Left in the dust
A new production of Verdi’s Macbeth?
At the Wiener Staatsoper?
At a 192 Euro top?
And this is what you get?
La Cieca thinks there needs to be a word for singing that’s thoroughly crummy but doesn’t rise to the grandeur of filth. “Dust bunny,” perhaps?
My favorite (in person) Lady Macbeth was Rysanek at the time of her debut.
Her coloratura work at times was a little muddy, but her intensity and size of the voice were overwhelming and exciting. Her weird timbre was also a plus.
I saw Verrett’s in the 70’s in DC and liked it, but the highlight of her performance for me for me was her Vieni t’affretta and Or tutti sorgete.
Irene Dalis was pretty good in the role as well.
Ghoulagina’s Lady is a gross disaster! And, btw, Ghoula’s “coloratura” made Rysanek’s sound like Callas’.
I was doing some work with La Scala when it visited the Kennedy Center in 1976 and was lucky enough to see all of the performances. Verrett was terrific – and I mean TERRIFIC – at the dress rehearsal of Macbeth. She was almost – but not quite – as good on opening night. (The final d flat clipped a bit short.) She was unhappy with herself during the second performance. Very tense backstage. She cracked on the d flat after which she sat in a corner with her head down apparently dealing with some internal demons. During the third and final performance we were expecting her to cancel at any time. She got through it on sheer determination.
Looking back that seems to have been a turning point in her career. Earlier in the year she was in top form for Adalgisa at the Met. Then she did Norma on tour and was very happy with herself. After the Macbeths she opened the Met season as Azucena, again in top form. Later that that season she was a disappointing Mme Lidoine at the Met. The Favoritas the following season were not particularly good. Nor were the Fidelios and Lady Macbeths in future seasons at the Met.
Hard not to think that the soprano / mezzo see-saw did not hurt her voice. A pity. When she was good, she sure was GOOD.