Comments on: the art of the euphemism

Camille commented

Camille — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:01:28 +0000

To Miss Brewer: God speed and good luck with your healing process, and will you please come back to us in the following Ring Cycles to show everybody what you are, i.e., a SUPERB vocal talent!

From that first Ariadne, I felt you held the potential to be the greatest Brunnhilde of this era, and it is my fervent hope that you will have that opportunity, if not at the Met, then in another important cycle.

mrmyster commented

mrmyster — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:42:38 +0000

Thank you, Lad; I shall use that at my next opera cocktail party.
(care to attend?)

Operalad commented

Operalad — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:21:10 +0000

Although that implies that the discussion itself in operatic in its scope, but not necesarily about Opera. To make it clear that the palace is for the discussion of opera, one would need to say: Ein Palast wo es alles um Oper geht.

Operalad commented

Operalad — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:18:26 +0000

Ein Palast der Opernhafte Diskussion.

mrmyster commented

mrmyster — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:11:18 +0000

#144 – Anon. Thank you for your posting on Christine; I really felt better seeing that on here after all the inuendo and snark, some even from La Cieca, who does not usually adopt that style. “Six weeks recovery at home,” is what one opera official told me. I would say six months recovery at home, during which she loses 75 lbs (just as a beginning), and that would reassure her and insure another good five years of a big-earning career. Otherwise, I have my worries. Once the knees start to go for big girls there is rarely any turning back. She is as you know, and I say this affectionately, ‘German as all get out,’ and that includes stubborn. So, this terrible Met episode may help her, finally, make up her very strong mind to do something wise concerning weight. Have you seen a photo of her at age 30? She had a fabulous figure and was beautiful. She did not have a reliable top voice until about ten years ago when the whole thing fell into place and took on that very rich tonal lustre; now if she’d take off just #100, all would be very very well and the Met could let Miss V. go out to her well-earned pasture. Hold the fort, Anon, and keep bringing some decency to this, um, er … Palace of Operatic Discussion. How do you say that in German?

Anon commented

Anon — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:55:37 +0000

Ugh…I really wish people would learn to de-fang themselves before speaking or writing. I know Christine and she is a consummate professional. You can ask the artistic department of the Met for the test results from the Dr. that Miss Brewer was sent to here in NY (by the suggestion of the artistic dept.). If you only knew how upset she was about not being able to perform in this cycle. There was lots of crying and a lot done to try to have her sing any portion of the cycle, but as she is not allowed to walk for a week, must swim to exercise and then walk with a walker per the Dr’s orders, I doubt that this is a “rumor” as some have called it. Christine has been preparing for this cycle for the better part of 3 years and is devastated to say the least. Let’s not add to her misery and disappointment by spreading untruths.

Sir Morosus commented

Sir Morosus — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:35:29 +0000

# 142 I highly recommend Brewers new English language recital on Chandos. Maybe the voice is just too opulent for Mozart, but the emroidery aria from Grimes and Magda’s big scene from “The Consul” especially had me cheering. That would be a great role for her on stage.

Regina delle fate commented

Regina delle fate — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:05:04 +0000

Considering her size and her indeed considerably flourishing concert career, Brewer has a more than creditable record in opera: Donna Anna, Haydn’s Armida, Ariadne, Ellen Orford, the title role in Gloriana in St Louis, where she has continued to sing because it’s near her home. Both Donna Anna – which she recorded with Sir Charles Mackerras around concert performances at the Edinburgh Festival – and Countess Almaviva at Covent Garden (who stopped using her because of the size issue). Ariadne at ENO, the Met, and, I think, Santa Fe. Ellen Orford at Santa Fe. Fidelio, Isolde in San Francisco, FÃ¤rbersfrau at Lyric Opera and the OpÃ©ra de Paris. In London – which I realise is a village compared to New York – she is regarded as a much greater singer than RenÃ©e Fleming. Every orchestra wants her, all the leading British conductors ask for her and she is an annual fixture at the Proms, Wigmore Hall and Barbican Hall, often making several appearances per season. Singers can actually have major careers outside the Met. Brewer is one of them. Of course, the big record companies won’t use her because they can’t get her pictures into the glossy magazines. It’s easier to sell Danielle De Niese. Brewer is a wonderful singer. If you consider that she is now 52 or 53, her voice is in amazing shape. She should lose weight, however, and I think Cassandra is wrong saying she is smaller than Blythe. She’s been pretty obese for at least 15 years and it may be that now the chickens are coming home to roost. It’s a great shame.

Nerva Nelli commented

Nerva Nelli — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:56:50 +0000

136

“Dyke, ya know.”

alexyathymia commented

alexyathymia — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:42:32 +0000

Ahaha–I was at a concert recital of Caballe’ in 1988 [9? 90?]–she gave “O Mio Babbino”–as an encore, I think–and sang “GRAN DIO, VORREI MORIR.” Awesome, right? I could not have made that up XD

paddypig commented

paddypig — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:41:41 +0000

caballe also could show up unprepared. her ariadne at the MET was famous for having the score pasted all over the set. she did not remember the role at all.

wotan_in_inman commented

wotan_in_inman — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:22:45 +0000

Brian, it’s taken me a while, but I’ve got to say you delight me. You’ve got a “chips-fall-where-they-may” attitude which is both abrading and exhilarating, like those Finnish saunas.

But that doesn’t mean you can call on me to pick up your broken bleeding body out of some alley.

brian commented

brian — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:05:05 +0000

gosh, nerva it took you long enough to get the spelling right.

La Cieca commented

La Cieca — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:08:14 +0000

brian: I could believe that the net cost of engaging Polaski to jump into three performances could esaily top $100,000. First there would probably be some premium or bonus built into Polaski’s fee, then presumably the Met have to cover at least some of the costs of finding a replacement Kostelicka for Munich’s Jenufa, the production Polaski would have to abandon to go into the Met’s Ring.

I would guess, though, that the speculation is moot, because it’s a new production in Munich, to be repeated in that company’s summer festival, a very high-profile assignment for Polaski. Plus, world-class Kostelkickas don’t exactly grow on bushes. Surely, too, Polaski understands that her Brunnhilde days are mostly behind her, and that whatever future she has as a singer will be in roles like the Kostelnicka.

wotan_in_inman commented

wotan_in_inman — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:41:41 +0000

Wouldn’t it depend on the director? If (s)he has set an “open rehearsal” policy, then anything goes. But often a “closed rehearsal” is declared; that means “what happens here STAYS here!”, in which case leaks would be cause for dismissal.

messa di voce commented

messa di voce — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:20:06 +0000

Fanciulla:

MC was well-known, at least in the first part of her career when she was singing frequently, for going blank on the text while singing.

Some of her greatest triumphs (Puritani, Armida) were drilled into her brain in a matter of days, up to and including opening night.

Something Called Nerva Nelli commented

Something Called Nerva Nelli — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:55:54 +0000

I apologize for calling Brian an “opiniated ignoramus”.

I meant, of course, an “opinionated ignoramus”.

Inquest O'Redger commented

Inquest O'Redger — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:25:32 +0000

PoisonIvy, we need to give Mr Tuggle a series on ‘unnatural acts’!

PoisonIvy commented

PoisonIvy — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:17:10 +0000

I’d also like to add, that, with a few exceptions, I find that those truly “in the know” often don’t say anything, out of respect for the artists or organization. For instance Met archivist Robert Tuggle (great guy) works in a charmingly messy office right beneath the Met rehearsal rooms. I’ve been there, and you really can here everything. So he would probably be a gold mine for gossip, including any and all rehearsal fights, diva tantrums, who is sounding great, who is sounding awful, etc. But he doesn’t do that sort of thing.

Fancuilla del West commented

Fancuilla del West — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:07:17 +0000

LEARNING vs. KNOWING NEW ROLES
Great discussion on the in’s and out’s of coming prepared to rehearsals. The greatest role model has not been mentioned, MC. If every principal singer in today’s hurly-burly, jet-setting opera world had the foresight to follow in her footsteps in striving to be an ARTIST first instead of allowing opera management push and pull them; we might all be better off. The exceptional gift and ability to learn roles quickly has only been granted to person that we all love and admire, PD. (122 and still counting)