Featuring that miracle of the age, electric light
In Zurich, the 20th century has apparently never ended. Opening on Thursday, a “revival” of Nabucco conducted by Nello Santi, directed by Jonathan Miller, and starring Maria Guleghina (Abigaille), Juan Pons (Nabucco) and Carlo Colombara (Zaccaria). Unfortunately, budget constraints prevent us from hearing the Fenena of Agnes Baltsa…
Not true – Zurich can be cutting edge. They just did Il Corsaro with gallons of water onstage with Grigolo
Is it Sylvia Sass in those two clips? Anyone knows the date? She was a slim and beautiful woman when she was being acclaimed as the “new Callas” in the late 70′s. I mentioned above (or below or who knows where with this posting system) that I saw her in Paris in 1982 and she was quite beautiful.
re: Callas and Sass, iltenoredigrazia, I read a rather more decorous version of the exchange, where Sass sang for Callas, and was demolished every time she opened her mouth, and finally Sass said ‘I admire you above all others, to me you are almost a goddess, but I have to sing this role, and it is best for my self-esteem and confidence that I leave now’ – so Maria embraced her and they completed the coaching hours later, with much bosom buddy-ing – forget where I read it – could it have been that well researched and highly intellectual tome by Arianna Stassinopulos? – In any case, it’ll be a good scene in a movie…..
I remember reading in the liner notes on one of Sass’ first albums that she sang Lakme when she was about 14 in high school. The first album, Presenting Sylvia Sass, was spectacular. She also sings a gorgeous O Madre dal cielo from I Lombardi. Arkiv has the complete Macbeth here for much less than Amazon:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp?name_id1=13898&name_role1=2&bcorder=2
She, like Ricciarelli, seemed to appear in every then-obscure middle period Verdi opera. And then disappeared for a few years. Then she released an album of Donizetti and Verdi arias, including the mezza notte scene from Ballo, and she sounded reborn.
Thsnks for the Macbeth link, Sanford; unfortunately, they don’t sell to the new EU members, so at least I’m stuck with Amazon.
Valkyrietta – I also saw Bergonzi in those Pagliacci performances in the early eighties (about four times.)
He was incredible. Every time I hear the opera now I always come away thinking the same thing – “It wasn’t Bergonzi!” He spoiled that role for me in the most positive way. His style,interpretation, and, most importantly, his phrasing of the text were sublime. Yes, some of these guys today are just wannabes.
Bergonzi may have improved his Verdi style after singing with Jones and Glossop at the Garden but he was a punter pout next to Frank Mullings as Canio.
As for Verdi’s Casa di Riposo pictured above (architect was Camillo Boito, Arrigo’s older brother) — how is it doing nowadays? Are there any well-known singers living there? Is it considered semi-prestigious to get in, or would most consider it beneath their dignity to wind up there?
Off-topic, but only marginally so. Is anyone else listening to the Seattle TROVATORE? Methinks I hear a baritone, a real Verdi baritone — Gordon Hawkins, whose name popped up recently in the thread on race. Oh well, The Met has managed for years to ignore Greg Baker; maybe I’ve answered my own question.
Betsy, how is the Azucena?
Also, I believe Mr. Hawkins will be singing here in next year’s Ring Cycle.
Since you ask, CruzSF – - Seattle uses an odd acoustic for their broadcasts. I think they put the microphones in an unused broom closet. The Azucena, Malgorzata Walewska, was the least capable of the leading five of cutting through the cleaning fluids. She did not dominate her scenes. Leonora? Well, if Radvanovsky sounds tentative to you, then Lisa Daltirus would sound downright uncertain.
All three of the men sounded like — well, like MEN. I know you’re supposed to sing from the diaphragm, but I like the sound of men singing from their balls. Or at least giving the impression that they HAVE balls. (There have been a couple tenors at The Met recently who seem to be having the sound squeezed out of them by a too-tight corset.) You could picture these guys getting together after the show to swig a few beers and watch football. For the first time in my listening experience, Manrico (Antonello Palombi) and Di Luna sounded like they shared some DNA.
So I’d say, watch for Hawkins and keep an eye peeled for Palombi as well. (I’m taking into account that McCaw Hall is smaller than The Met.)
I wondered about the Azucena because the same singer sang the role in the performance I saw here. (Stephanie Blythe sang the first 6performances, but Walewska sang the last 2, including the one I attended.) For most of the opera, I couldn’t hear her over the orchestra. She certainly acted the part well, but I just couldn’t hear her. I wondered if she was better in Seattle, but I guess not. Thanks for the reply.
Agnes Baltsa is of course quite busy now in Zurich singing Klytemnästra and I am happy to report that last night she was in great voice (especially when compared to poor Eva Johansson). Unfortunately, her accent is worse than ever, which should be unacceptable for a German speakin audience.
This was a revival of the 6 year old Kusej production and Daniele Gatti’s debut as chief conductor. He probably got more than the usual rehearsal time for this “musikalische Neuinstudierung” and did a pretty good job.
I’m glad many saw Bergonzi in Pagliacci in the eighties and had the same impression I did. I always loved Bergonzi. He always did Verdi the way it is supposed to be done. He was not a handsome man, but one does not go to the opera to see porn. Think of fatsa Caballe. “E la voce di Carlo”, “Di Carlo Quinto”, “Mio Padre”, “O Cieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel”, and that ciel goes on forever, just absolutely out of this world. Who wants twiggy? Opera is not a cocktail dress, it is voice!!!!!!!!!
Liana brought up n interesyting point about recorded performances ‘lost and forgotten in someone’s vaults’.
In regard to Russia it is known that tons of performances from top artists were recorded and stoured away by the enginees in radio stations all over russia. Come Glasnost and it was accepted that the engineers that recorded the material ‘owned t’. Some small examples have crept out….on small labels. The examples I have, ( about 10 CDs ) are all orchestral but are by top Russian conductors. Some are also in very acceptable stereo.
Sorry about the typing mistakes.
For those who wish to revisit the 1990′s (really two decades ago now!?!?!?!!!), you can also visit Princeton, New Brunswick and Newark New Jersey on February 5, 7 & 12. Opera New Jersey is presenting “Carmen” with Denyce Graves (“the finest Carmen of her time” – when that time was and if it extends to the present the press release does not indicate…) with Richard Leech as her Don José in a production directed by Bernard Uzan. Get your tickets now!!!
http://www.mediafire.com/?mkqzgjz5njy
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