Donizetti queens report
Today is the dress rehearsal/preview of Anna Bolena at the Met, and naturally La Cieca has infiltrated the event with a veritable phalanx of spies. After the jump: all your latest Anna Netrebko related news.
SPOILERS BELOW!
4:30: “Although Donizetti is one of my least favorite ‘standard-repertoire’ composers, I enjoyed today’s Anna Bolena at the MET. McVicar’s production is very simple and straightforward—nothing that the Sybil Harrington Trust would object to funding (although this was paid for by Mercedes and Sid Bass), with ravishing costumes against very simple monochromatic sets. Mumford was an astonishingly boyish Smeaton, nicely sung although not as impressive as her Paulina last season. Gubanova was awfully ‘plain Giovanna’ asSeymour, and not particularly suited to this repertoire with a very raw top. Abdrazakov, a striking-looking Enrico, lacked the bottom notes but was incisive and secure throughout the rest of the range—I liked him a lot.
“I’d never heard Costello before and was very impressed by his singing, although the end of his first aria went a bit awry. His stage deportment is quite another matter—I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a more awkward and disengaged performance on the Met stage. If he ever made eye contact with anyone on stage, I missed it, and his hang-dog posture and vague expression got really tiresome by the end—and what was with the house slippers for ‘Vivi tu?’
“The eponymous diva of the moment started out sounding uncharacteristically rough—the first aria and cabaletta going for little. After that, she seemed to find her form and character and gave us a highly dignified and impassioned Queen, in opulent voice for the rest of the performance. Her launching of the stretta of the Act 1 was exciting as was her soaring D at the conclusion. I indeed heard the rising series of trills in the final cabaletta—not all of them fully voiced but at least attempted with some speaking more clearly than others—evidently she had worked on this sinceVienna. Other than the long interruption before the final scene due to a stage elevator snafu, the most spontaneous moment was when Netrebko broke character during the huge applause after ‘Al dolce guidami’ to acknowledge the English horn player in the pit.
“Spoiler: This time the McVicar executioner stays clothed.”
3:10: “The Queen is dead! It’s fine, though McVicar has some kitschy ideas. For the final scene, there’s the chorus of women in front of a wall, then the wall goes up (that was the crash we heard earlier), looking almost exactly like the transition into the Tomb Scene of Aida. The executioner is on top of the wall instead of Amneris. The ladies separate, and Anna is kneeling with back to audience, giving the impression she has already been beheaded. There’s an open door with a smoke effect she sings into, she wanders for a while. Then Keith Miller and Costello arrive in various states of undress, Smeton fully dressed but all bloody. Before last pieta, there’s this big fussy business of Anna putting her hair up in a bun, marching upstage to the door, then turning and waiting for the orchestra to drop out before singing a high B-flat. There doesn’t seem to be much sense of musical choices, how to make the most effective points in the music. The chain of trills didn’t work. She sounds fine, but I just don’t think bel canto is her strong suit.”
3:05: “Nebs nailed the mad scene. Once set went up, effective and quite handsome. Set is black white and red all over. Final image is of giant red satiny curtain (covers entire stage) falling as symbolic beheading. Effective and big!”
2:45: “Suggested headline: ‘Old Man Yells at Stagehands to Sabotage Met Opening Night’” [Apparently this is the "Franco Zeffirelli" moment of the production: the prison rises up on the stage elevator, or fails to rise, as the case may be. - LC]
2:25: “Singers pretty damn good and solid all through second act. Set malfunction at beginning of last act. Loud boom, set couldn’t rise. ”
2:20: “Huge crash backstage at the beginning of the mad scene. Work lights came up and the music stopped. 15 minute break announced.”
1:10: “Initial thoughts post act I. Halfway through the act it seemed that this opera was being hijacked by the men of Tudor. The opening scene was a bit disappointing with a Nebs entrance seemingly designed as a star entrance which wasn’t received as such, i.e., no entrance applause, and than an opening scene where she didn’t seem ‘on’.
“This was followed by Jane Seymour’s bedchamber in which Ildar as Henry was unbelievably hot, sexy, sensual and vocally amazing. This was a scene where he made Jonathan Rhys Meyers‘ Henry on Showtime look like a princess. The lovely 80ish year old woman next to me fanned herself during this scene- he controlled the stage and Ekaterina G. while good seemed to melt into the background.
“Next the park scene where Stephen Costello was in great voice and the audience with was him. Nebs returned and from here on, she was the Queen in all respects. Vocally anything tentative an hour ago was gone and you couldnt keep your eyes off her. She ended this scene by planting a big kiss on Ildar (Henry) that was charged to say the least.
“Her next scene with Costello was lacking the sexual chemistry that she had in that one moment with Ildar. They seem to not be melding together yet, and McVicar may want to work on manning up Costello especially with Ildar’s smoking hot king.
“The end of act ensemble was well done (albeit cut) and Nebs ended the act with a strong assured high D center stage that made it clear that even with the strong male competition it was still her show!
“Production-wise, the set is drab and Spartan (McVicar’s Tudors don’t have much in terms of home decor) but the set is movable and let’s the act play nonstop (no interminable set changes here.) The man knows how to keep up pacing and how to move the action on this stage. Costumes are where the money seems to have been spent- luxurious and really good looking from royalty to courtiers.
“One quibble- those two ugly wolfhounds who were paraded around Zimmerman’s Lucia (and even got some press out of it) are back! Do they have a deal that they must be in any new production of a Donizetti opera at the Met? Should we assume we will see them next season in Maria Stuarda and L’elisir?
“Orchestra was ok- overture was treated with too much omm pah pah playing but got better from there.”
12:50: “Sets are somewhat modern (minimal) but traditional (period). Very safe but effective. No props other than candelabras, a few throw pillows and one bed. Dark brown, greys and black seem to be color scheme Moving walls, trees for forest descending from flies. Smooth ‘a vista’ transitions between scenes. Costumes for chorus are pilgrim chic: black and white. Netrebko is singing quite well: smooth, huge voice, though her acting is somewhat stilted. Guberova is belting and quite shrill at times – ‘Slavic edge’ if you will. Costello looks and sounds hot as hell. Mr Borodina is solid but bland, but looks good from dress circle. Isobel Lenard Tamara Mumford got a mid aria applause in scene before Anna enters. Orchestra sounds together as does chorus.”
12:37: “Anna sounds absolutely great, the voice big and luminous, though her singing does not, I think, have a lot to do with bel canto style. It’s beautiful but not electrifying. The part of Enrico is a bit low for Ildar, but he sounds fine. Stephen Costello is singing very well, not scooping, in tune. The production, well, looks like Anna Bolena: muted color, ornate walls that slide and reveal rooms within rooms. Otherwise it’s mostly people standing around singing; thus far there’s nothing you could call a coup de théâtre.”
12:25: First reports coming in!
8:45: Honey, it hasn’t even started yet. Relax, enjoy your brunch, and check back later.
(Photo: Brigitte Lacombe/Metropolitan Opera)
…what was up , with the amount of empty seats, in the House this morning/afternoon…?.. I was under the impression that all tickets had been distributed via the lottery…but at least upstairs, there were scads of empty rows…!
brooklynpunk,
IMO most people just entered the drawing for fun, won and did not claim their tickets. After all, this was a weekday 11am performance. Unfortunately, those tickets not claimed were forfeited instead of being given to hundreds of opera lovers who waited outside to get a free pass. I was lucky to get one seven minutes before it started.
I would have given you mine, but they were not tansferrable.
On the morning of the dress the Met staff announced to the hopefuls waiting that there were no tickets to be had. The Met already had a good estimate of how many would attend based on the number of tickets picked up by the deadline on Tuesday at 8PM. (And plenty of time to give unclaimed tickets away.) It would seem the Met was not trying to fill every single seat.
Are you saying the Met made a last minute change of policy and handed out tickets that had been kept in reserve?
I really don’t want to look a gift-horse in the mouth…and I think it’s wonderful that the MET continues to open these final rehearsals to the general public….
BUT..
For some reason(S), I liked the original system they had started with, with a line for tickets, forming at the box-office, on the weekend prior to the event– as since they have instituted the on-line lottery system, I have YET to win, ONCE ( and I know some who seem to have been picked, each and every time!)… and have had to rely on kindness of others who were lucky enough to be chosen, and who had a spare ticket….
Were there many cuts? Do we get both verses of each cabaletta and stretta?
Well, it’s certainly interesting to hear the great variety of conflicting reactions. That’s why the make both chocolate and vanilla.
First: Costello has good legs. Keith Miller has GREAT legs and alluring pecs. Now we can go on to the trivia.
In my book, the most beautiful singing of the day was the first-scene lute song by Mumford. Granted, it’s a special kind of music, but she sang it with such refinement and great concentration. Such a relief after the blowsy, unfocused, generic singing just before it by Gubanova. She redeemed herself, in my view, in the big ensembles, however. It would be great to hear someone who was the equal of the other principals in that important role, though.
I don’t understand the negatives here about Costello’s singing today. I didn’t even mind his wane appearance (some characters in this story are pretty wane, after all, and Percy is something of a loser). There was so much dynamite around him that his placid demeanor didn’t bother me. And I loved his voice and the musicality of his singing. Some, to my surprise, didn’t. Go figure.
The idea that we are all basically bisexual is one that I am forced to take on faith. I am so gay that I can hardly find a straight cell in my body. But if I were straight I’d go for Netrebko. Not only was she movie-star beautiful at every moment and in every exorbitantly becoming costume, but when she first came out, I held my breath. Someone above put her down that she didn’t induce applause. You applaud a mere opera star; you don’t applaud a queen. She was every fucking inch the queen from her first entrance, and she never let it down, even in her most harried moments. I absolutely loved her singing. (I suppose the trills must not have carried well. At the front of the orchestra they were far better than you usually hear in thsi rep.) Not ideal in every way in every single musical figure, but OH so commanding. The last scene was as memorable as most of my experiences at the Met — to say the least — since I was 20 years old, and in the last seconds I literally had chills up my spine. I think the woman is a genius. (And speaking of those, the fucking genius was beaming his head off at the end — I was sitting up front among the technos, etc., so I saw him and heard him kvelling. He knows he has a hit on his hands.)
Marco Armiliato will, if he knows what’s good for him, marry me. I will stalk him to the ends of the earth. I caught his eye during the break and gave him a thumbs up. Of course he knew what I meant by that, and the fact that I carved my phone number on his dressing-room door means I need to get cleaned up, because I know he’ll call tonight. Won’t he?
In the way of credentials, such as they are, for my reaction: the only other time I’ve ever seen this opera live was at a pretty damn special occasion: it was the gala to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Sutherland’s Covent Garden debut. It was also the 25th anniversary of the accession of another Queen who was in the audience. I’ll never forget it, and it was fantastic. But the Met has a far more thrilling show by any measure besides the obvious one of a special event for a famous bel canto specialist. I’d never put it down. But Sutherland resembled Anne Boleyn about the way I resemble Marie of Rumania. The only drama had been provided by Donizetti. The Met has a great deal more going on.
Ahhhh! The spirit of mrsjohnclaggart lives on…
By the way. Spotted in the house today: Scotto, Voigt, Terfel, Alan Gilbert. Seems word is out that his is a SHOW.
Also I was right next to Mercedes Bass (she looked very fancy btw) & ran into Maria Guleghina w/ a fierce ostrich Hermes Kelly bag & short blonde hair? I guess she got rid of the witch hair she was sporting for a while.
Well, isn’t Mrs. Bass paying for the whole shebang? You must be carriage trade if you got seated by her!
Seems word is out that his is a SHOW.
Don’t you think that’s rather a personal remark?
Typo.
his = this
Mr. alto, this was my favorite essay of the queens report. I do hope you get your love wish and live happily ever after and write some more of these!
What you said about Anna’s entrance seems about right with me…struck dumb with awe, they were, as they rightly should have been.
HaHA!
Just saw a headline @ supermarket: “Camilla Storms Out! Won’t accept Kate as Queen! Demands 20 Million home in U.S.!”
Sounds like the million dollar home called parterre box.
Camille, cara, please stop reading the National Enquirer! Really, if you had read Weekly World News, you would know that Camilla and Kate are already having a lesbian affair.
Raise your sights, dear.
It was the GLOBE, caro ed egregio avvocato!! And I do not mean the Theatre, either.
I thought Kate was supposed to be pregnant with twins, one x and one y…? Anyone know?
What should I read? The Times Literary Supplement? THAT can be really hysterical, the ads at the back…!
Ciao avvocato, and keep on fighting the good fight for Jennifer. Why she is not singing more here in North America beats the tar outta me!!! Wrong agent? Too chubby? So what, that can all be changed but the voice is there.
Camiile..
I guess you didn’t peruse the entire headline page on the rag..errr..TABLOID..
It is already “saying” that Kate has miscarried..I hope that ain’t REALLY true..!…(one of the creepier headlines I’ve seen , in a while, in the supermarket…)
oh NO!!
No, I didn’t see that one. Povera Kate. I do hope it’s only a rag rumour as I do admire her grit and hope she will survive “The Firm”.
I best go back to reading the TLS ads now…! I’ve been given any imperative by counsellor luvtennis.
Do you have any particular standout moments from the Bolena rehearsal, BP?
The production could not have been more uninspired. Bits of color in the costuming began to trickle in after the entirely monochromatic first scene. Later in the opera there was a single big red object. Oh, how novel. Didn’t see that coming. And those dogs — cute but a compleat Tudor cliche.
I had to laugh when they finally fixed the stage elevator and it rose to reveal another gray wall after we had been staring at gray walls all afternoon. Glad we didn’t miss that!
There was silence when Anna Netrebko made her entrance and I agree with the poster who said it wasn’t the silence of “who cares”. It was the silence of everybody sitting up to take notice.
Her performance was the best of the day, IMO. No trills, but the most finesse. She was communicating in ways the rest of the cast wasn’t (yet.) The other leads seemed to all have Metophobia – the fear that if you don’t push the VOLUME you don’t make an impression in that huge auditorium. Ms. Netrebko had the sound when she wanted it, but put other things first. She seemed completely at home in the character and had all the temperament necessary. Her mad scene didn’t seem to be about madness as much as a yearning for the life she was about to lose.
The rest of the leads as a group seemed to have a lot of natural vibrato in their sounds that obscured detail in their singing, at least where I was sitting. I don’t think any of them including AN have ideal bel canto repertory voices. (Closest maybe Tamara Mumford who made a wonderful impression with her acting as well.)
Ildar Abdrazakov was the least interesting of the cast. Despite his virility – vocal and otherwise – he was boring: a cardboard cutout king. That is except for the scene right before Bolena is condemned and she tells him she was Percy’s lover before his. He crumples and for the first time actually seemed human and not out of a portrait gallery.
I agree with the posters who criticized Stephen Costello’s presence – or lack of presence. On the other hand Percy is a loser from the moment he enters and it only goes downhill from there. So perhaps it was deliberate? I’ve never seen Costello before so don’t know if he is always such a … schlub.
But with all my carping, it was the cast led far ahead by Anna Netrebko who gave the show what life it had. And the excellent backing of the orchestra and chorus.
So the number of colors in the set is what give us the measure of how worthy a production is? Otherwise it’s “uninspired”? Have you seen ATYS? (Not that the productions are otherwise comparable.)
Sorry. Didn’t quite finish. How many stone Tudor buildings have you seen? Gray is the color of those stone walls. Gaily colored suburban siding was not a part of the scheme.
And I’m at a loss to know how the momentary appearance of dogs is a “Tudor cliché.” It was a HUNTING scene. Dogs are pretty much inherent.
I agree with you about Ildar Abdrazakov but didn’t want to argue with those who found him exciting and sexy. Any sexiness was lost on me, but I don’t want to detract from their obviously being stimulated by him. I hardly remember him.
But it’s simply objectively wrong to say that Netrebko did “no trills.” She sang a whole series of them, very distinctly from where I sat, and this is not just a matter of opinion but of actual notes.
I’m sure the setting is based on the actuality of buildings — but what did it do to contribute to the drama? Nothing, IMO.
I was being a little flip about the “no trills”. But I don’t think anybody who wants the virtuoso vocalism prized by some bel canto fans will be satisfied by this cast. But there was a lot of good singing otherwise.
I picked out the dogs as just one of the many snoreworthy images offered up. Especially since they seem to be such a “Met crowd pleaser” type of thing.
Hampton Court is red. So are other Tudor mansions and palaces.
“Gaily colored suburban siding was not a part of the scheme.”
Historical and hysterical too.
Costello was fine, the tops aren’t there, they thin out incredibly, the sound becomes muffled and covered. Like a different person inside him (a midget?) taking over the Cs and Ds. The rest of the voice is excellent and he’s a great singer.
Netrebko was fully engaged, fully committed, even more so than her Puritani which until now had been her best dramatic role at the MET. It’s obvious that she has improved the technique (the Trovatore excerpt in Berlin shows that too). Norina remains to me her best ever, though there’s stiff competition now from Bolena. She IS Anna Bolena, she is the queen. I don’t care for the social climber that the real Anne Boleyn was but the character Anna Bolena that Donizetti and Romani created has always fascinated me and I’m glad it has nothing to do with the historical figure. Netrebko gives us a fully dimensional portrayal of a woman who’s looking for redemption and salvation. Vocally it’s not flawless, a bit on the struggling/sluggish side, she never developed a technique to manage a large voice like Sutherland did. But there’s still plenty of gorgeous and precise singing.
I really enjoyed Eduardo Valdes and Keith Miller, both marvelous. Ildar was the same, correct singing, boring presence, he does look great on stage. Not taken with the mezzo, I could only daydream about Garanca. The Smeton sang very well, got the only laughs from the audience when “he” drew his sword to attack Percy in act 1, way too feminine, she needs to butch up.
The production as expected has nothing to offer, no imagination, the visuals suggest nothing, the tired trick of modern-looking, clean sets contrasting with traditional costumes is wearing thin. At least it doesn’t interfere with the music, which is a blessing these days so I’ll stop bitching.
Armiliato’s just efficient, no passion. How fantastic if we had the late Marcello Viotti! Or Muti, or his idol, long dead, Votto, conduct this omg! Or even Karajan, what a difference a great conductor of Italian opera can make.
Still, the masterpiece came out unscathed. Those who think bel canto is just a collection of disconnected showpieces to display florid singing are missing out on so much. Anna Bolena, like Norma and Lucia just to name two, is a uninterrupted flow of melody completely connected to the drama and can be a fulfilling, shattering theater experience if folks get over their prejudices.
Ah yes, Ardath_Bey, you do well to conjure up the legend of Karajan’s Donizetti, a much under-appreciated sample of The Master’s Art. Like Karl Boehm’s sublime Paisiello and Toscanini’s Stockhausen. There were truly giants in the earth in those days.
To be fair, Karajan’s Berlin Lucia is really something. Not a patch on Toscanini’s Stockhausen of course.
But I don’t want to be fair; I want to be smartass.
Miss Bobolink!
It is your task to be a charming lass,
NOT a smartass!!
Yours is to amaze and delight.
Now get that pencil sharpened and start in on your LIST! So beloved by all and sundry and yours
Sincerely,
Camille Beauchamps.
Fair enough.
“…the tired trick of modern-looking, clean sets contrasting with traditional costumes is wearing thin.”
VERY THIN,INDEED..!
This is something that has bugged me to no end in many “modern”(NOT) productions, as well…I really don’t “get” what the point of doing this really is…
Yesterday someone in Row F of the orchestra was watching through binoculars.
Must be a uvula fan.
Why is it no one has said a word about the famous phrase, which in this instance will likely be a double-edged sword, “GIUDICI AD ANNA…”…? It would really be interesting to me to hear about the manner in which this was staged and sung, and the reaction, if any, elicited.
I mean, it is an opportunity for La Netrebko to directly address the audience and stare down any naysayers, quibblers, old fogeys, callaswidows, haters, and the like, wouldn’t it, and with her enormous flair for the stage, well, how does she do it?
As this is, en effet, not only the important and long delayed prima assoluta of a 180 year old work which could have beea already been given successfully several decades back–but that’s another issue entirely– but also a sort of coup d’etat or right of accession moment in the history of the MET–’The Queen is dead (Renee), long live the Queen (Anna)’– there seems to be a whole lot more riding on this series of performances than just a “hit” for one singer and one f—ing genius. The question of ‘who will dominate as HBIC?’ for the next, oh say, five years or so will be determined. A lot of beloved singers have hit the 50+ mark in the last couple years, and I am just wondering who is going to pick up the slack, aside from the obvious Anna N., for at age forty–prime time–it would seem that Anna Netrebko may be crowned new queen of the Met at this time. I’m sure there are lots of people who would be happy with this, and I am just as sure there are many who would have it otherwise.
Just wondering about all of these things, fellows. Hoping those of who are more informed or those who may have some ideas and/or inside information about all the above may have soemthing to say, as I find this a very interesting moment in the history of the MET because of the inherent changes anticipated, at least by me.
Just wondering.
I was interested in how Zachary’s fine piece for the Sunday Times completely ignored the idea that there was any competition for Queen of the Met. The whole article was anti-Renee without even acknowledging her existence.
goes like this: only Anna and the King move toward each other for about 4 minutes, the other 5 principals and chorus remain completely still, some of the pages in white behind the wall move back and forth backstage, which is distracting. At the end the king leaves, Anna tries to follow him and the guards block her. Curtain. Park and bark par excellence. Except for Anna and Ildar.
Fleming had her heyday when the MET gave her that opening night with 3 acts from 3 different operas and let her sell her perfume in front of the house, it doesn’t get better than this. The fact that Netrebko is some 13 years younger is undoubtedly a factor. She’ll open the season next year too with L’Elisir D’Amore. I wouldn’t count neither Fleming nor Gheorghiu out as female opera superstars, not just yet. Dessay is definitely out, in fact she was never in. Though Fleming has always been an American phenomenon, she has very little following in Europe.
Thank you for the blocking info, but still, how did SHE SING the lines, is what I’m wondering about.
Yes, Renne and Ange are not over yet, but Renee has had her heyday and is now occupied as a married creative consultant, as it were, and Ange has cancelled a couple productions that already would have elevated her status considerably, the Carmen and this new Faust. Dessay’s decline is so sad as she was so wonderful and different in the late nineties. What divas from Europe that are now active could possibly come in as a sort of dark horse? Harteros’ name I hear mentioned quite a bit. I don’t know anything about her. Stemme is quite wonderful in her way but is not making her presence being felt at the MET, very busy elsewhere. Just where is it all headed? And with whom?
she sang the first GIUDICI AD ANNA with surprise the second with outrage the third AD ANNA with deep sadness, there was a pause and she wept, it was very moving. She then exploded into the stretta.
What’s devastating in Anna Bolena for me is the orchestral introduction to the female chorus before the mad scene, “Chi puo vederla’, it goes on for about 5 minutes, it’s beautiful. Then Anna’s reminiscences from her childhood, it’s hard not to break down.
forgot to add that Netrebko was able to clearly express 3 different emotions each time she sang the same GIUDICI AD ANNA, which is remarkable.
Ardath, I am in debt to you. I had no idea what she did. But I was devastated. I’m sure you’re right, but how did you keep your reason enough to analyze? I’m all admiration.
Thanks, ardath! That’s what I wanted to know; how so and how each phrase was differentiated. Very important.
You must be a very, very happy camper these days, what with Lucrezia Borgia at San Francisco Opera and Anna Bolena at the MET!!!
I am so sick of all the arguments against Donizetti; it’s time took off their lorgnettes, polished them up and took another look at his music. Anna Bolena being such an important work (1830) at the crux of the whole new style and genre of ‘romantic opera’,this work being such an important example of this new style. I hope Donizetti’s fortunes will take a quantum leap forward after all of this, and after all these years, it’s about time! Without him, where would povero Verdi have been? And for all those who mourn that poor Wagner had to work in Paris, pushing his pencil adapting La Favorite, all I say is, well that he did. I’m sure he learned something from that last act!
“Though Fleming has always been an American phenomenon, she has very little following in Europe.”
Really? If you check her website, you’ll notice that she spends almost half of each year in Europe doing opera, concerts and recitals. And selling out houses, I might add.
As a fan of both Renee and Angela, I wouldn’t count them out either. I hope Ange will be forgiven and come back to the Met, and I think Renee is booked there through at least 2015. That would give her about 25 years at the Met, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she retired at that point.
Renée & Angela? How about René & Angela?
Yes, the idea that she is only an “American phenomenon” is just silly. Just this past summer, her Paris Otello was sold out days after it went on sale and secondary market tickets weren’t cheap, that’s for sure. Her appearances in Munich and Berlin are always sold out – she just did New Year’s there, for gosh sake. Her recent Scandanavian tour was sold out from start to finish.
Silly comment.
However, she’s definitely scaling back. Most recent tweet:
reneesmusings Renee Fleming
Saying goodbye to bel canto with this Lucrezia Borgia engagement in a production by John Pascoe; fitting to be with such a friend…
Oh… and her appearance in Istanbul, Turkey this year broke attendance records…..
She should have said goodbye to bel canto a while ago – the voice (though still in fine shape) and style are just too soft-focus. By the way, I know her Istanbul concert was on the European shore, but does a success in that city technically mean she was a hit in Asia too?
As someone who has enjoyed Fleming very much in Strauss, Verdi, Mozart and even (!) in Previn’s “Streetcar”. I’m not sure that she should ever have said hello to bel canto.
No it doesn’t, necessarily, but her concerts in Japan and China look to have been full and successful – although I only have youtube to go by. But, of course, she’s had a successful South African tour, too….
Just this past summer, her Paris Otello was sold out days after it went on sale
No it wasn’t! On the contrary, you could purchase discounted tickets for several Otello performances and the night I attended there were many empty seats. Though I thought RF sang very well…
Not according to the website! And a few friends who went and couldn’t get tickets for the performances they wanted. Even on twitter, people were saying they couldn’t get tickets….
Now that I think of it, perhaps a case of scalpers buying up big chunks of seats?
Here is how it works: from time to time the Paris Opera sends e-mails to people on their mailing list, advertizing their “specials”, i.e. discounts for the performances that don’t sell very well. I received e-mails regading Otello. I remember having checked the Bastille website around that time and there were plenty of available seats for Otello. As I said, there were empty seats when I went.
It’s not silly it’s just true, she simply doesn’t have the following in Europe that Gheorghiu, much less Netrebko has.
“Though Fleming has always been an American phenomenon, she has very little following in Europe.”
I think that depends on if you count London as being in Europe since I have seen Fleming many times with the ROH, at the Barbican, the Festival Hall over a period of years, she was usually rapturously received.
It is a shame that Angela backed out of so many Met projects, I am sorry that she will not be Marguerite in the new Faust, she is wonderful in the part which I saw her in live when the current ROH production was new and would have been great to hear her with Kaufmann. I can already hear the howls of anger and anguish when that production of Faust from the ENO opens at the Met.
Harteros had the potential to be a diva but for one reason or another she has turned into a very bad canceller, not just of one performance here and there but of whole runs as in the new Trittico in London.
Maybe Alexandra Kurzak, huge hit at ROH, can be a new diva her CD enthusiastically reviewed here a week or so ago,
I might be missing something but I wasn’t aware of Harteros’ penchant for cancellations. Yes, the San Diego Rosenkavalier and ROH Trittico in the space of 5 months is A LOT, but I follow her pretty closely and am unaware that she has cancelled performances, much less runs, with any kind of frequency. She is extensively engaged at the ROH this year (amazing that she still hadn’t not put in an appearance there except as a replacement for a Boccanegra run cancelled by Stemme) and features in NPs in Zurich, Berlin and an all star Don Carlos in Munich.
It is interesting that she does not have a recording contract (she did a Mozart album for Sony) while Kurzak and Moja Erdmann have signed up with Decca and DG.
Having just seen two-thirds of Trittico at Covent Garden, I have to say that — lovely and touching though Ermonela Jaho was as Angelica — it would have been good to experience Harteros, who presumably would have brought more heroic scale to it. Jaho was valiant, but the voice didn’t ring out at the big moments. Have to say the production left me completely dry-eyed — far too clever-clever and too much going on — and that Anna Larsson was miscast vocally as the Principessa and acted clumsily. Tabarro was also surprisingly untouching — too comic-strippy and the characters were all just losers or grotesques rather than people with aspirations to happiness. Antonenko gave the best vocal performance. Westbroek gives her all, but I don’t think the voice is anything very distinctive, and Gallo was underpowered, though he acts well. You could hardly make out any of fruity Frugola’s (Mishura’s) words, which was a bit of a waste of time. As might be expected, fine conducting from Pappano and fine playing from the orchestra, but neither piece gripped me, though I think both are wonderful.
Thank you for a safe and sane judgment, Monsieur Monty. I agree about Westbroek’s voice — I find it very uncentered and unfocused on the bottom. She does get it together on the top more, and as she is a lovely presence and graceful actress I figure she’ll go on as long as she can, but I don’t know how long that will be. I, as well, like Antonenko and have hopes for him to develop even more. We saw him in Muti’s concert Otello this past spring and he acquitted himself rather well and nobly, considering his age and experience. He sang it and didn’t ham it through.
I will have to get to know this Harteros. Yes, the end of Schwester Angelika is very heavy sledding indeed and a lot more than a pleasant lyric sound is needed to pull off those big crescendi to C’s, at the end.
Always a pleasure, Sir.
Camille, carissima, I wondered whether I was being grumpy, because people have been raving about this Trittico, but I was turned off by Jones’ rather comic-strip approach (even to the encounter between Angelica and Auntie – the latter character was very weirdly characterised, unless Larsson is just a very duff actress). It did occur to me too that a nursing order of nuns wouldn’t be as ‘closed’ as Angelica’s order seems to be, but I am not up on my convent protocols! Antonenko doesn’t (yet) sound like an Otello to me, but it is a good, big, virile sound and he is not insensitive and throws himself into it. Surprisingly paunchy, though, for a youngish chap.
Westbroek certainly didn’t have the opportunity to be graceful as Giorgetta. She was a characterised as a saftig, but physically graceless creature. I didn’t feel her dreams of escape were taken seriously by Jones at all.
Oh my. I see what you mean. That does sound rather off to me. There’s nothing cartoonish about the first two Trittico operas.
Another assault on the ROH website will now be in order to see some production photos.
Lucio Gallo’s Jack Rance, here at the MET, was very well acted but the voice was not all that and can’t really hear him carrying off Schicchi the way I would want to hear it. Really takes an oldtimer to do that well and there are none. Yes, I do not think Antonenko is not yet an Otello, either, but after having heard Botha(!), I am grateful that he is at least able to get through it and is developing himself in that regard. I wonder why Muti is pushing him to do so?
You can be a grump with me any old time for I think you are the voice of sanity in so many of these instances.
Well, Antonenko definitely has the Otello bronze in his voice – more, dare I say, than Domingo ever had. Botha has the amplitude in his sound, but it’s a bit too velvety – at least that was my impression when I heard him as Calaf.
Last July’s Otello at the Paris Opera -the one with Fleming- had Antonenko in the title role. He has a beautiful voice that projects very well, but nobody could accuse him of too much elegance or nuance: a somewhat brutish Otello, IMO.
Not to hang you up any longer, M. Monty, but I do like Botha, a lot, and chanced to have heard his debut at the Met, in Pagliacci. His Otello, seen in San Francisco by yours truly, was practically immobile on stage. I wish he’d stick to Florestan and Walther, etc.
Mr. Antonenko is still a work in progress. I hope he will continue to develop. He at least seems to approach it manfully and has an excellent mentor.
Good night, Sir!
I think it’s OK for Otello to be just a bit brutish. Domingo’s Otello is too much of a gent, I find. If you watch the DVD from Covent Garden (under Solti), it’s hard to believe such a sophisticated, in-control fellow would fall for Iago’s shtick. Sergei Leiferkus (a wonderful artist in the right roles) is so clearly a (Russian) reptile too.
Did you have to catch a train or don’t you like Gianni Schicchi?
Two years ago (I think) at SF I saw Trittico with Racette in all three female leads (good) Ewa Podles as the wicked old Princess in Angelica (fabulous) and Paolo Gavanelli as Luigi and Scicchi (great). Gavanelli gave a classic interpretation, I thought, the roles might have been written for him, not just vocally but dramatically.
Camille,
You must make a very diligent effort to get to know Harteros. It will be worth you while, I think.
Botha’s dramatic dynamism leaves something to be desired, to be sure, but he was I vocally satisfying Otello and Florestan at the Met.
Gallo stature at this time and the constant opportunities he gets at A houses is rather puzzling. A very good Figaro about a decade ago he was badly out of his depth as Pizzaro, Scarpia and Jack Rance.
I shall do that, DurfortDM, and it is most kind of you to bother yourself on my behalf.
I have abandoned the ‘Jersey Shore’ as it is no longer funny. There should hve been an AHA! Moment in Florence but so far they are as ever. It’s Berlusconi’s Italy.
grimoalodo — Apologies for the slow response, but I went to bed … I saw the production of Schicchi a few years ago (when it was originally paired with L’Heure espagnole) and didn’t really enjoy either the staging or the piece, which seems to bring out the worst in mugging-ridden comic-opera behaviour. It would have been nice to hear Francesco Demuro and Ekaterina Siurina, but I decided to get home an hour-and-a-half earlier!
I was seriously underwhelmed by Jaho as Liu in Turandot last year. So what is her Fach exactly if she can’t sing Puccini to any effect?
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/10/soprano-anja-harteros-cancels-san-diego-opera-appe/
“Harteros also canceled her scheduled performance with the San Diego Opera last year. She bowed out a few weeks before rehearsals for the season-opening production of Puccini’s “La Boheme,” in which she was the star, were set to begin.”
Two years in a row cancelled whole runs with the San Diego opera and now the whole run of Trittico at ROH.
OK maybe I shouldn’t say “a very bad canceller” but that’s not very good, surely.
Yeah, she is persona non grata/toast in San Diego, not that she appears to care — even though I was told that Ian Campbell gave her her first break here. Ingrata.
I was very eager to hear her. But after Furlanetto pulled out (in a timely fashion, at least, but my understanding was that Ochs was his idea in the first place….) and then Harteros cancelled on top of it, Cioffi as Sophie was not enough to maintain a hold on my $220, so I asked for and got a refund. SD Opera was so embarrassed by the whole debacle they actually granted refunds, contrary to policy. So Harteros also cost them desperately needed cash by cancelling.
I’m sure San Diego is a very nice city with a worthwhile opera company, but, surely, to call it the locus of the “first break” for an international singer seems to stretch things a bit, no?
. . . and I’m sure New York is a dirty, corrupt city filled with hyper-active OCDs, with an opera house who has to dun moneyed supprters in Marshalltown, Iowa, and Psoriasis Valley, Wyo. to scrape together even its usual fare of second- and third- tier castings, but one has to take what one can get, right?
Oh, I forgot. You have THE MACHINE ! Never mind.