Triumphal, arch
“Nobody dies in Partenope, Handel’s 1730 opera that ends in contentment and reconciliation. For the audience at the New York City Opera’s production Saturday night, the finale also hinted at hope for the troubled company’s future.” [NYP]
And very nice it is to see one of Britain’s best kept conducting secrets, Chris Curnyn, getting such good reviews for this…
Only one comment for NYCO’s latest production?
la cieca, i don’t know where to stick this (no snide comments, please) so can i just ask here a few things:
1) regarding the recent aida on ch. 13 from the met, i notice they stopped doing the black faces on the “ethiopians.” now, isn’t verdi’s terminology there incorrect anyway? aren’t amonasro and aida really nubians, not ethiopians? nubia was the traditional neighbor and rivals of the ancient egyptians, not the ethiopians further south.
2) can anyone recommend a good online dictionary of musical and singing terms? you know, when you need to look up stretta or cavatina.
3) heard james valenti’s alfredo on youtube, the voice is nice but i thought the top and the bottom had such distinct qualities taht they were from 2 different singers. is taht something that a singer can work on or is that just part of their timbre or tone, or whatever you call it, that makes them unique?
grazie.
CTs? ehmmm… i think i’m handeled out now…
Lucky Lucky Pierre @3 – even though I have been anile-ated by B_A_B in a previous thread, I am still enough of an (ancient) Egyptian expert to answer point number 1 on your post. Whether Aida and her Dad are Nubians or Ethiopians would make no difference to the colour of their skin, as they would both be ethnically black. The commendable modern view is that it is quite unnecessary (in fact quite insulting) to “black up”.
Given the standard of authenticity in opera generally, it is really a minor point not worth losing sleep about.
On the same topic, please check how Ulrica is described in the Ballo libretto (not to mention Alvaro in Forza). We need to be aware of modern sensitivities and behave accordingly.
did you all hear aboutg this?
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/04/06/2010-04-06_fire_is_ultimate_diva_at_the_met.html
manou, dearie, oh yes, i was being a blonde as my 2 points from aida were not related. i wasn’t saying they were two different races (although they might be) and if anything nubians might be darker than modern day ethiopians (i don’t know for sure), but the 2 points were not really related. and yes, i know ulrica is in the original version “dell’immondo sangue di negri.” that is before they cleaned it up. i do think they might want to make the egyptians a bit different from aida and her countryfolk though, perhaps with the makeup.
why were you ani-hilated, cherie? or is it better than ana-hilated? and why is babby such an evil witch?
Heh heh! Hee hee hee! She ate part of my roof so I gave her the shingles. yah hah hah hah hah!
Lucky @7 – see “Alla chat che si appresta..” Posts 69 to 72.
No doubt one day a regie production will dress the Egyptians and the Nubian/Ethopians in different football kits – in the meantime we shall have to try and work out who’s who without the benefit of paint jobs (hint: the Egyptians are the winners and wear urns on their heads, and also look down on –> the others, who are losers, have no headgear and look mightily p*** off).
J’espere que tout ça résout le probleme.
#6: