It was better than chat!
Last week’s listening experiment showed that, left to their own devices, most folks spring into instant inertia. So maybe gentle prodding and encouragement would do some good.
11:00-2:00 LRT KLASIKA: La sonnambula – Is Natalie Dessay really Alvin the Chipmunk in drag?
1:00-2:15 AUDITORIUM: Das Lied von der Erde — Peter Sieffert and Thomas Hampson. Relax, it’ll be over before you know it.
1:00-4:30 BARTOK RADIO: Prince Igor – Yes, there was Russian opera before Valery Gergiev.
1:00-5:00 CBC TWO: Rossini’s Otello — This is an eye-opener if you haven’t heard it before.
1:00-4:00 DEUTSCHLANDRADIO KULTUR: Die Passagierin — Who was it heard this thing and really loved it? Oh yeah, me.
1:00-4:00 DR P2: Hasse’s Pyramus and Thisbe — This is the version without Flute the Bellows-Mender and Schneider the Tailor
1:00-5:30 ESPACE MUSIQUE: Faust –Beczala, Isokowski, not bad.
1:00-4:00 KBYU: Das Rheingold from Los Angeles — “And — in the Center Ring — Achim Freyer and his Wonder Dogs.”
1:00-4:30 NPR World of Opera: The Cunning Little Vixen from Florence — Isabel Bayrakhdarian makes this one worth a visit.
1:00-5:00 RADIO 4 NETHERLANDS: Lohengrin from Bayreuth — Anyone who hasn’t heard it already should drag out their Jonas Kaufmann posters and Kleenex.
1:00-5:00 RADIO CLASICA DE ESPANA: Eugene Onegin from Vienna — Okay, so Jonas doesn’t do it for you, how about Dima?
1:00-5:00 RTP ANTENA 2: Agrippina — Hallenberg, Genaux, I’ve heard better.
1:00-6:00 WFMT NETWORK: Siegfried from Los Angeles. “And now, Achim Freyer and his Flying Rutabagas.”
1:00-5:00 WRTI: Die Walküre from Los Angeles. “Achim Freyer, all alone, without a net.”
1:30-4:00 NRK KLASSISK: Carmina Burana — For all you Katherine Jenkins fans.
2:00-6:30 Numerous stations: Die Walküre from Bayreuth. — What if they gave a Ring and nobody came?
2:00-4:30 RADIO STEPHANSDOM: Siegfried Wagner’s Banadietrich — My pick. I’m on this big Siegfried Wagner kick. His Heidenkönig is really pretty good.
As always, the chat room is open on Saturday afternoon at La Casa della Cieca.
(Listings courtesty of Our Own Betsy Ann Bobolink.)
Let me throw in my own suggestion to the mix. My interest perked when I saw Prince Igor; I’m a sucker for this piece.
I first saw it about 20 years ago at NYCO, I really didn’t know the score at all except for the Polovetsian Dances which was later lifted into Stranger in Paradise from Kismet. But I was just bowled over by the beauty of the score.
The sequence of number in the Povoletsian Camp is just stunning, one gorgeous melody following another. And Jarolslava’s arias, filled with sadness and despair typify the often overused but here very apt concept of Russian “soul”.
On the down side is that the score was left unfinished by Borodin’s death and is really a mess, structure-wise. I’ve seen three different productions, the NYCO I already mentioned, the Kirov’s version under Gergiev, and Cesca’s at SFO and they were all very different in terms of arrangement of scenes. Really Borodin left a collection of stunning scenes rather than a structurally complete opera. He was actually a chemist rather than a musician and I think the technical aspects of writing a theater based piece defeated him.
Also he didn’t get around the orchestrating the piece or even finishing all the numbers he started. Glazanov stepped in and worked to take the raw material and polish it off into a version that could be presented on stage.
I looked at the cast on Operacast but wasn’t quite sure what I was reading. the Hungarian style transliteration of the Russian names confused me a bit but I found the details of the performance in an English transliteration:
1969, Mark Ermler (conductor), Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra and Chorus; Ivan Petrov (Igor), Tatyana Tugarinova (Yaroslavna), Vladimir Atlantov (Vladimir), Artur Eisen (Galitsky), Aleksandr Vedernikov (Konchak), Yelena Obraztsova (Konchakovna)
This looks very, very promising although I’m not familiar with the soprano. But Atlantov was a major tenor voice and was in his prime in 1969 as was Obraztsova
Here’s hoping I’ve inspired at least one new Prince Igor fan!
There’s no Genaux in the Agrippina (and I’m curious as to which Agrippina you’ve heard that you thought better–this performance from Venice isn’t perfect but it’s pretty damned good!), but Genaux–if you can stomach her, I cannot–sings Piramo in the Hasse opera.
Thanks for the correction, Hippolyte. I should have said Veronica Cangemi to identify which Agrippina was being aired. I should also have said “one I enjoy more.” Lest I start a firestorm, I’ll just say I bounced a lot when I listened to the Rene Jacobs version with Bejun Mehta (a personal favorite.) Whaddaya expect from a bird?
Perhaps the bird should be bouncing on Sir Swollenrod?
Prince Igor is a gem.
There is an old Russian ( Soviet) film of the opera which I saw many years ago. I only remember the “confrontation” scene where Prince Igor ( if I remember the plot correctly) is offered something ( power? freedom?) by the Khan. It was one of those “sticks in the soul” scenes.
Borodin was, indeed, a chemist. However a biographical film about Mussorgsky ( also Soviet era) suggests that in fact the Borodins had a lot of children, a happy family life, and a door that was always open to friends who crashed. I believe the poor man was pictured trying to finish a manuscript with a cat walking over his score!
I’m sure this Prince Igor broadcast is worth hearing.
Not just Glazunov but Rimsky-Korsakov too helped to finish IGOR!
The old Soviet film ( Kirov, with Milashkina als Gast 1969) is fabulous– a major hoot, seek it out– but cut to ribbons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3A1Gv44oAA&feature=related
For Tomowa-Sintow and Leiferkus at their absolute zenith, and Zaremba and Burchulaadze when they were still excellent, see the ROH film, oddly gven to Haitink.
Krunoslav,
I had forgotten about the ROH video; I used to have it on Laserdisc but haven’t seen it in years. But I remember liking it a lot. As I remember T-S was really wonderful on this.
Yaroslavna was possibly AT-S’s finest moment at Covent Garden, though her Marschallin (1994) and Kaiserin (1992) were pretty good too.
Whatever happened to the Rhapsody & Warren G?
If you disregarded the words, the mash-up kinda worked.
SOS. Do we have any Latvians present? What is (are) Lauli-bu veksalis and Zi-da ka-pnes, being broadcast on Latvia Radio Klasika at 1:10? I’ve been through the Rossini canon and these just don’t fit.
We should also add the Salzburg Lulu with Patricia Petibon and Pavol Breslik, Radio Oesterreich at 1:30, and Alessandro Solbiati’s Il Carro e I Canti on RAI3 at 4:30, which is admittedly rather too late for a Chat.
I’m surprised nobody mentioned the Seattle “Tristan und Isolde” tonight, live at 6:30PM (Pacific Time)–I know that’s dangerously close to when the New York contingent starts cruising the clubs, but it lasts almost 5 hours–so y’all should be able to catch some part of it. It’s on king.org (in Seattle it’s 98.1 on the FM dial).
Due to illness of one of the cast members, Seattle Opera has asked us to postpone our scheduled broadcast of their production of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. … Tonight, we will instead bring you a broadcast performance of Verdi’s Otello from San Francisco Opera, originally scheduled for broadcast on KING FM on September 11th.
That should have had quotation marks. I am not, in fact, a radio station. And I think only LC should be allowed to refer to herself in the 3rd person here.
Oh, dear, I meant first person plural. I can’t seem to get anything right…
Ho, I think you are a radio station. Only a real radio station would say, “I am not, in fact, a radio station,” trying to throw us off the scent. I can see you now, trying to hide your little antennae, putting doilies on your microphones to make us think they’re antimacassars. Oh, thou deviant media, dost thou thinkest we wust born yesterday?
So, Radio Station, what’s the full story? From what Unctuous Baritone VI said just now, the performance is not being postponed — just the broadcast. Does that mean that on August 12th or whenever, we get a taped performance of an Isolde who sounds more like Froggie the Gremlin? Or are they performing the piece without whoever, and giving the audience IOU’s redeemable for CDs of the missing parts when the stand-in arrives from her engagement in Caracas? What’s up? This is news!
JesusS — Don’t worry, you made the effort and That’s What’s Right. Thanks.
Oh yeah, sure, take his side. “Put the radio station down, Betsy.” “Don’t bother the nice Radio Station, Betsy.” I’VE GOT FEELINGS TOO, CAMILLE !
Bets– I just thought of something — it’s coming from Washington State, maybe it’s Glenn Beck!
Betsy_Ann (or should I call you Ms. Bobolink?),
I’m just a radio station! I play whatever they tell me to. My guess would be that when the indisposed singer has recovered they will ask me to broadcast a different live performance.
yours,
JesusSmarmia (a.k.a., UnaMacchia, which I’m switching to…)
No, not Glenn Beck but when I lived in Seattle, I lived right across the street from some guy named Beck who used to be head of the Teamsters’ Union and his name was Something Beck. But he’s dead now. They set up his tombstone right in the middle of the street. “Here lies Something Beck — as usual.”
Oh Jesus, Bets! Our missals arrived simultaneously!
Don’t get upset!–it’s just the after effects of phenobarbitols and mint juleps on your delicate system. I think you best ask our Doyenne for a better julep recipe as she is sure to have a knockout.
Now tell me, IS IT Glenn Beck, whaddaya think?
MEN – DA — CI — TY ! A vertiable maelstrom of mendacity. You’re that law student in Georgia ! You look nothing like a radio station with thsoe pointy little eyes.
I will not be molly-fried, FIBBER MCGEE !
I’m a (future) lawyer…what can I say?
We’re gonna want a full report from ReedRoom after all THIS, I can tell ya.
Bets — excusez-moi but I have gotta finish listening to Hairy Prom Companion, so why don’t you please grab a pitcher of juleps and head out to the old veranduh. I’m sure no one is trying to pull one over on you. Ciao. C.
Miz Bets: And I thought I was the only one up in here who knew what antimacassars were…props to you!
When I was growing up, we lived in a very progressive neighborhood. We had pro-macassars. Peopple would come from all over town just to sweat on our chair backs.
Ms. Bobolink, I think that may need to be my new ‘favorite quotation’ on Facebook. May I have your permission? You’ll be cited appropriately.
Of course.
What?
the bon mot about pro-macassars. Exceedingly clever and more than slightly random…just the thing to spice up my FB profile!
Oh, okay.
I’m hanging out my antimacassars for the night to dry. Ich bin muede. Schlafen. …
Okay – from the Latvian department (with a little help from Google and the little grey cells):
These seem to be two Rossini (or as we Latvian scholars know him Džoak?no Ros?ni) operas, the second one is La Scala di Seta, and the first one confusingly appears to be Nozze di Figaro, which Mozart would be aggrieved by, so my conclusion is that it could be Barber.
This is 33.33% information, 33.33% deduction, and ££.33% conjecture.
….oooops 33.33% of course.
Oh thrice-blessed Manou. La Scala di Seta indeed fits, and the key words “Marriage” and “Wexford” lead inevitably to the recurring appearance of La Cambiale di Matrimonio. Mystery solved.
Thanks
Zida kapnes are delicious eel-garnished pancakes, always served on the first day of the Herring Festival, washed down with a tankard of laulibu veksalis, the traditional cabbage liqueur.
Isn’t that one of Mme. Vera’s recipes? And thanks a bushel for the fried okra, southern style, l’autre jour. Do they not take a dash of Tabasco?
Help me out, folks. Bartok Radio does not show anything that looks like Prince Igor to me.
Try again DCF. I linked up earlier and there was just talking. But right now the PI overture is playing so I’m assuming the complete opera has finally started
Thanks. Got it.
I think this is the second time I’ve tried to listen to it all the way through, or possibly the third. Very Asian sounding, which is interesting, but I confess I am bored by the lack of in-your-face emotionalism.
I particpated in my first parterre chat in years just now. Lots of fun. Thanks, BABs.
Thank La Cieca; it’s her hand on the leash.
It is her casa, after all. Thanks, LC.
It was a fun chat–keep in touch, girls!
Tonight’s broadcast of TRISTAN AND ISOLDE from Seattle has been canceled and rescheduled for Aug. 21st at 9:30pm Eastern Time due to the indisposition of Clifton Forbis. The performance in the house was not canceled, but will have Adam Klein as Tristan.
Huh, that could have been interesting.
BETS! The Hairy Prom is over.
What could have been interesting?
Froggie the Gremlin as Isolde?
Adam Klein as Tristan?
Sprite Jenkins as the Fairy Godmother? Glenn Beck as Kurwenal? What!
As y’all have already heard, YES, Clifton Forbis was ill on 8/7 and Mr. Adam Klein sang, with much less voice than Mr. Forbis, but acquitted himself without embarrassment, I guess. I say “I guess” because from the back of the pit (which is partially covered in Seattle) it is sometimes hard to hear the singers; my own observation is that Adam Klein has an attractive voice maybe one size too small for this particular role; in the first act he had a tendency to oversing (and was being reined in by the conductor); and he tended to linger (much nicer than saying that he drags); He made it through.
We didn’t have to stop, nobody came in wrong, and the show ended at the same time as usual…but anyway, I’ve been told that the singers are never covered, and Maestro Fisch made sure of that last night.
But with the distraction of a cover-singer going on without rehearsal with the orchestra, and all the surprises that brings to the equation, I’d say it was a good call to postpone the live broadcast. August 21st is the new broadcast date.
And sorry to say, Annalisa Persson’s wobble is worsening. God knows what state the voice will be in by August 21.
Margaret Jane Wray (much maligned on this website in the past) is a beautiful Brangäne. Greer Grimsley is very convincing as Kurwenal with that “man-crush” on Tristan (one of my favorite gay opera roles); and Stephen Milling has maybe the best voice onstage, crashing the party with his bass-clarinet (König Marke).
Sorry, it’s ANNALENA Persson as Isolde…my bad.