Friday 20 July 2007

: : Vest Norges Opera : : Summer Opera 2007 in Norway

SUMMER OPERA 2007

Giuseppe Verdi
Nabucco

Open air at Bergenhus Castle
August 11, 14, 16, 18, at 21:30

: : Vest Norges Opera : :

Nabucco - Anooshah Golesorkhi
Abigaille - Anna Shafaijanskaia
Zaccaria - Mihail Mihaylov
Fenena - Charlotte Paulsen
Ismaele - Johann Valdimarson


Stage director: Bruno Berger Gorski
Conductor: Anne Randine Øverby
Sets: Opera Bergen
VNO's Orchestra
Bergen Opera Choir


TICKETS

Opernhaus Zurich - Ticket-Bestellung

online ticket, choose your seat etc. java-applet
Opernhaus Zurich - Ticket-Bestellung

for all performances, except Premiere.

Le Cid - Massenet

mit deutscher Ubertitelung
Unterstutzt von der Georg und Bertha Schwyzer-Winiker-Stiftung
Dirigent
Inszenierung
Bühnenbild
Kostüme
Lichtgestaltung
Choreinstudierung
Mit
Isabelle Kabatu (Chiméne), Isabel Rey (L'infante); Jose Cura (Rodrigue), Andreas Hurl (Don Diège), Vladimir Stoyanov (Le Roi), Cheyne Davidson (Le Comte de Gormas), Tomasz Slawinski (St. Jacques), Kresimir Strazanac (1 envoyé Maure), Miroslav Christoff (Don Arias), Reinhard Mayr (Don Alonzo)

Thursday 19 July 2007

Gala Concert with Agnes Baltsa, December 2007

http://www.wuerttembergische-philharmonie.de/

11. Dezember
Dienstag
20:30 Uhr

Schweiz-Tournee

Genf
Galakonzert mit Agnes Baltsa
Agnes Baltsa, Sopran
Srboljub Dinic, Leitung



14. Dezember
Freitag
19:30 Uhr

Schweiz-Tournee

Casino Basel/CH
Galakonzert mit Agnes Baltsa
Agnes Baltsa, Sopran
Srboljub Dinic, Leitung









18. Dezember
Dienstag
19:30 Uhr

Schweiz-Tournee

Casino Bern/CH
Galakonzert mit Agnes Baltsa
Agnes Baltsa, Sopran
Srboljub Dinic, Leitung



20. Dezember
Donnerstag
19:30 Uhr

Schweiz-Tournee

Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern/CH
Galakonzert mit Agnes Baltsa
Agnes Baltsa, Sopran
Srboljub Dinic, Leitung
sponsored by



29. Dezember
Samstag
19:30 Uhr

Schweiz-Tournee

Tonhalle Zürich/CH
Galakonzert mit Agnes Baltsa
Agnes Baltsa, Sopran
Srboljub Dinic, Leitung

Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino: Elektra with Agnes Baltsa (2008)

Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Fondazione

ELEKTRA

Information Plan
2007/2008 Season Opera



Tragedy in one act by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
music by Richard Strauss
conductor SEIJI OZAWA
director ROBERT CARSEN
singers and musicians Klytämnestra
AGNES BALTSA
Elektra
SUSAN BULLOCK
Chrysothemis
CHRISTINE GOERKE
Ägisth
tba
Orest
MATTHIAS GOERNE




production New production in association with Tokyo Opera Nomori


place Teatro Comunale
road Corso Italia, 16
city Florence (FI)


phone 899.666.805 - 055 2779350



www.maggiofiorentino.com














shows 24-02-2008, h 20.30
26-02-2008, h 20.30
29-02-2008, h 20.30
02-03-2008, h 15.30
05-03-2008, h 20.30





TEATRO DEL MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO - Fondazione
TTel. + 39-055.27791 (centralino)
Tel. +39-055.21.35.35 / 899.666.805 fax +39-055.287222

Monday 16 July 2007

Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona 2007/2008

I rushed to get a ticket for Andrea Chenier in Barcelona. Jose Cura is singing the title role. And after 30 minutes I managed to get a ticket (October 17th). Usually it is easy to get a ticket via www.liceubarcelona.com I was probably too nervous.

Today the general ticket sales has started. Ticket sales 2007-2008 Season.



Sunday 15 July 2007

News: my websites, travel links etc.

I have made changes in my two websites: www.operaduetstravel.com & www.operaduetsphotos.com. First page looks different from before.

I love my new background photo.

SAD news Photosite is closing down, so my website www.operaduetsphotos.net must find a new home, or maybe I will just close it down. Photosite is actually doing quite well against its competition, see here. A review of Photosite.

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LINK to useful travel sites

www.hrs.de
My favourite hotel reservation site, informative with great prices. Several languages.

www.wideroe.no
To find almost all the best prices for travel by air. In Norwegian, English and German.

LINKS to opera houses etc.

www.operabase.com
Best choice for information about when and where and how to get tickets to opera houses.

Then there is always the direct way, or GOOGLE:
My favorites opera houses: Wiener Staatsoper, Opernhaus Zurich, Royal Opera House, Den Norske Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Gran Teatre del Liceu.

Wednesday 4 July 2007

June/July 2007: La Boheme in Verona (2007-06-30)

Day 3: Saturday June 30th, Verona


La Boheme (Giacomo Puccini), Arena di Verona
ore 21.15


Direttore Lü Jia
Regia Arnaud Bernard
Scenografia William Orlandi
Costumi William Orlandi
Maestro del coro Marco Faelli
Lighting Designer Paolo Mazzon
Dir. Allestimenti scenici Giuseppe De Filippi Venezia

Interpreti

Rodolfo = Marcello Giordani
Schaunard = Fabio Previati
Benoit = Graziano Polidori
Mimì = Tamar Iveri
Marcello = Gabriele Viviani
Colline = Marco Spotti
Alcindoro = Angelo Nardinocchi
Musetta = Donata D'Annunzio Lombardi
Parpignol = Carlo Bosi
A customs official = Federico Longhi




Coro di voci bianche "Benjamin Britten" diretto da Antonella Bertoni

Orchestra, Coro e tecnici
dell'Arena di Verona


Another fine day in Verona, Italy. Problem with Arena di Verona and La Boheme, is that the stage is huge, and that this opera is more of a intimate romance. Of course act 2 is a great, big scene with lots of people. But this problem was a Zeffirelli-like production, huge and the little people got lost. Not being able to find out right a way Rodolfo and Mimi was a disappointment. Zeffirelli would not have made that fault, I believe. he would have a way to highlight the important people in the opera. Act 1 + 4, all action in a tiny bit of the stage, in the middle. But the Arena is so big why did the director not make the attic of the artists, Marcello and Rodolfo, huge using most of the arena stage area.

Other problems was for me all the circus of act2, people blowing fires from their mouth. Just a show that made it difficult to get the real operatic action... And act 3, very bad, hated the bicycles thing. Here we are supposed to see peasant woman at the customs controlling their bread, milk cans etc. The bicycling was just a circus thing... And act 4, when the guys are pretending to be at a ball. Here they were not dancing, they were drying up laundry and playing with that, Gavotta, Pavanella, Fandango... no dance.

The singers, orchestra was all great and the production was not all bad, just not quite right and Arena was not the right place.

Waited backstage for a while, nothing. But how often do the conductor Daniel Oren drive around the Arena, I wonder. I saw him yesterday and now today.

Day 4: Sunday July 1, Verona-Oslo
Flight back home.

Was supposed to be easy. Just eating breakfast at the hotel, relax, try to take the curtesy bus to the station, airportbus to the airport. But I got nervous, I got talked into taking a taxi directly to the Arena. Result long wait in the airport, just waiting to find where to check in, getting a gate, and 30 Euros for the ride. 30... Even if there was not room for me in the curtesy bus so that I would have to pay for that too, 15-18 euros, and aiport-bus 4,50 Euros. Cheaper and no wait.

That was, of course, not the worst of the day. Norway has in many years neglected to educate enough airport controllers. And they have a stressfull job, and in the past often felt neglected and distrusted by their bosses. During last conflict, 2 out of 10 was suffering a break in family (divorce etc.) So naturally now, it is summer, a lot of plane, and people who have holidays, then 6 persons get sick. (Would you want you aiport controller to be sick when looking after your plane, now).

From Verona to Munich, no problem and free food and drink. In Munich walking briskly to your gate. And everything looked normal and then, 1 hour to wait for take-off. The Lufthansa pilot tells us why. But this is a nice airplane, good air, your feet have some space. Free drinks while we wait (non-alcoholic, of course). That meant having little time to catch my plane back home. Walking briskly, waiting for my luggage a long time, walking briskly, getting my air ticket from a machine. Security line, and walking as fast as my life depend upon it, since the monitors that are showing many delays, my not my flight. My legs burns with ache, and no, this is not good. 1920 becomes 2115. I have 2 hours. I could have relaxed. Eaten. Sent my heavy bags, and not still carrying it.

Being hungry, 2 hours to relax and have something to eat is not too bad. 2130 the sign no says. The plane must be in the air by that time, slot time. We are 1 minute late, some other plane to their fuel before us when it was our time. TIME'S OUT. Lovely... Then our captein says 2320 but says he hopes that since we are all already inside, maybe we get a earlier time, maybe it will only be a few minutes to wait and not almost another 2 hours. 2 hours became 20 minutes, 2150 off we go. I am almost home 2240 at the airport.
Airportbus, just for me? Alone?
Finally, at home. 2320.


June/July 2007: Nabucco in Verona (2007-06-29)

Day 1: Thursday June 28th, Oslo-Verona

First night bus to Oslo. Arriving Oslo 0530. And my flight is due to leave 1300. No problem, only hand luggage. Great airplane, Lufthansa, and food and drink for free. Change planes in Frankfurt. Air Dolomiti to Verona. Free food and drink. (with drink I mean Cola light). And in Verona Aiport just go out and take the aiport bus to the train station, and no waiting... It is just about 1800, and the weather is fine, my luggage not too heavy, so off I went to Piazza Bra, outside the arena to eat some real food, pizza with mushrooms. Then back to the station, and take the taxi to my hotel, Hotel Tryp. 2050 in my hotel


Day 2: Friday June 29th, Verona

Free curtesy bus to the arena/Piazza Bra at 1530. My head-ache is nearly gone, and now I am longing for opera. Dinner at Cafe Opera, Piazza Bra. Wow, who is sitting not too far from me... tenor Marcello Giordani. He is checking the 2009 calendar, phone calls. And then his wife and two sons arrive and my chance to talk to the great tenor is over.



Nabucco (Giuseppe Verdi), Arena di Verona
ore 21.15


Direttore Daniel Oren
Regia Denis Krief
Scenografia Denis Krief
Costumi Denis Krief
Maestro del coro Marco Faelli
Lighting Designer Paolo Mazzon
Dir. Allestimenti scenici Giuseppe De Filippi Venezia
luci Denis Krief

Interpreti
Nabucco = Leo Nucci
Ismaele = Fabio Sartori
Zaccaria = Carlo Colombara
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Nino Surguladze
High Priest of Belo = Carlo Striuli
Abdallo = Carlo Bosi
Anna = Patrizia Cigna

Nuovo Allestimento

Orchestra, Coro e tecnici
dell'Arena di Verona

Now Nabucco. Not the same production as two years ago. Leo Nucci was also then Nabucco and Susan Neves was Abigaille. Disappointment, two-fold; the production in 2005 was better, and my seat was better: I could hear better then, and no-one was talking during the show. Having read some review of the production with their pointing out disappointment towards Carlo Colombara and Maria Guleghina, they loved Leo Nucci, of course... so I knew something. And it was announced at the loud-speaker, that Colombara althought slightly ill he was still singing. And you could tell he was not in top form but he was steadily better. Maria Guleghina was also weak sounding, but I think that was because of my seat. Had I been sitting in Poltronissimo God section and not (just) poltronissimo then I think my feeling had been better about this production, but I would still have found the ballett thing stupid and wondering why did they put such a boring costume on the wonderful soprano, Maria Guleghina. Fenena and Anna got something beautiful to wear. White for Fenena, red for Anna, but for Abigaille, dark earth colors.

And then singers did not come out where I was standing.

Must have more Maria Guleghina live. Especially as Abigaille....