My London weekend 2008

SATURDAY 27.September 2008

After Friday's (26.september 2008) travel and opera night, it was a clear Saturday and the Annual Meeting with Dinner for the José Cura Connexion. It started at 12 and ended 1630. Even if we were supposed to be finished with dinner and socializing long before 1600. And when you have an organizer than can give good directions to how to get to the place everything went wonderfully. And I was even lucky enough to meet (by coincidence) 3 other members of the club, and so we naturally found it. It was wonderful to meet so many people from different places, all fans of José Cura. Meetings can be tedious but here it was just enough talk and speeches and decisions. PERFECT.

The Dinner was wonderful even if I did not love my vegetarian dish. The fish might have been more to my liking. But I can blame no one than myself. But the food or drinks was not the reason, it was the people. And we had a lovely time. José Cura and family was expected to be there for the whole meal but the weather conditions at Heathrow was bad so his wife and children would not land until midnight. I felt really sorry for Cura but more for his wife and children, waiting in an airport is no fun... But José Cura and his eldest son came in the end which was really generous of them.

But all good things has to end and 1630 I went back to my hotel again.

In the evening I went to the Covent Garden Piazza and ate another Pizza Funghi at Piazza Cafe. This time it only took 10 minutes before my pizza was ready. It was as good as on Friday but looked quite differently, darker.

SUNDAY 28. September 2008

Relaxed, relaxed and relaxed again.

In the evening I went to Piazza Cafe, but this time it was a Sunday so it was closing already. So what then, well I found a Pizza Hut Restaurant near Leicester Square Tube station and I had a Vegetarian Pizza there, Pan small pizza. Not bad but nothing near Pizza Funghi at the Piazza Cafe. After a Pizza in the evening/night I could finally go back to my hotel and have some sleep. (when I write go, I mean with tube).

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

Fanciulla del West, London 2008-09-26

Since I promised to continue today about the performance on Friday 26. September 2008 here is more:

ACT 1

Lost 15 minutes. But it was OK I had after all seen this production in 2005.

Jack Rance = Claudio Sgura. New Sheriff in town. Loved him even if he seemed a little too young, but he was like a young and attractive Silvano Carroli. He really reminded me of SC of ROH video/DVD.

Ashby = Erik Halfvarson. So unlike Robert Lloyd's more elegant Mr Ashby. This was a man who was drinking from his bottle all the time.

Minnie = Eva-Maria Westbroek. This is her favorite opera and her dream role but I find her too ... over-acting. She made me miss Andrea Gruber as Minnie. And wondering what would have happened if Sylvie Valayre had been ROH's Minnie. SV was a wonderful Minnie in Zurich 2004 and Berlin 2006.

Dick Johnson = José Cura. WOW, even better actor and absolutely wonderful.

Jake Wallace = Vuyani Mlinde. THANK YOU, ROH: no black-face-painted as AL JOLSON, just a black man in his own skin. BUT, I never saw him in the line-up at the front for the applause in the end of the opera. WHY: Jake Wallace is a short role but really important to be able to show our appreciation for his art. He was not just a part of chorus or ensemble. As important as Trin or some of the other miners (all white persons, by the way) that got their own line-up. He should have been up there with Cura, Westbroek, Sgura, Bonaventura Bottone, Erik Halfvarson.

(I just hope somebody will say I am wrong, he was there, I must just have missed him. And for the record I don't believe this is necessary racism, but it might just be a blind spot at the ROH.)

ACT 2

I am so GLAD that Wowkle (Clare Shearer), Billy Jackrabbit (Graeme Danby) managed to made some of their UGH into something less offensive (ah, eh, oh). That made this act better for me. Westbroek and Cura was really good together. And Sgura was just perfect.

What was wrong? The roof of the cabin, if you lived with kind of roof you would have snow inside. Another snowy issue. All the opening of the door, Wowkle exclaiming "it is snowing" (a blizzard, you know) and then Johnson also IT IS SNOWING. BUT no snow was seen from the opened door, it should have been snowing inside so that we understood why Johnson needed to stay in Minnie's cabin, you know, because of the blizzard. And how heartless it was that earlier Wowkle with her little baby on her back was made to go out by Minnie and later Johnson kicking her out when she hesitated because of the SNOW. The snow that never was...

ACT 3

GREAT. Great aria: Ch'ella mi creda. Minnie was really good.


AND of course I met a lot of friends from the Jose Cura connexion. We waited at the stage door. Cura, Westbroek, Sgura came, and probably others that I did not know.

0030 Norwegian time in my hotel---







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

Travelling to London for Fanciulla and Jose Cura

Friday 26. September 2007:

Arrived in Oslo Bus Terminal at 0530 after a 7 hrs bus ride. Slept well in the bus. Not the same as in a bed but enough. Only thing is that 0530 is not my favorite time of day. I then took the airport bus to Oslo Gardermoen. Found me something to eat and drink in the Airport.

I had 80 GBP or maybe with the coins almost 90 GBP already from my travel in 2005 also to see Fanciulla, no, I remembered wrongly from 2007 Stiffelio in London. Then I withdrew 100 GBP. That was enough for the whole weekend Friday to Monday. Only time I used my credit card was when I paid for my hotel.

Finally it was time to travel from Oslo to London Heathrow Airport SK805 0slo - London Heathrow 1040-1205. Of course 1040 is the Oslo time and 1205 London time. My watch showed all the time the Norwegian time. So I had to remember that ex. 1205 London time is 1305 Oslo time. I chose Heathrow because I felt more sure how to get to London. This time I took the Heathrow Connect and not the Express, mainly because Connect was cheaper and only 10 minutes more (25 mins in stead of 15). With a return ticket, naturally. And soon I was at Paddington station and had to go to South Kensington so I bought a Daycard for zones 1-2. South Kensington because my hotel was 4 minutes walk from that station. Because of the confusion caused my the hotels map and the direction the map talked about it took me 1 to 1,5 hrs extra to find my hotel. Stupid, I should have known, never trust a hotel own map and directions, use GOOGLE maps. Of course, finding the hotel was really easy when I knew, which road to go straight down... but the hotel direction was like go that road and then another... SO when I arrived at the hotel I was both tired and kind of angry and not really thinking this hotel will be OK. I really wanted to get back at the hotel and just change to another, but in the end I was too tired to bother with a quarrel, and the hotel was OK. But I got a cold, that bloody Air Condition.

So I relaxed at the hotel room. Then I went to Covent Garden with the tube, and I ate the most wonderful Pizza Funghi at the Piazza Cafe. But then it had taken forever to get the pizza and even though I had had a quick look at my opera ticket I never saw that it was 19 pm and not 1930 as I had convinced my self. Pizza was still good but it cost me 15 minutes of the beginning of the opera, it is not that bad, Minnie and Dick Johnson had not arrived at the stage yet. I was lucky, the staff in ROH let me in and decided that I could see the opera live from a balcony box. Not that lucky was that is was on wrong side of much of the Johnson/Minnie action. Looking at a TV relay would have been better. But Act 1 was really special, balcony box. But too many people had their head far out of the boxes and I was naturally in the second row but I could enjoy the chair and the music and singing.

More about Fanciulla in London September 26, 2008 tomorrow...



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

Ugh, what I don't like about Fanciulla del West

In the production from London Royal Opera House Jake Wallace, the minstrel singer is painted as black-face. I couldn't believe it, I hope they have finally dropped that, it is so offensive and not needed.


The photo is from 2005-09-15, Robert Lloyd (Ashby), Jonathan Lemalu (Jack Wallace). Jonathan Lemalu is from New Zealand and Maori. (What a beautiful voice!!!)

Could ROH be more insensible...


And that is just a problem that is not in the libretto. Then there is 2nd act. Wowkle and Blackrabbit. They say UGH, why, because they are Indians, Native Americans.

From Wikipedia about this opera:

Performance history

It was first performed on 10 December 1910 in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera House with Emmy Destinn as Minnie, Enrico Caruso as Dick Johnson and Pasquale Amato as Jack Rance; Arturo Toscanini conducted the premiere.

This opera was the first world premiere for the Metropolitan Opera House, and was a huge success in the United States. Despite that, it was never as popular in Europe, except, perhaps, in Germany where it enjoyed a triumphant premiere in March 1913 at the Deutsche Opernhaus in Berlin (now known as the Deutsche Oper), under the musical direction of Ignatz Waghalter. It has fewer of the "showstopping" highlights that are characteristic of other Puccini operas, but is admired for being far better integrated than his earlier work. It shows the obvious influence of (but by no means any imitation of) Debussy, and is Puccini's only venture into impressionism. It is still sometimes performed, but not as often as Puccini's other mature operas.

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To read from the libretto, act 2.

Does it sound like something OK for people today.

If you want to read the original source of LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST, go to the Gutenberg project The Girl of the Golden West by David Belasco
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Other than these glimpses of Racism or Ignorance, Fanciulla is a wonderful opera, beautiful music...

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

Weekly Update: in less than 2 weeks I'll be in London

On September 26 and 29 to see Fanciulla del West in London with José Cura. I have seen this opera 5 times before, 2 times in Zurich 2004, 2 times in London 2005 and once in Berlin 2006.

La Fanciulla del West (Puccini) 2004-05-07, 2004-05-09, 2005-09-15, 2005-09-18, 2006-09-24

And this is the same production as in 2005 and really THE PRODUCTION that is on DVD from London ROH with Plácido Domingo, Silvano Carroli and Carol Neblett. AMAZON.com And Silvano Carroli is back as Sheriff Jack Rance in this season alternating with another baritone Claudio Sgura. And after the plan I will see both of them. It will be interesting.

The London DVD is best, the one from LA SCALA is unbearable unless you LOVE Mara Zampieri (but Juan Pons is great as Sheriff Rance). Then it is the Met version with Domingo (as they all 3 are with PD), Barbara Daniels as Minnie and Sherill Milnes as Rance. And I am sure many Americans will say that the Met is superior to ROH, it is afterall a very American Puccini opera. Puccini loved USA and New York




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

Weekly update: soon to travel to London

Ok, soon it is not that soon, September 26-30. I have found a hotel I think I will like, on hrs.de. I had thought a cheaper hotel but when I checked with Tripadviser there was a lot of negativ stuff. So my hotel better be a real 3 stars hotels for that price.

I hope I am not going to get sick or something. LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST in London, wow, I love that.

Meanwhile I am listening to Norma (Bellini), Nabucco (Verdi) and Fanciulla del West (Puccini).

UPDATE From my e-mail 2008-09-09

	Hello .................. The performance you booked for is happening soon. The Royal Opera's La fanciulla del West When: Friday, 26 September 2008 at 19:00 Casting for this date Where: Main Auditorium Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD Performance Timings: Act I (62 minutes) Interval (35 minutes) Act II (48 minutes) Interval (35 minutes) Act III (33 minutes) Approx End Time: 22:33 Please make sure you that you arrive in plenty of time to enjoy your visit, we suggest that you arrive 30 minutes before the performance starts.

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

Weekly update from midnight (1th September)

LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST in London Royal Opera House with José Cura.

September is here and I haven't bought my travel ticket yet. Still thinking about getting to see the last Fanciulla too, can I get free from my job for that?

October: do I have a chance for a ticket of Don Carlo in Oslo's new Opera House. Should I even try?

November: I am going to see Juanjo Cura in Berlin, almost decided to go... Haven't bought a ticket yet.

December: Should I try to see Turandot with Cura in London at Christmas time or should I wait till January.


I think I love "a new tenor": Carlo Bergonzi. I have just bought I Masnadieri with Bergonzi from Amazon.co.uk. I will tell more when it arrives.

More next week-end.


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