It’s Pat!
Tonight’s Met season premiere of Il trittico features Patricia Racette’s first local whack at the three heroines, which means La Cieca expects the parterre posse to be out in force. Check back here at parterre.com beginning at 7:45 for a live chat coinciding with the Sirius/RealNetworks broadcast of the Puccini three-parter.
Off topic, but congratulations to JJ for being quoted in the Met’s own ad for From the House of the Dead!
“Dyke, ya know…”
I have nothing planned today so might listen if nothing else comes up. What do you mean by “Dyke, ya know…”?
javier, krunoslav likes to note the lesbians out there. I believe Ms. Racette’s partner is singing in NYCO’s Esther this season (has the run already ended?).
Well, in that case, Dyke, I didn’t know. This actually makes her more interesting!
By the way, I never use that word in conversation and I never really type it until now. It just seems wrong.
javier, political lesbians love the word DYKE just as I love the word FAG. Queer reclamation of these words are the cornerstone of queer activism so do not feel ashamed of using them.
Yes, I do know.
Signed, a dyke.
Damn my dinner plans. I really want to hear her Suor Angelica.
Racette is not Frittoli, she’s too obvious in Suor Angelica, there’s no nuance or real depth. I saw the final dress (full voice) and wasn’t moved.
She’s a good singer of course, but nothing really distinctive about the sound. Nothing there to immediately recognize her the same way we recognize her contemporaries, say, Gheorghiu, Trebs or Renay.
Considering how much abuse those 3 receive on this site, is that so bad?
I was just using her contemporaries as contrast. Racette is a generic soprano, a limited actress with no distinctive sound. But she does the job.
I also don’t get all the fuss about Racette, and Frittoli is nothing special either in my (admittedly limited) experience of her. Pretty, personable woman, but she sounds like later Carol Vaness on an off night and doesn’t do much with her native language.
I’ll stick up for Racette (no surprise, I know). I saw her in Trittico here, just 2 months ago, and would have gone again had it not be the last night of the run. I will definitely be listening tonight. I’m curious if I’ll find her voice bland on the radio, since I heard her only once and in the house there’s always the visual element to enhance the sound. I will say that she sounded and looked different in each role.
I quite liked her performance in these roles at SFOpera not that long ago.
I was surprised, because I that she mugged a bit in her Met simulcast of Butterfly. It was a studied portrait of a certain kind of person, but not, I thought, a real psychological impersonation.
Racette was most natural in SF’s Il Tabarro. But I didn’t think she acted the passion or complexity of that character terribly well. (Though she did look fabulously voluptuous in the costume.)
I found her admirable in Suor Angelica. The SF Opera production was set in an aqua 1950’s children’s hospital cafeteria (with a pharmacy cabinet and an herb garden!). At first, I thought it silly, but the production had some visually brilliant touches, including the appearance of Angelica’s child at the end–which I found shattering.
Racette winked her way through Gianni Schicchi, but the role is admittedly slight. Also, the SF Opera production was done in the style of a Fellini movie: black-and-white costumes, etc. It was actually one of the few times I’ve ever seen a comic opera that was actually funny. There was recognizable human behavior going on, rather than broad hamming, as one more often sees.
I found Racette’s voice odd and not that pleasing in the Butterfly broadcast, but seeing the Trittico, I found that her distinct timbre had kind of gotten stuck in my ear. I knew her voice better, and so small moments took on more significance to me–the way one comes to know the smiles and gestures of a movie star.
I ended up liking her far more than I had at the outset–but then some good productions boosted my mood.
The only time I’ve been truly impressed by Frittoli was her recording of Elettra. The rest of the time, I hear what is essentially a very pretty voice, some good singing but nothing really memorable. I thought her Angelica was good but not necessarily the standard against which Racette should be judged. I also found her acting very old-fashioned, running around with her arms spread out for half the opera. And while Racette’s timbre may not be distinctive as has been often said, it is still attractive. And she is a very communicative artist, both vocally and as an actress.
I judged her against Frittoli because that’s who we first saw in this production. Frittoli was quite subtle and efficient, but by no means the ultimate Angelica. She’s not. That leaves Racette in even deeper caca.
I loved her in the SF “Trittico” and particularly her “Suor Angelica.” She made it clear that the girl has exerted an iron will to impose a layer of apparent calm and serenity on top of the volcano that’s still inside of her.
There’s a combination of fragility and toughness that makes Racette a very appealing performer and a willingness to really put herself out there emotionally. The sound isn’t as rich and creamy as Fleming or Netrebko, nor as exquisitely lovely as Gheorghiu, but it’s attractive and she can draw up a surprising amount of power and muscularity in her singing.
She did clearly distinguish the three characters. Her bratty Lauretta was a delight.
Thank you, La Marchesa, for this: She made it clear that the girl has exerted an iron will to impose a layer of apparent calm and serenity on top of the volcano that’s still inside of her.
I didn’t think to say it but I agree with your assessment.
But people can judge for themselves--the dress, the voice, etc.
Also, this tenor was pretty hot and could really kick out those big dramatic moments.
Thanks for that. She looks great as Giorgetta. That dress really works for her.
Was that Eva Podles in the Suor Angelica? I thought the Senza Mamma sounded wonderful. I haven’t sung much Puccini and don’t really enjoy listening to it very much, but I have fond memories of singing Gianni Schicci in college.
“the dress, the voice, etc.”
The boobs.
Racette is all well and good and all, BUT HOW WAS MS. BLYTHE?? I was saddened having to miss her in the 2007 premiere production and was delighted to see her return to the part(s).
Blythe didn’t sing in the SF production, I don’t think. She was fabulous in the Met premiere. Her Principessa was perfection.
wrong because she’s “not your father’s lesbian,” or … ? What word do the kids use these days?
I don’t know what you mean by my father’s…
No, it just sounds kind of mean to me, that’s all.
I was afraid of that. Haven’t you ever heard “not your father’s Oldsmobile”? It was a joke.
I just realized that you might not even know what an Oldsmobile is. Never mind, I’ll shuffle back to the Home now.
Whoops. The above was meant for javier. Kashania, Ewa Podles sang the Pricipessa in the SFO production.
A vocal score for the entire Trittico can be found here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ITtYAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover
and here
http://www.mediafire.com/?yzwzitkdmdz
Doh! Just realized that the revival premiere is tonight. Jumped the gun a bit!
Podles was fabulous.
I didn’t see her as close up as the video camera in the clips above. Her “bustin’ out all over” look as Lauretta reminds me of Patricia Arquette in “The Medium.”
I really like both Racette and Frittoli but at the same time feel their voices are not distinctive at all.
On a tangential note, is anyone going to the Richard Tucker Gala Sunday? I heard that this year they are neither telecasting nor broadcasting it… Has anyone heard anything to the contrary?
That’s really a shame. I have enjoyed the Youtube videos of past galas.
I actually think Racette is one of the good ones out there. I heard her Elisabetta di Valois at the HGO in 200? and she was superb in a role not ideally suited to her voice. The upper register has real gleam and spin and she is the mistress of her instrument. Admittedly, the timbre is not truly distinctive, but she is a REAL singer.
Fritolli was an almost great that never happened. Frankly, I think she moved into the Verdi roles way too soon. While her voice was roughly the same weight as Price’s – heavy lyric – she lacked the technical security to sing those roles safely. Have heard little of her since. Any idea of how she sounds today?
Fritolli was a vocally convincing Amelia in the BSO concert version ( with Levine) of Simon Boccanegra this last January. Technically secure – no problems there.
I saw Patricia in La Traviata many moons ago in Santa Fe, and her voice was so much better in those days. I loved her in Butterfly which I saw on the internet though the voice doesn’t do much for me anymore. and, how is Ms. Blythe? Now that voice….the best I’ve heard in any HD production since O&E.
O&E ?
I wonder if Sally ever lusted after those boobs!
I’ve tried to like her voice but it is a shade too raw, or perhaps “dikey”. Who knows?
To me, it’s a really Anglo-Saxon sound. The sort of thing Vicar John ought to like. But with that blonde wig on as Lauretta, she really reminds me of the late, great Madeline Kahn. If anyone ever makes an opera of Blazing Saddles …
dorion says: “Racette is a generic soprano, a limited actress…”
OK, dorion, if Racette is ‘limited” ( which nothing I have ever seen her do would suggest), whom would you consider a “gifted” operatic actress?
Jeez…