Une femme de mon nom
Felicity Palmer has withdrawn, alas, from the Met’s spring revival of La Fille du Régiment. In her place, alternating in the role of the Marquise de Berkenfield we will hear Ann Murray (pictured, with friend) and Philip Langridge. (Oh, all right, La Cieca is being silly. Not Philip Langridge, actually, but rather Meredith Arwady. But La Cieca still thinks her casting is funnier.)
This artist, apparently, was unavailable…
It’s also a b-flat Podles emits around 40 seconds in – 3 octaves lower than the top one with which she finishes, which is even more remarkable, given that Hvorostovsky and Hampson sound close to their lower limits on that pitch.
Opera directors- can someone please put them in a sack and throw them in the river? Where is the happy medium between a chorus standing still and staring with no involvement, versus the above mugging, shuffling, swaying and general pointless movement that only distracts from the soloist?
This is like highlighting every word in a textbook- you have a garish yellow page that hurts your eyes.
I agree with others’ assessment of Meredith Arwady’s performance as the Marquise in SF. She is in fine voice and a good comedic actress. I did think she lacked the inherent dignity that Felicity Palmer brought to the role when I saw the HD broadcast 2 years (?) ago. Instead of an underlying sadness that contrasted the comedy and paid dividends during the finale’s revelations, this Marquise enters on a high comedic note and really stays there. She does, however, have good chemistry with her Sulpice (Bruno Practicò), rendering their growing affections very credible.
Meredith Arwady, during her tenure at the Ryan School in Chicago, gave performances as Tisbe in “Cenerentola” that almost stole the show (not that the show as all that difficult to steal from the wooden Karsarova.)
La Cieca gets only a C grade for her “Fille” casting. The ONLY truly worthy sub for Palmer in this role would be Ian Bostridge.
Up and coming tenor:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Blake-Friedman/3701857
He looks pretty cute. He could be up and coming something in my house. Which brings me back to “Penetrating Wagner’s Ring”.
Orlando (#5), in case your research didn’t reveal it, Ann Murray is pictured there in The Gondoliers at ENO as the Whatever of Plaza Toro. I think she’s with an extra/dancer there. Not that I saw the show.
5 and 18 – this is apparently Geoffrey Dolton (as Duke of Plazatoro). I am ashamed of myself for having found this out (obviously not enough to do…)
“– this is apparently Geoffrey Dolton…”
Best since Thomas Rounds!