To give one pause
An early start for the Sunday chat, cher public, so that perhaps you may avail yourself of the lovely surprise hidden after the jump.
An early start for the Sunday chat, cher public, so that perhaps you may avail yourself of the lovely surprise hidden after the jump.
My goodness, this is certainly a Parsifal weekend. Thanks to all for the links. I’ve never taken the time to really watch this one, so all SORTS of productive work is not getting done today.
If you are like me and in need of a little extra help, there is a full (annotated) translation at this site: http://www.monsalvat.no/trans0.htm
Nell this is fantastic -- thank you.
Nell & Louannd -- that translation is a heroic undertaking and a valuable one, and it’s very generous of the author to make it so freely available. But it should also be used with a grain of salt. Some of the etymologies are highly questionable, and occasionally interpretations are based on straight-out misreadings of the German.
One quick example of each:
The noun “Gnadenreich” (Realm of Grace) and the adjective “gnadenreich” (rich in grace) have only a remote etymological relationship. Both “Reich” (the noun = realm, kingdom) and “reich” (the adjective = rich) trace their origins back to the same Indoeuropean root as the Latin “rex” or Sanskrit “rajan” -- the idea of “king” or “ruler.” But the two senses had diverged centuries before Wagner’s day and to cite the two words as interpretations of each other is forced, as though we were to say “homely” (in the modern sense of “plain”) and “homeowner” have something to say about each other because they both come from “home.”
Under “Riefest du mich Namenlosen” in Act II, the translation gives “Did you call out to me, nameless one?” and the comment says, “Parsifal addresses her as the ‘nameless one.’” Unfortunately, the grammar won’t bear out the interpretation. “Namenlosen” is masculine accusative, not feminine (which the vocative reading would require). Parsifal is speaking of himself as the nameless one. In other words, “did you call out to me, (I who am) the nameless one?” So the interpretation is off base. The point of the line is not that Kundry is nameless, but that Parsifal has just heard someone call him -- the boy without a name -- by a name that resonates with an almost forgotten moment in his past, Kundry will then try to exploit that long-lost memory as she seduces him. The fact that both Kundry and Parsifal are in some sense “nameless” opens up whole vistas of possible interpretation that get overlooked with this misreading.
Still, despite the minor reservations, the site is a treasure trove of useful material. Just treat it with caution.
No importance. These translations are destined to the average Jo, not to grammarians.
And you’d be surprised how hard it is to tailor a translation precisely for the average Korean coloratura.
Isn’t an average Korean coloratura Kim rather than Jo?
If grammar important aren’t you to, not concern is my.
What, ME WORRY?
Our Batty M. is the BEST!
Masetto is usually a real bumpkin, but Batty Masetto must be the wisest Masetto on the planet. Bravo! “Calledst thou me, who am nameless? [¿Me llamaste por mi nombre, cuando nombre no tengo?]
Dear Batty,
Thank you for your amazing insight. I don’t believe I will ever be in a position to use this information as a citation; however, you are an amazing teacher and writer and I always learn from you. LA
change of topic--has anyone heard in person the German soprano Brigitte Hahn?
she used to have sort of an international career. I recall seeing her posted in Paris as Figaro Gräfin and then the next thing I saw she was a house soprano in Hannover singing Brünnhilde and Isolde. But I never heard her in person. The Figaro was broadcast and she was good but that was years ago.
from what’s on youtube to listen to there is a good voice but not much personality or acting coming through the voice, so I wondered if it was different in person; she’s certainly had an interesting career with everything from Lucia to Isolde
mia -- I heard Ms.Hahn as the Marschallin in the Konwitschny/Metzmacher production of Der Rosenkavalier at the Hamburg Staatsoper on May 28, 2002.
I have lost the notes I made after the performance, but I seem to recall a good if not world-class singer (an announcement was made at the beginning, asking our indulgence for a cold, but other than some moments of strain she was perfectly fine, especially in the visually-stunning “Barbie-Puppen” final trio.
She was a good actress, fully acting out Konwitschny’s acerbic take on the work. Her cast mates included Kurt Moll (still in glorious voice), and a young, shirtless Piotr Beczala as the Italian Singer.
By coincidence, a few months later she was heard on a France Musiques broadcast of La Donna del Lago. She was in better voice than in Hamburg, delivering a stirring finale. So, at least back 10 years ago, she was certainly a versatile vocalist.
I also saw her in that production, but with different colleagues, apart from Beczala. I’ve also seen her as Ellen Orford and Countess Almaviva in Paris. She is/was what used to be known as a “good house soprano”. I have a friend in Hanover who says her move to the hochdramatisch Fach there has not been an unequivocal success….
There are also the forthcoming live Glyndebourne streamings:
http://tinyurl.com/c43ac4s
also available for one week afterwards on the Guardian website.
The Ravel double bill has been rapturously reviewed (Laurent Pelly). Iainw will enjoy L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges, and Cerquetti-F will enjoy seeing Stéphanie d’Oustrac (not to mention Michael Fabiano).
I have seen the Grandage Nozze and recommend it (Sally Matthews for armerjacquino).
…”not to mention Michael Fabiano” indeed! I should not have mentioned him at all as it is in fact Alek Shrader.
I blame The Audition.
Haha! I just put it down to a senior moment! lol <<<<fleees
>>>>pursues with rolling pin…
Thanks for that tip, manou, I have just booked a seat. It saves a shlep to Sussex (and at least £200, when all is said and done!) But why does Pelly seem to have placed L’Heure in exactly the same psychedelic era as Jones did at the ROH?
Well, Monty, as there are only seven basic plots in literature, they may also be only seven Regie time frames.
I gather the Pelly is much racier than the Jones, and d’Oustrac is outrageously sexy.
I think it would be much more interesting to set it in, say, severe, uptight 1950s Spain, like that excellent 1991 movie Amantes. Obviously, it’s not a piece with any space for darkness, but Concepcion does feel trapped — and her husband shares a name with the Inquisitor.
Of course Concepcion is hardly immaculate, and one never expects the Spanish Inquisition, but how about this:
Thank you for that excerpt from Bieito’s new Don Carlos, manou.
Not one of Mel’s best movies, but I remember liking the line from the French Revolution sequence:
Madame de Farge says, in Hollywood French: “We are so poor, we do not even have a language! Just this stupid accent!”
Not only Don Carlos but also the genius mash-up with Dialogue des Carmélites at the end.
Manou, this is priceless! Many thanks. Only Mel could do stuff like this and get away with it. “Springtime for Hitler” anyone?
oh, good! L’enfant features an acquaintance, the lovely Hila Fahima as le feu, I think. Very happy to see her at Glyndebourne.
Elle rechauffe les bons.
… and she’s a beautiful girl.
I thought Le feu was sung by Kathleen Kim at Glyndebourne, but maybe I am having a senior moment now…
Yes, Kim sings the Fire, the Princess and the Nightingale. Fahima sings the Shepherdess. I was at the dress rehearsal and the singing was very strong all round. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of either opera; L’enfant seems to let Pelly do his thing more than L’heure espagnol. Still, plenty of fun.
Eize motek!
Kekseksa? (comme dirait Raymond Queneau)
That is a compliment to CerquettiFarrell’s friend.
As for Zazie, I am especially fond of the first word she utters: Doukipudontan. I have included it in my vocabulary.
manou, why isn’t that ‘Keskeksa’? (Even though it looks less like a character in an obscure Hungarian opera).
Zazie added a handy new word to my vocabulary: hormosexuel.
Monty -- in clear: Qu’est-ce que c’est que ça, but Zazie (Dans Le Métro) would say qu’est qu’c'est qu’ça because she is a Parisian kid.
Hi be’emet mamash motek amitit! Bajura tova.
I have a small anecdote re Fahima : she did Amor recently with an all-Yementine (or of eastern extraction cast), this might be roughly analogued to an all african-american cast. The Euridice a very good friend, Claire Meghnagi, and the Orfeo an uprising excellent counter, Alon Harari. After the performance there was a panel featuring the artist. This elderly lady (of European extraction) said “well I was going through the names on the programme and all of you obviously don’t come from a classical background, so how come you got into opera?” By then I was laughing hysterically along with other colleagues (we came to see our friends perform). A cult moment.
*Yemenite
And in Hebrew it sounds so much better
“Atem lo ba’im mireka philharmoni, az eyj higatem le-opera?”
Congratulations on retaining your sense of humour.(And someone should have asked her how she got into decent food!)
Precisely! LOL! I’m a (former) victim of East-European cuisine.
Me too, but I remain a fan of good chicken soup. My mother is a champion.
Yep, me too. And (shameful to admit) gefilte fish!
To enjoy boiled gefilte, you really do have to have it in your blood. I’m happy to say I’ve never had the authentic carp version. What a tasteless fish that is!
By the way, I see your friend Hila is singing the Shepherdess, in fact.
Yep, I stand corrected.
The trick about the gefilt fish is to make it really light and sweet, but it is horrendously difficult to get right. My grandmother used to prepare amazing gefilte, but now we just buy it for New year and Passover. Hmm.
“How did you get to the opera?”
Eich higanu? Chick-chack, yesh lanu rehev!
Is this the place for miscellany for the upcoming week?
If so,
Happy 74th birthday mezzo-soprano Huguette Tourangeau
Parsifal was the first Wagner opera I listened to in its entirety, when I was a teen. I heard it repeatedly, several days in a row. Ever since, no other Wagner opera comes close to Parsifal in my book. Tristan maybe, to some extent. The music and libretto of Parsifal are more abstract and rarefied than other Wagner operas. It is more Eastern and less Nordic mythology than the Ring. Whatever I am, I am definitely not Nordic/Aryan.
Parsifal is, I believe, ideally suited for regie productions of all types. It is interesting that directors such as Herheim and Bieito, with very different styles and personalities, have both succeeded in giving it convincing interpretations. I have also seen François Girard’s Parsifal production that is coming to the Met. It is yet another interpretation, less illustrative, more spiritual and abstract. IMO, it is as good as any I have seen. But then, I like abstraction…
Du siehst, mein Sohn,
zum Raum wird hier die Zeit.
the two most astonishing lines in opera??
Du siehst*, mein Sohn**,
zum Raum*** wird hier die Zeit****.
*reference to Daland’s aria
** reference to Hagen, mein Sohn
*** reference to Dich teure Halle
**** reference to Die Frist ist um.
Very Einstein.
Hey there parterrians, Opera depot is offering a new free download. Excerpts of a Bayreuth Ring. Here is the description they offer:
This set features the legendary Martha Mödl in her brief, but thrilling vocal prime and she delivers a Brünnhilde for the ages. She is joined by a young Wolfgang Windgassen as Siegfried, the impeccable Hans Hotter as Wotan, Regina Resnik in the soprano role of Sieglinde and Ramón Vinay as Siegmund.
This was a great Parsifal weekend. I must see the Herheim again!!
I love Parsifal so much that I didn’t mind an unattractive Parsifal with moobs in the Herheim production. He did sing nicely. I thought the Gurnemanz was kinda weak, but okay, I guess.
Don’t miss these great downloads:
FALSTAFF VIDEO
Sir John Falstaff -- Giuseppe Taddei
Ford -- Scipione Colombo
Fenton -- Luigi Alva
Cajus -- Mario Carlin
Bardolfo -- Renato Ercolani
Pistola -- Franco Calabrese
Mrs. Alice Ford -- Rosanna Carteri
Nannetta -- Anna Moffo
Mrs. Quickly -- Fedora Barbieri
Mrs. Meg Page -- Anna Maria Canali
Orchestra e coro di Milano della Radiotelevisione Italiana
Direttore -- Tullio Serafin
http://narod.ru/disk/59246899001.2ddc364234d56e9543e90e9d0ad5180b/Falstaff%20(1956).avi.html
DON PASQUALE VIDEO
Reri Grist -- Norina
Luigi Alva -- Ernesto
Oscar Czerwenka -- Don Pasquale
Hermann Prey -- Malatesta
Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin -- Silvio Varviso
http://narod.ru/disk/59247928001.99ca78c77c1c027e3818c48b9a9a4212/Don%20Pasquale%20(1972).mp4.html
AVANTI A LUI TREMAVA TUTTA ROMA!
Regia di Carmine Gallone
Anna Magnani, Gino Sinimberghi, Edda Albertini, Giulio Battiferri, Steffen Bode-Wab, Antonio Crast, Carlo Duse, Bruno Gebel, Joop van Hulzen, Ave Ninchi, Guido Notari, Bruno Persa, Tino Scotti, Guglielmo Sinaz, Giuseppe Varni
Personaggi dell’Opera “Tosca”:
Tosca -- Elisabetta Barbato (?????? Anna Magnani)
Cavaradossi -- Gino Sinimberghi
Scarpia -- Tito Gobbi
Angelotti -- Giulio Neri
http://narod.ru/disk/59270471001.e2f6e82b1a3111e5d5ac9970ecab385a/Avanti%20a%20lui%20tremava%20tutta%20Roma..mp4.html
Happy 75th birthday soprano Felicia Weathers
Happy 64th birthday soprano Kathleen Battle