younger. Anyone have an idea of the true number?
Mrmyster, wikipedia says Dessay was born in 1965 -> she is 43. I’m inclined to believe it. She is one of those pauvres who occasionally looks older than she actually is.
Argh Mrmyster I am too cheap to buy that juicy-looking New Yorker article. “Briefly describes disagreements between Dessay and Zimmerman during a production of “Lucia,†at the Met, which Peter Gelb helped to smooth over.”
I want the scoop! Disagreements, really? Did Zimmy give in to Dessay’s wunderbar ideas?
Jay, Renee won’t care who’s directing, as long as the frocks are by Lacroix/Dior/LL Bean, or whatever.
Mrmyster: Mary Zimmerman is American, a graduate of Northwestern University and her career is based in Chicago and Seattle.
Thanks, La C…I thought Zimmerman was of mid-western ‘merikan heritage, as well…
@Drammy- the article is worth the $4.50 (and you get a bonus piece on dreamy Rahmbo). Dessay comes across fabulously, Zimmerman less so. Interestingly there’s little love lost between the two.
Anyone reading this site who isn’t in dire financial condition should be a New Yorker Magazine subscriber if only for the occasional piece by Alex Ross.
Exactly williams! He’s totally my secret husband and is worth the $40 a year or whatever it is.
Forget the staging. The first thing you need to do is cast a Bel Canto opera with people who have beautiful voices and who sing well. If you have that, a bad production won’t matter.
@Singalotta- to paraphrase the lady of of the hour herself, if I just want to hear beautiful singing I can go to a concert, or put on a CD. Point taken though.
the sad thing is, that with this cast, the opera would have sold out immediately. They could have done a simple production (or simply used the sets from IPURITANI for that matter) and it would have been an overwhelming success. ND’s need not to be bored helped create this nonsense. She and MZ both need to be held accountable for the destruction of this wonderful gem of an opera. and those of you who think it is so silly, don’t go see it. I adore the opera and have never seen it live and will go see it (probably with my opera glasses focused on Florez whenever he is on stage and focusing on Dessay when she is singing and trying to ignore all the crap that is going on onstage) but I think it is a disgrace that noone stopped this ludicrous production in the prep stage and demanded it be reworked. Doesn’t anyone watch these things in preparation and stand up to the director and tell him or her they are destroying the opera
Doesn’t anyone watch these things in preparation and stand up to the director and tell him or her they are destroying the opera
Ideally Gelb should have been the one, but he is too busy lining up “starts” to replace the stars he is already contracted and in the process pissing off a lot of 1st line covers.
He should have the sense, but he knows marketing, not opera. He thought that so long as there was Dessay and Flores in the cast the audience would not notice what was goin on.
After all, “I gave you ND and JDF, who would pay attention to something like production values when there is DESSAY & JUAN DIEGO on the stage?”
Serves him well…
Good grief! Y’all are some insatiable bitches!
1. I’ve heard “legendary” simgers perform this opera worse in their primes.
2. Hell with the naysayers, Dessay was FANTASTIC. She has never had a dramatic coloratura voice yet projects very well. I’ve heard her better, but giving the awkwardness of the moment, she was great. (the blocking was VERY diffcult and one one of her highest notes they were practically THROWING her in the air!!???)
3. Diego Florez was very good however the person who discussed a nasally sound has a good ear. He DID sound a little “parked in the front” at times and did not project as well as i have heard him before, but when he did open up the high notes were tremendous.
4. Dessay knows how to really work the hall as well as any soprano I’ve heard. Sure, she may not have the size of a Callas, (but neithr are they allowing th few that might have a dramatic top into the big hall contracts either!!!) but she sings within herself AND and the edge dramrtically and musically. These days such a combination is a Godsend. Both Dessay and Florez have a phenomenal sense of musicality for coloratura. They make a suberb couple (musically!)
5. The rest of the cast was a little boring. Lisa had some itenresting toens but this wasnt the best role for her. The Rodrigo has a terrific voice but covers his vowels too darkly. It soudns mastubatory and boring.
6. Don’t know why everyone was booing. Yes there were problems with the production (to me the coninuity was fucked) but I also loved a few of the moments, like the ARIA on the blackboard and the interesting use of the platform for “Ah non” which actually captured the moment quite well!
“Remember that Doll Song in Youtube where she takes what I believe is an A flat in alt? And the voice had warmth? All that is gone.”
ACTUALLY, I like her voice and overall package a little better now than then. It’s fuller now throuohout and this was apaprent when she overpowered Florez in the middle and lower registers. At the time of the referencedyoutube clip her “fach” was PERFECT for Olympia and indeed that performance is IMO an example of an aria performed to vocal and musical perfection… HOWEVER IMO her voice is actually “warmer” and fulelr now overal- just a little more “intense” and sometimes somewhat strident in the upper registers as she has lost some of her highest notes, but HELLO that’s part of aging. The great thing is that, unlike most high coloraturas who crash and burn when their voices begin to change into lower rep, Dessay has made an very admirable transition into the heavier bel canto rep. Thus she has stretched her prime to over two decades thus far. What a phenomenal career. IN YO FACES!
Sorry for the typos – I meant Count RoDOLFo not Rodrigo was boring but had a big “would be” fantastic voice.
RE: #74
“…poking fun at opera the concept… which is nifty to do within an opera – thumbing one’s nose at something is often a more thought-provoking tack to take than, say, just redo-ing the typical yawnfest Sonnambula.’
Indeed, what is Ariadne if not poking fun at opera? Only it takes larger-than-life singers to pull off the fun-poking.
Re: #34
Netrebko and “scupulously controlled” do not belong in the same sentence — nay, in the same universe. Netrebko and “adorned” will depend on whether she can actually do the adornment in question or not. But Netrebko and “showing no signs of study”? Fer sure.
I don’t know what all the hate is about. Zimmermann is brilliant. Ok, maybe she faulted a bit on Sonnambula but I think we can all agree she is new to the art form and her Lucia was spectacular…minus the “ghost” passing through during the aria…I’ve never been a fan of that.
The cast all seemed to be engaged (I’ve only seen the Friday performance on March 6) EXCEPT, and pardon me for saying this as I know I’ll be against the popular vote, JDF, who seemed to hug the downstage corner of the set to spare him from…what? Not being heard, being associated with the production…who knows, but I wasn’t impressed.
ND works hard and is devoted to the project at hand, that was obvious to me (but who am I, I was only sitting in orchestra prime). She sounded FANTASTIC and seemed committed to the concept, no matter how poorly it was received.
I liked Pertusi and Bunnell, and even Black. Not such a fan of Pido as he seemed like he was having a bit of a seizure down there in the pit. The orchestra didn’t seem to want to follow him at all which ultimately threw off the leads and the chorus. Pertusi seemed confidant in his singing as did Bunnell. I would like to hear Black in a fuller role, perhaps Mimi or Micaela…who knows why they cast as they do at the Met but she is someone I’d like to hear more of.
So that’s just my 2 cents.
IT WAS A SPOOF !!!! And a brilliant spoof at that. The spoof (with that beautiful music) makes for a great evening. Much better than the “embarrassing drama” Sonnambula does.
Wotanman … just a shame that Dessay’s sound is not more appealing, I find. She is a clever singer, but most of the voice is pretty non-descript, apart from an attractive patch in the upper-middle register. She certainly doesn’t ravish my senses and she’s not that interesting as a vocal interpreter, even if she is such an energetic actress.