A Masked Ball
Squirrel is using his Parterre Pulpit to make a pitch. If the Met wants to produce a work that has never been seen in New York, they could do worse than a new production of Carl Nielsen‘s excellent comic opera Maskarade. It’s easy listening for sure, melodically akin to La boheme or Lehar, but marked by Nielsen’s mature style – folk-song simplicity, and a love of cacophony and unlikely orchestration.
The Met has been beat to the US premiere by Sarasota Opera, who offered a Danish-language production in 1995 (which Squirrel saw when he was still just a small squirrel). But this opera is ready for the Big Time, having been produced in recent years at the Bregenzer Festspiele, Salzburger Festspiele, and Covent Garden. So who will get there first, The Met or City Opera?
To hear more, there is a wonderful 1970s recording, recently re-released on Da Capo
UPDATE: A member of the kære publikum has pointed out that Maskarade was indeed given a New York performance by the Bronx Opera in 1983, and reprised in 1999. Thanks for pointing this out. Sarasota still has the American Danish language premiere, and the work still awaits a major US stage with a top professional cast.
Camille : Checking websites, That Linda Esther Gray Tristan & Isolde was actually once released on CD, but is listed at the moment as ‘currently unavailable’ It should turn up again.
Be Still My Heart!!
That’s what I had heard somewhere, but did not know whether to trust the information. Thanks again for your kind help, Mr. Harry
Speaking of Linda Esther Gray, do any of you British Boys, Cocky, Buster, Monty, oh YOU Know Who You Are — have any recollections of performances you’ve actually attended with LEG??
Please, do write about her, as she is kind of a legend — there is a fellow’s website on the net wherein I’ve read something about her — but has anyone actually SEEN that famous Tristan und Isolde, produced where — in Wales or wherever
I would really LOVE to hear about this cherishable artist.
Thanks for any and all titbits.
Camille: found the Pollet frock!!
Pollet was damn good — just lacking a bit more thrill and edge in the tone and diction.
Camille Loved Francoise Pollet! An elegant and intelligent singer.
A few years back she sang a performance of ‘Erwartung’ with the New York Philharmonic. If I recall correctly, she was off book and truly sang all the notes that are usually a geschrei.
Quelle pitie that she appears no longer to be active.
Not flashy, crude, or dumb enough?
Quelle ivresse!!!
Thank you, Mr. Buster, so very much for this clip. What beautiful runs at the end! Hard to believe this lady also sang Erwartung.
Un grand merci, Monsieur!
Stuart Neill is a kick-ass tenor in tough parts – I heard him nail the coloratura heldentenor role of Huon of Bordeaux in Weber’s “Oberon” with Collegiate Chorale – he was amahzing!
BTW: was Charlotte Margiono ever good? Its a bigger voice than her recordings would suggest but is hollow and edgy on top. Eve had her in “Der Freischutz” and there was a voice there but the technique was deficient. Her Fiordiligi on CD (is it Harnoncourt?) is awful-sounding.
Charlotte Margiono has given me so much pleasure the past twenty-five years that I am probably not the right person to answer your question. Also, I don’t mind inexact singers at all, not to say that she is one. In fact, if there were a Finnish equivalent of Kammersängerin, I am sure Beatrix would have made her one, a long time ago.
She always reminds me of the lovely Julia Culp – especially in Frauenliebe- und leben.