Stand by Mimi
“The Met’s been cleaning house of its lavish Franco Zeffirelli productions, mothballing his Tosca and Carmen earlier this season. But his staging of Puccini’s La Boheme remains a keeper, packing a punch 28 years after its premiere.”
Our Own JJ goes gaga for Anna in the New York Post.
I agree with everything you wrote, but really, POST editors, could they spare the space? You do more in your allotted space than Tony The Times Tamed Tiger does in a full page story. I laugh when he speaks of Netrebko’s flirting with pitch but just adores the truly pitched challenged Radvanovsky.. selective hearing I guess. “Robust singing” is always a code for he liked the guy.
YOU should be writing at the Times.
This Beczala chap is hardly to be compared with Paul Charles Clarke! He needs to study the recordings of Browning Mummery and Lionel Cecil.
Browning Mummery is the best name ever.
Equalled only by the great Vivian Pickles!
No, No! Maury D & kashania : Bettered still by the name of A.L.Webber’s leading lady for his next populist stinkbomb Love Never Dies (A.K.A Phenyle of the Opera – 2). Her name wait for it, folks …IS…..Sienna BOGGINS!
Trust the British and the Vicar for coming up with such names.
Harry – for your delectation :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1252556/A-fabulous-new-Phantom-song–hear-The-Mail-Sunday.html
Vivian IS great.
Her performance in Harold and Maude is completely perfect in every way.
I don’t have to , Manou – I have already seen that web clip abomination (once seen – the memory of seeing it; unfortunately also ‘will not die’ either!).
Ms Boggins though it must be said, with her tinksy soubrette voice unintentionally executes Webber’s wank theme for Phenyle 2 with all the predictable crassness, that only the British could muster.
Oh, how I love this scene!
@Harry – Her name is Sierra Boggess.
Wasn’t he this Browning Mummery -the unfortunate fella to partner the vain old Melba in part of La Boheme in London on the very- very- very- final -last farewell performance she gave?
I only remember it now because a simpering Melba devotee tried to play a recording of it to me. I went into his bad books, the moment I burst out laughing at Melba’s hammy yelping performance and asked at one point “what’s the matter there , did Rudolfo grab her on the arse unexpectedly?”
He should be coupled with an actress from Room at the Top who possessed the funniest female British name I’ve encountered: Ambrosine Philpotts.
You are so correct, Beczala has no comparison to
Clarke -thank heavens for that Beczala being ever so much more refined a singer than Clarke.
Clarke is just English Opera .Beczala doesn’t need to study commonwealth
singers as much as he should give
Kiepura a listen and throw caution
to the winds now and then .
How wonderful!
I bought tickets to the 03/10 and 03/17 performances for La Boheme bc I wasn’t sure when The Met would ever again have such strong singers for both Mimi and Rodolfo.
Miss Netrebko is not everyone’s cup of tea but as Mimi, I know she will be lovely.
im waiting for march to see this so that i can also see swanson’s met swansong. harhar
ooops. swenson. i was so caught up in making it punlike dammit
Is this indeed planned as Ruth Ann’s farewell? Details, please.
well, perhaps. an unofficial one of course as i doubt la gelb will invite her back
“feline”
haha
mrow!
If I want it hard enough, will Trebs start singing a lot more Puccini? Maybe I’m nuts, but the thought of her as Tosca is really appealing to me. Butterfly, too.
There is video of her singing Un bel di…at a concert in Oslo I believe. Pretty good, but needs some work for sure. I hope she sings some more Puccini a few years down the road when her voice will be ripe for Tosca. And more Russian stuff. I’m looking forward to her Tatiana.
And bravo to on a jam-packed dense review.
Manon Lescaut is the one I want her to do, though “L’ora o tirsi” won’t be her all-time best moment. (Who is the last soprano who sang that REALLY well– maybe Dorothy Kirsten?)
Erwin can extend himself as the first nude, erect Lescaut.
Indeed, I’ve been looking forward to her Butterfly and Manon Lescaut for a long time (I’m sure they will happen at some point). Hey, at some point, she might even be coaxed into complete Trittico! Georgietta will be heavy-ish but still.
oh hi maury!
Oh hai. [cat macro]
Just booked to see Netrebko (twice) in the Massenet Manon in June/July at the ROH.
….and also Placido in Boccanegra…
Don’t get too excited – he just pulled out of Tamerlano and is rumoured to be in hospital.
He has? I have tickets for March 5th…
Why hasn’t Muti demanded that Michaels-Moore be flown to New York?
Probably because he heard what a mess he made of the role at ROH