Friday 28 May 2010

Opernhaus Zurich 2010/2011 VERISMO-abo

Opernhaus Zurich


Verismo ABO 2010-2011

Verismo


Samstag, 4. September 2010
Tosca Puccini
Dirigent Nello Santi
Tosca Maria Guleghina
Cavaradossi Marcelo Álvarez
Scarpia Thomas Hampson
Angelotti Valeriy Murga
Mesner Giuseppe Scorsin
Spoletta Andreas Winkler
Sciarrone Morgan Moody


Samstag, 20. November 2010
La Fanciulla del West Puccini
Dirigent Massimo Zanetti
Minnie Emily Magee
Wowkle Katharina Peetz
Jack Rance Ruggero Raimondi
Dick Johnson José Cura
Harry Shinya Kitajima
Jack Wallace Davide Fersini
Nick Peter Sonn
Ashby Giuseppe Scorsin
Sonora Cheyne Davidson
Sid Tomasz Slawinski
Trin Martin Zysset
Bello Kresˇimir Strazˇanac
Joe Bogusl/aw Bidzin´ski
Happy Thomas Tatzl
José Castro Valeriy Murga


Dienstag, 14. Dezember 2010
Madama Butterfly Puccini
Dirigent Marco Armiliato
Cio-Cio-San Xiu Wei Sun
Suzuki Judith Schmid
Kate Pinkerton Margaret Chalker
Pinkerton Neil Shicoff
Sharpless Cheyne Davidson
Goro Andreas Winkler
Yamadori Kresˇimir Strazˇanac
Bonze Pavel Daniluk


Mittwoch, 16. März 2011
Cavalleria rusticana Mascagni
Dirigent Stefano Ranzani
Santuzza Paoletta Marrocu
Lucia Cornelia Kallisch
Lola Katharina Peetz
Turiddu Jose Cura
Alfio Cheyne Davidson

Pagliacci Leoncavallo
Nedda Fiorenza Cedolins
Canio José Cura
Tonio Carlo Guelfi
Peppe Boiko Zvetanov
Silvio Gabriel Bermúdez


Samstag, 23. April 2011
La Bohème Puccini
Dirigent Carlo Rizzi
Mimì Barbara Frittoli
Musetta N. N.
Rodolfo José Cura
Marcello Massimo Cavalletti
Schaunard Cheyne Davidson
Colline Andreas Hörl
Benoît Davide Fersini


For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Thursday 27 May 2010

Soon taking the Swiss travel to Otello & Baltsa

It is soon time for a new travel to Berlin and to Zurich. Premiere day of Otello in Deutsche Oper Berlin with José Cura and Anja Harteros. In Opernhaus Zürich on the last day of the month, Liederabend with Agnes Baltsa.


Liederabend Agnes Baltsa

AGNES BALTSA
Achilleas Wastor Klavier

Griechische Lieder

Mános Hadjidákis (*1925 Xanthi - †1994 Athen)
Peribanou
(Klavier solo)

Stavros Xarhákos (*I939 Athen)
Áspri méra ke ja mas (Es werden glücklichere Tage kommen, auch für uns)

Míkis Theodorákis (*1925 Khios)
To tréno févgi stis ochtó (Der Zug fährt um acht ab)

Mános Hadjidákis
Óniro pedión tis gitoniás (Die Träume der Nachbarskinder)

Vassílis Tsitsánis (*1915 Trikala - †1984 London)
Horisam’ ena dilino (Und eines Tages hatten wir uns auseinandergelebt)
Sinefiasmeni kiriaki (An einem regnerischen Sonntag)
(Klavier solo)

Stavros Xarhákos
Stou Óthona ta hrónia [Zur Zeit von König Otto)
Háthike to fegári (Der verlorene Mond)

Vassílis Tsitsánis
Archóntissa (Meine Edelfrau)
Ta kavourákia (Die Krabben)

---- PAUSE ----

Míkis Theodorákis
Hartaetí (Drachensteigen)
(Klavier solo)

Spíros Peristéris (*1900 Smyrna - †1966 Athen)
Mes ston ondá enós Passá (Im Privatgemach eines Paschas)

Mános Hadjidákis
O tachitrómos péthane (Der junge Postbote starb)

Stavros Xarhákos
To praktorío (Die einsame Station]

Mános Hadjidákis
Nihterino (Nocturne)
Kalamatianos
Megali sousfa
(Klavier solo)

Stavros Xarhákos
Varkaróla (Barkarole)

Mános Hadjidákis
Páme mia wólto sto fegári (Spazieren wir zum Mond)

Stavros Xarhákos
Nin ke aí (Jetzt und für immer)

That sounds interesting.

I am also looking forward to the new Otello. I just hope I will not be tired or have a headache on May 30. Premiere in Berlin. But I already feels a bit tired....


For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Monday 24 May 2010

24. Placido Domingo, tenor


My photo of Plácido Domingo in Vienna 1998-05-31

I saw him as
Jean (LE PROPHETE) 1998-05-31
PARSIFAL 2002-01-13


1996-07-26
The 3 tenors, Ullevi Stadium Gothenburg
1996-08-03 The 3 tenors, Olympia Stadium Munich


LINKS to more information about this artist (agency, schedule etc.):
OperaBase

Personal/other websites
 http://www.placidodomingo.com

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

23. Luciana D'Intino, mezzo


My photo of Luciana d'Intino in Vienna 2006-12-18

I saw her as
Amneris (AIDA) 2005-06-24
CARMEN 2002-06-22
Eboli (DON CARLO) 2003-03-12, 2003-03-14, 2006-11-25, 2006-12-18

LINKS to more information about this artist (agency, schedule etc.):
OperaBase

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Thursday 20 May 2010

2006 Baltsa 5 - Cura 9 - others 7

2006 started for me in Zürich with José Cura as Alfredo Germont in Verdi's LA TRAVIATA on March 22. I loved it. The day after I saw Donizetti's LA FAVORITE with Vesselina Kasarova as Leonor de Guzman. And then there were two performances of Verdi's STIFFELIO (March 24, 26) both with José Cura as Stiffelio.

In late April it was Jenufa with Agnes Baltsa and Turandot with José Cura. Jenufa was in Vienna, Turandot in Zürich. Both great performances that I am grateful for.

In June I traveled to Hungary for the Miskolc Opera Festival. I saw Cav/Pag on June 24. On June 25th came the event for me Verismo Gala with Agnes Baltsa, Paolo Gavanello, Miro Dvorsky and Natasa Katai. Loved it, I even was at the after-concert party. I saw Eva Marton in Miskolc. Then it was time to travel to Vienna for Werther with Marcus Haddock as Werther on June 26. It was OK. With Marcelo Alvarez it would have been better but I have the DVD so I am OK. I was lucky to get a ticket for Italiana in Algeri with Agnes Baltsa who replace Olga Borodina. When I heard that Agnes Baltsa was going to sing I got the ticket as fast as possible and rearranged my travel plans for June.

July was also great. This time Cav/Pag with José Cura as Turriddu and Canio in Arena di Verona on July 14. On July 15 it was Tosca with Marcelo Alvarez, Fiorenza Cedolins and Ruggero Raimondi. Superb! And it is on DVD. Lovely!

September meant that José Cura was Dick Johnson in Puccini's LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST. And I saw it on September 24. It was not my favorite production but not he worst. The day before we celebrated 10 years of Jose Cura Connexion. Cura was there. I sat on the same table as he did. I only wished I had been a member from the beginning.

On October 20th I saw Samson et Dalila in Bergen, Norway. It was interesting...

On November 25th I saw Don Carlo with José Cura in Zurich. Loved it, naturally.

Then it was finally December. Agnes Baltsa sang an Opera Concert in Munich on December 15th, then it was Werther with Marcelo Alvarez on December 16th (also in Munich), DON CARLO in Vienna with José Cura on December 18th, and on December 19th Opera Concert with Agnes Baltsa in Vienna. What can I say? Was it my best opera year, or what?

I am speechless. Two wonderful performances of STIFFELIO and two different productions of DON CARLO in two different cities. Two wonderful concerts with Agnes Baltsa, she was wonderful as Küsterin in Jenufa and Isabella in L'Italiana d'Algeri. Cura was great as Alfredo Germont, Stiffelio, Calaf, Turriddu, Canio and Don Carlo. I saw Marcelo Alvarez as Mario Cavaradossi and Werther, his best roles.


For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Tuesday 18 May 2010

Home again

My travel to Berlin went well. No hassle in the air. Jose Cura and Maria Guleghina both sang (Turandot, May 13th 2010). The production was shit. But the singing was glorious. A big bravo not only for the soloists but for Deutsche Oper Berlin's Chorus and Orchestra.

The only hassle was on May 17th, National Day of Norway. My airport bus just only made it through Jessheim which was celebrating hard.

Wednesday May 12th: I work half day and take the airport bus to the airport. And after a short flight I am in Oslo Gardermoen Airport a little less a 3 hours before my flight to Berlin. I save money on the plane since the stewardess forgets to ask if I want to buy some food or something to drink. I use the next hour fuming about being overlooked. Question: was it I or the stewardess who destroyed the last hour of my flight?

I arrived in Berlin Schönefeld Airport on time. My luggage is number 118 (or something). So I had to wait a long time for my luggage, yes. But I have a hotel waiting so no stress. I take the train to Berlin Hauptbahnhof where I find my hotel Meininger. The hotel was good enough. Great bed, big pillows, nice shower (I didn't try it). The stay is 59 Euro pr night. And I am staying 2 nights. If I decided to eat breakfast at the hotel that will be 5,50 Euro pr person pr breakfast. So instead I was a regular at Pizza Hut in Hauptbahnhof. They have good Pizzas and great Salads.

On May 13th, 2010 I sleep a long time. Or rather I wake up but decides to sleep again and again. It is Ascension Day so not all shops are open. Some are open but have limited what they can sell. I collected my tickets early in the day, eats a Pizza piece at a Pizza Hut at Zoologischer Garten (train station) before the opera and after the opera. Great!

After a "miserable" production of Turandot it was great to greet Maria Guleghina (Turandot) and Jose Cura (Calaf). They both had some interesting things to say about this production. Guleghina was not finished with her two Turandots in Deutsche Oper Berlin (May 8, 13) for this season, any way. For Cura Turandot on May 13th was just the beginning, sadly he has to  sing also on May 23rd. Sadly because Jose Cura did not enjoy this production at all.

I have started to worry about Otello in Berlin. I have tickets for May 30th (Premiere) and June 13th. I hope that production is better but the photo that promotes this Otello makes me fear the worst. If that is not enough than there are ash clouds to be worried about.


May 14th, 2010: I am going back home so naturally I do not have a really good night sleep. This time I finally get to buy my Water Bottle and Boxer Chips. Unfortunately the chips are not really that good. I remembers my luggage but I forgot to count which number it was. Not that the numbers matters I just sometimes like to litter my blogs with times and numbers. Numbers often have the appearance of Facts but Letters could possibly just be a figment of your imagination.

Off to my parents' house. It is soon 17th of May which means that it is hard to sleep in the night due to all the cars which have too much sound equipment and too much sub-woof, what-ever.

National Day in Norway, May 17th 2010: I watched TV but I was really preparing to my flight back home.

And now I am home.

Until next time when I am going to Berlin again, I hope.

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Sunday 16 May 2010

Turandot in Berlin on May 13th, 2010 (part 2)



Act 2: Ping, Pong and Pang is feeling sorry for themselves. They are slightly suicidal when their costumes are brought to them. Usual this is the light moment in Turandot. But in this production it was impossible for me to feel any sympathy for the 3 "ministers". The Emperor's balcony is filled up with officers and diplomats worthy as if any European Royal Family could be proud of. The Emperor is there trying to persuade Calaf to give up his quest. When Calaf refuses for the 3rd time then it is time for the Riddle scene. The aria In questa Reggia is drowned by the spectacle. Especially is the journalist/photographer annoying. Turandot's great aria has no unity in it as Maria Guleghina as Turandot has to accept the presence of the press and so cannot give full attention to the moving story of her ancestor. This aria is showing the whole motivation behind Turandot's actions but the director butchered it. But as the Riddle Scene starts finally we are brought to understand and enjoy the interaction between Calaf and Turandot. For the first time this is not played out as a crowd moment but as an intimate encounter. Reading the director's comments in the program I find out that his idea is that this is really a Love Duet. And that Turandot is in reality falling in love with Calaf as they sit down. This exciting idea is not being realized in the scene. Still Maria Guleghina and Jose Cura is really exciting in this duet. Calaf wins by guessing the right answer to the 3 riddles. The Emperor loves his new son-in-law and Turandot is given her wedding gown. She rejects it, of course. Sadly the director has decided to make Turandot, the Princess, into a whiny girl when she rejects the wedding plans. The Emperor and Calaf ignores Turandot. Calaf is the celebrity du jour and the crowd wants him. Finally he sees Turandot and in a way to save her embarrassment/win her over completely he challenges her with a riddle of his own. "Tell me my name, and by dawn I will die".


Act 3 is the act where nothing can go wrong. But the director decide to put a film about a boy and a girl who can't sleep and walk about fearfully in a palace. That is what is happening when Jose Cura sings Nessun dorma. The film is just a distraction from a wonderful rendition of Nessun dorma. Instead of a film the director could have made something out of having Turandot sleeping in her white dress onstage as Calaf sings Nobody shall sleep. Another opportunity lost for the director and the opera. Then Ping, Pong and Pang again tries to persuade Calaf to give in. It is only natural since Turandot has decreed that nobody shall sleep until the name of the stranger is found, death will be the reward for the people if they don't comply. In wanders Timur and now they are going to pry the name out of his mouth (torture). Turandot sleeps with her dagger, threatens Ping and then assumes her usual composure to order torture of the old man. Liu steps in defending Timur: She is the one with the Name. Of course, Calaf doesn't understand and threatens Liu. Another lost opportunity for the director was to give more insight into Turandot's mind when meeting Liu and her sacrificial love. Liu is tortured while singing Tu che in gel sei cinta. Liu kills herself with the executioner's knife. Incredible that she could just take the knife from him and incredible that she could have the strength to kill herself since a finger has been cut from each hand (that is my intepretation of the torture). One of the ministers, Pong?, hangs her dead body up. Timur cries up when he understands that Liu is dead. As Liu hangs suspended in the air, Timur sits down and take up his bottle and drinks. Traditionally Turandot and Calaf is alone when they sing the final duet. It is hard for me to find what to say about this duet because the singing/acting is simply glorious. Calaf tells Turandot her name and she proclaims she knows his name. The Emperor is there. Ping, Pong and Pang are dressed as Calaf, Turandot and priest making a mock wedding. Emperor gives Calaf a rich crown. Turandot hides her dagger, smiles to her father and stabs him. Calaf takes the dagger, goes over to his father and stabs him. Turandot sees Ping, Pong and Pang doing their mockery and Calaf gallantly walks up the stairs and stabs them. It is happy ending for Turandot and Calaf. They really loves each other.

Actually the father murders made sense.

BRAVO, Jose Cura!
BRAVA, Maria Guleghina!
Director, learn your craft...

Turandot in Berlin on May 13th, 2010 (part 1)

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Saturday 15 May 2010

Turandot in Berlin on May 13th, 2010 (part 1)

2010-05-13 Turandot (Puccini), Deutsche Oper Berlin
Turandot = Maria Guleghina
Liu = Manuela Uhl
Calaf = José Cura
Timur = Arutjun Kotchinian
Ping = Nathan De’Shon Myers
Pang = Jörg Schörner
Pong = Yosep Kang
Althoum = Peter Maus
Mandarin = Lucas Harbour
1st voice = Heidi Melton
2nd voice = Jana Kurucová

Laurent Campellone, conductor

Thu, 13.05.2010, 18:00 h

duration: approximately 2 hrs 30 mins | 1 interval


Premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 13th September 2008



Director
Lorenzo Fioroni


Stage-design
Paul Zoller


Costume-design
Katharina Gault

Choir Conductor
William Spaulding


Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Schöneberger Sängerknaben
Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

World class singing could not hide that this Regie did not work. It didn't make sense. The big arias, In questa reggia and Nessun dorma, was hidden by the going-on's onstage. How well did Maria Guleghina sing her aria? It was difficult to tell to much was covered by having Turandot's servants and naturally what is an updated opera without somebody acting as journalist/photographer. It was a mess that Maria Guleghina could not save. The directors ideas was against her. Jose Cura's Nessun dorma was wonderful. But as wonderful the aria sung, it was a missed moment for the director. Instead of a film of children unable to sleep in a palace and walking scared about it could have been a moment between Calaf and Turandot. The 3rd act starts with Turandot onstage sleeping/waking and here we have Nessun dorma with Calaf but we got a stupid film.


Where 1st act was nonsense, act 2 had its moments (the Riddle scene was OK), but act 3 was the best because the director could not destroy too much here.


The director's idea was, I think: Violence + Love = Good. But it made bad theatre.


Act 1: We are in a theatre. All the people in Beijing (think: old DDR) is waiting for the spectacle. A Riddle scene is played out complete with the beheading of the Prince. Imagine my surprise when in act 2 I understand that it was really Ping playing the Prince, Pong Turandot and Pang the executioner. This is supposed to be a tyranny but these 3 "ministers" is allowed to act out something so negatively to the imperial princess. In the same act the director does much out of a person rejecting singing a hymn to the Emperor. But a parody of Turandot is accepted. Ping, Pong and Pang are always a misogynist lot, but t\in this production it was a step further. I recognized Calaf with his leather jacket and Cura's height made him easy to see. Liu and Timur was almost impossible to see. The director did not really understand that Timur is supposed to be blind and that Liu has to be near him to help him. Timur was instead a drunkard who was occasional blind too. In the theatre there is an emperor's balcony of course. That is where Turandot appears to give thumb down to the Prince of Persia. Then the director makes the usual mistake: there is no way that Calaf could see Turandot to fall in love. It is not only that she has a black veil in her face. He is not looking at her. (Maybe he did, and I missed those seconds). Liu sings sweetly to her Prince, she has made up a table so that they can eat. The idea must be that we the audience should understand that she is dreaming of domestic happiness with her beloved Calaf. We don't need that. We have the aria already. Calaf answered by throwing the table cloth with all that Liu has put the on the table at the same time as he sings the most sweetly sung "Non piangere, Liu". His father Timur, Liu and the 3 pranksters they all try to dissuade him from hitting the gong-gong. But Calaf wants Turandot.

Turandot in Berlin on May 13th, 2010 (part 2)

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Sunday 9 May 2010

I hope the Volcano doesn't stop me...

It is soon May 13th, and I have a ticket for Turandot with José Cura and Maria Guleghina in Deutsche Oper Berlin.

I hope the volcanoes in Iceland will not hinder air travel between Germany and Norway. Naturally I hope nothing will stop me. No sickness either.

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Saturday 8 May 2010

2005 Carreras 1 - Cura 11 - other 15

I saw Josep Carreras in Grieghallen in Bergen (Norway) on March 19th. It was a nice recital. In 2005 I saw Il Corsaro by Verdi 4 times, 2 times in concert, 2 times as staged opera. In the concert version José Cura was Corrado on February 3, 6 (Barcelona). On May 14th Rubens Pelizzari was Corrado, on May 15th Giuseppe Gipali in Genoa's Teatro Carlo Felice. Then it was more Verdi opera with Un Ballo in Maschera in Royal Opera House, London. Marcelo Alvarez was Riccardo on April 30th. The next day in Deutsche Oper Berlin Cavalleria Rusticana with Peter Seiffert and Pagliacci with José Cura.

On June 22 it was I Puritani by Bellini in Deutsche Oper Berlin with Edita Gruberova and Joseph Calleja. Then back to Verdi Opera with Aida in Verona with José Cura on June 23, 26, in Parma with Fabio Armiliato/Daniela Dessi on June 24. On June 28th it was Werther by Massenet in Torino with Roberto Alagna. And gosh was it a hot summer! Then on July 1st Nabucco by Verdi in Verona with Leo Nucci. On July 2nd I was lucky enough to see Otello (Giuseppe Verdi) with José Cura, I bought my ticket on the steps of Nationaltheater in Munich. Yes, I was lucky even as it was a standing room ticket, but I could see and hear, and I was lucky not to have a back problem then. Viva Verdi- a concert with Daniela Dessi and Fabio Armiliato singing Verdi arias and duets in Berlin July 3rd. Loved it! Then another highlight Verdi's Otello in Munich with José Cura, Barbara Frittoli and Sergei Leiferkus on July 5th.

The most unlucky thing in 2005 was that Turandot in Verona on August 27 rained away. To wait to hear if it is on and wonder if you have lost the money. We did get our money back but almost not. And it surely did pour down that night. August 28th Aida by Verdi with Salvatore Licitra, it was OK and my parents loved it so it passed the test. But finally it was Turandot by Puccini with José Cura as Calaf (on August 30th), and it was GREAT!!!

In September it was more Puccini Opera with José Cura. La Fanciulla del West in Royal Opera House, London on September 15, 18. That was wonderful, too!!!!!!!

In October I was in Norway, in Nordfjordeid and I saw Rigoletto by Verdi twice there. On October 22 and 23 the Icelandic tenor Gardar Thor Cortes sang the count in Norwegian!! The Norwegian veteran opera singer Knut Skram sang Monterone.

In November I saw 2 operas that were new for me, Osud by Janacek (with Jorma Silvestri), and Le Villi by Puccini (with José Cura) on November 6th in Vienna State Opera. I could understand and applaud Osud production but Le Villi was too cartoonish just like Lohengrin on December 3. I would never have traveled to Vienna for Lohengrin if it had not been Agnes Baltsa that should have been Ortrud. Johan Botha as Lohengrin was a wrong as you can get and without Agnes Baltsa it was just dull even as Soile Isokoski as Elsa was trying to make it work. Janina Baechle who sang Ortrud replacing Baltsa got a lot of good press. But I only saw how it might have really worked had Agnes Baltsa sung Ortrud. A silly production of Lohengrin.

Next: 2006 Baltsa 5 - Cura 9 - others 7

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Friday 7 May 2010

- Quel barbaro? Schiava son io, corsaro!

White slave trade, traficking...

In Verdi's Il Corsaro Corrado is surprised to find that Gulnara do not love Seid. Gulnara is the favorite slave of Seid. Seid feels betrayed by Gulnara and Corrado. Corrado saved Gulnara from being killed when the harem burned down. But Seid is more angry that another man have held Gulnara in his arms then grateful about Corrado saving Gulnara's life in doing so.

White slave trade is often portrayed as something different than when African people was sent with slave ships over the oceans. The emphasis on white was/is a way to tell it is far worse when white people are sold as slaves than black. But slavery is evil whether it is White/White, Black/Black, or any color or combination. No man, woman, child should be slave. Because we are all meant to be free.

Traficking is the new slave trade. Maybe it is just the continuation of the old one. For many feminists pornography seem so innocent this days that they call it to be sex-positive if just the porn is woman-friendly. But it is not all that friendly, not to women, not to men, and not to children. Somewhere in this world now, a poor family, a poor woman living in a place where hope of getting a better life is non-existent some men/women might appear telling the story of hope. If you just sell them all you have and give them the money they will give you your dream job. But it is a nightmare. You are a slave. You have sold yourself to them and now you own them money. You earn money but you are sold again. And again it means you are owning them money. Of course, you are never meant to be free again, the money will never be enough to free you. What kind of nightmare is your new life: the porno industry, prostitute, sex slave, domestic worker (often with sexual assault from your "employer"), industry worker (with no rights, of course). Then maybe, you are saved by the police. But you are undocumented, all your documents was given to the slave dealers who probably destroyed them or told you to burn them. You are the victim but you are sent to jail, the people behind the trade is safe to continue their "work". You are likely to be sent home where your life is worse than before if your family/society wants you back. You might die, killed for the word honor. Those men and women who is getting their money from this trade can still pretend to be honorable people.

And yet, the horrors to today should not make us forget the past. I am Norwegian. It is easy not to know than Denmark/Norway participated in slave trade. Not for as long as many other countries but that was because a small country not because of superior moral. This is naturally not taught in school. It should but it isn't. We are, however, told of our Viking past. That we had our own kind of slavery is naturally glossed over.

Back to Il Corsaro again. Gulnara refers to Seid as barbarian. That makes it so easy. If you just call people barbarian, evil then you don't have to think further. Is Seid a barbarian? It depend on what you mean by the word. He could be learned man, he probably was, but no intelligence and no amount of reading and learning can protect against doing wrong. We have to think not just with our brain but with our hearts. We needs to have empathy towards others if we are going to do what is good.  (The case against intelligence: the Nazis, some of the worst was really very intelligent).

As a feminist I am against Racism, Sexism, Disableism (sometimes called Ableism), Homophobia, Transphobia. As a feminist I believe in Kindness, Respect, that all people should be treated with respect.

To be Good is good, to be Kind is better!!

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Thursday 6 May 2010

Agnes Baltsa/Jose Cura in Zurich 2010/2011

"In the season 2010/11, Baltsa will sing at 2., 5., 13. and 19. june 2011.
José Cura will sing in four different productions. We will publish the informations in the end of june 2010 on our webpage www.opernhaus.ch"

Agnes Baltsa told me that she will sing Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana) and now Opernhaus Zurich confirmed it as on June 2,5,13,19, 2011.

José Cura has confirmed in his calender one production LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST.
November 2010: 14, 17, 20, 24, December 2010: 9 La fanciulla del west, Opernhaus Zürich
And other sources indicate that Ruggero Raimondi will sing Jack Rance, and that Emily Magee will sing Minnie.

Maybe this means that Cura will sing Cavalleria Rusticana/pagliacci on June 2,5,13,19, 2011. Will that be counted as 2 productions. In that case what would be the third? I would love Samson et Dalila in Zürich.
We will have to wait until end of June 2010. A long wait.

I have seen José Cura in Zurich as Samson (2000), Mario Cavaradossi (2001), Otello (2002), Don Carlo (2003, 2006), Dick Johnson (2004), Stiffelio (2004, 2006), Alfredo Germont (2006), Calaf (2006) Rodrigue LE CID (2008), Turriddu (2009), Canio (2009), Rodolfo LA BOHEME (2010)

Thanks, Sandra for reminding me of Jose Cura's Calender where it says that he will sing Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca on October 26, 28, 2010. (Update 2010-05-16)

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Sunday 2 May 2010

22. Daniela Dessi, soprano

My photo of Daniela Dessi in Berlin 2005-07-03

I saw her as
AIDA 2005-06-24
Desdemona (OTELLO) 2002-07-13
Dolly (SLY) 1998-05-23
Liu (TURANDOT) 2009-07-31
TOSCA 1998-10-24, 2001-09-08

LINKS to more information about this artist (agency, schedule etc.):
OperaBase
Personal/other websites
http://www.danieladessi.com

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Saturday 1 May 2010

The real Guarani people, a fight for survival

For the Guarani, land is the origin of all life. But violent invasions by ranchers have devastated their territory and nearly all of their land has been stolen.
Guarani children starve and their leaders have been assassinated. Hundreds of Guarani men, women and children have committed suicide.



Act now to help the Guarani

Your support is vital for the Guarani’s survival. There are lots of ways you can help.


Video of fragments from the opera Guarany by Gomes

Synopsis of the opera

Finale


Carlos Gomes' Il Guarany: the Frontiers of Miscegenation in nineteenth-century grand opera

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Aida in black and white, or how Egypt is the exotic

The new AIDA in Royal Opera House, London.

It is not the same discussion of why is Aida black and Amneris often white. This time it is about the pyramides, or rather the lack of them. It ain't Egypt without them, that is what some critic say. Still some of the same critics finds it natural and "Egyptian" (exotic, you know) to have bloody pagan rituals and erotic dances. It seem typical for the White eye that Egyptian can be replaced by Aztec or another exotic location/race. How interesting? Not.

(I have not seen this production.)

AIDA: ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, COVENT GARDEN

Express.co.uk - William Hartston - ‎Apr 28, 2010‎
THERE WAS a heavy police presence outside the Royal Opera House on Tuesday night as Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall paid a ...

New Aida ditches pyramids for bloody pagan rituals

Reuters UK - Mike Collett-White, Steve Addison - ‎Apr 28, 2010‎
LONDON (Reuters) - Egyptian pyramids and elephants have made way for ethnic violence, pagan ritual and death in the Royal Opera House's blood-filled, ...

Blood, sweat and sacrifice in Aida

This is London - Barry Millington - ‎Apr 28, 2010‎
Aida without the pyramids and elephants? Is that not an oxymoron? But it's precisely what David McVicar was ...

Verdi Aida, Royal Opera House, London

Independent - Edward Seckerson - ‎Apr 28, 2010‎
The ancient rituals begin as soon as Verdi's ethereal strings start tracing out their yearning opening motif. No candy coloured chiffon, ...
----------------------
At the same time there is an outrage about an Harvard Law Student sending an e-mail explaining who she believes that Black people are less intelligent than White. To tell an adult woman that her belief is false and racist is to some people worse than that a person holding this kinds of belief is very close to a job where she will decide who gets legal help. Who knew that Harvard was not island insulated against racism etc? (No man is an island, indeed)

For Whom the Bell Curves: Harvard Law Student Says Blacks Are Dumber Than ...

Huffington Post (blog) - ‎18 hours ago‎
A recent email by Harvard law student Stephanie Grace allegedly asserts, "I absolutely do not rule out the possibility that African Americans are, ...
Suite101.com - The Daily Princetonian




For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com