Comments on: Infectious diseuse

By: Nerva Nelli

Nerva Nelli — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:44:44 +0000

Not since…

Carmen………………Brenda Lewis
Don Jose…………….Giulio Gari
Micaela……………..Laura Castellano
Escamillo……………Frank Guarrera

Conductor……………Kurt Adler

By: karajan

karajan — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:31:17 +0000

so? Borodina or Garanca? Alagna or Jovanovich? Black or Frittoli? ALtinoglu or Nezet Seguin? Which one did you prefer?

By: calaf47

calaf47 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:25:40 +0000

You’re right…NOT the title role..but the role of Elisabeth.

By: Lucky Pierre

Lucky Pierre — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:25:15 +0000

thanks, but i’m sure you don’t mean the title role…

there are some clips of her on youtube doing deverreux, tosca, lady…

By: Malapasqua

Malapasqua — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:43:55 +0000

Brenda Harris took over for Hasmik Papian at the last moment a couple years ago singing Norma in Portland OR… I had gone clear out there just to hear Hasmik and was most annoyed that I wouldn’t get to… but I could not have possibly been more satisfied with her replacement. Brenda was excellent, very impressive, and should certainly be better known.

By: calaf47

calaf47 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:23:14 +0000

Brenda Harris is singing the title role in Roberto Devereux at this moment at Minnesota Opera. She garnered excellent reviews for her portrayal.

By: BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK

BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:47:36 +0000

She and Louis Otey did the Lord and Lady of Scotland, broadcast from Utah Opera last October. As I recall, not half bad, and preferable to other higher profile performances.

By: Lucky Pierre

Lucky Pierre — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:32:08 +0000

btw, years ago, someone named brenda harris was singing armida and norma. whatever happened to her? does anyone know whom i’m talking about ?

By: BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK

BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:07:55 +0000

Two considerations color my comment: 1) i’m judging strictly by what I hear on Sirius, and 2) I very much want to have Jovanovich succeed — “Montana boy, y’know.” Yes, he was underpowered in Acts 3 and 4 – McCracken he ain’t, thank God – but even Borodina seemed to sense at “Tu ne m’aimex donc plus” that an underpowered tenor with a knife still ain’t nobody to fuck with.

By: calaf47

calaf47 — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:23:58 +0000

Yes..I was in the house and I agree. It’s only in the final two acts that Jovanovich can’t pull up the power to compete with Borodina. His voice won’t allow that kind of thrust to make his Jose truly frightening.

By: Clita del Toro

Clita del Toro — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:08:27 +0000

I thought Borodina and Black were excellent. On the radio, I preferred Borodina’s Carmen to Garanca’s—btw, tomorrow I will see the “encore” HD of Carmen. Black sounds more like a Micaela than her mother, Frittoli!
Jovanovich was very good–not the most beautiful voice, but he sang very well.

By: Nerva Nelli

Nerva Nelli — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:58:14 +0000

And won’t Dancin’ Danielle be fabulous as she Funky Chickens her way through “O Sachs, mein Freund” and tosses batons during the Quintet?

By: Maury D

Maury D — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:18:23 +0000

As one of Madame Podles’ most devoted fans, I think I can say that her best days in florid music are pretty well past. I don’t know Rodelinda at all (is it the source of “con rauco marmorio”? I would give my left something to hear Podles sing that) but I assume it has plenty of noodling around. Podles can still do it but it can be effortful at times.

By: Buster

Buster — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:10:06 +0000

Jadwiga Rappé is the same age as Podles, and she was very different on stage: slightly mournful, and very romantic. I have a hunch she was not exactly a party animal either. Lovely singer, though.

By: Liana

Liana — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:53:40 +0000

I have to object again, I’m afraid. People were not brought up wary of strangers in Poland during Cold War; of authorities (of any kind), yes, and this attitude is still very strong here – a general distrust towards any form of government. Podles is simply not the “bubbly fanzine type”, because not every performer is, irrespective of their origin. She behaves exactly the same in Poland, and even during the interviews she doesn’t seem to be happy to answer questions. She appears to be a person enjoying singing, but not the whole bussiness of being a famous singer. So please, give up the stereotype of some “Eastern European out of Cold War character”; there is no such thing, exactly as there is no “Western European out of Cold War” character.

By: mrmyster

mrmyster — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:24:47 +0000

The auto accident was in New Mexico, on her way from Santa Fe
to the airport in Albuquerque. All others in her car were uninjured;
they were wearing seatbelts. Ewa was not wearing hers, despite
advice to do so. Her fracture was serious, and after a few days
in hospital at Abq. she returned to Poland for treatment. In her
Santa Fe recital she showed her usual stentorian contralto
sound, her by-the-tricks coloratura (same school as Bartoli -
clickety-clickety), and a very short top. She was stolid in her
platform appearance, and unfashionable. The voice is a Force
of Nature, the rest of it is as Kruno says, provincial Eastern
Europen out of the Cold War era. I am, however, glad to have
heard her in person, tho’ I don’t need any more.

By: Regina delle fate

Regina delle fate — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:36:35 +0000

His Don José was exceptional at Glyndebourne, as was his Prince in Rusalka there. Either next year or the year after he’s doing his first Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Lewes, East Sussex.

By: Regina delle fate

Regina delle fate — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:30:42 +0000

I think I heard that Houston is now co-producing La donna del Lago with the Opéra, La Scala and Covent Garden, and I’m pretty sure it’s for La DiDone

By: BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK

BETSY_ANN_BOBOLINK — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:04:33 +0000

May I put in a note of praise for Brandon Jovanovich? At least from what I could hear on Sirius, he was going for, and sometimes achieving, effects other tenors can only dream about. For once, the “Parle-moi de ma mere” sounded like two young people in a conversation. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Act One, as character and drama, was about as good as I’ve ever heard.

By: suzyQ

suzyQ — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:58:15 +0000

Camille, I agree that Olga sounds good! Jennifer Black also sounds good here as Micaela.

By: Camille

Camille — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:45:53 +0000

OLGA’S BACK and sounding great tonight, Feb. 1st — whatever bug she had is gone — She just finished the Card song and when she sings “La Mort” it ought to scare the bejabbers outta Jose — she has a wonderful sound. Hope she continues this way as I do love her singing.

By: pernille

pernille — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:39:43 +0000

( I hope I inserted this in the right place)
Thanks, Cassandra for the info on the “Donna del Lago” production Joyce is doing ( with Florez, I think?) Sorry the Met decided to drop it, but can’t have everything.

By: Cassandra

Cassandra — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:27:08 +0000

The “donna del lago” Joyce is doing in Paris and elsewhere was initially a co-production with the Met, Scala, etc., but they decided to go with Maria Stuarda instead for her at the Met.

Do not count Joyce out for “Armida.” Nothing is set in stone for that revival…

By: kashania

kashania — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:40:58 +0000

Good point. LOL

But seriously, Fleming displayed a poise and good judgement in that scene that I have not seen in any other acting I’ve seen her do.

By: Reggiani

Reggiani — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:38:19 +0000

On one of the sites that I frequent, it is required that sarcastic remarks be printed in purple….my favorite color.

By: Liana

Liana — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:27:07 +0000

With all respect, Krunoslav, brought up wary of stranger? In Poland? Are you kidding? She may well be a reserved person, but it doesn’t have anything to do with being brought up in communist Poland; it’s simply her character.

By: Lucky Pierre

Lucky Pierre — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:20:16 +0000

oh i totally see that. i don’t expect everybody to be a bubbly american cheerleader type (larmore was more like that). as i said, i still adore her singing, but i have seen her basically flee people that were simply asking her for an autograph. since she is an international diva that travels extensively, one would expect a less phobic reaction, a bit more graciousness. the first time i met her, she was reserved but kind enough to chat and sign autographs. the 2nd time, the first fan in line was an old lady, who grabbed her and wouldn’t let go or stop talking. after that, podles just wanted to get the hell out of there, so the rest of us coming after this old lady, were all left hanging.

and perhaps she just like crusty grumpy old men like yourself, kruno?

By: Krunoslav

Krunoslav — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:12:35 +0000

Do remember that she is an Eastern European woman of an age to have been bv brought up wary of strangers; and is also in some enduring pain after her car accident in Arizona a few years ago.

Don’t expect all singers to be bubbly fanzine types.

P. S. I have met her several times and she has always been very gracious. Perhaps such stories sometime say more about the manners of the person approaching than the person approached?

By: mandryka

mandryka — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:02:08 +0000

Honey, that wasn’t ACTING in Onegin. That’s what happens when Dima pushes himself up against you and begs for it.

By: Lucky Pierre

Lucky Pierre — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:32:19 +0000

will olga go on tonight, i wonder?????????