Out there, in the dark
All of you who said, “Oh, Kiri te Kanawa could never do Norma” are feeling pretty silly right now, aren’t you? Of course, La Cieca doesn’t mean the Bellini druidess, a role the Kiwi songbird never could have mastered even at the peak of her career, whenever that might have been.
No, this Norma is the creepy aging diva who refuses to go away: “I promise you I’ll never desert you again, because after Der Rosenkavalier we’ll make another opera, and another and another. You see, this is my life. It always will be. There’s nothing else – just me and the prompters and those wonderful people out there in the dark…” [NYT]
Have I missed something? Te Kanawa is a beautiful woman who (in her prime) had a gorgeous instrument that she used with some skill. She, for the most part, stuck to repertoire that suited her, and she certainly never made claims to being any king of great dramatic interpreter. What on earth has she done to deserve this round of bashing?
Oh. I just checked the NYT link—perhaps it is a bit Norma Desmond-ish—but if people continue to buy tickets, and she feels up to it, why not? I’m not sure I’d be among the buyers, tho…
Charlie Hayden, the great jazz bassist, said of Kiri many years ago, “if I could sing like that, why would I ever talk?” I guess he liked her voice
You know, I disagree with the assertion that she could never have sung Norma. She might not have mastered it, or been a particularly fiery interpreter of the part, but she could have gotten her voice around the notes of it more easily than many. In fact, I have often wondered why she didn’t try more bel canto, at least in the studio.
However, she might have been more interesting in the role of Adalgisa, for those of you who prefer a soprano in that part as well.
Other Norma’s: Anja Silja, Karan Armstrong, Teresa Berganza. More candidates?
Rufus Wainwright, Hayley Westenra, Mylie Cyrus
I don’t see it as “bashing” — just taking note of the fact that she does seem to keep changing her story about when, or if, or to what extent she’s retiring. Which is not a crime of course, but fun (for some) to snark about.
It’ll be interesting to hear Kiri sing the Duchess of Krakenthorp…
re 4: No, she couldn’t have gotten her voice around the notes of Norma, for the same reason she never sang bel canto – she didn’t have the technique to do it. I mean, if she maybe had been a little younger and Russian the MET would have let her loose on the bel canto rep. But, even to sing bel canto badly requires practice (in a music studio, not the driving range!)
Cieca, I must say that photoshop job is fucking fabulous!
Kiri as Norma> As risible as Nebby as Bolenna. She would’ve been a much better Adalgisa. Could you imagine a Norma with Scotto and her as Adalgisa? Now that would have been wonderful to hear.
I think te Kanawa was very intelligent in choosing her rep. She might have had many faults, but except for Tosca (which she only did 1 production) I can not think of any mistakes in repertoire she did.
Nebby and Fleming have a lot to learn from that woman.