I especially loved the socks. But even in Zurich it was too cold to go out to see an opera dressed like that. It even snowed a bit in Zurich, but then rain took over.
Since I stayed in a hotel in Oslo during Christmas I am now a friend of Scandic Hotels. I wonder if it is a bit like being a Facebook friend. Anyway that how it is. But how do one remember all the hotels one has a number at? So after good food, presents and family time I was off to Zurich to see Luisa Miller on December 27th.
Late evening flight to Zurich on December 26th. Arriving in Zurich Airport at 22 and then to my hotel Radisson Blu in the airport. Eating breakfast at McDonalds at 0930, lunch/dinner at Pasta & Pizza at 1500, then off to Zurich train station Stadelhafen ( or something like that) and had late dinner at 1800 in Asian fast food restaurant. The late dinner was expensive for me as ate only half of it, mostly I was there because I used to eat there almost each time I was in Zurich so I was on memory lane. 5 minutes walk to the opera house in the rain. At 2000 the opera started.
Carlo Rizzi conducted. He had now more gray hair but as most vigor as before. Last time, and first time I saw this opera was in 2000 (March 4th) also in Zurich and with the same soprano as Luisa Miller. Elena Mosuc was great as Luisa, even better than in 2000, and she was great in 2000 also. Ivan Magri was a just as wonderful as Rodolfo just like Elena Mosuc as Luisa. Such beautiful voices and acting beautifully too. Leo Nucci was a powerful Miller. The most surprisingly beautiful voice was the voice of Vitalij Kowaljow. Conte di Walter was just so pleasing dressed in beautiful white cloths and such a beautiful voice one could almost forget that he is one of the villains. Judith Schmid was Frederica and she was all and more that one could wish for as Frederica.
The use of revolving stage was overused and the chorus was treated more like props. And then we had Wurm sung beautifully by Wenwei Zhang. Maybe I should call him Wormtongue. A villain is Wurm there is now doubt that it is true. So the director makes him look and act as a villain in all times. There is now need to make him move his neek and head in strange ways just to make him villainous the director should have been much more subtle. Other than the overuse of revolving stage, using chorus as props and setting Wurm up as just villainous it was a wonderful production of Luisa Miller.
2014-12-27 Luisa Miller (G. Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich
Graf von Walter = Vitalij Kowaljow
Rodolfo = Ivan Magri
Federica = Judith Schmid
Wurm = Wenwei Zhang
Miller = Leo Nucci
Luisa Miller = Elena Mosuc
Laura = Hamida Kristoffersen
Carlo Rizzi, conductor
Philharmonia Zürich
Chor der Oper Zürich
Musikalische Leitung - Carlo Rizzi
Inszenierung - Damiano Michieletto
Bühnenbild - Paolo Fantin
Kostüme - Carla Teti
Lichtgestaltung - Hans-Rudolf Kunz
Choreinstudierung - Jürg Hämmerli
December 28th, 2014. Early up to get the early flight to Oslo. And then waiting in Gardermoen for my flight home. So at 1400 or so home and Happy Birthday to me!!!