That will bring us back to Do
La Cieca’s first resolution for the New Year: to get herself a high C like the one Amarilli Nizza throws around with such aplomb and insouciance and such.
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Alagna had NO high C’s at the Carman dress tonight. After he attempted the first two acts, he lip synched the second half while his exellent cover sang off stage.
Garanca was really fabulous.
The production itself was wonderful. Great rotating set somewhat reminiscent of Trovatore. the final visual was PERFECT!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
I was also at the CARMEN dress rehearsal tonight. It’s going to be a tremendous hit. Beautifully directed and designed and Garanca is an absolute star. Obviously, Alagna was sick but you can tell he and Garanca have great chemistry and the last act was riveting.
The REALLY big news is in the pit, however. Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducted the hell out of the score. A friend of mine who is a member of the orchestra told me the scuttlebutt is that Gelb will appoint Nezet-Seguin as the new Principal Guest Conductor soon with an eye toward becoming Music Director when Levine becomes Music Director Laureate in a couple of years. Hope that is more than just a rumor because he’s clearly a major talent.
Happy New Year All!!
I hope that is true! I was there as well, and that score sounded so fresh and alive. Even better was after the curtain came down and his additional chorus rehearsal- his comment to the children ‘you all look terrified and you are singing that way!- Don’t’ was priceless!
He is the most exciting part of a VERY exciting evening.
“Alagna had NO high C’s at the Carman dress tonight.”
Could you inform us where the high Cs are for Don Jose? I didn’t think the role goes above B (maybe only B-flat?).
Well since this blog post is about high C’s, that was the tie in to change topics. God, does everyone on this site have to be so picky?
Can anyone just have fun?
Did you dig out the original score last night and count the notes before you posted your quip?
Actually, no, we pretty much all know there is no high C for Don Jose in Carmen. The highest note is a B in the final duet. We were all scratching our heads as to where the whole Alagna has no high C came from.
Do you have any idea who is Alagna’s cover?
Is it Jovanovitch?
yes
That would be quite an opportunity if he had to fill in on Thursday. Jovanovitch was very good in Il Tabarro a few months ago in SF. Is Alagna sick, I wonder, felled by the same bug that nearly wiped out the Hoffmann cast?
Do we actually think he will go on if Alagna cancels? We are talking Gelb here, he will likely want a star for the run. Well, maybe he will let Brandon go on just so Bobby gets to rest for the HD.
It is. He was very good.
But when I saw Domingo in the audience I was hoping he might fill in!
I saw him singing Rodolfo, and there where no dos there, either. If my memory serves me, the one at the First Act finale is an oppure, meaning he could have sung an mi (E) below, but foolishly insisted on singing the higher interpolation even though he cracked not once, twice, but three times on that selfsame note.
The Great Interpolator, he ain’t.
Impressive coloratura and even more impressive camel toe
Also impressive:
but most thrilling? How about the high D.
Ah. The original motivation for my scream name, um, screen name….
Can you believe that we’ve been without her for 10 years as of just 5 days ago?
Truly amazing, Lindoro. I’d never heard of Welting before (coming to opera after her retirement and death). Did you ever hear her live?
I never saw Welting live, I also started listening to opera after she retired. She seemed to carry such joyeux de vivre. In the clips I’ve seen she sings with such abandon it is infectious.
I have her singing Zerbinetta’s aria on audio. If there is interest, I’ll upload the whole thing (the version in youtube is understandably not complete) and post the mp3 here when I wake up. In the mean time, here is some more of her. Since we didn’t mark the anniversary of her passing, let’s do it belatedly:
What an enchanting creature this lady was.
Thank goodness her art is preserved so we may remember her in all her glory.
I did–twice. And she was absolutely amazing as Olympia at the Met. She didn’t get up to the g but I recall her hitting an f. Spot-on pitch, technical accuracy and ease and gorgeous tone. Even more remarkable was her acting with scarily mechincal movement. The ovation went on forever. I also saw her as Rosina in Cincinnati Opera’s production of Barbiere and she was a delight. I’m so glad her name and voice are up here. She got burned out on opera and I believe that she was pursuing a phd when she died way too young. Thanks for posting.
The obit I found for Ms. Welting said that she had become tired if the soubrette roles. I guess no house wanted to cast her in anything else?
This is not in response to Cruz who is ignoring me (and indeed I him).
However thank you Lindoro. I worked with Welting. I did an English translation and staged The Impressario for Mostly Mozart in which she was in the cast. They were all horrible to deal with, except for her. She was adorable, game and really supportive and of course sang spectacularly. (When the audience roared with laughter and cheered them, the others changed — surprise!!!!). She sought me out afterwards and suggested we have a drink and we had a funny conversation about much.
She had a life that would make an old fashioned novel, when they wrote them about opera singers, or maybe a miniseries and her conquests were many, various and yes, I say with no disrespect but rather envy, polymorphously perverse!!!! Her triumphs included getting one famous queen fully erect and functioning with her in bed — as he would tell people his only time with a woman but his best sex EVER!!!!! And of course there was her other side…
She was great in many roles but got sick early, fought hard and died painfully but very bravely. I have a late letter which is very moving. She got to where we’re all going but too early in her case and she went blessing life with her last breath.
This was a great person.
Thanks a lot for this info, and the above clips. The only recording I own is her Sophie, for Edo de Waart, which I treasure.
Mrs. JC, I’m not ignoring you at all. I enjoy and greatly appreciate your information-laden posts. But being a relative newcomer to opera (certainly compared to you), I’m afraid my questions or opinions will set you after me with both guns blazing.
Well CruzSF, I commiserated too soon. It seeems you don’t need a thicker skin, because you have two things better: a) the ability to watch your ass, and b) good manners. You’ll do fine.
And that — to the relief of some — is the last post of my last visit to this site.
I’m sorry you feel that way, Betsy Ann. There have been times I’ve considered quitting the whole Parterre fishbowl, too, but La C is just too giving. Look here, when I first posted a comment, back in … late spring? … Lindoro roasted me. And he wouldn’t let up for several days. But now, Lindoro and I get along fine. Why? I think he accepts my limitations and I appreciate his passion.
I hope you don’t let it get you down too much, Betsy Ann, although I know you were blasted harder than many others.
As someone who’s been here a bit longer, I’d note to both BAB and CruzSF that La Cieca does indeed watch, and steps in with a firm hand (pardon my mixed metaphors) when the carnage gets too bloody. And the atmosphere isn’t always (or even usually) sanguinary. Besides, for me, the wit of La C’s titles and pix counterbalances almost anything.
You are right Cruz, I have moved on to Javi. LOL! Just kidding.
I’m glad you have forgiven me….
Lindoro: ROFL. I realize now that you are very protective of your fellow singers.
rapt, I agree with you: the wit of La C’s titles and pix counterbalances almost anything. She’s a sweetheart and so darn smart. In a good way.
OMG! you have me pegged for the wrong guy. Have you seen my commentary of Netrebko? Ever seen my comments on both Marcellos (Alvarez and Giordani)? Have you seen me take a stab at Fleming or Jonas Kauffman (in just about anything but in French rep)? You got me confused.
I am impressed by a singers technical ability and their use of the style. When I do not get that, that singer might as well have a target on them.
I understand a bad night, but once I have heard a singer repeat the same crap over and over, I stop giving them the benefit of the doubt. Lemme give you an example: There is a clip of Fleming flubbing the high E on a concert where she sang the Bolero from Vespri.
While several people rightfully commented on the note (and several went on her defense while others denied it ever happened and accused people of creating the bad clip) several of us were ready to give the lady a pass for the flubbed E but were all too happy to point the scooping, the pulling, the cooing, the lack of proper style and taste and her inability to know her elbow from her ass when it comes to bel canto.
One of these days you should read some of the commentary on my blog.
I heard Welting as a winning Adele in FLEDERMAUS at City Opera and she took a phenomenal high G at the end of her Act Three aria. She was also superb in HOFFMANN, L’ENFANT and ARIADNE at the Met. Much more moving a Zerbinetta, I felt, than Gruberova, perfect as her vocalism was, a few seasons later.
Damn, i wish she would sing like this all the time. This is singing that could make me a fan
Sigh. I was hopeful until the very last note — which was flat as usual.
that’s not singing ,it’s yowlling
in heat……donkeys in audience
love this as it to them passes for
passionate singing .such shrieking
gives one a headache .
Just can’t let this pass without
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kUvwZdL44A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoVKiC-e65k
I turned on Sirius just now, and let me tell you, I just heard a whole bunch of notes (high, and not so high) that were definitely nowhere NEAR my list of favorites.
Harteros as Anna was NOT a success at all. The years have passed, the hype has disappeared, all that is left to judge is her voice: it is not good. Her “Or sai” was rough to listen to. Not the caliber one expects at all for a Met broadcast. The broadcast is not being helped by Turray’s ‘Dalla sua Pace” right on it heels. What WAS the Met casting department doing? His voice was already a wreck back then. Not in much better health than his recent NYCO outing.
Sirius should not have pulled out this broadcast.
My favorite high notes:
Buster! You are making a bad joke, yes?
Really now, that was very second rate.
She was, however, a fine singer; her Fiordiligi
could easily put Eleanor Steber in the shade.
No, mrmyster, I am not joking. I mean it, the best version of this difficult aria that I know. Granted, Kathleen Battle and Rita Streich are the only other two singers I know in this. Streich is fabulous too, of course, love her style, but Price I like better in the end. A glorious record – what is not to like in it? Very curious, thanks!
Oh sweetheart, you Vorrei listening is only half way done if you have only heard these 3 versions. Price is impressive because we all know what her other roles where and we don’t expect her to have the High Es. Here are 2 more versions that are equally as impressive:
Beverly Sills: My all time favorite version
Elisabeth Parcels: Great ornamentation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x5WmiBVCP8
And as bonus, here is Judith Blegen:
And Gruberova:
Damn it! Here is the Elisabeth Parcels :
It is surprising – but she is flat a lot of the time!!!!!
This is the best version I have ever heard, and probably the best thing Dessay has ever done.
Now you may kill me. Yes, it’s instrumental singing. I guess most commentators here will call it bland or colorless. I think this is EXACTLY how it should be done.
Thanks a lot Lindoro Almaviva – my cup runneth over. I need to adjust to all these voices first – much appreciated!
Here’s a huge D from early Sutherland:
There are a few youtube compilations of high notes but this one is my favourite. These are some of the biggest high notes I’ve ever heard. And they’re all from live recordings.
I love these too. The Nilsson, Barioni & Callas ones are incredible.
kashy, are you fucking serious? who the fuck is barioni? that was ridiculous… i just ejaculated in my pants…
I’d never heard of Barioni before either, or Carolli for that matter (who sings the F# at the beginning of the compilation). One of my faves has to be Bjoerling’s Boheme high C — the note seems limitless in terms of what he could do with it. ONe of the most thrilling high notes I’ve ever heard.
She reminds of a soprano I worked with some years ago named Amy Johnson. A large-ish voice, with a quite strange ease in the upper register tossing off high cs with ease. I heard her as Chrysothemis, but she had just done (or was going to
do?) the Lamos production of Tosca on the NYCO broadcast. She was also slim, petite, and pretty. She wore that silver slip of a dress in the second act of the NYCO Tosca that confounded pretty much every other soprano that had to appear in the production. That dress was remade countless times with sleeves, corsets, what have you to fit the Eastern European carcasses that later filled it out.
ANYWAY, she was impressive as I recall, but never was able to break through into the next rung. I never could figure out why since the instrument seemed valuable, but I guess it might have been because of a certain sameness of color all throughout her performances. Not much musical variation, and her phrasing wasn’t unique. Does anyone know where she is now? I don’t think she has management any longer, and her website is out of date.
Cassy:
We must have worked with Amy around the same time. The year was 1999. She came to Indianapolis to do Tosca right after the NYCO Telecast. The announced Tosca in Indy pulled and Amy came to the rescue. After that Tosca, a completely phenomenal performance, she has come back to Indy several times: As Mimi (variable, I always thought she would be a much better Musetta), Tatyana, Leonora (Trovatore), Mrs. Ford and Freia in Rheingold (I dn’t hear either of them). This last was was just last year. The review in Opera News stated that she was shrill as Freia.
Along with that, she is romantically involved with Vernon Hartman and through him she has sung Mozart’s Countess and Puccini’s Butterfly in southern Indiana (among other things I guess),
Her Tosca was everything Mattila was not; impassioned, accurate, beautifully sung, sexy. One of the best I have witnessed. She was also a great actress and a sweet person to be around.
Damn it, hit send too soon. Amy started her career as a mezzo and as one she sang Carmen, Dorabella and had a hand in the premiere of Thea Musgrave’s opera El Libertador, based on Simon Bolivar. I remember listening to this opera on NPR, but don’t remember much about it.
This Amy S. Johnson?
http://www.amysjohnson.com/
I like what little I have heard/read.
Just trying to help.
Best,
Drew
That would be her and that would be the website that has not been updated in a while.
Amy Johnson is scheduled to sing Salome in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in mid-January.