Balk like an Egyptian
Sondra Radvanovsky will make her Met role debut as the title character in Verdi’s Aida on February 28, replacing Violeta Urmana, who is ill. (Photo: Dan Rest)
Sondra Radvanovsky will make her Met role debut as the title character in Verdi’s Aida on February 28, replacing Violeta Urmana, who is ill. (Photo: Dan Rest)
Lyric Opera of Chicago announces 2015-16 world premiere
commissioned as part of Lyric’s Renée Fleming Initiative
Music by composer Jimmy López, libretto by playwright Nilo Cruz,
conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, directed by Stephen Wadsworth;
based on the best-selling novel by Ann Patchett.
Soprano Danielle de Niese stars in central role.
Clita Del T!
Do I read correctly, DE NIESE? Or are you joking?
One thing for sure, NERVA will have a cow!
The opera is: BEL CANTO
That book was really rather boring, though it started off quite well. It’s 10 years since I read it. Was any dancing involved?
Monty:
Exactly my opinion--it DID START off rather promising.. but quickly lost its steam…
I was surprised that “Bel Canto” was such a best seller. It was an excruciating read.
This relieves my conscience as I bogged down in the middle of that rain forest and had to summon all my forces to stumble to the finish. And for the life of me I can no longer remember what went on, aside from the hostage situation.
Patchett did write a novel afterwards--name escapes me @ the moment--which I found much better--something magical realism in nature --have to go look it up.
Hey, maybe La Cieca will start up a Book Club again and we could start with “Bel Canto”? Just a thought, sorry.
Camille:
“States of Wonder”….?..or “The Magician’s Assistant”…?
All I recall is, after NOT making it thru her first work, I had little interest in trying another…..
Oh thank you, BP, for recalling it; it was the “The Magician’s Assistant”. Quantitatively better, but I no longer recall much of it, either. At the time I found it engrossing and much more grateful reading than the former opus.
Hope you are getting to the BAM performances City Opera, such as they are….
Wasn’t this novel’s diva based on Reneigh?
Lopez’s music is kinda nice. Too bad his libretto isn’t based on something loftier than Reneigh. If he’s inspired by grandeur of nature, why this; or how about an ancient myth like “Cobra Woman.” ;+)
That might be a better fit for Danielle.
Oh, Clita, lovely idea, but all attempts to adapt Cobra Woman for the operatic stage have failed because no impresario can find twin sisters, one soprano, one mezzo, to sing the leads. Though I have heard that early sketches for the climactic duet (Rec and intro: “Look into my eyes and tell me you are not my sister”; Stretta finale: “Give me that cobra jewel!”) sent certain potential investors into paroxysms of joy.
“Give me that cobra yoowell”, you mean.
LOL
Are you not aware of Lori Phillips and Mary Phillips?
Lori is a dramatic soprano. She covered for Voigt and sang one performance at the Met, Senta. She has sung at the Honolulu Opera as the Walkuere Bruennhilde, with her twin Mary as Fricka. More recently the two sang Aida and Amneris. I have not seen either one in person yet.
Bianca, I have seen and heard both Mary and Lori Phillips and they are not identical twins.
Gualtier, I have not seen them, but I read they were TWINS… so I guess, fraternal twins.
Now, now, boys, let’s not get too earnest over our whimsical speculations about Cobra Woman--the Opera.
I’ve never heard of the Phillips girls, but more to the point, wouldn’t identical twins have the same vocal range? I do think evil high priestess Nadja would be a mezzo while good sister Tollea (or however she spells her name) is a soprano. So the task of finding fraternal twin sisters who strongly resemble each other and fit these vocal categories is simply too, too much for any agent, impresario, or, I suspect, even a Parterrean, to locate. But one can dream.
alma, not necessarily… I was surprised to read that among identical twins, there are pairs that have differing sexual identities (one gay, one straight), when I’d thought they were always the same…
They are identical twins, Gualtier.
Re gay twins. It surprises me too and I’m not sure how it happens but I also know a pair of identical twins where one is gay and the other one isn’t.
A few years ago I saw Cenerentola in Geneva with Viveca Genaux (?) who sang lovely (but made very strange faces). The two more funny than evil sisters were sung by two real life sisters who looked very much alike -- I forgot their names (Raffalla something -- they were from Italia). Maybe those would be good for Cobra Woman…
to Quanto- thanks!
just back from Aida and no time to write really but Sondra was gorgeous. I was simply flabbergasted by the production. the processional --horses, skinny ballet dancers, stone-faced extras going out one side of the hideous set and coming back on the other, chorus swathed in various ugly shapes of white linen, gods, cowering prisoners, tribute, Radames in a chariot, James Morris as a conehead- I didn’t know where to look- the Marx brothers couldn’t have done it better. just had to vent . more later if anyone interested..
PLEASE BE SICK ON SATURDAY URMANA. I BEG You. Or finally remember you are really a very very good mezzo.
I won the lottery!!!!!!
Looking forward to sitting with the fancy people:)
The only problem of the evening (ok…being a little too generous…but not sooo much so…) was deciding who to watch on stage Stephie B or Sondy R.
Still dislike the production…and unless Muti decides to conduct Aida at the Met (read: never) ill likely never need to see it again. That said, these two incredible divas made this a performance to very much enjoy.
Best Aida I’ve seen at the Met in YEARS. (Yes, I realize some would reply that that’s not saying much.) Sondra kicked up the drama and the excitement by many orders of magnitude. Stephanie gets better with each perf, and deeper into the character (though I’m puzzled why she lets go of “anatema su voi” so quickly and doesn’t hold the last note). Even Giordani, with his worn voice, wasn’t bad--ringing high notes were sung with conviction we did not hear in Ernani. More than a few Parterreans will never like Sondra’s voice--including our doyenne, I gather--but I’m not one of them. And the capper was my stroke of good luck: bought Orchestra Standing Room, and was given by a departing lady after the FIRST act, an aisle seat in row N. Very nice indeed.
Almavivante to Urmana: Sorry to be so ungallant, but please do cancel on Saturday.
But does anyone know-is RAD sticking around NYC this weekend in case Urmana cancels the Saturday matinee Aida?
Borodina in Khovanschina one night, Radvan and Blythe in Aida the next -- glory days at the Met as in times of yore, if only by accident as it were due to Urmana’s cancellation, and how great when the Met is firing on all cylinders and presenting these great epic works with full panoply of big choruses, dancers, stage bands, etc and with stars who can do their parts justice!
Rad was on a flight back to Canada this morning and apparently has no plans to be in NY on Saturday. Guess we have Urmana to listen to.
It wasn’t an Aida for the ages but probably the best cast possible at the moment and for the past few years. SR brought her strengths and bag of tricks to Aida and it was often very beautiful and exciting when it wasn’t edgy and fluttery. Sometimes it was both at once. And she looked gorgeous. Amneris is not very Blythe’s best role because the color of the voice but she brought a lot of depth to the character and sings it beautifully and very musically. For me, it’s not a Verdi mezzo and as Anmeris not on par with prime Dolora or the lovely Toczyska or even broken down late Cossotto but she is a great artist and a golden age voice to be thankful for. Giordani is the best Radames I’ve heard in a long time but that doesn’t say much. The top was clarion and exciting, the middle and bottom meh and the musicianship and phrasing sloppy. He did pull of a lovely high piano in the final duet and he and Sondra were well matched in the duets. He remains inconsistent and I understand why many don’t like him, but for me his strengths on a good night outweigh the minuses. Ataneli has become Carlo Guelfi 2012. Ugly noise. Morris still makes noble noise but he looked embarrased by the role and direction (understandable.) The orchestra played well but the conducting was passable, not interesting or exciting, and we deserve better. I don’t know if it was a Tuesday night issue but the audience was pretty cold all night for what was truly a pretty good show, applause almost ending before the cast came for page bows. And other than a board at the entry there were no slips in the programs about Radvanovsky replacing Urmana so I would guess most of the audience had no idea.
I agree with almost everything you wrote, but there was a slip in my program, and I saw planty others scattered around, so there must have been a, ahem, slip-up with yours. Yes, audience was tepid toward Ritorna vincitor but they did give Sondra a rousing round for O patria mia, no? Morris, though vocally unobjectionable, looked like he was phoning in the perf (as he did the last time I saw his Scarpia). For the most part, I really don’t care for Giordani but you’re right--last night the plusses far outweighed the minuses. Still, I look forward to hearing Alagna’s Radames next season. Now, Sondra COULD hop a plane back from Toronto on Friday, yes? Not that far away, if duty calls for the broadcast…
There are quite a few positive reviews of Rad’s Aida on Opera-L as well. I’m glad to hear that she had such a success with the role. I do believe she has the qualities to be the great Aida of today (not saying much, all things considered, but stil…)