# Anne Sofie von Otter is coming to town - worth attending?



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

She's 55 now.
Can she still deliver?
Last time I saw an ageing artist - Jennifer Larmore who came to town last year - it was an utter disappointment, her voice was completely shot, it was really pitiful and ridiculous, to the point that my wife and I left during the intermission.

Opinions?


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

Oh, yes! That lady can still deliver! 55 is not exactly 'ageing', thank you (I'm 53 and still have plenty of life left in me yet).


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Sure, but callas at 40 was already in trouble, and look at Villazón!


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

Singers are human beings. All human beings are different. Some singers burn-out by their 30s or 40s (usually their own fault), others sing beautifully into old age (eg Hans Hotter). Don't judge von Otter by Callas and Villazón - she's not them.


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## Saturnus (Nov 7, 2006)

Some singers use techniques that destroy their voices, other not. You cant really know. 
Just recently I was performing in a concert with a very old tenor soloist with extremely beautiful and strong voice. He looked like 60 or 70 something but his voice completely dwarfed the other, young and talented, soloist singers.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

von Otter is quite a figure so even if she's not as good as she used to be it's pretty rare occassion to see singer of her caliber live. If you won't you may regret it in the future when you will tell you grandchildren how many dragons did you slay and how many famous sopranos did you see live and they will ask about her.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

She did very well at the Mahler live concert thing this autumn, so I'd say hell yes.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

If her programme is predominantly lieder/songs then definitely. I can't comment on how well she'd handle arias these days. Whatever, it may be your last chance.


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## Herkku (Apr 18, 2010)

You can listen to her recording "Ombre De Mon Amant" on DG's website, recorded in september, 2008.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks to everybody who answered the question. So yes, I'll definitely buy tickets!!!


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## jflatter (Mar 31, 2010)

As an addendum, I saw her sing Brangane in Peter Sellers version of Tristan in September. I thought that she was exceptional.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Just go to the concert. Get her autograph, and photos of you next to her. Post these pictures on the internet here for us all to see!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Just go to the concert. Get her autograph, and photos of you next to her. Post these pictures on the internet here for us all to see!


I'll go to the concert, but I can't do the other things you're suggesting. Anna would be jealous. She is dangerous when she is jealous!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

OK, I got the tickets. Fabulous seats in the orchestra pit.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

It's tonight. Can't wait.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Almaviva said:


> It's tonight. Can't wait.


I'd forgotten you were going! Have a good time.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

OK, folks, I'm back, and I was blown away. It was wonderful! I shouldn't post a comment here because she didn't sing any operatic music, but what the hell, I went to see her because she is an operatic mezzo-soprano, and besides, the thread is already here.

The seats: we were 5 yards from Anne Sofie. It was kind of thrilling to be this close to one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation. And it was great to be able to see in details her facial expressions while she interpreted the songs.

The program: it was divided in 3 parts.

First, songs from Grieg, Peterson-Berger, Stenhammar, Sibelius, Brahms, and Richard Strauss. I particularly liked Peterson-Berger's _Like the stars in the sky_, part of _Four Songs in Swedish Folktone, op. 5 no. 3 (1892)_, and Richard Strauss' _Die Nacht. _The others were beautiful too.

While she rested her voice, her pianist played two pieces for solo piano by Brahms, _Capriccio in B Minor, Opus 76 No. 2_, and _Capriccio in G Minor Opus 116 No. 3_ (I liked better the latter).

Then she sang 5 songs composed by her pianist Brad Mehldau, collectively entitled _Love Songs, _based on poems by Sara Teasdale. While I didn't like the first one (_Child, Child_), I really liked the other four: _Twilight; Because; Dreams_; and _Did You Never Know._

Finally she sang popular songs, taken from movies since it was Oscar night. She sang Michel Legrand, Joni Mitchell, Lennon/McCartney and two Bossa Nova songs from Tom Jobim, _Insensitive, _and _Sabiá. _Maybe the high point of the night in terms of charming stories told by Anne Sofie was one of the movie songs from a Swedish movie that she loves. She told us the story of the whole movie, and was spectacular in its interpretation. I didn't catch the name of the movie in Swedish, but the story had to do with a bunch of friends who go to an island to eat crayfish and drink Aquavit. Encores included a song from _Sound of Music _and one from the movie _Bagdad Cafe._

Her pianist, while not especially gifted in the classical repertoire (but he did an OK job accompanying Anne Sofie), brought the house down in the more jazzy songs such as the one from _Bagdad Cafe, _the one from the Swedish movie, and the two Bossa Novas. He is, after all, primarily a jazz pianist by training. A funny part of the show is that they had hundreds of sheets because they weren't sure what they'd play and sing in the third part, and decided to focus on cinema music. So, Brad Mehldau was browsing furiously through the stack of sheets, and most of the time he couldn't find the one he was looking for, and then just shrugged his shoulders, and played without a sheet, adding improvisation, to great amusement of the public., and big laughs from Anne Sofie.

So, how was Anne Sofie? Wonderful. Charming. Playful. Sensual. Very feminine. Relaxed, visibly enjoying herself. Witty and funny in her comments, and still a good looking classy lady at age 55. She was fascinating.

And her voice when singing this more modest repertoire without the extremes of operatic arias, is still phenomenal. This shows how intelligent she is in managing her voice and her repertoire at her age. Comparatively, last year I attended a recital by Jennifer Larmore who, in spite of being way past her prime, tried to sing operatic arias, and it was a disaster.

In summary, the evening was a lot better than I had anticipated, and I was kind of mesmerized by her charm and femininity (uhoh, I hope Anna Netrebko is not reading this), something I wasn't expecting (I guess I was fixated on her trouser role as Octavian in the Kleiber DVD, not realizing that she is indeed a lot more feminine than the role would indicate - now I can understand why Herkku thought that her Carmen was sensual enough).

The one downside of the evening: the weather was turning nasty, and Mrs. Almaviva didn't want to wait for Anne Sofie outside at the stage door, and although I had brought my camera, I left without a picture or an autograph.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Ah, so there *is* a Mrs. Almaviva! How does she feel, sharing your affections with Ms. Netrebko? Or does she even know about her rival?


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

rgz said:


> Ah, so there *is* a Mrs. Almaviva! How does she feel, sharing your affections with Ms. Netrebko? Or does she even know about her rival?


Oh, she loves Anna as well. We believe in soprano poligamy. Mrs. Almaviva is the senior wife. Anna can be the junior wife as soon as she kicks out her husband and falls in love with me. And then, Miah Persson and Isabel Leonard can join as well. Just like in that TV series, Big Love.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Mo' women mo' problems. One is plenty for me, if it's the right one (a certain soprano whose name rhymes with Matalie Messay)


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I've greatly admired Anne-Sophie von Otter over the years, though I haven't listened to a lot of her recordings. She has a disc or two of Sibelius songs on BIS that are _incredible,_ and she actually released a CD on Naive of jazz songs (I believe with that same pianist--you might want to check that out). She's just wonderful.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Yep, I agree, I just didn't know *how* wonderful, she surprised me a lot tonight. But I have to tread carefully, Anna Netrebko La Bellissima must come first.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

rgz said:


> Mo' women mo' problems. One is plenty for me, if it's the right one (a certain soprano whose name rhymes with Matalie Messay)


You can't possibly think that these wonderful ladies would be any problem, right? You're a bad, bad fan, rgz!

:devil:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Here's the CD of the show:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Coincidentally I'm just listening to Anne-Sophie as Serse in this:










in preparation for my upcoming"live opera" treat, Xerxes at NZ Opera, where the title role will be a rather cute counter-tenor called Tobias Cole.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Rather cute? He looks like a nerd!:lol:


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Almaviva said:


> Rather cute? He looks like a nerd!:lol:


No. He's cute.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Aksel said:


> No. He's cute.


Thanks Aksel. We need a bit of solidarity here. He's going to look even cuter in Trelise Cooper's OTT costumes.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

He looks quite dashing here. Dashing & cute.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Although, from what I've seen/heard of him (meaning the video of him singing Ombra mai fu on Youtube), I'm not too impressed. Would like to hear some more of his singing, though.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Aksel said:


> Although, from what I've seen/heard of him (meaning the video of him singing Ombra mai fu on Youtube), I'm not too impressed. Would like to hear some more of his singing, though.


We take what we can get in this part of the world.

Although in two weeks time we are getting Andreas Scholl.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

We seem to have thoroughly hijacked Alma's Anne Sofie thread.

So back to the topic, it sounds like she's been very sensible and careful with her voice. Also there are some women who retain their sexual attraction even when their age might suggest otherwise.

Renée Fleming is 52 and still very attractive (as far as I can judge these things  )


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

sospiro said:


> Renée Fleming is 52 and still very attractive (as far as I can judge these things  )


Oh yes. She definitely is!!! And *I* can judge these things (as long as they are related to the part of humankind that is soft, squeezable, silky, booby, and not hairy, unlike El Guapo). Gaston and I would definitely agree. Remember the huge pic of Renee I once posted, and Gaston couldn't stop looking at it?:lol:


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## delallan (Jan 4, 2011)

I was fortunate enough to see Renee here in Toronto this past December, and YES, she still has it!!!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

delallan said:


> I was fortunate enough to see Renee here in Toronto this past December, and YES, she still has it!!!


Yes, Renée's voice remains wonderful, her acting ability is great, and she looks good! That's a hell of a long operatic career with top scores in all three of these areas!


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