Cast the first chat
UPDATE: La Cieca hears that Sondra Radvanovsky is ill this afternoon, which presumably means Juliana DiGiacomo will sing Lina.
Here, cher public, is your Saturday afternoon chat posting for Stiffelio. The performance begins at 1:00 PM.
The real-time chat is, as usual, over at La Casa della Cieca.
Oh, I think it’s a difficult opera. You really need a good conductor to make some credible. I hear just efficient to pedestrian conducting here. Conducting by numbers.The singers are good, Cura apart.
uf *something credible out of it
I agree about the conducting – even makes the chorus sound disorganized at times. Does anyone here have any conducting experience? Is Verdi really that difficult?
Is something wrong with Cura today? His high notes sound strangled and he is sounding particularly hooty.
I wonder if the airwaves don’t like him much because he was much better in-house and had less crooning.
Maybe it’s the mike-placement? I don’t think the broadcast have sounded as good these last few years.
I think (besides Cura being controversial, wasn’t that bad either…) something was wrong with the mikes, or with the transmission sound… I was listening to it on a radio then I was wondering why it sounds so awful, then I switched to the internet and listened to it on earphones… Was definitely better. The problem with Cura is that he is not consequent/consistent. He has an amazing voice but he is sometimes lazy and should have a more solid technique… but he spend his time on conducting (really average conducting, rather bad than good…) and not to practice more singing… shame…
I rather like the high interpolation that Caballe sings at “Padre, soccorso” in the recit leading up to this. I think Sills also sang it on her “lost” Verdi album
Sarcasm rooles. Why not. I rather like your postings here.
A brave small voiced Lina. And not very accurate.
“And not very accurate.” Cite what you mean. I was listening with the score and was impressed with her command of the score. Of course, she had horrific conducting to contend with…
But I love her, I just happen to love all singers. Even the mediocre ones can do wonders. This will not happen today (tonight), but who knows.
It’s pretty tough to folllow in Radvan’s shoes.
She has a lovely voice, she’s just no Sondra and we are spoiled.
Cura sounds shaky and strained.
But the others sound okay so I don’t think it’s the airwaves.
Maybe he has a cold or something?
For those of us who think PITCH is important Miss DiGiacomo is a way step up. Radvan as you put it was wise to cancel. One hears the dreadful out of pitch worse on the radio and she doesn’t want people confirming she still fights that problem. Spoiled indeed.
Bravo! Well put for all of us who cannot bear Rad’s caterwauling and faux Verdi posturing.
Hm, Cura is doing his best at the moment.Mixeed feelings.
Cura sounds terrible – much down from some of his
singing heard on Sirius broadcasts. Maybe he’s just having
an off day? — but, sounds like he’s singing with two voices: a
rather gruff baritone, then an uncomfortable and disconnected
top few notes sounding like they come from a different singer.
Clearly, his is a very troubled technique, poor guy. I remember
years ago, we all expected him to burn out as he was doing far
too much before he was ready. Now we hear the result.
Sorry about the misspellings.