# Intermediate Post



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Well, I've now added three operas to my favorites list, since I started posting here - Trovatore, Macbeth, and Otello - so I feel like I'm doing pretty good.

Last night: Otello. I had picked up the Jon Vickers DVD on a kind of whim - never heard him do anything bad, and had always kind of wondered what people saw in the opera - and was blown away. What an actor! I had forgotten the role - been a LONG time since I read the play in college - and so, in the middle of the 3rd act (?) when he suddenly rearranges his face, in the middle of a knock down drag out fight with his wife, and smiles, and says he'd like to make amends, Vickers sold it to me. I forgot what was coming. Then the next line - I thought I was speaking to the ***** who married Otello - just blew me out of the water. Oh my GOD!!! In the first act, the opening love scene was perfect. I'd seen the Domingo/Ricciarelli Otello previously, and stopped halfway through because it was just too boring. I never got to the bedroom scene, in that one. Their love scene in the first act didn't sell me. Vickers/Scotto sold me. They were in love. And then, in the last act, when Vickers is dragging himself around the set, talking about how God could have saddled him with pride, or poverty, well, it was really tragic. What a great show. What an amazing show.

A few nights earlier, I watched the Aquiles Machado Elisir d'Amore. I'd seen his Tales of Hoffmann and enjoyed it a great deal, and been impressed with his singing, and seen good reviews of this Elisir, and picked it up a week or two ago. But this is a guy to watch. His voice is high and sweet, not Luigi Alva but still very nice. And he's a grownup. I'm not going to name names, but there are some prominent tenors who just don't get it, when it comes to love. I think Machado does. Sure, he's fat and round, but you know, if you can act, that makes up for a lot. I'd love to hear this guy's Ferrando. I'm looking for good things from him, in the future, if he ever comes back to America lol!

So tonight, tomorrow and Sunday: Orfeo et Eurydice, by the Paris Opera Ballet, and then, just as a cherry on the sundae, La Traviata at opera in cinema on Sunday at 11! I couldn't find out who was in it - the ad in the paper says it's from Verona, but the only titles the operaincinema website lists are ROH and La Scala - but I'm sure it'll be good. So there's lots to look forward to this weekend.

It turns out that the fall season which began at the beginning of this month has largely ended. A number of trees dropped all their leaves, and a number of others didn't, and there are still lots of green leaves up on the trees around. But the crickets have appeared and can be heard at night. Last year the crickets I saw were all missing a leg or two, but so far that seems to be OK this year. No missing legs, thank goodness.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Found out who was in the Traviata this Sunday - Ermonela Jaho is Violetta, Francesco Demuro is Alfredo, and Vladimir Stoyanov is Giorgio. Well, we'll see - never heard of any of them, but I'm sure it'll be wonderful!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I like Vladimir Stoyanov - let us know how you got on..


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