“Tu vois je suis encore coquette!”
La Cieca is of the opinion that there are some sopranos who can act Manon, some who can sing Manon, and some who simply are Manon. This snippet from a recent interview may suggest which category Anna Netrebko fits into.
[Interviewer] TS: Can you just explain what this World Economic Forum thing is?
AN: What?
TS: You’re an ambassador –
AN: I don’t know. They told me something, so I said, ‘Thank you, it’s great.’ I think it’s a great honour.
TS: But you don’t know what it is?
AN: I don’t even know what I have to do.
TS: I think there’s a conference in Dar es Salaam you have to go to.
AN: Me? Oh – I had no idea. Wow. I don’t know.
[pause]
TS: Is that a Chopard watch?
AN: Yes. These are diamonds that are sparkling. Chopard is beautiful, they make in such a beautiful style, but the jewellery I’m going to wear in Manon is not Chopard.
Can you say DUMBER THAN A ROCK?
To think that Callas needed all of two weeks to learn Puritani when Netrebko only needed one!
I saw the Dress Rehearsal last Saturday and to my mind she gave a very average performance.She certainly did not press induce one tear out of my eyes in her death scene.I did not think that there was much chemistry between them and the dresses, particularly her pink feathery one, were very much over the top. As to the character, one cannot ever call Manon really bad. She was just very superficial, flighty and devoted to money and luxury, but certainly not bad.
Netrebko was on Kiri Te Kanawa’s “What makes a great soprano?” last weekend. She looked stunning, and came accross as very intelligent, and also a little insecure. She realises very well what people expect of her.
Also interviewed was Lesley Garret, who looked just like Patti Stanger’s assistant. And the most radiant curtain call I ever saw: Leontyne Price after the opening night of Anthony and Cleopatra.
And bits from this interview:
The bits of Leontyne from the Met opening were definitely the highlight of the whole programme. She looked like she was having such fun, and I do feel that her voice was at its most indecently sumptuous when she was in her late 30s.
I could sing the Comte des Grieux *tomorrow*– it’s a question of color and tessitura.