Comments on: American Beauty Rosenkavalier

CerquettiFarrell commented

CerquettiFarrell — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:44:49 +0000

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?

Krunoslav commented

Krunoslav — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:44:27 +0000

“And she looks a bit like Jocelyn Wildenstein.”

Ah, the unkindest cut of all!

MontyNostry commented

MontyNostry — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:43:45 +0000

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.

Sanford commented

Sanford — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:50:18 +0000

And I heard her at the LOC in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensnk back in the early 80s. She was stupdendous.

Krunoslav commented

Krunoslav — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:50:52 +0000

“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…

Cocky Kurwenal commented

Cocky Kurwenal — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:01:07 +0000

Squirrel @ #40 – thank you.

sfmike commented

sfmike — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:38:08 +0000

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.

The Vicar of John Wakefield commented

The Vicar of John Wakefield — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:49:57 +0000

Yes, Dame Jo’s splendid Salome showed the path for the world-class interpretations of Helen Field, Janice Watson and Elizabeth Byrne.

MontyNostry commented

MontyNostry — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:10:27 +0000

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.

CruzSF commented

CruzSF — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:03:09 +0000

Isn’t that how Elektra ends, too?

MontyNostry commented

MontyNostry — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:58:23 +0000

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.

CruzSF commented

CruzSF — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:50:09 +0000

Will do.

squirrel commented

squirrel — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:47:20 +0000

ask your friend how to say Salzburg

CruzSF commented

CruzSF — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:42:27 +0000

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.

squirrel commented

squirrel — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:07:14 +0000

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?

mrmyster commented

mrmyster — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:52:33 +0000

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

The Vicar of John Wakefield commented

The Vicar of John Wakefield — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:40:15 +0000

Barstow was a capital Rose-Bearer.

La Cieca commented

La Cieca — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:21:04 +0000

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.

squirrel commented

squirrel — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:14:08 +0000

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!

mrmyster commented

mrmyster — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:08:10 +0000

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.