‘Tale’ of the unexpected
I am happy to finally add Les contes d’Hoffmann to the playlist in a Salzburg performance from 2003 with Neil Shicoff in one of his parade roles.
Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin
Prater song
It will be no surprise that your alte Jungfer (pictured) is particularly fond of the music of Richard Strauss.
To each word a warbling note
“What fools these mortals be!”
Festive days
There has been a conspicuous absence of chat on Parterre about this year’s Bayreuther Festspiele.
Rule of three
Puccini’s Il trittico was most definitely not an overwhelming success when it received its December 1918 world premiere at the Met.
Biblical sense
Shirley Verrett remains one of my all-time favorite artists, and I am pleased to introduce her to my Mixcloud site in one of her parade roles: the femme fatale in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila.
All shook up
Subtitled by its creators as “A Fearful Radio Show,” this opera reminded Jerome Robbins of Orson Welles’ 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds.
No saints in two acts
The cast of Wiener Staatsoper’s first-ever performance of Lulu in 1968 reads like a Who’s Who of then-contemporary Austro-German opera: the 28-year-old Anja Silja, Martha Mödl, Waldemar Kmentt, Hans Hotter, Hilde Konetzni, Manfred Jungwirth, Heinz Zednik, and Karl Böhm presiding over a production by Otto Schenk.
Nostra e del ciel è gloria
It’s time to add more legends to my Mixcloud site: Mario Del Monaco, Raina Kabaivanska, and Tito Gobbi star in this 1962 performance of Otello from Covent Garden led by Georg Solti.
Montag mit Marguerite
Berlioz apparently couldn’t decide if his was an oratorio or an opera, so he labeled it a “légende dramatique.” Since its 1846 Paris premiere, it remains on both opera stages and in concert halls, with its first Met staging in 1906.
Old school
This week, I offer you a classic rendition of Richard Strauss’ tale of the House of Atreus starring Ursula Schröder-Feinen, Astrid Varnay, Leonie Rysanek, Theo Adam, and Hans Hopf under Karl Böhm’s direction.
Evensong
When Neil Shicoff celebrated the 40th anniversary of his 1975 stage debut as Ernani in Cincinnati, no one had any idea that it would, essentially, mark the end of his career. In 2014 he added the roles of Canio (at Wiener Staatsoper) and Calaf (at Volksoper Wien) to his repertoire to great acclaim.
Monotheism mit Marianne
Philip Glass is indisputably one of the most prolific composers of the last half century, yet none of his more than 20 operas has found a place in the standard repertoire.
Youth served
Too often I allow my memories of great singers to be dulled by late career behavior, delving into unsuitable roles or just plain laziness.
Forever young
Perhaps the most admirable project of Dominique Meyer’s Intendanz at Wiener Staatsoper is the traversal of the operas of Leos Janancek,.
The wimple life
Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites essentially had three world premieres in 1957: first at La Scala (sung in Italian), then Paris (sung in French), followed by San Francisco (sung in English).
Four conversations are three too many
Which diva gets to sing “I hope you die! I hope you die soon! I’ll be waiting for you to die!”
She never sings anything twice
Can it all be true? She did what? He said what?
You know, if this was a cowboy movie, I’d give you my boots
Where were you in 1975?
Keenly missed
Simon, Simon, Simon: how we do love you (and miss you)!
Sie ist ein Ungeheuer, deine Tochter
The focus in this 1974 performance of Salome from Orange is (mostly) on the Herodes of Jon Vickers.
These old bards
It’s time for celebrations!
What is a youth?
Here’s our beloved Juan Diego Flórez last week, continuing his voyage into heavier repertoire as the titular love-sick teenager in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.
If I were king
We have a major discovery (well, to me at least) of a spectacular talent: American tenor Michael Spyres.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
