Council chamber
La Cieca welcomes cher plebians and cher patricians alike to a chat during this afternoon’s Met broadcast of Simon Boccanegra. The performance begins at 1:00 PM.
Intermission features today include the Toll Brothers Metropolitan Opera Quiz with moderator Teddy Tahu Rhodes testing Michelle Krisel, Neal Goren and Michael Capasso. Backstage, Renée Fleming (“La Dappertutta”) interviews Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, Placido Domingo and James Morris.
The real-time chat is, as usual, over at La Casa della Cieca.
I assume that all those who piss and moan that Domingo’s voice is “the wrong color” for the role of Simon Boccanegra” will just as loudly, just as strongly, and just as often assert each of the following:
1. NO coloratura soprano should ever sing Rosina in “Il barbiere di Seviglia.”
2. NO coloratura soprano should ever sing Zerlina in “Don Giovanni.”
3. NO mezzo soprano should ever sing Adalgisa in “Norma.”
4. NO mezzo soprano should ever sing Giulietta in “Les contes d’Hoffmann” because Offenbach wrote the role for a coloratura soprano.
5. Beverly Sills had far too light a voice for “Norma,” “Anna Bolena,” or “Roberto Devereaux,” and should never have attempted any of these parts. She only took them up out of “money and ego.”
6. Joan Sutherland and Montserrat Caballe had the “wrong vocal color” for Turandot and should never have attempted the role. They only took it up out of “money and ego.”
Until you are prepared to argue strongly for ALL THESE THINGS, kwitcherbitchen. Domingo is certainly no Leonard Warren, but he sang Simon better than many so-called baritones I’ve heard.
I can and will argue the point. You have missed it. It’s not that he shouldn’t sing it but the voice is not that of a baritone to sing the role. Then I suppose he should do Count de Luna or Iago etc as it’s only 2 steps lower in tessatura for him to do that. Callas, Price, Norman all recorded Carmen but would never do it live. This is all about ego, why not just sing all the baritone roles and leave the bad conducting to the real conductors. He’s a gifted person but enought already.
How about looking at it this way? FORGET the labels, forget the term “baritone”. Domingo’s voice is inadequate to sing Boccanegra, it simply doesn’t have the weight to sustain the lines and phrases. He ended up sounding like a very light voiced singer with very little tone or color. His voice disappeared in the ensembles and had limited impact at all the big moments.
Did Pieczonka crack in her last aria? There was a space between notes. She got tired slowly but surely. Morris couldn’t hold pitch, and Domingo lacked the weight and timbre at the lower register. And Giordani was Giordani. I’m a commoner and not a patrician on this blog, but this was the worst HD tetecast this year.
Only if by this year you mean 2010, and not the season. Turandot was definitely worse.
Bravo, Connie Papas! It was the worst HD simulcast since they began doing it. It almost made me long for some modernist regie-oper nonsense that was at least alive —- oohhhhhh, what am I saying? I dont mean it!
Pieczonka in a little ensemble with the tenor and others near the end of Act I did experience a brief glitch in attempting a pp tone; when it repeated, she sang it mf, and got it, though it was not the right dynamic. Sometimes you just do what you gotta do!
She seems to sing with a lot of effort, physical effort suggesting stress, though she was better in later scenes than in Act I. I have to wonder if Italian rep is for her; thus far, she has always sounded best in German opera. Not a terribly interesting artist on any count, in my estimate however. Pardon please! I cannot imagine her Marschallin being interesting at all. Give me Isokowski for Schwanewilms for that.
Well it’s Pieczonka vs Schwanewilms as the Marschallin for me. Both are great in this role and IMHO Pieczonka’s Marschallin is very, very interesting and touching.
Pieczonka is a terrific Marschallin, much more interesting than the correct but dull Isokowski.
armer, you’re not seriously suggesting that Finland’s own Soile Isokoski’s gone Polish?
Whoops, a renegade w slipped in there. Still, in my defence I was obviously influenced by the spelling of the previous poster…
Actually the beef with Domingo is not “color” ( re: 21) but something for which I don’t have the technical expertise to describe. Many types of singers can take on Rosina and make it work, and not all voices are perfect for the roles they do sing. The specific problem here was that Domingo didn’t have the “goods” to be a Boccanegra. Just because some “real” baritones out there can’t do it either doesn’t validate his performance.
Haven’t seen all the HD performances since they started, but was this Domingo’s first?
I’ll think I’ll go back now and listen to that night of nights, the 21.1.1939 Met Boccanegra under Panizza which had a ludicrously glamorous cast: Rethberg, Martinelli (love him in spite of everything), Tibbett, Pinza and Warren, yes Warren as Paolo. Luckily I have inherited this Arkadia transfer. Gott sei dank!
I’m just watching a Boccanegra with Cappuccilli, Ghiaurov and Riciarelli. And I’m beginning to really like this opera:-).
Hello Parterre Kindergarten fellow participant!
Is that the Strehler-Abbado production? I believe there were two videos of that one, from La Scala with Freni, and from Paris with Ricciarelli. Or did I get it all wrong?? :-/
Love Simone. It’s such a sea-opera. You can hear the breeze in the orchestra most of the time (even in the omnious prologue), and especially at the beginning of act I. And the council chamber scene! Excellent vintage Verdi. Have fun.
Just one question, off topic. I recently stumbled upon a recording of Vespri Siciliani with Cerquetti and Christoff. Is this worth buying (given that I’m broke, which is partly your fault:-))?
Oh definitely yes. It’s the best Cerquetti you can have. Along with her Elisabetta only in better sound. Ortica is a so-so Arrigo but otherwise the rest are very good to great.
I have already posted two Cerquetti highlights from this Vespri but here they are again. Judge for yourself. Just don’t send me the bills afterwards!
Oh dear…. I guess someone should take away my credit cards, the quicker the better. Thanks (oh, and if in the weeks to come you have the feeling that someone really, really hates you, it will be me, reading my credit card bill
).
Liane, dear, has no one yet initiated you into the jous of downloading. Many of these artifacts from the Dark Ages are available in MP3 at the flick of a finger and quite legally — well, maybe not so quite.
You’re talking…. I just got my last instalments of the Valencia Ring. BTW Lance Ryan is very, very very good and Jennifer Wilson sounds like the real thing. But you can never tell with all those stupid neckmikes which they use nowadays when they tape operas live. Anyway the best singing comes from Catherine Wyn-Rogers. I’ve heard her some 10 years ago in the Messiah. It was the same beautiful, velvet sound only bigger. A great Erda and Waltraute. Really the most impressive Wagner singing since your great compatriot Jadwiga Rappe. And please can somebody do a Mahler something with her?
Betsy, the nice thing about downloading in Poland is, that it is a kind of legal void, meaning, it’s always legal, unless you share or exchange (just yeaterday asked a judge I’m friends with). Unfortunately, I hate downloading; a proper CD, with booklet, cover etc is a part of the fun for me, plus, I always have the impression that the sound is better. Meaning, i have to pay, but thanks for the concern anyway
.
Fortunately for my budget, I can’t stand more than 15 minutes of Wagner per week
. As for Mahler, do you have Mezzo tv? They’re just doing a Mahler month with all symphonies, probably with every possible cast; and most of it is really great (well, didn’t particularly like Mattila, in i don’t know which symphony, but then, I don’t particularly like Mattila in anything).
Well it seems like my Mahler days are over for the time being, except for the third, fifth and ninth maybe. But I like to keep the song cycles close by, especially when it semms there might be intriguing interpreters lurking around, like Wyn-Rogers (do I sound too much like the Vicar, I wonder?). I’ll check up on the Mezzo site, though my French is quite good I can’t understand a thing there, the site is a hopeless mess. Thank you anyway !
Wow CF that ring looks interesting! On the whole how would you compare it to others, such as the chereau, 1st kupfer, levine, copenhagen etc? This valencia ring is making me think of what lepage might have in store for us.
Scfisi the Valencia Ring is completely ugly – ugly decor (don’t care for projections), more than ugly costumes, no personenregie. But I like Mehta’s Wagner as I think, opposed to his atrocious flics with the IPO over here, he can be a very good to great late-post romantic conductor. And the level of singing is surprisingly high, most voices (except Schnitzer as Sieglinde WTF?) able to sustain their roles with aplomb. The orchestra is superb. Very exciting.
Best all around Ring would be the Kupfer-Barenboim. Because it’s DECENT. And because Tomlinson is extremely moving, ditto Secunde. And Elming is cute, although he can’t really sing. And Evans is decent, ditto Jerusalem. Barenboim a bit green but by Siegfried he gets it. It all works very well.
Second best for me is the “Copenhagen” Ring. Best directed Ride of the Walkyries, really works. Cast works very well as an ensemble, with some great performances, Andersen a good Siegmund, Theorin very commited, Randi Stene impressive as Fricka. Very convincing, if dark and violent, as theatre. Good, disciplined playing and very transparent (a la Kempe) under Schonwandt.
I sorta love the Amsterdam under Haenchen, again very crisp and transparent playing. Variable cast. Altmeyer seriously overparted as Brunn. Lacklustre Wotan but Kruse very good as Siegfried. Stage very beautiful, first two operas have the orchestra onstage, so powerful images if problematic for the singers.
The Boulez-Chereau has aged. Too hyperactive. Jones gives one of her greatest performances in Gotterdammerung and the set is worthwhile just for her sake in that opera. Jung sorta manages to sing through. McIntyre not really delivering. Like Peter Hoffmann but the voice is not really reliable. Don’t like what Boulez does with the score, but you get used to it. Not really impressed with Zednik either, too conscious of him ‘acting’.
I have the Levine-Schenk but never watch it. Singing is mostly below par or not interesting. Behrens is no Brunnhilde. Jerusalem is painful in the barn, much more at ease and fresh in Bayreuth, recorded in studio conditions. Morris is secure but sentimental. Hate Norman as Sieglinde and Lakes is boring. Levine tries to emulate every conductor he has ever heard and the reading sounds contrived and patched. Orchestra plays very well but shows no love or passion for the music, just very good professionals doing what they are paid to do. There is no visible staging and the decor is pure kitsch.
The Sawallisch / Everding is interesting, the playing no competition with the other bands. Cast OK but smallish voices, Behrens does better here (smaller house) than in the barn. Love Lipovsek as Fricka. Kollo over the hill. Varady an interesting Sieglinde.
Pappano not released but televised. Awful Walkure production-wise but gets better in Siegfried and by Gotterdamerrung it really works. Gasteen a mezzo with no top and terribly ugly. Treleavan I like because he understands how it should go, though the voice is not really up to it. Terfel doesnt have WOtan worked up in his system. Good Sieglinde in Dalayman, too lyrical Siegmund. Doesn’t Work. Pappano salvaged single-handedly the level of playing in the ROH orchestra and they sound really great. Interpretation has wonderful panache and yet very careful about stimmung and general architecture, very impressive. It’s a youngish interpretation, orchestrally speaking. I love what he does with the score.
Since Parterre’s software seems to hate Safari on Mac, who knows where in the stream this will land, but … re CF @ 24.1.1.10: Don’t give up on Mahler right now until you hear the new Gerhaher Mahler songs. I un-gave-up on Mahler after hearing these (yes, sort of off topic, but). And, shout out to Liana and any other Parterre Kindergarteners!
Thank you for your insights into the various rings on dvd. I have the kupfer, copenhagen, levine, and chereau, but was thinking about getting this one for the novelty value and strong musical values. As you can tell from my name, i’m a sucker for anything remotely sci-fi styled, so that’s perhaps what interested me in this ring.
ugh, why must children disturb our peace? (isn’t that a line from the ring? i feel like fafner now.)
btw, one of my favorite recorded “com’en quest’ora bruna” (sp.?) is the one with eileen farrell.
Good Lord, what a buncha haters! I thought this was a fantastic performance (in the movie theater). Everyone really seemed to be giving it their all…
I am no fan of James Morris’ voice and I did have an “uh oh” moment when he started to sing, but even he gave a great a great performance today I thought.
Loved Adrianne Pieczonka. Who are these phantom Verdi Sopranos you all would have preferred to hear today? I love Mirella Freni’s recording of this opera as much as anyone but she ain’t singing the part these days.
I am not a Domingo fan per se, but I found him quite moving today. Of course he doesn’t sound like a “real” baritone, but who cares…
Renee Fleming was painful to watch during the intermission. Phony, constantly interrupting, talking about herself too much (as mentioned above)… gaah! I realize she is a kind of a “face of opera” for the masses but do the producers of these HD things actually think she’s doing a good job as the host?
Reading these comments, I wonder if I saw the same performance in the movie theater today. Mr. Domingo may not be a baritone, but he owned the role and his last scene was extremely moving and well acted. Once Ms. Peiczonka finished the aria, her performance improved dramatically. She even said in intermission how nervous she is singing it. Even Mr. Giordani, of whom I am not a fan, sang better than I have heard him sing in quite a while. This seemed a committed performance from all. At age 69, I don’t think we have to worry about Mr. Domingo stealing any roles from baritones for very long.
He is thinking of Athanel in Thais, it is announced and Count de Luna.
Suits me, as long as Olive sings the title role!
What a party DVD that would be.
I was going to do a La traviata duet with a
certain rather bizarre San Francisco woman
music critic, but unfortunately she passed away
(just in time). You see how these things go.
Olive, I hope your high-D is in great shape;
if not Pla. will sing it for you!
Who are the phanthom verdi sopranos? ANYBODY sings Verdi these days, but based on today’s broadcast and the effortful way she produces sound, sharp at the extreme top and not a distingushed color, anybody else would be better.
I’m sure I’m the oldest queen who parterres, but my memory still works.
Oh how we did giggle when Caruso sang (and recorded) Colline’s Boheme aria! I mean, the nerve! the gall! A tenor singing basso material!
And need I remind you that that sweet light tenor Manuel Garcia actually sang the title role in Don Giovanni? Now THAT was a night that queens fainted over for weeks afterwards. The voice was all wrong, but it was the TIGHTS! The TIGHTS I tell you!!
If Domingo still looked good in tights…and if Boccanegra threw off the heavy robes and displayed the tights, perhaps we wouldn’t complain so much about this failed attempt.
Dearest RFreak, Yes, I AM Manuel Garcia! (although my grandfather hated him) But, yes, the TIGHTS! You bring back such memories.
Guys, would you really like to see Domingo in tights??? Are you crazy?????????
Hahahahaha. NO.
I love the (probably apocryphal) story about Bonisolli replacing Domingo in a show and insisting on been given tights to wear, rather than more suitable legwear. He said: “‘E ‘as-eh de betterr voice, I ‘ave better legs-eh.”
(But let’s face it, NO peacock tenor would ever admit another tenor had a better voice … )
Ms. Freak, if you aren’t a hoot! And what a memory! We had
a drink in Sherry’s bar, as I recall, at the 1939 Boccanegra
at the Met, and nobody sang very well — Rethberg retired
two years later, Martinelli’s voice was stiff and hard and
Tibbett’s decline was well along – all that drinking even
before the opera — and the score was soooo cut, BUT
Edward Johnson was circulating around saying “This is an
Historic Evening,” and people repeated what he said and
next thing you know everyone is believing it and repeating it.
It was the very next year Rethberg sang the Figaro Countess
in a new production of the Mozart with Pinza, but then she
quickly faded and in a year or two Eleanor Steber took over
the role and showed just how it should be sung.
What tricks good PR can play, and memories too!
(PS: I am several years older than you; my godmother was
Elena Marti!)