Headshot of La Cieca

Cher Public

  • CruzSF: Frighteningly plausible, APT. 2:02 AM
  • Baritenor: SAMSON ET DALILA 1. Ambelich and the Gran Pretre go all Gitmo on the Old Hebrew. 2. The High Priest has... 2:02 AM
  • A. Poggia Turra: Aside: The Tosca in the previous Regie quiz is the production in which a scenery wall collapsed... 1:39 AM
  • Camille: Parpignol–I& #8217;ve heard her simg Brünnehilde twice in Wallüre. It was a wonderful assumption of... 1:31 AM
  • Quanto Painy Fakor: DIE MEISTERSINGER 1:28 AM
  • La Cieca: httpv://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=OqbR cEulhos 1:24 AM
  • Camille: Wait a minute, just caught the title of Cieca’s header– is it Kurt Weill’s “Down... 1:12 AM
  • parpignol: point taken; clearly you are right; I’ve just not had much experience of her, since I live in New... 1:08 AM

+ Comments feed

triumph of the willy

by | 11:02 pm | Aug 12, 2009

Here’s a glimpse of Marina Poplavskaya in the Willy Decker production of La traviata, coming to the Met in 2010.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/cJSjDBSnnUw" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Tags: , , , ,
70 Comments

70 comments

1 … 5 6 7
  • CERQUETTIFARRELL1 says:

    Wow, good to be back, had problems logging with my old id. Maybe got blocked ??

    Anyway, AG still carries the day for me as a very personal, high profile Traviata. This Poplavskaya has short breath and can’t really carry the phrases over. The sound is nice though. Not nearly as personal as AG IMHO. Her new DVD from La Scala shows appreciable refinement in the role, more inward than at Covent Garden. And she masters the Cavani production, still very beautiful if conservative. All this despite obvious first act trouble.

    I really hate the D(r)ecker production. Hitting us over the head with a 5-kilo schnitzel hammer. Looks like a high-school graduation act. Netrebko never really mastered the role, maybe in Vienna. This has to be calculated and the effects perfectly timed to work. Callas knew this, so does AG. Dessay? Damrau? Futral? I wonder. Maybe in smaller houses, definitely not the Met.

    Two optional Traviatas: Ana Maria Martinez, which doesn’t seem to perform much in NY. I wonder why, the voice is luscious and works well, and she is a personable artist. And of course Harteros, who can be thrilling on a good night. Watch her doing small bits from the Requiem on this promotional:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzkC7EnudjY

    both Harteros and Martinez are ably voiced for the Met for this role I think.

    on August 13, 2009 at 9:04 PM
  • Constantine A. Papas says:

    31, talking about Freni, your favotite Violetta, do you know that she was booed to oblivion the first time she sang it? Of course, Freni and Scotto, she was booed, to, became supperstars.

    on August 13, 2009 at 10:14 PM
  • louannd says:

    #31 – CAP – Never knew they were booed — I first started listening to Freni on the advice of my Voice teacher — she had made many recordings by then — First saw Scotto way back in the early 80s and loved her.

    Ms Sierra – she was one of the winners of the Met Council auditions, I believe.

    I’d also like to point out that Ailyn Perez is IU trained, and I tend to like them, especially Matthew Polenzani. Her hubby, Stephen is not IU, but a marvelous voice, nonetheless.

    on August 13, 2009 at 11:26 PM
  • Cocky Kurwenal says:

    #58 – Just for the avoidance of doubt, we are talking about Poplavskaya aren’t we? The voice is not well produced because she has a lot of tension around her chest, in her forehead, shoulders and neck, and quite possibly her abdomen although I’ve never seen that because she’s always been corseted when I’ve seen her – it all tends to feed upwards though, so it wouldn’t surprise me if it started there. This bothers me because, good though she might seem, she isn’t as good as she could be, and I also think it will have an impact on how long she is acceptable in these roles for. If she managed to free her body, and consequently her voice, she’d probably be amazing, but as it is I hear too many unresolved problems that are limiting her potential.

    Age has little to do with it, and hence the Ponselle example doesn’t really add to the debate. Many singers are lucky enough not to get caught up in the whole tension thing. It’s ages since I’ve heard any Ponselle, but she didn’t have an entirely easy time at the top did she? That might have been tension, but it might just have been more of a pressure/balance thing – perhaps she enjoyed her gorgeous lower register a little too much.

    on August 14, 2009 at 4:45 AM
  • Tamerlano says:

    I was speaking of Ms. Sierra, not Poplovskaya. In the case of Poplovskaya, I am in complete agreement with you.

    on August 14, 2009 at 8:52 AM
  • Cocky Kurwenal says:

    Ha – glad I checked, I did wonder if we were discussing the same person! That Sierra lady is extremely impressive.

    on August 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM
  • Feldmarschallin says:

    Harteros will not sing in this production. She was already asked to do it in Salzburg and told them no.

    on August 14, 2009 at 10:52 AM
  • MontyNostry says:

    Cocky/Tamerlano — I was talking about Sierra too. (Poplavskaya always sounds dangerous to me. The basic colour is interesting and distinctive, but she darkens it too much and I don’t like the way it narrows down as she squeezes it out at the top.)

    Sierra sounds a little like the young Freni there, doesn’t she? In the flesh the voice is a little bit drier than it sounds in that video, but it is attractive and definitely not run-of-the-mill. The girl is only 21 too!

    on August 14, 2009 at 1:01 PM
  • Cocky Kurwenal says:

    yes, sorry montsy, it was me getting hold of the wrong end of the stick. She’s a fabulous young singer. How exciting to see a full lyric on the rise too, rather than yet another coloratura.

    on August 14, 2009 at 1:11 PM
  • MontyNostry says:

    Having heard her live, I’m not sure she’s a full lyric (yet, at least), but she is certainly delightful.

    on August 14, 2009 at 1:26 PM
1 … 5 6 7