American Beauty Rosenkavalier
[La Cieca is delighted to introduce a new reviewer, @scazzasofija.]
I found Rosenkavalier (Met, Oct. 13) to be mostly sublime. My quibbles come from a preference for Kleiber’s tempos. I found that de Waart was waving his arms as fast as he could for the beginning, but I think the prelude and up until the Marschallin’s monologue were too slow, not enough contrasts for the end of the act. I think this is the conservative American take on this opera, so I think it wasn’t a “problem.” However I felt that the Marschallin and Sophie lacked amusement and a real bright perkiness respectively partially due to the tempos.
Fleming looked a bit like Tatyana in bed, the wig basically the same and a similar nightgown. The relationship seemed troubled from the start. Her Marschallin was very relaxed in bed, no coyness or nervousness. However she was very affected by Octavian’s outbursts, exasperated rather than standing above and amused at her lover. She also did not seem in love with him, she looked more unhappy and besieged. Her lines “you’re like all men” and its like that run through the opera, stood out.
It came off that they were bickering and so the natural flow of the first act to their unhappy parting seemed natural, and more like a breakup, and I found myself thinking that she’s better off without him. The dramatic choices made a lot of sense, and at no point did I get the impression that the Marschallin was anything more than tolerant of her life and duties.
Vargas did not sound good in the house. I thought he had a cold. He lacked core, easy power, it felt pushed. Not like Onegin. He looked to be struggling.
Act 2 also lacked a fast enough tempo in the fast parts and Persson does lack enough perkiness to make Sophie really stand out in charm against the Marschallin. Also Persson’s voice has a darker color & round quality than what we’ve come to expect from Sophie (Damrau, Bonney, Battle) that some people might have a problem with. It was an interesting match with Graham in the duets; there were times when I couldn’t tell who was talking. I think the tempo, her acting, and the color of her voice did drain Sophie of her uniqueness a bit. Not enough contrast for me though. I found that the “Rosenkavalier” costume aged Graham and I had to focus on her acting to see her as the 17 year old boy. She was very amusing in the tavern scene.
Both Graham and Fleming sounded good. Fleming sounded lovely, none of her crazy habits, and nice low notes (though a bit inconsistent, but I’m really picking here). You really wanted to hear more. Fleming really shone in the third act The intervening time gave her voice a nice, relieving contrast from what we’d heard: silvery, narrow beauty. I’d never heard her like that.
The entire night she did well to emphasize the conversational-quality of the language and dialogue, and she seemed very naturally fluent (demonstrating how she is fluent) in her German conversation. This was especially in the beginning of the trio where she took a less reverent stance for “Hab mir’s gelobt” then that she was continuing a train of thought that she had been having throughout the opera. She wasn’t even turned to the audience yet. I found it very effective and real.
Ochs was good. He cracked once in Act 2 and seemed to struggle with his lowest notes. But he had verve, fit the bill. The production was unoffending, traditional, with occasional touches of the sublime with the Marschallin’s opulent lavender and silver, Schwarzkopf-like costume, complete with white wig and aigrette, contrasting with the brown and dark colors of the tavern. The music was consistent, singing lovely, and really a wonderful package overall for the Met.
I have a Feeling that Mia Persson is the kind of singer that will grow with Rosenkavalier. She is not singing Sophie, but I would not be surprised to see her as Quin-Quin in the near future and as Marie-Therese eventually.
I love that woman.
But, Lindoro, will anyone have the courage to cast a soprano a Octavian these days?
“I found that de Waart was waving his arms as fast as he could for the beginning, but I think the prelude and up until the Marschallin’s monologue were too slow, not enough contrasts for the end of the act. I think this is the conservative American take on this opera …”
I know there are those who like to blame everything they don’t like in opera on “conservative American” influence, but it would surely surprise De Waart to be thought of as an American, conservative or otherwise.
Madame La Cieca, I do so hope you have not signed The Scazzasofija music critic to a long term contract.
Lack of ‘perkyness?’ A lack of perkyness in any any Rosenkavalier perf. would be a decided asset in my view. Remember 1949 — well of course you don’t, but in that year Eleanor Steber sang both Sophie and the Feldmarschallin within six months at the Met. Steber, considered the finest Sophie of her day, had not one ounce of ‘perkyness.’ Pensez-la!
Fleming’s Marschallin was too “relaxed in bed….no coyness or nervousness.” What a startling comment, considering the Marschallin has just had a three-trombone orgasm as very clearly described to us by the orchestra. I am surprised we find her awake!
mrmyster: You make a fascinating point. I did NOT see Steber in either of those roles — honest. But you convey a vivid idea. A shy, rather backward Sophie could be far more endearing — and true to her music — than the proto-vixen that we often see.
Which also gives me a feeble pretext to trot out one of my favorite sallies from an Andrew Porter review of a Count in Figaro. He said that the person had played the Count as a young Baron Ochs, whereas he should be an older Octavian.
P.S. Of course Steber’s whole idea of the work came from many, many performances of it with Lotte Lehmann. She was completely inexperienced — had sung one opera role, a performance as Senta, in English, with Boris Goldofskky in Boston — when she made her Met debut, as Sophie opposite Lehmann. I remember a review of Olin Downes that I once looked up, in which he spoke of how fortunate New York was to have, night after night, the world’s greatest trio for the piece performing it: Lehmann, Risë Stevens, and Steber.
Oh, to have been there.
Miah Persson started very nicely, but it looks like she’s aiming to become Renee’s little sister, looks and all. Besides, she sings flat like hell, nowadays. Her Glyndebourne Fiordiligi was quite tragic
This is terribly flat, constantly :
Bonney is etheral here, a very good case of a singer focussing on being a musician
I’ve NEVER pegged Sophie as a “vixen”, proto or otherwise. Mind you, I’m not as familiar with Rosenkavalier as I am with some of the other Strauss works, but every time I listen to it, she strikes me as a character…how can I put this…she’s not necessarily naive, but she isn’t really prepared for the lifestyle she is now leading.
Sophie and Fanninal are New Money (given how Fanninal has to be instructed in the social niceties by his haushoffmeister, probably VERY new money) and while she’s been prepped to hobnob with aristocracy, she’s still ill at ease among the upper classes. In Her first attempts at conversation with Octavian, she talks to him about himself like he’s a movie star or something (”I’ve memorized all your middle names!”). Octavian is unasuming, polite, and of course they’ve just fallen in love at first sight, so she quickly becomes more comfortable around him, but when Ochs comes in you can tell it throws her. She has no idea how to handle this boorish oaf, and is quickly reduced to tears. She’s not shy, but she’s not a “vixen” either. Rosina is a vixen. Susanna is a vixen. Musetta is a vixen, and when it comes down to it, Mimi is too, a bit. Sophie? not a Vixen.
Sophie is coquettish. If you want a Strauss vixen, try Zerbinetta. For us older folk, the current Met production when brand new was conducted by Bohml and when I saw first saw it, Rysanek, Ludwig, Reri Grist, and Walter Berry were in the cast. Even after a “Hair” matinee and way too much pasta and wine at that awful Mama Leone’s restaurant, that evening’s Rosenkavalier was mesmerizing, surpassed only by a Kleiber-conducted performance in Muenchen in 1979 about a decade later. Sorry to harp on the good old days, but they really were quite extraordinary.
From what I heard last night, a decent performance but not yet at the same level that entranced Verlyn Klinkenborg when Fleming and Graham first appeared together in the opera at the Met. Klinkenborg’s essay, which ran in the NY Times editoral section, was one of the most evocative pieces I’ve read about opera.
Jay – Just to continue my diatribe, I’d say even “Coquettish” is a stretch.
Plenty of good comments above and I don’t want to start splitting hairs, but — on the matter of factual accuracy: Steber’s first Sophie was as you say, Alto, the work of a neophyte, but it was not done opposite Lehmann, and I think Lotte at that point had no direct influence on Steber, which she may have had later. Lehmann did not sing that night, Dec. 6, 1940 — she had some kind of ‘issue’ with the Met and, while I forget the details, the Met Annals will show that a soprano was brought in from Chicago for that performance, one only, and not heard from again. Lotte was a very complex person, and I don’t know what was going on — but at that moment in time it had nothing to do with Steber.
And he of all people knew how to write for womens’
Steber saw Sophie as she was taught by the Met staff in 1940 — a shallow vulgar girl, middle-class arriviste; don’t be fooled by the grandeur of the von Faninal household in the Merrill production; it’s just fantasy. Sophie says “mein Gott” a lot and is a conniver; that she is redeemed at the end, enough to match up with the romantic tropes of Octavian can happen only in opera, esp. Dr. Strauss’s glorious opera. I love it all, but Sophie is really uninteresting — she’s just there to sing the pianissimo high B-naturals, which Steber did most astonishingly well. Stevens was pretty good too, Madame Lehman was a study in sentimental narcissism, well supported by Strauss’s music; sometimes I wonder what it takes for a mere man to get so entirely into a woman’s mind and heart, but he surely did and made quite some beauty out of it. There is a lot of tonal astringency in the score, lots of wacko orchestration, and that, played against the strong sentiments expressed by the trio of characters, has for me always set up a wonderful kind of tongue-in-cheek tension: Strauss is commenting both ways at once. Not unknown in the
music world
voices. Steber’s big lyric soprano was deliberately trained by old
Professor Whitney at the N. E. Conservative for the German lyric roles — Sophie all the way to Eva and Elsa. It’s sad that she got sidetracked onto other things, but it was her nature never to say ‘no’ to anything. The anti-Kirsten
Ciao.
William L. Whitney, New England Conservatory – sorry about typos.
Eleanor told me he was a real eccentric; he wore yellow gloves at their studio sessions, in all weather. When she was working with Whitney
at his private home, E. said Mrs. Whitney would go out onto the street and invite people in to hear her. E. claimed that people would gather outside to listen to the voice. I have to be a little amused. Did I speak of sentimental narcissism and Lotte? Well, add E. to the list.
Oh, sorry, I meant to add that Maria Hussa, actually a very well-known singer in Europe, later Chicago, was the Met Marschallin on the night Steber debuted as Sophie. Hussa was the first Heliane in the Korngold opera, and after singing in Europe settled in Chicago not only for opera performances but a long career as teacher. There are recordings and lots of info. on line about her. Must have been a nice artist. You know, it’s amazing how much good opera there is outside New York!
Enough from me now!
Well, mrmyster, even if Lehmann didn’t take Steber under her wing, they did sing together in Rosenkavalier at the Met 11 times over the course of three seasons or so. So Steber certainly had plenty of opportunities to hear Lehmann and absorb some of her musical choices and so forth.
Lehmann’s cancellation on the night of Steber’s first Sophie sounds like just a standard sort of “indisposed” cancellation. Lehmann was certainly there for her second scheduled performance of the season a couple of weeks later.
Oh yes, Cieca, Steber and Lehmann did in fact do coaching and so on. Lotte was interested in her for sure and was behind her taking up the role of Elsa, for which she thought Eleanor a natural — true! I was just responding to Alto that at the outset Lotte was not involved with E. in Dec. ‘40 etc.
Later, Steber sat in the front row at Town Hall tears in her eyes at Lotte’s famous farewell concert there. Lotte of course became an influential teacher and mentor to various singers via the Music School at Santa Barbara, that was after Steber had made the big time. I think Lotte and Eleanor ended up with a kind of wary, long-distance mutual admiration. Steber was just too wild and unpredictable for Lotte, though they possibly shared some interests (bi-sexuality). I have nothing but respect for them both as professionals. I have a photo of Lotte visiting Steber as Marschallin backstage at the Met — Lotte looked her usual, Steber looked very tired, perhaps hung-over and not very happy; Lotte would have been most disapproving of Eleanor’s lifestyle. Who wouldn’t? Eleanor was not prone to take advice, Lotte was very free to give it. Ummmm…..
“I was just responding to Alto that at the outset Lotte was not involved with E. in Dec. ‘40 etc.”
Are you really assuming, Mrmyster, that there were no rehearsals and other musical communion between them — solely on the basis of Mme Lehmann’s missing that one show?
I can’t claim great authority here — though I did know Steber quite well in my youth, visited in her home, etc., I certainly didn’t, like you, call her “Eleanor” and the great Lehmann “Lotte” — but I believe her in her conviction that she learned a lot from Lehmann in all those performances. And she sang an awful lot of Strauss — as much as they’d let her — thereafter.
As for the exact conditions of those ROSENKAVALIER performances, I suppose we could still ask Stevens.
By the way, it may surprise and/or interest some of us to hear that Steber told me that her favorite Strauss role was Salome [pron. Zalome, Squirrel]. That shocked me at the time, but I can sort of see it now. How I would love to have seen her Arabella, which I gather she fought to have produced at the Met.
But she will always be Dorabella’s big sister and Susanna’s mistress to me.
Well, Alto, I shall overlook your slight tinge of distemper and point out in those days of Steber’s debut, stage rehearsal was very limited; she probably encountered LL back stage (insofar as there was any such – there was very little in the 39th St. house), or in musical rehearsal, but I doubt LL was much in evidence for rehearsals of a role she “owned.” Wouldn’t you say, meine bichette?
If you behave, I shall perhaps one day tell you a rare anecdote (direct from Eleanor) concerning her and Grace Moore. It’s delightful; or perhaps she already told it to you? I will tell you this: Zinka (whom I called by that name at her invitation), always called Eleanor, “Leonora.” I thought that quite amusing, all things considered. There, just a crumb to show you my good will in the matter, in spite of all! Honey’s better than vinegar, do you think, Master Alto?
For her debut Steber had very little rehearsal, mainly with Leinsdorf, and he, not the Met, had to arrange for her to have decent costuming. No, frankly, I don’t think LL and Eleanor had much contact at first; only after the younger singer showed what she could do — and the public approved. That would get LL’s attention.
I shall call Eleanor by that name as I did to her face from 1948 to 1990, the time during which I knew her. I never met LL. I used “Lotte” here as shorthand, yes? OK? But in your honor it shall be LL
hereforward. If you did not call Eleanor ‘Eleanor’ you were not well
acquainted with her, but I will not further lower myself to your level, as I disdain such piffle contests, and I am being polite. [You might take a look, if you are interested, at my article in Classical Singer, Oct. 2008, about Eleanor in St. Louis during the local opera's effort with Vanessa, and take a look at the wonderful photographs I made of Eleanor and Graham Vick!]
Really Alto, you need to sharpen your awareness of music world practices back in the pre-war days. You must be terribly young, just as I am terribly old!
#18: Obviously, Steber never sang Salome. She attempted the
final scene, late on, with orchestra. Not successful.
Rudolf Bing was the inspiration in bringing Arabella to it’s
Met premiere; the only mistake was that it was sung in English.
#8…
I agree with you on Persson. I remember her singing very beautifully in Jacob’s “Rinaldo” recording. Lately though, the voice sounds seriously monochrome. The top seems to lack bloom and is often just slightly flat. In fairness to her, of course, “Et incarnatus” is a bitch of an aria to sing well, as it sits VERY high (especially considering that she sings at higher pitch than Bonney). Also, Bonney has perfect pitch, which I think also helps her in aria as strongly instrumental as this one. Also, she seems to sing Fiordiligi a lot, which may explain the issues at the top (Fiordiligi is a big sing for a voice like hers and requires a strong and well connected lower and middle register).
“My quibbles come from a preference for Kleiber’s tempos.”
Now perhaps I’m quibbling, but… Which Kleiber?
Sorry, Mrmyster, that you seem so offended by my supposed “touch of distemper,” which by the end of your latest has moved on to accusations of downright rudeness. I’ve reread the two posts above and all I can honestly detect in that direction is what you might see as a lack of deference to you personally. Even that I’m willing to apologize for. And you’re right: I can’t do anything about my age, though it is refreshing to be called “very young” — though that may also stand as one reason I would never have referred to Steber as “Eleanor.” We were not in any sense equals.
Regarding the original review – to say that Fleming exhibited none of her “crazy habits” is plain ridiculous – it was bizarrely mannered and to say that it would be “quibbling” to discuss problems with the lower voice means that this reviewer WANTS to overlook the severe vocal problems Fleming is having with the chest voice. the review was neither objective or particulary enlightening regarding either the work itself or the performance.
And speaking of great Mozart singer, this one takes a stab at Verdi; Verdi dies --
mrmyster:
While the conversation has gone way beyond, I thought I’d reply to your problems with my “review.” First of all, these were passing thoughts sent in as a courtesy to La Cieca since I enjoy her site so much, not an edited and final cut of a much agonized over review. I apologize if my points weren’t clear. But I was making observations, and I think I was pretty clear about what was a problem for me and wasn’t.
Yes, it was an American Rosenkavalier, this is mostly LEVINE’s Rosenkavalier. He ran the rehearsals and I doubt that de Waart could substantially change it. But as I said, it wasn’t a problem, just my personal preference for a different conductor. Really, that’s never happened on this site?
Renee’s portrayal was wonderful, but it was different. I had no problem with her being relaxed in bed. I don’t really know where you get that idea. Many Marschallin’s are overtly trying to play pawing, young and coy; I found it a relief that Renee felt no obligation.
As for Persson. I do think she could have stood out more in coquettish charm. She needs to equal the Marschallin in PRESENCE so you understand why Octavian would fall for her at all. There was a man sitting by me who called everyone he knew after the second act because he was so infuriated by Persson. I was not one of these people. However, I think she is more in the old mold of a Sophie, someone who may grow into the Marschallin. It was refreshing, but her character needed to stand out more.
I was merely providing the view from the house, explaining what the acting was like for those of you who listened online. I know things can sound and look completely different. If I hated anything, I would have used much stronger language. I think this is a great production, Renee a wonderful, sensitive, uniquely coherent Marschallin. This is not Sonnambula from last year, Satyagraha, or even the Met’s Salome which I had some major problems with. This was only the view from the house.
Carlos Kleiber (now let’s hope I do this like correctly!)
Sorry I can’t figure out how to do the embed link:
[fixed that for you - lc]
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Well, Sanford, try Stich-Randall (”Dyke, ya know!”)in FALSTAFF, where she rivals your beloved Moffo…
She also recorded a fascinating German-language Violetta for the radio (Stuttgart 1953 if memory serves).
26 “Yes, it was an American Rosenkavalier, this is mostly LEVINE’s Rosenkavalier. He ran the rehearsals and I doubt that de Waart could substantially change it.”
Think again. Say what you want about their interpretations, but the lead singers (and the Met orchestra) are all cracker-jack musicians who have done the opera with different conductors over the years. It would not take de Waart much time to put his stamp on the musical side of things in the two weeks since Levine pulled out.
Arianna a Nasso then you would be surprised too see the occasional push and pull from the singers to de Waart for tempo. Renee definitely wanted her slower tempos at times (beginning of the trio, he definitely was trying tog et her to go faster). Obviously Levine would have indulged her in that, it didn’t look like de Waart had much choice.
Keep in mind the preparation staff is Levine’s. I know some of the coaches and they know exactly what Levine wants. That is how they prepare the singers. So yes, I still think it would be hard to retrain them, and I think it’s not really what de Waart was called on to do.
He did a wonderful job, & thankfully not as sappy as Levine would have conducted many stretches of this opera.
Anyway, why is there such a problem with my feeling that the Germans do this opera differently than the US/UK? On DVD Kiri & Solti are just slower and more restrained than Kleiber & Jones. I’m surprised since this is pretty obvious.
scazza, after the http add a v… httpv:// etc etc. That will embed the video
I wanted to post a picture – which I couldn’t figure out how to do in the last version. How do I do it now?
@scazzasofija @32
Interesting idea, but I’m not sure it’s quite so clear. Solti grew up in the same Central European tradition as Kleiber. He was music director in Munich and then Frankfurt for over a decade combined before going to Covent Garden. I would be surprised if working in London caused him to change his interpretation of Rosenkavalier which would have been formed by conducting the opera in Germany.
Is Kna’s handling of this piece as broad as his Wagner or fleeter a la C. Kleiber?
I agree with Arianna, it’s naive to think this is LEVINE’S production as though Levine had even asserted himself in rehearsals so much, laying down the law about how things should go etc. Esp with the Met orchestra in the pit…
Whoever is conducting that night – it’s THEIR Rosenkavalier.
language coaches and particularly astute native speakers (I hesitate to say any native speaker because we know what a can of worms that is!) would recommend Ms Steber change her mind, and pronounce is SSALOME instead of Zalome. The truth is in the middle and leans more toward the former.
SSalome. I stand by it!
Squirrel @ #37 – why?
squirrel – you are so right about this; give anyone two rehearsals with the orchestra, and it’s his show musically speaking.
I’ve seen de Waart rehearse an orchestra many times in SFE and heard his Mozart and Strauss, and it does not take long at all for him to imprint the performance — he’s cleaner, lighter in texture, a bit swifter at times than Levine (or late Levine), and he is, in the best sense, more of a “theatre” conductor — he understands a given opera is a show — the show is on stage, it does not center in the pit. I expect you know what I mean.
Scazzasofija, if I say may say my dear, don’t take it all so seriously. I don’t myself and I try not to take myself very seriously, dontcha know? No reason to be defensive about my comments — I surely respect you and intended nothing personal. It’s just that I go back to Irene Jessner and Eleanor Steber in Der R., and can’t help myself.
Cheerio. MrM
kurwenal –
because I said so? seriously, why would it be pronounced ZZ? Because your german teacher told you to pronounce all s’s like that? Seltsam, So, Singen all work according to that rule, but proper nouns are different. Siegmund is ziegmund indeed, but it’s a more native German word. Salome is a borrowed word, first from Hebrew or something (god knows) and then more directly from French.
anyone who has another take on it is welcome to (politely) chime in.
Anyone remember Tiana Lemnitz as Octavian, on DGG, singing Oct.’s
final solo rising cadence, “Spur’nur dich allein….?” She goes to the
most melting G I have ever heard, then portamentos the phrase down to thelower line as she is joined by Erna Berger’s Sophie for the final measures. I thought for a moment last night that Susan was going to give us that, but her G seemed very tentative. Maybe it will develop over the run; she certainly had the right idea.
Incidetnally, the best sound for the Lemnitz/Berger/Krauss is still the original DGG yellow label 78s; subsequent transfers have attenuated the sonics rather much. Very sad. That is a definitive recording.
never seen nor heard this, but I’d love to!
the master would have been a 78, which is likely worn out from many re-releasing.
thanks for the tip!
squirrel: I think most (German) singers would tell you that “Zalome” is easier to sing. The most important point (as with Turandot/Turandoh) is that it’s sung consistently across the production.
Barstow was a capital Rose-Bearer.
Cieca: I have just been at the Steinway trying
zzalome vs. salome. In my very Herodesque tenor
there is no difference. But I’ll ask Regina Safaty
tomorrow and see what she thinks – a famous
Oktavian! Such a lovely person to have living here
in the Mountains of the West!
How I do value the postings of the Vicar of Wakefield!
He is a treasure, an ornament to our discourse, and
of course we’ve come to rely upon him for the latest
from Britain. Such as Miss Barstow! (Is she still living?)
Vicar, how would you feel about an exchange of
email addresses so we may converse pvtly.????
Mme. La Cieca has my permission to give it you.
cheerio
MrM
yeah with all due respect to cieca and unnamed german opera professionals, I think ssalome is perfectly sssingable, just as any word with a consonant at the beginning in perfectly sssingable.
for example, both Turandot and… Turandoh.
shall we call you La ZZhieka?
This “Sophie/Salome” discussion is riling me, for some reason. Maybe because I was once corrected in public for saying “Turandoh” by a hardcore Turandot-ist.
For me, my one German speaking opera friend has always said “Zalome.” But I have a German speaking co-worker, and I asked her to pronounce “Salome,” which she did with an “s” sound. When I wrote out “Siegfried” and asked her to pronounce it, she used the ‘z’ sound. I asked her to explain and, like another commenter, she said that “Salome” is an imported word for German and so follows the pronunciation of the original language.
Maybe the ‘z’ is easier to sing. I don’t know. I try not to sing to preserve my own ears.
ask your friend how to say Salzburg
Will do.
Before the Vicar gets there, Barstow was also English National Opera’s reigning Salome in the 1970s in a Joachim Herz production. I think it ended with her dying of a heart attack rather than being crushed by the guards. Either way, she probably looked good and sounded uningratiating, but artful, as usual.
Isn’t that how Elektra ends, too?
Salome, Elektra, it’s all in the family.
I heard a broadcast of the recording of the final scene from Elektra with Borkh and Schech under Boehm the other day. Stunning! Schech’s sound is not very sexy, but, boy, was she getting all the notes, and Borkh is magnificent, even if the voice is a bit throaty and granular. She definitely has somethin’ goin’ on there. And Boehm’s conducting was fantastic. I’m afraid it shows just what a row Solti’s version is, Birgit notwithstanding.
50
Yes, Dame Jo’s splendid Salome showed the path for the world-class interpretations of Helen Field, Janice Watson and Elizabeth Byrne.
I don’t know who veered this bizarre thread onto Josephine Barstow as “Zalome,” but I actually saw her perform the role at the San Francisco Opera in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and it’s the only time I’ve been able to abide that opera. She was beyond great.
Even better was her “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” but that’s a whole other thread.
Squirrel @ #40 – thank you.
“Even better was [Barstow's] “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” but that’s a whole other thread.”
Well, actually, though she was highly competent, had you seen the unforgettable Anja Silja in the prior SFO revival of that production, I bet you wouldn’t think quite so highly of Barstow’s portrayal, either as acting or singing.
Kind of like Marton’s Elisabeth in relation to Rysanek’s…
And I heard her at the LOC in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensnk back in the early 80s. She was stupdendous.
Sanford, have you noticed that Marilyn Zschau does the ‘letterbox’ thing with her mouth that Leontyne did later in her career? Her sound is dark and exciting, but the words do get a bit mangled. And she looks a bit like Jocelyn Wildenstein.
“And she looks a bit like Jocelyn Wildenstein.”
Ah, the unkindest cut of all!
Salome or Zalome -- the Hebrew name is Shlomit LOL.
I know it’s late in the thread and kinda off topic, but I can’t resist but post this delicious clip of a fabulous Canadian singer, Karina Gauvin. I think she’d be a fantastic Sophie for the MET
As for Marschallin’s how about Geraldine Mcgreevy?