# My opera reviews



## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

I plan to post reviews of the live opera performances I have attended.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

First up is Le Nozze di Figaro.

Royal Opera House, September 16th
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Conductor
David McVicar, Director
Luca Pisaroni, Baritone: Figaro
Lucy Crowe, Soprano: Susanna
Renata Pokupic, Soprano: Cherubino
Christopher Maltman, Baritone: Count Almaviva
Maria Bengtsson, Soprano: Countess Almaviva
Carlos Chausson, Bass: Doctor Bartolo
Alasdair Elliott, Tenor: Don Curzio
Mary Bevan, Soprano: Barbarina
Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Tenor: Don Basilio

I have a preference for hip performances when it somes to Mozart opera. So I expected this to be good and my expactations were all met, beyond anything I had hoped for. The orchestra sounded very hip indeed, and so did the singers. In some parts the singers were not together with the orcehstra, which is probably because they had to sings in tempi that they were not used to. But this is just a detail. The sinfonia sounded great, fierce, sparkling, just gorgeous. The things already happening on stage were funny also, it goes nicely together with the music.

The production is the McVicar one from 2006, also recorded on DVD with a.o. Schrott/Persson. I spotted McVicar in the audience. Apperantly he did the reveval himself. I won't be reviewing the production much. All I have to say is that it's good. As it should be, there are many comical moments. Marcellina dry-homping Bartolo might be a little too much though.

Pisaroni has a very pleasant baritone, and plays his part well. He is tall which he sometimes uses in the comical moments. Crowe has a lovely voice great for a Susanna. She is sparkling and funny like Susanna should be.

Maltman played the Count like he was Don Giovanni. He makes him very unlikable, which works out fine. His singing is really outstanding. The Countess was sung by Bengtsson. I wrote about her earlier, and I will say it again. She was amazing. The voice is beautiful, I can't describe it. It suits a Contessa perfectly. She plays the Contessa with so much dignity. The first notes of Porgi Amor made it clear to me that this was going to be a very special night. The first part of Dove Sono was beautifully linked to the repeat, which she sang pianissimo. The effect was astounding. All the pain of the Contessa was in that moment. The aria brought the house down.

Cherobino was great. The first aria had the right intensity and crazyness, Voi che Sapete was lovely with lots of comical notes. All other parts were wonderfull, there was no weak link which made it a very special evening at the opera. The next day Turandot was filmed, they should have filmed this fantastic performance in stead.

I made a terribly bad curtain call picture, I guess I was still very impressed by the performance 







From left to right: Curzio, Barbarina, Antonio, Basilio, Director, Cherubino, Figaro, Contessa, Conductor, Susanna, Count, Marcellina, Bartolo.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Wonderful review, thanks!


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Dongiovanni said:


> Royal Opera House, September 16th
> Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Conductor
> David McVicar, Director
> Luca Pisaroni, Baritone: Figaro
> ...


great cast! somehow I missed that Chausson is in it. I find him really funny so I can't wait. Good to hear Pokupic was good. I watched a clip of Voi che sapete and I could tell she was proper from the first few words.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Excellent review DG. I've seen this production with a different cast & it's aging well. Would like to have seen Sir John Eliot Gardiner.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Next is Rigoletto.

Barbican Hall, September 15th, concert version
London Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda, Conductor
Dimitri Platanias, Baritone: Rigoletto
Desirée Rancatore, Soprano: Gilda
Saimir Pirgu, Tenor: The Duke of Mantua
Gabor Bretz, Bass: Sparafucile
Josè Maria Lo Monaco, Mezzo-soprano: Maddalena
Julian Dran, Tenor: Borsa
Madeleine Shaw, Soprano: Giovanna
Matthew Hargreaves, Bass-baritone: Count Ceprano
Valeria Tornatore, Mezzo-soprano: Countess Ceprano
Arutjun Kotchinian, Bass: Monterone
London Symphony Chorus

I booked it last moment, change in flight time gave me the opportunity to see it, I had to rush from the airport straight to the Barbican but I was on time and even had the chance for a quick snack.

It was a very enjoyable performance. Opera in concert is tricky and it does take out an essential element of opera. But I'm OK with it, this music is so good it has as much right on its own.

I have heard Platanis sing Rigoletto before and he is just great. Also this night. In "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata" he gave all to express the anger, and some moments later he did the same while begging for Gilda to be released. The opening of this aris was also very impressive in the orchestra together with a slighty faster tempo then usual, it was thrilling, it sent shivers down my spine.

Rancatore has a very big voice, Gilda sounded very mature. As usual "Caro Nome" brought down the house. She makes it sound so easy, she has her technique in complete control. Even the orchestra members were applauding (with their hands!) something you don't see often. She was visibly touched by this ovation that lasted for quite a while.

Pirgu was up to the job to sing the Duca. He replaced the originally casted tenor. The high notes are there, there is lots of power, but his sound is not always very pleasant in the higher notes. During the duet with Gilda, he didn't sound very tempting. Also he looked very lost on the stage. He is just in his early thirties, mind you.

I was really impressed by Smilek as Monterone. He sounded really terrifying. If this would have been staged, he whould scare even more. Other parts were fine, Bretz as Sparafucile was a good bad guy. La Monaco sings pretty, but drowned in the huge sound of the orchestra.

Finally, conductor Noseda deserves a lot of praise. The man conducts with his whole body, sings along while giving the cues. Amazing to see this kind of dedication. He got a fantastic sound of the orchestra. He has eye for details. Just the short ouverture proved this. Sometimes the balance was off, but a concert hall is so different than a theatre, it was not a big deal.

Here is a picture I made after the performance.

View attachment 25109


From left to right: Chorus master, Rigoletto, Gilda, Duca, Maddalena, Sparafucile, Monterone, Contessa Seprano, Count Seprano, Marullo, conductor.


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## katdad (Jan 1, 2009)

Reviewing operas we've seen is a terrific idea and we should do this but not dredge up older performances, just new ones. Those of us who are so inclined to write a brief review would be welcomed -- a lot fresher and more personal than a newspaper review.

Thanks so very much for the fine reviews!


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Dongiovanni said:


> Next is Rigoletto.
> 
> Barbican Hall, September 15th, concert version
> London Symphony Orchestra
> ...


Very interesting. I saw Platanias & Rancatore last year JEG conducting & was very impressed. Rancatore had jumped in for the listed soprano (can't remember her name) & she was superb.

[can't see your photo]


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

sospiro said:


> Very interesting. I saw Platanias & Rancatore last year JEG conducting & was very impressed. Rancatore had jumped in for the listed soprano (can't remember her name) & she was superb.
> 
> [can't see your photo]


Yes I see the picture is not working. Will fix it soon. The Rigoletto you saw was with Grigolo as the Duke ? I remember reading about Gardiner conducting Verdi opera, didn't know he was also doing that.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Dongiovanni said:


> Yes I see the picture is not working. Will fix it soon. The Rigoletto you saw was with Grigolo as the Duke? I remember reading about Gardiner conducting Verdi opera, didn't know he was also doing that.


Yep. First time I'd seen JEG.

My curtain call video, not very good quality though.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

I think I saw Pirgu as Alfredo in the Traviata with Domingo and Damrau. Not overwhelmed. I would love to see Rancatore. I've got her Olympia and it is kick ***.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Here is a picture I made after the performance (reupload)

From left to right: Chorus master, Rigoletto, Gilda, Duca, Maddalena, Sparafucile, Monterone, Contessa Seprano, Count Seprano, Marullo, conductor.[/QUOTE]


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## LouisMasterMusic (Aug 28, 2013)

From left to right: Chorus master, Rigoletto, Gilda, Duca, Maddalena, Sparafucile, Monterone, Contessa Seprano, Count Seprano, Marullo, conductor.[/QUOTE]

"Seprano" should be spelt "Ceprano", as with the list of singers above.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

just dropping by to say Nozze was great! after my own heart (ie, very funny) and wow to Bengtsson! I'm not even that big a fan of the Contessa but her voice is simply gorgeous.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

deggial said:


> just dropping by to say Nozze was great! after my own heart (ie, very funny) and wow to Bengtsson! I'm not even that big a fan of the Contessa but her voice is simply gorgeous.


Good to hear you liked it ! Bengtsson is surely a singer to watch in the future. Would like to hear her sing Donna Anna !


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

guythegreg said:


> I think I saw Pirgu as Alfredo in the Traviata with Domingo and Damrau. Not overwhelmed.


I had the same reaction to the radio broadcast of that performance.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

guythegreg said:


> I think I saw Pirgu as Alfredo in the Traviata with Domingo and Damrau. Not overwhelmed. I would love to see Rancatore. I've got her Olympia and it is kick ***.


How did you like Damrau ? She will be singing more Violetta soon.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

My own feeling is that Damrau is a bit past it. She was so wonderful in her prime - so wonderful - that it's a shame to have to say it, but I think it's true. I know one of our other contributors was at the performance when J-Flo reprised his una furtiva lagrima and then said "the soprano is waiting to come on" - that night she sang better than he did, I thought. Everyone loved her Queen of the Night, of course, but I thought her Adina was incomparable and her Marie (from Fille du Regiment) just wonderful. When a singer as good as her starts to lose it it's like watching a great tree fall. Well, I could be wrong, too; I've only seen two performances that disappointed me. We'll see.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> My own feeling is that Damrau is a bit past it.


well, as long as she's keeping it together until next May  plus she's still gorgeous  I think she's at her best in comedy but Violetta will have to do. Luckily the first act is pretty light hearted.

anyway, this is not why I was looking for this thread. I've already said my part on it, but having just read the Opera Today (never read it before so I can't put this review in any context) *review of Nozze's premiere* from three weeks ago I felt like commenting on the comments 



Opera Today said:


> Things got off to a messy start, with both Luca Pisaroni (Figaro) and Lucy Crowe (Susanna) uncomfortably behind Sir John Eliot Gardiner's beat in the opening numbers. Also, while both are experienced in their respective roles, there was a lack of frisson between them and they didn't make for a convincing pair of nearly-weds. One might have put the hitches at the start down to first-night jitters, but matters didn't really improve


well, not what I saw and I think I'm pretty good at recognising good ensemble acting. It might have been first night jitters after all.



Opera Today said:


> Pisaroni was a tall, handsome Figaro; he has a weighty voice across the range, [...] in general the sound was rather uniform; more variety would have better conveyed the crafty quick-wittedness of the ever-resourceful valet.


I find him rather light of voice but pleasant on the ear, and he's good-looking all right. The second part is true, he's not the best Figaro ever, but I'd much rather have him sing than that charmless Shrott.



Opera Today said:


> Lucy Crowe matched her fiancé for fury and ferocity in Act 1; not afraid to act with her voice, she was vivacious in the recitatives.


I wasn't particularly impressed, but it was mostly her voice, which I found too heavy for the role (she did sound good otherwise).



Opera Today said:


> Christopher Maltman's Count Almaviva is a thoroughly unpleasant autocrat, conscious of his power and not reticent in using it to intimidate his wife and servants alike. Maltman snarled through some of the Count's more aggressive moments; his Act 3 vengeance aria was particularly coarse. But, though the Count may be a selfish cad and a bullying egoist, surely he must have some charm too - otherwise, why would the Countess forgive him?


here I seem to differ from both Dongiovanni and Opera Today. I thought he was actually mild, especially when apologising to the Countess. To me, the vengeance aria was the one great moment of his performance.



Opera Today said:


> [Bengtsson] But, dramatically she remained slightly diffident which diminished the impact of the recitatives, most noticeably in the marvellously convoluted Finale to Act 2.


that's the only thing I agree with when it comes to Bengtsson. I loved her vocal performance.



Opera Today said:


> Renata Pokupić was credibly pubescent in mannerism, but her Cherubino coped surprisingly coolly with the trials and tribulations of love - where was the teenage torment, the agony of pubescent passion?


more or less agreed, she played it for laughs rather than drama but that's one way to go. Teenagers can be fickle as anything. I've seen enough overwrought Cherubinos and not everybody can walk the fine line between caricature and true teenage passion like Nikiteanu. A simply silly teen is fine by me.



Opera Today said:


> As the oleaginous music-master, Don Basilio, Jean-Paul Fouchécourt sang with an apt dash of derision but did not make the most of the opportunities for preening narcissism.


hell, yes, he did - when I saw it, at least.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

I also read some reviews about this Figaro, but not this one. I agree with the first remark of Opera Today, it was a messy start. Probably beacuse the tempi were faster than ususal. But only the start was messy.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Yesterday I attended the MET live streamin of Eugene Onegin in a cinema very near to where I live.

Cast has Netrebko as Tatyana, Kwiecien as Onegin and Beczala as Lensky, conducted by Gergiev. For details, see this link:
http://www.metoperafamily.org/uploadedFiles/MetOpera/8_live_in_hd/4_United_States/cast%20sheets/Onegin%20cast%20sheet.pdf

It was the first time I went to the opera in the cinema. The idea that it is actually live (with some seconds delay) makes it feel a little like going to a real opera house. In the cinema some effort was made to make it look like an opera house, there was even red carpet, and an improvised cloakroom. Drinks and snacks were on the house. Nice !

It was not all good. The subtitles failed, this was a major dissapointment for me. The picture sometimes frooze as did the sound. The quality of the sound reproduction was not that good. It all looked very improvised, the MET offers some material during intermissions but sometimes this was cut or the sound was missing. The experience is sometimes like watching an opera on DVD. Too many close-ups and awkward camera positions. I like behind the scenes footage, but not like this, especially not during intermissions, it takes out all the magic ! (we see the staff changing the sets)

Nevertheless, the performance was excellent. Things really took off after the letter scene. Very good singing and acting. Act 3 was very intense, Kwiecien's Onegin sounds heartbreakingly full of despair here.

A highpoint of the performance was Lensky's aria in act 2. On a dark and almost empty stage Beczala puts all Lensky's emotions in his singing, with perfect control and such a gorgeous tone.

And then there is Netrebko. What a voice, it just never fails to move me. She acts Tatyana first as a shy girl, later on in act 3 we see Tatyana torn apart because she still has strong feelings for Onegin. She does a great job here. I think that because of the camerawork you get a better view of this final scene then sitting in the audience.

The production is good, I especially like the sets of the last 2 acts. And, there is a surprise element, I will not spoil it for the ones who still have to see it.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Cosi fan Tutte

Muziekgebouw Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Orkest van de Achttiende Eeuw, Cappella Amsterdam
Ed Spanjaard (conductor)
Lenneke Ruiten (Fiordiligi)
Rosanne van Sandwijk (Dorabella)
Anders Dahlin (Ferrando)
André Morsch (Guglielmo)
Ilse Eerens (Despina)
David Wilson-Johnson (Don Alfonso)

This is a semi staged version of the opera. It was a fresh, sparkling and funny Cosi. The cast (except for Don Alfonso) is young, and they have very good chemistry together. There were no weak parts, which makes this a very strong ensemble.

Fiordiligi has the most challeging vocal score and Ruiten has the right technique to pull it all off. "Come scoglio" was fierce, in "Per pieta, ben mio" there was depth in her suffering, with some lovely sotto voce passages, which both earned her a warm applause. Van Sandwijk really impressed me with her Dorabella. She has a beautiful tone. Dahlin sang a beautiful "Un'aura amorosa". Morsch also impressed me, this is a great Mozart Baritone. He is singing Leporello soon, that should be good judging by what I heard tonight. Eerens gave us a very funny and naughty Despina. She is hilarious while being in disguise as the doctor and the solicitor. Wilson-Johnson makes a good team with this Despina. There is a lot of ensemble singing in Cosi and as I said they are a very good team. The famous "Soave" terzettino was beautifully sung. This is such an amazing piece of music, it's on a totally different level than the libretto.

The orchestra is in the HIP movement and has that sound I love so much. The direction of Spanjaard supports this, and is very dedicated to the actions on stage, we can see he loves this music.

This production is touring through the Netherlands the coming two weeks, if you can go and see it, it's very worth it !

I made a picture while the audience was applauding. 







From left to right: Conductor, Fiordiligi, Guglielmo, Doraballa, Ferrando, Despina, Don Alfonso


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

*Die Eroberung von Mexico, Teatro Real, October 2013*

It was a great evening at Teatro Real. The premiere in Madrid of one of the finest operas written in the second half of the 20th century: Wolfgang Rihm's _Die Eroberung von Mexico_ (The Conquest of Mexico).

Mr. Rihm worked for several years in his opera, hoping to get everything ready for the 500th Anniversary of Colón's first voyage to America. The libretto, by Rihm himself, it's based on texts by Antonin Artaud, Octavio Paz and old Mexican folk songs. This is not, however, a standard Romantic drama, but rather a reflection on the meeting of two cultures, two civilizations, and how one of them must die, to give birth to something new. And most of that reflection, it's in the music, not in the libretto.

Even if Mr. Rihm has commented sometimes that his inspiration for the opera was mainly vocal, and he pretended singing to be the center of the piece, my personal feeling is that the voices, along with most of the orchestra, are another element in the history that a wonderful, beautiful percussion is telling the audience. It's not until almost the end of the opera, that the voices of Montezuma and Cortes, and the choir, take into their own meaning, enunciating the death, and the resurrection, of Mexico.

The beginning of the opera is just sublime, driven by the percussion, with the help of two narrators that are speaking Aztec words, and onomatopoeic sounds. We are magically transported to Central America, in the 16th century. Then, after the first occurence of the "neuter-masculine-femenine" line that will be appearing several times to mark the development of the opera, we are in the central part of the piece. A long part, extending almost to the very end, where the voices of Montezuma (sopran, helped by a coloratura and an alto) and Cortes (baritone, helped by the two narrators), join with the fantastic orchestral tapestry and the always imaginative percussion. In the final minutes, we watch the fusion of the masculine choir (Spain) and the femenine choir (Mexico), and a lyrical duet between Montezuma and Cortez, very delicate and poetic, a sharp contrast with the rest of the opera.

The orchestra, (with two electric gutars) was not only place in the pit, but also between the audience, both at the sides, and in a central position. Taking into account the complexity of the score, the performance conducted by Mr. Alejo Pérez was good enough.

The production, by Mr. Pierre Audi, was visually stunning, some interesting dancing, and the silent role of Malinche, being portrayed as a character from Japanese Nō theater. It's difficult to stage such a non-linear, mental drama, with near to no conventional action, but Mr. Audi's was a nice try. It seems a DVD will be released next year.

Ms. Nadja Michael and Mr. Georg Nidl, Montezuma and Cortez, were not at the same level as the ones in the published CD (Richard Salter and Renate Behle), but they were providing some acting, and were recognized by the audience at the end of the opera.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

I was active on another forum, but not lately. There I posted some reviews, for the sake of completeness I will copy them here. They are Tosca and La Traviata.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

La traviata, Verdi - DNO, Muziektheater, Amsterdam, Netherlands 
May 10th, 2013

Joyce el Khoury: Violetta Valéry
Ismael Jordi: Alfredo Germont
Dimitris Tiliakos: Giorgio Germont
Radio Kamer Filharmonie, Koor van De Nederlandse Opera, conductor Giuliano Carella
Production Willy Decker (premiere Salzburg 2005)

Willy Decker's production of La Traviata has been discusses many times here, so I will not review that in detail. In short: I think it's fantastic. I have never been this impressed by an opera DVD than the recording of this production. So it is impossible to forget the interpretation by Netrebko/Villazon/Hampson, but I gave it a try not watching that DVD for some months.

I got myself a pretty good seat, in the middle of the pit. Excellent view. The Muziektheater is not so big, so if you sit in the back, you probably still have a good view.

As it turned out the evening had some surprises. Marina Poplavskaya was supposed to sing tonight, but she pulled out of the entire production after sining the premiere on May 6th. I found out when I read my program. It was also anounced in the theatre just before the start. This, while the doctor was already waiting for Violetta to stumble on the stage, was very ironic. In stead Joyce el Khoury was singing, she was originally cast for the 17th and the 20th. She made her debut in this production on the 8th. I have never heard of her, and she was surprisingly good. She had no problems reaching the audience with her voice, and is in very good control of it. She did some very nice phrasing in "Dite alla giovine" and "Adio del passato" ending on a perfectly sustained pianissimo was heartbreaking. She looks great in the red dress and she moves very gracefully on stage.

Ismael Jordi has a very bright tenor with lots of volume. The sound is great at the mezza voce, but gets a litte shrill in forte. "Un di, felice" was beautifully done.

Another surprise tonight was Dimitris Tiliakos. Some aria's got him some well deserved bravos.

In this production chemistry between Violette and Afredo is needed. Without it the whole production fails. El Khoury and Jordi had enough chemistry to make it look convincing. The scene where Violetta sings "Amami, Alfredo, quant'io t'amo" was very well acted by both. In this production the choir gets a large part and they did that very well. It must be rehearsed in the smallest details to make it look this smooth. Also the interaction between Giorgio and Alfredo Germont was adequate. The scene where Giorgio rips Violetta's goodbye letter from Alfredo's hands and later tears it to pieces was remarkable.

Later in the car driving home I realised how shockingly somber the last scene is, Violetta lying dead on an empty floor, alone. Really impressive.

At the end, Joyce el Khoury got a standing ovation that lasted quite some time. I made some pictures of the curtain calls.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Tosca - ROH - Saturday March 2nd, 2013

Director: Jonathan Kent
Conductor: Maurizio Benini
Floria Tosca: Amanda Echalaz
Mario Cavaradossi: Massimo Giordano
Baron Scarpia: Michael Volle
Spoletta: Hubert Francis
Angelotti: Michel de Souza
Sacristan: Jeremy White
Sciarrone: Jihoon Kim
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

I attended the opening night of the revival of this production, dating back to 2006. The production made it to DVD and was broadcasted on the BBC, with Georghiu/Kaufman/Terfel. There is also a documentary on this production and on Tosca in general, led by Pappano. I'm very familiar with this production and I have seen the DVD many times.

In short: the singing for the 3 main characters was top class. I can't tell any details about the acting, because I sat quite far away from the stage on the balcony. By the way, the orchestra sound seemed very dry there.

Tonight's Tosca was Amanda Echalaz. She has a great voice, and she was in total control of it, and she filled the house effortlessly. Her Tosca is very expressive, but without any overacting. Tosca's emotions are expressed in small gestures. I guess you have to sit not to far away from the stage to enjoy that for the 100%. When she sings fortissimo her voice is just mindblowing, without sounding shrill or harsh. Just incredible.

Michael Volle's Scarpia was great. Especially the first act, ending in the huge "Te Deum".

Massimo Giordano is an outstanding tenor. His voice and phrasing is just sublime, he almost stole the show with "E lucevan le stelle".

The building up to "Vissi d'Arte" was very good, but the murder scene was not very convincingly acted, though it started well, it seemed to go off in a direction they had not rehearsed.

You can't review a Tosca without saying something about the "Vissi d'Arte". It was, like Echalaz's interpretation of Tosca, modest and kept small. Although the audiance was quite loud during most part of the preformance, you could hear a pin drop in the auditorium at this point. With some very pretty phrasing, it was just sublime.

The last act was great. Tosca's reaction when she finds out Mario has been shot for real is breathtaking. The last scene where Tosca jumps is a little different then what I'm used to from the DVD. In fact, it is much better. In stead of looking down, carefully holding her dress before jumping, (like Georghiu does, not very convincing for someone who is this desperate) Echalaz keeps looking at us when she falls. (like Nina in Black Swan). Her "O Scarpia, avanti a Dio" made me shiver.

A detail, but something you would not expect at the ROH, there was something terribly wrong with the brass section of the orchestra, an important section in Tosca not to say the least. Several times I heard inbalances and intonation issues, with one major error during act 3.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

sospiro said:


> Yep. First time I'd seen JEG.
> 
> My curtain call video, not very good quality though.


@Sospiro
Question about this curtain call video, a little late, but better late than never  Why was Rancatore so emotional ?


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Dongiovanni said:


> @Sospiro
> Question about this curtain call video, a little late, but better late than never  Why was Rancatore so emotional ?


She was a last minute replacement & had only flown in from Italy that morning. I can't remember who she replaced but Rancatore did a fine job.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Der Rosenkavalier

Antwerp, Vlaamsche Opera, December 15th 2013

Musical direction: Dmitri Jurowski / Philipp Pointner
Director: Christoph Waltz
Die Feldmarschallin: Maria Bengtsson
Baron Ochs: Albert Pesendorfer / Jürgen Linn
Octavian: Stella Doufexis
Herr von Faninal: Michael Kraus

I went to the opening night of the new production. The main reason was Maria Bengtsson, who I heard as Contessa in the ROH production under Gardiner. Fur sure, it was her night, judging from my view, but also from the ovation she got. Her voice is just beautiful, and always in perfect balance with the orchestra, something that you can't always say for the other singers. I was surprised how her voice reached the top amphitheatre without any problems. And what a voice ! The final trio was just beautiful, all of the audience just stopped breathing for a while, what a moment when the Marschallin makes that sacrifice. Among the other parts, there were no real weaknesses, overall the singing was on a very high level.

The production is clever and elegant. Costumes look modern dress, but not that modern, the sort of timelessnes we see more often. It works fine. Same goes for the scene decoration. It's very compact, only one design that suits all 3 acts with some minor changes.

Spot the hollywood actor in the curtain call picture:


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Carmen

Opera Zuid, Parktheater Eindhoven, December 10th 2013

Janneke Schaareman	Carmen
Fabiano Cordeiro	Don José
Martijn Sanders	Escamillo
Kim Savelsbergh	Micaëla
Elmar Gilbertsson	Remendado
Jacques de Faber	Dancaïro
Marcel van Dieren	Zuniga
Rubèn Plantinga	Moralès
Kitty de Geus	Frasquita
Marjolein Bonnema	Mercédès

Philharmonie zuidnederland, Ivan Meylemans

"Opera Zuid" is a Dutch travelling opera company that brings opera to theatres mainly in the South of The Netherlands. I went to this production because I read some good reviews, and because it's really close to where I live. I enjoyed this production. Working on a very limited budget, with minimal staging, the production is remarkable and convincing. The action is placed in the flower power age, with hippies, joints, and rebellions always in conflict with the police. Escamillo is not a toreador, but a pop musician. Starting and finishing his aria there is an electric guitar solo together with him on stage... really, it works, I would even extend the solo over the orchestra. In the end Carmen is strangled, and the final scene is the only thing that really doesn't work for me in this production.

We got some very good singing by Carmen, Escamillo and Michaela. Don Jose was not always up to the same level. Acoustics in the Parktheater are not very good, is all sounds very dry and just too small. But I guess that place was not really designed for opera.

Here are some of the curtain call pictures:














To find out more: http://www.operazuid.nl/carmen-georges-bizet-2013-2014/


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

La Traviata 
Teatro Alla Scala, December 29th
Conductor: Daniele Gatti
Staging and sets: Dmitri Tcherniakov
Violetta Valery: Diana Damrau
Flora Bervoix: Giuseppina Piunti
Annina: Mara Zampieri
Alfredo Germont: Piotr Beczala
Giorgio Germont: Željko Lučić
Gastone: Antonio Corianò
Barone Douphol: Roberto Accurso
Marchese d'Obigny: Andrea Porta
Dottor Grenvil: Andrea Mastroni
Giuseppe: Nicola Pamio
Domestico di Flora: Ernesto Petti
Commissionario: Ernesto Panariello

This production of La Traviata opened the new season. There has been a lot of buzz on the blogs and forums about it. I managed to get one of the last seats available. To get an idea how booking at La Scala goes... internet booking openeded on 09:00. There were 450 tickets left for the complete run. The ticket service is pretty terrible and crashes often. After 1 minute only 50 tickets left... Sold out in 2 minutes.

The singing was very good. Damrau showed fantastic dynamics in her voice, always with that silvery tone. We got a rock solid high e-flat on "Sempre Libera", "Amami Alfredo" soared over the fortissimo orchestra, that was amazing. "Addio del Passato" was heartbreaking, as was "Prendi quest'e' l'immagine". Damrau really puts the suffering of the dying Violetta in the last act.

Beczala was also very good. His voice is just gorgeous, bright, and very powerfull. "O mio rimorso" was just fantastic. "Un di" was full of passion, with lovely phrasing.

Lučić sang a very good Giorgo. Supporting roles were OK.

The really loved the sound of the orchestra. Sometimes tempi were a little too slow for me. I really loved the slow part of the ouverture and the opening of act 3. The cabaletta's were perfect in tempi, and also played with lots of passion.

I didn't like the production. Act 1 is so-so. I'd expect a different reaction from Violetta when Alfredo declares his love. It doesn't work when Violetta is singing "Ah, fors'e' lui" to Anina. Violetta really needs to be alone here. The overacting of Anina is also not helping.

Act 2 part 1 is terrible. This is the pivot scene of the opera. It's like watching a soap opera. There is no room for real acting. Why does Violetta want to hit Alfredo when she signs "Perche' tu m'ami, Alfredo, non e' vero?" I won't even start about the vegatable cutting. Act 2 part 2 is better.

Act 3 is like act 1, so-so. Alfredo and Violetta barely touch each other. The box with pictures, that is just silly. Violetta holding that picture when she sings "Prendi quest'e' l'immagine". All this is not working. What's the idea of Anina pushing Alfredo and Giorgio away after Violetta's death ?

What is the idea of the Violetta doll ? This is not just any theatre and Damrau and Beczala are no rookies either. It seems most of their acting talent is wasted here. Why such a terrible production? Really... how hard can it be to get a decent production ?

On a side note, according to Operabase, Traviata was the opera with the most performances in 2012-2013. It really is a wonderfull opera. In spite of the bad production, I really enjoyed it.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Dongiovanni said:


> The singing was very good. Damrau showed fantastic dynamics in her voice, always with that silvery tone. We got a rock solid high e-flat on "Sempre Libera", "Amami Alfredo" soared over the fortissimo orchestra, that was amazing. "Addio del Passato" was heartbreaking, as was "Prendi quest'e' l'immagine". Damrau really puts the suffering of the dying Violetta in the last act.


great news and cheers for the review! I'm waiting with a bated breath for the general sale at ROH.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

deggial said:


> great news and cheers for the review! I'm waiting with a bated breath for the general sale at ROH.


Tempting as it is... but I'm already going to ROH early April for Faust and Jonas Kaufmann. I do like the Eyre production. I just checked, many tickets still available for the Traviata.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

deggial said:


> great news and cheers for the review! I'm waiting with a bated breath for the general sale at ROH.


So did you get a ticket ?


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