Future conditional
Can you believe it’s less than two weeks before individual tickets go on sale for the Met’s 2010-2011 season? And you know that that means! It’s the time of year when La Cieca invites the cher public, for the sake of less well-informed opera fans (which, relative to you, of course, means just about everyone!) to nominate their “must sees. There’s a poll right after the jump!
Please note you can vote for as many or as few “must see” productions as you like.
Now, in the comments section, the more forthcoming among you may want to explain what makes a must-see something that must be seen.
Say what you/we may, the three operas getting the most votes are the three most linked to Gelb, his administration and his likes, as well as the most publicized: Rheingold, Walkuere, and Nixon in China.
Interestingly, none of them selling mainly on account of their casts.
Um, *hello*, for the last 25 years Met Wagner has almost ALWAYS sold extremely well, it has its own public in NYC and around the country. And Bryn Terfel has his own public too.
…not to mention a major role debut by Jonas Kaufman who has a world-wide public. Plus from what I can tell few singers are more beloved at present by “the average New York operagoer” than Stephanie Blythe.
Agree, but I still think that the biggest thing attracting people to this Ring is the new production – how wow! is it going to be? And it has been promoted more than any other production, Wagnerian or not, that I can remember.
Yes, I’m going to see it because of Kaufmann and Blythe. As well as curiosity to see how Voigt gets through Brunhilde and whether Terfel shows up. But come on, Kaufmann, Terfel and Blythe are not yet recognized as big stars by the general public. (Those who don’t post here and go to the opera to see Domingo or the likes, or because their tour operator had tickets for Boheme.) Kaufmann probably will soon but not yet, at least in the US.
If Terfel can’t be deemed as a contemporary singer with a following, I have trouble imagining who could.
I disagree about Terfel, especially. Ever been to a Terfel recital at Carnegie? He has a huge non-PB following in the US and the UK. As does Jonas in Europe, and Europeans travel for Met Wagner!
“As does Jonas in Europe…”
As if Europe were some kind of monolith!
I have just looked at the Liceu 2010-2011 season and noticed a Kaufmann recital in October 2010: the house is still half-empty. There will also be a Villazon concert in April 2011(if he can make it): it is completely sold out already.
May be people in Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain do not have the same musical tastes. Is that a problem?
Fine. How could I ever think so stupidly.
La Cieca:
Maybe you or someone on here can help me.
The album cover with Jo Stafford made me recall (for some reason) a recording of “September Song” by a singer named Arlene Saunders or maybe Felicia Saunders. The recording was awesome and made me appreciate all those wonderful kitschy song arrangements that were so popular in the 40s and 50s.
Does ANYONE know that recording and where it might be located?!?!?!?!?
Luvtennis, are you thinking of Felicia Sanders?
http://www.amazon.com/Felicia-Sanders/dp/B001OANB4W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1280947735&sr=1-3
Arlene Saunders was a soprano who sang Eva at the Met in the 70′s.
Not to confuse matters, but there’s a soprano, active in the 60s, named Felicia Weathers. I have no idea whether she ever did crossover.
. . . and there was a stripper named “Stormy Weathers.” I have no inkling what she crossed.
I live on Cape Cod so when I come to New York I like to cram as much opera into a weekend as I can. So, to that end, I purchased a 3 consecutive performance trio:
Friday Night: Die Walkure Prima(I have to see my BF JK debut as Siegmund)
Sat Mat: Capriccio(Fleming)
Sat Eve; Trovatore(Rads,Hvor,Zajik
It should be a diverse and entertaining weekend!
Yeah, Cape Cod has that effect on people.
Speaking of Mrs. John Claggart, as some of you have, might I send out my good wishes to her. Although I greatly miss her, I respect and have finally accepted that she has the right to be silent, if she so chooses.
Whatever else one may have thought of her, it is not to be denied she is extraordinarily knowledgeable and truly, deeply loves la Lirica.
Her absence is indeed regrettable. Her knowledge amazed me and she could really stir things up.
Das Rheingold for curiosity value + Terfel
Boris for a chance to hear Gergiev in a rep in which he REALLY excels
Cosi fan Tutte to see Persson being miked at the Met, and see whether Christie has enough technique to outmaneouvre the Met orchestra and cover the enormous pit-stage space, the kind of which he is not used to.
Pelleas, because Rattle has a good ear for the Debussy sonorities, and for a near-perfect cast (bar Kozena, overparted AND miked)
Wozzeck, because Levine can be exciting in this rep and with Goerne and Meier the sparks will fly
Ariadne – Luisi in Strauss, always a must. And for Joyce.
La boheme – just to see what Stoyanova makes of this, and a chance to catch the best lyric tenor we have today, Vittorio Grigolo.
Le comte Ory for a near-perfect evening at the theatre, probably the best show of the entire season.
Might I add Walkure despite Levine and Voigt. Kaufmann and Westbroek are very good selling points and it’s a pity she isnt cast as Minnie, too.
Grigolo is the best lyric tenor we have today? Is the situation really that desperate?
Yes
Besides, I’ve heard him sing Duca a week ago here in the awful Mann Auditorium. He has some stylistic problems, and is a bit hyperactive a-la Villazon, but the sound is gorgeous and it’s a fairly large one.
Wait, seriously? We’re saying the situation is desperate regarding lyric tenors? Vargas, Polenzani, Calleja, Beczala, Florez, Brownlee, Banks, Groves, and I’m sure I’m leaving out plenty all sing regularly at the Met. What a crisis!
Well, Maury, you are right on the general category of “lyric tenors” as opposed to “dramatic tenors”. But most of the talented tenors you name fall into the category of “Mozart tenors” (Polenzani, Groves) or “Rossini tenors” (Florez, Brownlee, Banks), which is to say, decidedly unglamorous Faecher. Grigolo at least belongs to the lyric end of the more glamorous Italian-tenor Faecher. (Of course, so do Calleja and Beczala…)
Guess this indicates that opera going public is getting fed up – as I am – with all those Rigolettos, Bohemes, Trovatores, Carmens and Zauberflötes….. Tourist attractions.
I think that’s rather an over-simplification, Papopera. Each of those productions generated a great deal of interest, speculation, and debate — when they were new. But the novelty factor has been removed. Just let The Met announce the casting of Kaufmann as The Duke, Angela Meade as Gilda, and Bryn Terfel’s first Rigoletto and you would see that opera take a HUGE jump in the ratings. There is much to be said in defense of the standard rep and much to be amused at in the jaded tastes of the cognoscenti.
Concerning the retreads…
Nino Machaidze making her Met debut as Gilda could be great. Saw her with Florez in a filmed version of I Puritani. She was charming. I’m looking forward to seeing her live.
Diana Damrau as Gilda – I’m there. Luisi conducting. Christine Shafer as the third Gilda – I may give that a shot too.
Trovatore has Radvan, Racette, and, for just one show, Di Giacomo – who carried Stiffelio last year. She was super. Unfortunately for Di Giacomo, she sings the same roles as Radvan and Racette and it’s going to be tough to get ahead of those two. Levine(hopefully) w/Radvanovsky and Hvorostovsky performing anything would probably be must see.
Lisette Oropesa in Orfeo will be worth seeing.
Ariadne for DiDonato. Not sure if DiDonato alone will make it worth it though. Kim didn’t seem quite up to the role last year.
One to skip is Tosca w/Licitra. Tosca w/Radvan (the other run) could be quite good.
The standard rep can still thrill. The performances during Netrebko’s run at La Boheme had much of the jaded internet opera crowd saying those performances were amazing. The Tosca with Kaufmann, Terfel, and Racette had people ecstatic.
I’m very excited about this season.
If Terfel attempted to sing Rigoletto with the interpolated high notes, his first Rigoletto would almost certainly be his last.
But wouldn’t you want to be be there to see it? Just so you could lord it over future generations? “Yes, I was there the night Bryn Terfel spontaneously combusted.”
Cruel am I , but I could never never attend yet another performance of the above name operas. Tired of them. I need novelty & rarity.
Well, that’s what comes of using Boheme et al as cash cows in a repertory season. We take them for granted as being always there for us. That doesn’t mean we don’t go to them when they come up. For instance, I have a Boheme with Stoyanova and Calleja in my subscription, and I am looking forward to it. (And I’m one of those who seeks out the new and unusual.)
And once again, Erika Miklosa, who I think is extremely underrated is only singing Queen Of The Night, and not even all of the performances. She would be a wonderful Lucia, Gilda, Violetta, and she could do Ariadne and Ory, too. I think she’s simply thrilling.
Mr. Sanford,
I agree with you regarding Erika Miklosa. I haven’t heard her in anything other than the flute but would hear her as a formidable protagonist in a number of roles.
Thanks for posting that, Sanford. I really liked her KdN but hadn’t hear her in anything else until I saw this “Caro nome”. She’s not the most Italianate Gilda but she’s definitely good. I think she might have a terrific Zerbinetta in her (a prospect which I would find much more exciting than Kathleen Kim in the role).
scifisci @ 10.1.14
I wouldn’t be surprised if Kim was contracted for both runs of Zerbinetta at the same time, i.e., if the Met thought she was good enough for the role in 09-10, then she’ll be good enough again in 10-11.
Based on hearing Urmana earlier this season, I wouldn’t describe the voice as “choked and small.” I thought her Ariadne a few years back was beautifully sung and inflected.
It guess it’s all relative…choked as small as compared with her voice 5 years ago and of course, in the cavernous Met.