Sunday, 2 July 2023

London, July 1, 2023

What a Day! It is Pride Parade in London. Lovely, except I did not see the Parade, I saw some haters that were already there with big placates pretending doing God’s work. Luckily more people were excitedly waiting for the parade to come their way.

 I was just hurrying to get through and get my old pounds changed to new pounds, they were still Queen Elizabeth 2. It was Coronation Year because now we have King Charles of England. Elizabeth 1 was a great Queen as were Elizabeth 2. Two Elizabethan times. 

I found the post office and then I was traveling again to my hotel. Not the best choice of hotel, I should have chosen Strand Palace Hotel instead I chose something cheaper.

I came to my hotel hoping that they would be able to give me a room soon. But no, I had to wait 2 hours. They allowed me to sit in a chair reloading my phone. 

I was tired after the night bus, the early flight, minimal sleep, my back was hurting, the train from Gatwick airport was absolutely cramped with people, sweating on the slowest train ever. Then finally in London Victoria and so on.

In no way to be able to properly rest up myself in hotel room, I was just using time off until it was time to travel to Covent Garden. The idea that it would take only 30 minutes was of course, a lie. I don’t walk that fast even if the trains was swift. I was lucky enough to get a seat at La Ballerina restaurant near The Royal Opera House and they gave my the pizza margherita quickly and so I hastily eate since it was less than an hour before the opera Werther started.

Jonas Kaufmann, the reason I changed my flight so that I would be able to see him as Werther, was sick, so Francesco Demuro was singing instead. Worse still, I had booked a seat at the 5. Balcony. The view was magnificent, my fear of heights was crushing me.



First Act begins and I realize I have seen this one before with Kaufmann and Sophie Koch. This is what I called the French version, it is on DVD, I think. The Charlotte is great, Demuro has good stuff.

I want to leave so badly that at the intermission I get my stuff. I tell the lady there that I have fear of heights and so I must leave. She says that I can another women there. I do so. I get help in getting a seat in a lower part of the house so I got there and got the 2. Act, too.

So nice, but I really feel I must away. The next 2 acts will be played together. It is the last intermission and I am not feeling well. Plus Francesco Demuro has failed to impress me in Act 2. His voice sounds tired in my ears, but maybe it was just me who was definitely tired.

I bought something to drink at Sainsbury and then I was home as the opera was slowly ending at the House.

I have seen Werther onstage before, I knew what happens. It was no grave loss. The Charlotte was amazing, but unfortunately it was not my day.

A lot of people enjoyed this day in London, they saw, participated in the Pride Parade.

A cheers to happy love story and avoid the fate of Werther (unhappy love, suicide)!!!

from roh.org.uk:

THE ROYAL OPERA

Music Director

Sir Antonio Pappano

Director of Opera

Oliver Mears

A Co-production with Opéra national de Paris

Supported by Rolex

The position of Music Director Maestro Antonio Pappano is generously supported by Mrs Susan A. Olde OBE

Generous philanthropic support from Julia and Hans Rausing, Alan and Caroline Howard, Aud Jebsen, Beth Madison, John McGinn and Cary Davis, Martin and Jane Houston and Rena and Sandro Lavery

The role of Werther is underwritten by Mercedes T. Bass

The role of Werther is supported by The Lady Slynn of Hadley

The role of Sophie is supported by The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation

The role of Charlotte is supported byJohn G. Turner and Jerry G. Fischer 

The Youth Opera Company is supported by Yvonne And Bjarne Rieber and The Peters Family Foundation Cio

With additional generous philanthropic support from Spindrift Al Swaidi

IN MEMORY

This revival is dedicated to the memory of 
Christian Gasc (1946–2022)

WERTHER

DRAME LYRIQUE IN FOUR ACTS

01.07.2023 7:15 PM

The 52nd performance by The Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House.

APPROXIMATE TIMINGS

The performance lasts about 3 hours 10 minutes, including two intervals.
Act I
45 minutes
Interval
25 minutes
Act II
35 minutes
Interval
25 minutes
Acts III and IV
60 minutes

GUIDANCE

Suitable for ages 8+

This production contains stylised depictions of suicide.

CREDITS

Music
Jules Massenet
Libretto
Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Director
Benoît Jacquot
Revival Director
Geneviéve Dufour
Set Designer
Charles Edwards
Costume Designer
Christian Gasc
Lighting Designer
Charles Edwards

CAST

Conducted by
Antonio Pappano
The Bailli
Alastair Miles
Johann
James Cleverton
Schmidt
Christophe Mortagne
Sophie
Sarah Gilford
Werther
Francesco Demuro replaces Jonas Kaufmann
Charlotte
Aigul Akhmetshina
Brühlmann
Dawid Kimberg
Käthchen
Gabrielė Kupšytė
Albert
Gordon Bintner
Orchestra
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Guest Concert Master
Magnus Johnston

Gabrielė Kupšytė is a Jette Parker Artist

Actors Fiona Eagle, Rebecca Hunt, Basil Patton, Vidal Sancho, Rosy Sanders

Children Josh Bortoloso, Nicolai Flutter, Liliana Kapinos, Holly Keefe, Raphy Laming, Mireille Larocque, Anastasia Meani, Arinzé Obi, Hope Shotton Offstage children from the Youth Opera Company



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

Sunday, 24 July 2022

Sunday, 10 July 2022

OperaDuets Travel 2022-05-18: Barcelona and Benefit Concert for Fundació Montserrat Caballé

PERFORMERS

    Josep Carreras
    Serena Sáenz
    Montserrat Martí
    Saoia Hernández
    Ruth Lorenzo

    Josep Buforn, piano


First BUS to Oslo. Thon Hotel Terminus in Oslo Centrum. Then train to OSL Airport. SAS SK484 Monday 16th, 2022, at 1105 to Arlanda. Should have been a shorter stop, but then security stopped operations in th airport so it was 4 hrs wait in stead. So I landed in Barcelona 2000. Taxi to the hotel Glories at 2100. 

Tuesday 17th, 2022: National Day of Norway and enjoying Barcelona.


Finally, concert day, Wednesday May 18th, 2022: 
Montserrat Caballé Claus, niese of the Great DIVA, organized the concert and was conferancier. Montserrat Martí Caballé, daughter of Montserrat Caballé (La SUBERBA) and Bernabé Martí. Sadly recently Bernabé Martí also departed from our world. A wonderful tenor, husband and father.







After the concert we were able to mingle among the stars and then back to the hotel.

Thursday, May 19th, 2022. More of Barcelona.

Friday, May 20th, 2022. Travelling back home. Direct Flight to Oslo and the flight home. HAPPY!!!



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

Corona 2020-2022 and Operaduets Travel 2020-2022

Last performance I saw live in 2020 was Les Huguenots by Meyerbeer in Deutsche Oper Berlin 2020-03-09. After Berlin I had planned a travel to see Lucrezia Borgia in Auditori Tenerife, March 19th, and in Sevilla El Barberillo de Lavapies, but then Corona closed our borders.
Then finally came 2022 and I felt I could travel again.

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

Monday, 17 May 2021

Norwegian National Day: May 17th. Constitution Day

On May 17, 1814 the Norwegian Constitution was signed in Eidsvoll.

Det berømte maleriet «Eidsvold 1814» ble malt av Oscar Wergeland 70 år etter grunnlovsforsamlingen og gitt som gave til Stortinget i 1885. Christian Magnus Falsen står oppreist og leser fra Grunnloven, mens sorenskriver Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie sitter ved siden av. I maleriet kan rundt 70 personer av Riksforsamlingens 112 medlemmer identifiseres.[1] Bildet henger i Stortingssalen.

Norway was not really just Norway at that time we were under Danish rule, Denmark-Norway. And after our constitution we thought we would be a soveraign state but then Sweden did like the thought of being king over Sweden and Norway and so we were under Swedish rule but a bit freer in Sweden-Norway. But in 1905 we got our own King Haakon and then we really ruled ourselves in a parlamentary monarchy.

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

Celebrating National Day in Norway (May 17, 2021), or everything has changed since Covid19

Last year I also celebrated National Day in Norway indoors just looking at Norwegian TV showing all the new ways to celebrate after covid19. This year I will also be watching a bit TV but just not all day. 

(Photo from http://tv.nrk.no/)

Last year (2020) in January my dad died. He was 91,5 years when he died and he had Alzheimers disease and was at the end confined to his bed. The institution he was living in did a great job caring for him. I was lucky enough to sit by his bed on his last day. I hold his hand and I told him we would be fine and that he could pass on now. And so in that night he died. He lived a full life before Alzheimers caught hold of him. Luckily he still knew who he was talking to but his memory was shorter and shorter. My regret is that I never asked my parents a lot of questions about their childhood or even how they met. This is the lesson we should learn: talk and learn from our people while they are still around.

In February I visited Berlin, Germany for Medea by Cherubini. In March I visited again this time for 3 operas by Meyerbeer. I had further plans for a visit to Canary Islands and Sevilla, Spain and I was just making everything ready when I got a call from work about the shutdown. So suddenly I was cancelling operas here and there and flights but I got the money back from the insurance company so I was good. 

Obviously I could have continued blogging because I did not get the virus or anything but it just took the wind out of my sails this new situation. 

Where I live it has been very few infections due to Covid. Had I been living in Bergen or Oslo life would have been so different due to much denser population and more infections.  

I work as librarian so you would think it would not be possible for me to work from home but library work is quite diverse so of course many things has to be done in the library itself. Because of Covid19 our library chat-room got off much quicker than it normally would. We had been talking for years about having chat, but it was so difficult and impossible. Then chat came and became normal and so now we have librarians that can answer students and staff online from their home. We all have workcomputers that take with us home so that we can work from home even if you feel a little bit ill and it works. And who have not heard about ZOOM this days. Tomorrow I have 2 meetings I have to attend to and I can do that from home because of Zoom and I really think it has been helpful in making our meetings more effective. Luckily my meetings last only 1 hr each. Longer zoom-meetings are really tiresome and gives you head-ache. Longer than 1 or 1,5 hrs than you need breaks but still... Whole days on zoom that must be hell.

        

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

Monday, 9 March 2020

My second opera travel in 2020: Meyerbeer in Berlin

So I am off again. Another opera travel to Berlin. This time my objective is to experience 3 operas by Giacomo Meyerbeer. 

On Thursday 5th I finish early at work. I go back home to see if I have everything ready. Still I forgot something. Maybe I will find it in Berlin. Bus to Oslo 7hrs, train to Airport and then bus to my hotel. 

Friday March 6th I wake up at 5, breakfast and then bus to the airport. At airport 05.50. There I check in my luggage and then security and then wait for boarding. Last time I used EasyJet and landed in Berlin Tegel airport, now it is Norwegian Air Shuttle to Berlin Schönefeld Airport. 

From Schönefeld I went by train S9 to Zoologischer Garten and then U2 to Deutsche Oper and soon I was at my hotel room. 


March 6, 2020.
Le Prophète by Giacomo Meyerbeer at 1830 in Deutsche Oper Berlin: music and singing was wonderful, the Regie less so. Was all the violence, rape scenes and nudity necessary? And why did Oberthal win in the end and Jean ends only his own life. But the singing was divine, especially Clémentine Margaine, our Fidés. Brava!! Bravissima!!!

Saturday March 7, 2020. 
Dinorah by Giacomo Meyerbeer at 1930 in Deutsche Oper Berlin. Opera Konzertant with Rocío Pèrez as Dinorah. She sang and acted superbly. It was a great opera evening!!!

Sunday March 8, 2020. 
The opera starts at 1600 and lasts 5 hours. Les Huguenots by Giacomo Meyerbeer. Wonderful singing but I need time to digest the whole production. 

Monday March 9, 2020. 
And now the travel home again. But I will not go by bus from Oslo Gardermoen airport, I will go by plane. Double prize but I am home much earlier. 


Thursday, 27 February 2020

Medea (Cherubini) in Berlin Staatsoper 2020-02-21

2020-02-21 Medea (Cherubini), Staatsoper (Berlin)

MÉDÉE = Sonya Yoncheva
JASON = Francesco Demuro
CRÉON = Iain Paterson
DIRCÉ = Slávka Zámečníková
NÉRIS = Marina Prudenskaya
BEGLEITERIN DER DIRCÉ = Serena Sáenz
ZWEITE BEGLEITERIN DER DIRCÉ = Aytaj Shikhalizada

Oksana Lyniv, conductor
STAATSOPERNCHOR
STAATSKAPELLE BERLIN

DIRECTOR Andrea Breth
SET DESIGN Martin Zehetgruber
COSTUMES Carla Teti
LIGHT Olaf Freese

When I came into the famous Staatsoper I suddenly realised that this was not only Medea in French but also with French dialogue. So this was not really the whole opera MEDEA but a inferior Medée. The cast was wonderful. The set design was ugly. The Regie was not true to the music or dialogue, it was on sometimes but then terribly off.

Oksana Lynov conducted Staatskapelle. Already in Ouverture I heard something was not right. It was not the ouveture that I had listened to when listening to Maria Callas studio and live recordings of Cherubini's opera Medea.

Then the opera started with Dircé's supporters holding her arms in an torturous grip while singing why is Dircé not happy with her coming marriage to Jason. Serena Sáenz had a beautiful soprano voice and I was thinking this Medée might just be good even if the Regie went against the happenings on the stage. Aytaj Shikhalizada was a mezzo soprano but her voice was not so pleasant to the ear. It was no doubt a large voice but it was fuzzy and it was not together. Then our Dircé sang.  Slávka Zámečníková has a wonderful soprano voice and it was a joy to hear her aria. Unfortunately the regie was not on her side.

Then came the first French dialogue. The Staatsopernchor sang well. This is Medea, a Greek tragedy. But the set design is a just dull, white, ware house dump. No king, just a greedy man who wants all that Jason have robbed/bought with his wife Medea. So how to get rich, marry my daughter to Jason of the Golden Fleece etc. And the Regie even have Dircé who does not care for Jason or his children, when in original opera it is Glauce (Italian name for Dircé) who asks her father to spare the children of Jason. But we have the stupid French dialogue where we could have had great singing.

Jason is already cheating on Dircé with one of her supporters (the mezzo). He shows little care of his sons on stage. Then we have Francesco Demuro singing Jasons aria where he is showing Dircé why he left Medea, his cruel wife. When Creon, Dircé's father, sings he is dignified, in dialogue less so. Iain Paterson was singing Creon well. Finally Medea arrives, unfortunately dialogue followes. Creon and Dircé sang in outrage. Creon tries to hinder Direé to have her say (Regie idea). Not a great family life.

Before Medea can sing, we have to suffer more dialogue. Then Sonya Yoncheva can sing Medea's aria. Before the duet between Medea and Jason, more dialogue. And then the fire can burn in this fiery duet. Jason in this production does not love Dircé but he is really still into Medea. Hates her but needs to touch her.

So much great music was never played and sung because of French dialogue.... But the singing when allowed was great so that one could believe this was Medea.

Medea was still a real Medea. But her entrance could have been great.

Act 2/3

I cannot go on. Other than say I got half an opera for the prize of a whole one. Sonya Yoncheva was dressed and acted as Medea and sang like a goddess. The whole cast was wonderful but the choice of gutting the opera with French dialogue, ugly set design and a regie that wanted to tell another story.

Neris aria was wonderfully sung by Marina Prudenskaya.

The natural beauty of this opera was destroyed by the dialogue, only when there was no dialogue only music was the opera really alive. Yet, when the opera was over, we felt a high but it was really only because of Sonya Yoncheva.

But I missed so much music and singing. Youtube with the whole Medea in Italian with Caballé and Carreras
https://bachtrack.com/review-medea-yoncheva-castronovo-breth-barenboim-staatsoper-berlin-october-2018
"The problem, to paraphrase that same booklet note, is this: how to get an international cast of singers to make sense of the tirades of classical French verse that fill out the gaps between musical numbers. In the later 19th century, and when Maria Callas gave the work a boost in the mid-20th century, the answer was to perform it with inauthentic recitatives."

 I love the inauthentic recitatives because that gives Medea life.


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

Saturday, 22 February 2020

My first opera travel in 2020: Medea in Berlin

After work I went directly to the bus stop and soon I was off. Thursday 20.2.2020 was alright but on the mountain it was stop and go, stop and go, but very slowly. So that is where I and a lot of different cars, buses and trailers. 


2 hrs delayed to Oslo. 2330 at my Hotel. Slept well.

21.2.2020 off from my Hotel to the AirPort. Will the flight also be 2 hrs delayed? No, but every passenger of the flight to Oslo was checked hence a delay. Fully booked plane means further delay because of the luggage. Efficient staff means we might be off just 10 minutes delayed, or... Well, we arrived at Tegel AirPort 10 minstes ahead of schedule so that was good. 

Then it was bus and u-bahn to my hotel. The hotel has a godspot for internet. The internet is spotty and not secure because the Evangelical Church has no interest in your data. Really? Other people are free to play with the data. There is also a chapel in the hotel. I had no clue that the hotel was religious, Christian in all deviousness. 

At 1530 I have arrived and I am looking forward to Medea by Cherubini even if it is sung in French. No Callas as Medea, not even Caballé, a mere mortal will sing the role of the witchious Medea. 



Staatsoper Berlin, 2020-02-21 at 1930:
Medea (Medée) was sung and acted by Sonya Yoncheva. A Medea to die for. All other roles was also sung and acted marvelously. It was stunning but there was a dissonance between the text and the production. The production was good but with a better eye to every detail it could have been so much better. 

Cherubini composed Medea. It is a great vehicle for soprano to be Medea. This was a different Medea, not just that it was sung in French but it even had dialogues. Already in the ouverture I heard a different music than in my 3 opera cds with Maria Callas. So this was not the usual Medea it had many small differences from my usual Medea. Musically the chances was not at all bad. The dialogue is another issue. The singers was great in the dialogues but did the dialogues belong there. I would have enjoyed more a fully sung opera. 

Poor Dirce, she has to marry Jason who is already cheating on her. But the aria is like she is just in love with Jason and terrified that Medea, Jason’s wife will turn up. Her father wants the riches that Jason has wun so he is eager to marry off his daughter whatever she wants it or not. 

Jason must sing of love of Dirce, but he is kissing her handmaiden. He supposedly love his children but show no care for them until they are in mortal danger. He hates Medea in his singing but touches her as he is truly attracted to Medea. 

Medea is a stranger. She is acting strangely and she is powerful and seductive. She loves Jason and her children. But in her anger she is in the end willing to kill her children to punish their father. Gloriously sung and then it ends. 

After 3 hours with one short interval after act 2 we stumbled on to the streets of Berlin still dazed by Medea, by Sonya Yoncheva. Wow!

Then off to sleep. 

2020-02-22 Saturday 
A cold and windy day in Berlin. I go shopping in Alexanderplatz. Getting headaches. Eats a pizza. I will buy a hamburger from McDonald’s and eat it at my hotel. 

2020-02-23 Sunday
Travel home. 

Monday, 6 January 2020

The Lost Performances of 2019: 2019-08-04 Plácido Domingo 50th Anniversary, Arena di Verona


2019-08-04 Plácido Domingo 50th Anniversary, Arena di Verona
Review https://seenandheard-international.com/2019/10/viva-verdi-placido-domingos-50th-anniversary-gala-at-arena-di-verona/


Production:Director – Stefano Trespidi
Set and projection design – Ezio Antonelli
Costumes – Silvio Bonetti
Choreography – Giuseppe Picone
Lighting – Paolo Mazzon
Chorus master – Vito Lombardi
NabuccoOverture
Act III – ‘Va, pensiero’; ‘Oh chi piange? … Del futuro nel buio discerno’
Act IVZaccaria – Marko Mimica
Nabucco – Plácido Domingo
Fenena – Géraldine Chauvet
Ishmael – Arturo Chacón-Cruz
Anna – Elisabeth Zizzo
Abigaille – Anna Pirozzi
High Priest of Baal – Romano Dal Zovo
Abdallo – Carlo Bosi
Macbeth (Act IV)Macduff – Arturo Chacón-Cruz
Malcolm – Carlo Bosi
Lady Macbeth – Anna Pirozzi
A Doctor – Romano Dal Zovo
Lady-in-waiting – Lorrie Garcia
Macbeth –  Plácido Domingo
Simon BoccanegraAct II – O inferno! … Amelia qui! … Sento avvampar nell’anima’; ‘Tu qui? … Parla, in tuo cor virgineo’; ‘Figlia? … Vecchio inerme il tuo braccio colpisce?’
Act III – ‘M’ardon le tempia …’; ‘Chi veggo! … Gran Dio, li benedici’
Gabriele Adorno – Arturo Chacón-Cruz
Amelia – Anna Pirozzi
Simon Boccanegra   –  Plácido Domingo
Fiesco –  Marko Mimica

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

The Lost Performances of 2019: Giovanna d'Arco in Teatro Real Madrid, July 2019

2019-07-14 Giovanna d'Arco (G. Verdi), Teatro Real (Madrid)

Carlo VII: Michael Fabiano
Giacomo: Plácido Domingo
Giovanna: Carmen Giannattasio
Delil: Moisés Marín
: Fernando Radó
Musical director: James Conlon
Chorus Master: Andrés Máspero
Review: https://operawire.com/teatro-real-de-madrid-2018-19-review-giovanna-darco/

But I have seen it theatrically in Bilbao in 2013.
http://www.operaduetsphotos.com/GiovannaDArco/2013_0921.html

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

The Lost Performances of 2019: Il Trovatore at Teatro Real, July 2019

https://operavision.eu/en/library/performances/flashback/il-trovatore-teatro-real

Count di Luna - Ludovic Tézier 
Leonora - Maria Agresta 
Azucena - Ekaterina Semenchuk 
Manrico - Francesco Meli 
Ferrando - Roberto Tagliavini 
Inés - Casandre Berthon 
Ruiz - Fabián Lara 
A messenger - Moisés Marín 
Chorus Teatro Real 
Orchestra Teatro Real 



Music Giuseppe Verdi 
Text Salvadore Cammarano 
Conductor Maurizio Benini 
Director Francisco Negrín 
Set Designer Louis Desiré 
Costume Designer Louis Desiré 
Lighting Designer Bruno Poet 
Chorus Master Andrés Máspero 
2019-07-13

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

The Lost Performances of 2019 - Il Trovatore in Arena, July 2019

2019-07-07
VERDI: IL TROVATORE

Orchestra, Choir & Ballet: Arena di Verona
Conductor: Pier Giorgio Morandi
Director: Franco Zeffirelli

Leonora: Anna Netrebko
Manrico: Yusif Eyvazov
Graf Luna: Luca Salsi
Azucena: Dolora Zajick
Ferrando: Riccardo Fassi
Ines: Elisabetta Zizzo
Ruiz: Carlo Bosi
An old Gypsy: Dario Giorgelè
A Messenger: Antonello Ceron

Costume: Raimonda Gaetani
Choreography: El Camborio Revival by Lucia Real
Fencing Master: Renzo Musumeci Greco
Chorus Master: Vito Lombardi
Ballet Coordinator: Gaetano Petrosino
Director of Stage Design: Michele Olces

Luckily I saw it on 3Sat at home. Loved it.

But I had seen it before in Verona: http://www.operaduetsphotos.com/Trovatore/2013_0724.html



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

The Lost Performances of 2019 - Macbeth in Berlin, May 2019

2019-05-26 Macbeth (G. Verdi), Staatsoper Berlin





MACBETH
Plácido Domingo


BANCO
René Pape


LADY MACBETH
Ekaterina Semenchuk


KAMMERFRAU
Evelin Novak


MACDUFF
Fabio Sartori


MALCOLM
Andrés Moreno García


DOCTOR
David Oštrek


MURDERER, APPEARANCE
Giorgi Mtchedlishvili


ZWEI ERSCHEINUNGEN
Solisten des Kinderchors der Staatsoper Unter den Linden








​MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Daniel Barenboim


DIRECTOR
Harry Kupfer


SET DESIGNER
Hans Schavernoch


COSTUMES
Yan Tax


LIGHT
Olaf Freese


VIDEO
Thomas Reimer

https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/productions/macbeth-staatsoper-unter-den-linden-berlin-2019-2018

Luckily I have seen Placido as Macbeth before:
http://www.operaduetsphotos.com/Macbeth/2015_0207.html



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

Thursday, 21 February 2019

Montserrat Caballé eternel ... Eternal Caballé

María de Montserrat Viviana Concepción Caballé i Folch OIC OAXS OMFRG LH OMIR (Catalan: [munsəˈrat kəβəˈʎe i ˈfoɫk]; 12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018) was a Spanish operatic soprano. (Wikipedia)

Eternal Caballe

A review from Grammophone. But I think this is a wonderful and perfect compilation of Montserrat Caballé's work.

Eternal Caballe (CD, Compilation) album cover
Caballe* ‎– Eternal Caballe
Label:
RCA ‎– PD 75260 (2) 9H, BMG España ‎– PD 75260 (2) 9H
Format:
2 × CD, Compilation
Country:
Spain
Released:
1991
Genre:
Classical, Stage & Screen


Tracklist Hide Credits
Vol. 1
1-1 Hijo De La Luna
Arranged By – Manel Santisteban
Orchestra – English Chamber Orchestra
Piano – J. A. Amargos*
Producer, Written-By, Arranged By, Conductor – José María Cano
Violone – Gavyn Wright
5:20
1-2 Ojos Verdes
Conductor, Arranged By – José Collado
Orchestra – English Chamber Orchestra
Written-By – Quiroga*, León*, Valverde*
4:56
1-3 Paraules D' Amor
Arranged By, Conductor, Piano – Ricardo Miralles*
Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Joan Manuel Serrat
4:50
1-4 El Dia Que Naci Yo
Conductor, Arranged By – José Collado
Orchestra – English Chamber Orchestra
Written-By – Mostazo*, Quintero*, Guillén*
4:41
1-5 En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor
Conductor – José Collado
Guitar – Manuel Cubedo
Orchestra – English Chamber Orchestra
Written-By – A García Segura*, J. Rodrigo Vidre*
5:51
Lucrezia Borgia
1-6 Tranquilo Ei Poa... Com'e Bello
Conductor – Nicola Rescigno
Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Gaetano Donizetti
8:39
Le Cid
1-7 Pleurez, Pleurez Mes Yeux
Conductor – José Collado
Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Jules Massenet
6:02
Carmen
1-8 Habanera
Chorus – Ambrosian Opera Chorus*
Chorus Master – John McCarthy
Conductor – José Collado
Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Georges Bizet
4:17
Samson Et Dalila
1-9 Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix
Conductor – José Collado
Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Camille Saint-Saens*
6:50
Gianni Schicchi
1-10 O Mio Babbino Caro
Conductor – José Collado
Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Giacomo Puccini
2:34
Adriana Lecouvreur
1-11 Io Son L'umile Acella
Conductor – G. Masini*
Orchestra – Orchestre Symphinque De Barcelone*
Written-By – Francesco Cilea
3:57
Rigoletto
1-12 Caro Nome
Conductor – G. Masini*
Orchestra – Orchestre Symphinque De Barcelone*
Written-By – Giuseppe Verdi
6:21
I Vespri Siciliani
1-13 Mercé, Dilette Amiche
Conductor – G. Masini*
Orchestra – Orchestre Symphinque De Barcelone*
Written-By – Giuseppe Verdi
3:20
Vol. 2
Norma
2-1 Casta Diva
Chorus – Ambrosian Opera Chorus*
Conductor – Carlo Felice Cillario
Orchestra – London Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Vincenzo Bellini
6:44
Anna Bolena
2-2 Plangete Voi?... Al Dolce Guidami
Conductor – Carlo Felice Cillario
Orchestra – Orchestre Symphinque De Barcelone*
Written-By – Gaetano Donizetti
10:00
Maria Stuarda
2-3 Escena Final
Chorus – Ambrosian Opera Chorus*
Conductor – Nicola Rescigno
Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Gaetano Donizetti
5:32
Roberto Devereux
2-4 E Sara In Questi Orribili Momenti... Vivi Ingrato A Lei D'accanto
Choir – Unknown Artist
Conductor – Carlo Felice Cillario
Orchestra – Unknown Artist
Written-By – Gaetano Donizetti
7:09
L'assedio Di Corinto
2-5 Giusto Cie! In Tal Periglio
Chorus, Orchestra – Orchestre Et Chœur De L'Opéra De La RCA Italiana*
Conductor – Carlo Felice Cillario
Written-By – Gioacchino Rossini
3:30
La Traviata
2-6 E Strano... Sempre Libera
Chorus, Orchestra – Orchestre Et Chœur De L'Opéra De La RCA Italiana*
Conductor – Georges Prêtre
Written-By – Giuseppe Verdi
10:58
Il Trovatore
2-7 D'amor Sull'ali Rosee
Conductor – G. Masini*
Orchestra – Orchestre Symphinque De Barcelone*
Written-By – Giuseppe Verdi
5:30
Louise
2-8 Depuis Le Jour
Conductor – Carlo Felice Cillario
Orchestra – Orchestre Symphinque De Barcelone*
Written-By – Gustave Charpentier
5:58
La Cancion Del Olvido
2-9 Marinela
Conductor – Eugenio M. Marco*
Orchestra – Orchestre Symphinque De Barcelone*
Written-By – F. Romero*, G. Fernandez Shaw*, J. Serrano*
2:17
El Niño Judio
2-10 De España Vengo
Conductor – Eugenio M. Marco*
Orchestra – Orchestre Symphinque De Barcelone*
Written-By – A. Paso*, G. Alvarez*, P. Luna*
6:39
The Phantom Of The Opera
2-11 Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Conductor – Martin Yates (2)
Orchestra – The Philharmonia Orchestra*
Written-By – Andrew Lloyd Webber
3:30
Hijo De La Luna
2-12 Dis-Moi Lune D'argent
Adapted By – Diego Burgard
Orchestra – English Chamber Orchestra
Piano – J. A. Amargos*
Producer, Written-By, Conductor – José María Cano
Violone – Gavyn Wright
5:20
Companies, etc.
Pressed By – Ibermemory, S.A.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – BMG Music
Distributed By – BMG Music
Copyright (c) – BMG Music
Copyright (c) – Ba-Ba Blaxi Music
Copyright (c) – Seem, S.A.
Copyright (c) – Southern Music Española, S.A.
Copyright (c) – Auditorio Joaquín Rodrigo de las Rozas
Copyright (c) – G. Ricordi & Co.
Copyright (c) – Éditions Durand
Copyright (c) – United Music Publishers Ltd.
Copyright (c) – The Really Useful Group Ltd.
Engineered At – Estudios Eurosonic
Engineered At – Abbey Road Studios
Engineered At – All Saints Church Petersham
Engineered At – Surrey Sound Studios
Printed By – Indugraf Madrid, S.A.
Credits
Engineer – John Kurlander, Luis Fernandez Soria*, Luis Villena, Tryggvy Tryggvason*
Executive-Producer – Jordi Mateu
Other [Maquilleur] – Carlos Suarez
Photography By – Michael Wray
Producer – David Harvey (tracks: 1-2 to 2-11), Marian Freeman
Soprano Vocals – Montserrat Caballé
Notes
℗© 1991 BMG Ariola S.A.









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

December 5, 2018: Simon Boccanegra in London

2018-12-05 Simon Boccanegra (Verdi), Royal Opera House (London)

Simon Boccanegra = Carlos Álvarez
Maria Boccanegra (Amelia) = Hrachuhi Bassenz
Jacopo Fiesco = Ferruccio Furlanetto
Gabriele Adorno = Francesco Meli
Paolo Albiani = Mark Rucker
Pietro = Simon Shimbambu


Henrik Nánási, conductor
Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra

Director - Elijah Moshinsky
Set designer - Michael Yeargan
Costume designer - Peter J. Hall
Lighting designer - John Harrison
Fight director - Philip d'Orléans

A wonderful production with great singers. Ferrucio Furlanetto in a blond wig as Jacopo Fiesco. Carlos Alvarez as Simon Boccanegra. Francesco Meli as Gabriele Adorno. Mark Rucker as Paolo. Great singers with great acting skills. Hrachuhi Bassenz was a bit disappointing in her aria, but was great in duets and ensembles. Simon Shimbambu was Pietro and I am sure he was great.

A great Night at the Opera.

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


Wednesday, 26 September 2018

Macbeth in Firenze 2018-07-13

2018-07-13 Macbeth (Verdi), Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Firenze)

Macbeth = Luca Salsi
Lady Macbeth = Vittoria Yeo
Macduff = Francesco Meli
Banco = Riccardo Zanellato
Malcolm = Riccardo Rados
Dama di Lady Macbeth = Antonella Carpenito
Medico = Adriano Gramigni
Un Sicario = Giovanni Mazzei

Riccardo Muti, conductor
Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Opera in concert with Riccardo Muti conducting. 

Giuseppe Verdi is a genious but he has some weakness. The witches are not scary because the music are not scary and this time when it is just an Opera in concert version especially with Muti conducting it is just beautiful Verdi singing.

Riccardo Muti Is a genious but he is all about the correctnes of music and with Macbeth that does not work. So there was beautiful music with beautiful singing but I was bored. If had not known the story I would would not get that it was was not working because there should have been som drama. No drama. Beautiful singing from everybody except when the children was singing. 

I realized one thing and that was that Macbeth needs a chorus that does more than just sing beautifully but with Muti we cannot have that because he just want the music and singing to be precise. 

In the middle of the opera when only the orchestra was playing I was so bored that I just wanted to go back to my hotel. Beautiful music and utterly boring. 

The concert version of Macbeth was a 50 years celebration of the debut of Riccardo Muti in Firenze.

Norma in Frankfurt 2018-06-23

2018-06-23 Norma (Bellini), Oper Frankfurt

Norma = Elza van den Heever
Pollione = Stefano La Colla
Adalgisa = Gaëlle Arquez
Oroveso = Robert Pomakov
Clotilde = Alison King *
Flavio = Ingyu Hwang

Antonino Fogliani, conductor
Oper Fankfurt's Chorus
Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester

Director - Christof Loy
Set Designer - Raimund Orfeo Voigt
Costume Designer - Ursula Renzenbrink
Lighting Designer - Olaf Winter
Chorus Master - Tilman Michael
Dramaturge - Konrad Kuhn

* Member of the Opera Studio


Frankfurt was a disappointment after Marseille. It was colder and the production was annoying.

Elza van den Heever was an amazing Norma, Gaelle Arquez also as Adalgisa, and so was Stefano La Colla as Pollione.
An amazing Norma except that the production was an distraction. Personregie was phenomenal, but the change of time, place and even how Norma and Pollione met (in the overture) made it hard to enjoy. The singing and acting would have made it the greatest Norma I have seen live and recorded but the scenography etc was annoying. 

Elza van de Heever has everything in her voice and she can sing and jump on a table. Gaelle Arguez has a dark mezzo voice and it has great volume. Stefano La Colla was a full-voiced Pollione, a beautiful and mature tenor voice.

The director Christof Loy loves Norma and bel canto but he decided to make this about 2WW love between German officer and Netherlands partisans. The story he wanted to tell did not fit the libretto of Norma.

In Oslo I saw the best Norma and it seemed in the beginning that Frankfurt would use the same production. But some disagreement made the hastily get Christof Loy. DISAPPOINTMENT!!

Ernani in Marseille 2018-06-16

2018-06-16 Ernani (Verdi), Opéra de Marseille (Marseille)

Elvira = Hui HE
Giovanna = Anne-Marguerite WERSTER
Ernani  = Francesco MELI
Don Carlo = Ludovic TÉZIER
Don Ruy Gomez de Silva  = Alexander VINOGRADOV
Don Riccardo = Christophe BERRY
Jago = Antoine GARCIN

Lawrence Foster, conductor
Orchestre et Chœur de l’Opéra de Marseille

Mise en scène - Jean-Louis GRINDA
Décors - Isabelle PARTIOT
Costumes - Teresa ACONE
Lumières - Laurent CASTAINGT

PRODUCTION Opéra de Monte-Carlo / Opéra Royal de Wallonie


I loved Marseille. It was hot, 27 - 30 degrees Celsius. I also loved Ernani in this production. Hui He was wonderful as Elvira. It is a demanding role and despite Marseille being her first time as Elvira she was really good and will be absolutely amazing with time. 

Francisco Meli was amazing as Ernani. Ludovic Tezier was also great as Don Carlo, King of Spain.

Alexander Vingradov was also great as Don Ruy Gomez de Silva.