GIUSEPPE VERDI Don Carlo(s) on DVD (2) - Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo & Luciano Pavarotti

DON CARLO
Salzburger Festspiele
1986

Opera in 4 acts, sung in Italian

Don Carlos = Jose Carreras
Philip II = Ferruccio Furlanetto
Elisabeth de Valois = Fiamma Izzo d'Amico
Rodrigo = Piero Cappuccilli
Princess of Eboli = Agnes Baltsa
Grande Inquisitor = Matti Salminen
Friar (Carlo V) = Franco di Grandis
Tebaldo = Antonella Bandelli
La Contessa d'Aremberg = Katarina Schuchter
The Count of Lerma = Horst Nitsche
A Royal Herald = Volker Horn

Conductor = Herbert von Karajan
Berliner Philharmoniker
Chor der Bulgarischen Nationaloper Sofia
Konzertvereiningung Wiener Staatsopernchor
Salzburger Konzertchor

Director and Artistic Supervisor = Herbert von Karajan
Set Design = Günther Schneider-Siemssen
Costumes = Georges Warhevitch

1 DVD = 2h 58

Perfection!!! Carreras, Cappucilli, Baltsa etc. supreme cast. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DON CARLO
Teatro alla Scala, Milano
1992

Opera in 4 acts, sung in Italian.

Don Carlos = Luciano Pavarotti
Philip II = Samuel Ramey
Elisabeth de Valois = Daniela Dessi
Rodrigo = Paolo Coni
The Princess of Eboli = Luciana D'Intino
Grand Inquisitore = Alexander Anisimov
A friar = Andrea Silverstrelli
Tebaldo = Marilena Laurenza
A Voice from Heaven = Nuccia Focile
The Count of Lerma = Orfeo Zanetti
A Royal Herald = Mario Bolognese

Conductor = Riccardo Muti
Orchester and Chorus of Teatro all Scala

Stage Production and Video Director = Franco Zeffirelli.

2 DVDs = 3h 02

We have Franco Zeffirelli and Luciano Pavarotti here, and the rest of the cast is great. I loved Paolo Coni and Luciana D'Intino most. This is something mostly for fans of Pavarotti, I think.

DON CARLO
Metropolitan Opera, New York
1983

Opera in 5 acts, sung in Italian.

Don Carlos = Placido Domingo
Philip II = Nicolai Ghiaurov
Elisabeth de Valois = Mirella Freni
Rodrigo = Louis Quilico
The Princess of Eboli = Grace Bumbry
Grand Inquisitore = Ferruccio Furlanetto
A Friar = Julien Robbins
Tebaldo = Betsy Norden
A Voice from Heaven = Marvis Martin
La Contessa d'Aremberg = Barbara Greene
The Count of Lerma = John Gilmore
A Royal Herald = Charles Anthony

Conductor = James Levine
Orchestra and Chorus of Metropolitan Opera

Production = John Dexter
Set Design = David Reppa
Costume Design = Ray Diffen
lighting Design = Gil Wechsler

2 DVDs =  3 h 33 m

It starts with The Winter is long, in Italian. No watering down French influence and Act 1 (Prologue) in Italian is good. Great singers. This is the MET!! Ghiaurov, Domingo, Freni, Louis Quilico and Grace Bumbry, they are just great!!


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

GIUSEPPE VERDI Don Carlo(s) on DVD (1) - Jonas Kaufmann, Ramon Vargas & Roberto Alagna

DON CARLO
Salzburger Festspiele 2013

Opera in 5 acts, sung in Italian.

Don Carlo, Infante of Spain = Jonas Kaufmann
Philip II, King of Spain = Matti Salminen
Elisabeth de Valois, Princess of France, later Queen of Spain = Anja Harteros
Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa = Thomas Hampson
Princess of Eboli = Ekaterina Semenchuk
Grande Inquisitor = Eric Halfvarson
A friar (Emperor Charles V) = Robert Lloyd
Tebaldo = Maria Celeng
A heavenly voice = Kiandra Howarth
The Count of Lerma / Royal Herald = Benjamin Bernheim

Conductor = Antonio Pappano
Wiener Philharmoniker
Konzertvereiningun Wiener Staatsopernchor
Chorus Master = Jörn Hinnerk Andresen

Stage Director = Peter Stein
Set Designer = Ferdinand Wügerbauer
Costume Designer = Joachim Barth
Choreographer = Lia Tsolaki
Video Director = Agnes Meth

2 DVDs = 3h55m

Great singers: Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Thomas Hampson, Ekatarina Semenchuk.
It starts with L'hiver est long in Italian, naturally. And the opera lasts almost 4 hrs because the rejected extra music is put back in, not all of it. So the action gets delayed and one get a watered down Don Carlo.

For the most complete Don Carlos in French:

DON CARLOS
Wiener Staatsoper
2004

Opera in 5 acts, sung in French.
Unabridged original version of 1867)

Don Carlos = Ramon Vargas
Philip II of Spain = Alastair Miles
Elisabeth de Valois = Iano Tamar
Rodrigue = Bo Skovhus
The Princess of Eboli = Nadja Michael
Thibault = Cornelia Salje
A friar (Charles V) = Dan Paul Dumitresco
The Count of Lerma = Benedikt Kobel

Conductor = Bertrand De Billy
Wiener Staatsoper Orchester and Chorus
Chorus Master = Ernst Dunsheim

Stage Director = Peter Konwitschny
Sets and Costume Design = Johannes Leiacker
Lighting = Hans Toelstede
Dramaturgy = Werner Hintze
Auto-da-fé Assistand and Video Director = Vera Nemirova
Directed for Television and Video bt Anton Reitzenstein

2 DVDs = 4h 07

Ramon Vargas is a great Don Carlos. Love also Iano Tamar as Elisabeth de Valois. Does not love at all this production. Great singing but the director is destroying the opera.


A better French 5 act version  but not so complete.

DON CARLOS
Theatre de Chatelet, Paris
1996

Opera in 5 acts, sung in French.
(Original French version in 5 acts - DVD booklet)

Don Carlos = Roberto Alagna
Philip II of Spain = José van Dam
Elisabeth de Valois = Karita Mattila
Rodrigue = Thomas Hampson
Princess of Eboli = Waltraud Meier
Grand Inquisiteur = Eric Halfvarson
Friar - Charles V = Csaba Airizer
Thibault = Anat Efraty
Voice from Heaven = Donna Brown
The Count of Lerma = Scot Weir

Conductor = Antonio Pappano
Orchestre de Paris
Chæur de Theatre de Chatelet
Chorus Master = Andrea Giorgi

Director = Luc Bondy

1 DVD = 3h 31m

The long hair version I call it. Thomas Hampson and Roberto Alagna are great but 3 day bearded and hairy. Love also Karita Mattila and Waltraud Meier in their roles. Better than Wiener Staatsoper version or as bad?

From Berlin to Vienna, I am getting sick: Neil Shicoff Gala 2015-05-03

Traveling by train to Vienna via Munich. The quiet coupe is not that quiet, but better than the Budapest train. 11 hrs by train, I think. Theoretically I was in Vienna in time to Don Pasquale, but now I have seen it on www.staatsoperlive.com and I am fine with resting in my hotel room. I am not fine with the room Ibis Mariahilf tried to give me, it was almost 18 o'clock but wet towels and an unmade bed, no, that is not ok. But I got a decent room that was cleaned quickly enough. It was not the best start in Vienna. Then came May and shopping in Mariahilferstrasse and so I did not buy much but I got this nasty Cold.    Ok. It was probably Eugen Onegin first that I missed and then Don Pasquale. Then it was Neil Shicoff gala something that the tenor himself had proposed to the opera director. My reason was Agnes Baltsa as Carmen even it is just the last act. Elena Maxinova, never heard of her, sang instead. So I was both disappointed and rather ill. How I longed to be in Berlin for another Don Carlo (also on May 3rd)!

2015-05-03 Neil Shicoff Gala, Wiener Staatsoper

NEIL SHICOFF - 40 JAHRE BÜHNE

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Jacques Offenbach) – Prolog 

Hoffmann: Neil Shicoff 

Lindorf: Paolo Rumetz 

Nicklausse: Stephanie Houtzeel 

Andres: Thomas Ebenstein 

Luther: Marcus Pelz 

Hermann: Clemens Unterreiner 

Nathanael: Carlos Osuna 

Pique Dame (Peter I. Tschaikowski) – 2. Akt, 2. Szene 

Hermann: Neil Shicoff 

Lisa: Krassimira Stoyanova 

Gräfin: Anja Silja 

Mascha: Hyuna Ko 

La Juive (Jacques Fromental Halévy) – 4. Akt 

Eléazar: Neil Shicoff 

Kardinal Brogni: Ferruccio Furlanetto 

Rachel: Krassimira Stoyanova 

Eudoxie: Simina Ivan 

Carmen (Georges Bizet) – 4. Akt 

Carmen: Elena Maximova

Don José: Neil Shicoff 

Escamillo: Clemens Unterreiner 

Frasquita: Simina Ivan 

Mercédès: Juliette Mars 

Frédéric Chaslin, conductor

What a disappointment, coming to Neil Shicoff 's Gala and no Agnes Baltsa as Carmen to his Don Jose. From the greatest Don Carlo of Rolando Villazon et co. in Berlin. Had I known that Baltsa would not sing I would have seen Don Carlo for the 2nd time on this day instead I got the cold in Vienna and Neil Shicoff. 

Having just seen Les Contes d'Hoffmann with Rolando Villazon in a great production seeing the prolog was nothing much. Shicoff can act and sing, but he is not my guy.

Pique Dame - Shicoff was great as Hermann. Anja Silja was not that audible. Krassimira Stoyanova was having an Off day, or maybe it was just that I was OFF.

Interval

La Juive - not the whole end but we got the Aria from Eleazar. Simina Ivan and Krassimira Stoyanova could have been the Duet of the Ages but they had aged since I saw them in the of Eudoxie and Rachel. Ferruccio Furlanetto as Brogni, he only gets better with age but then he is a bass.

CARMEN - the end

Elena Maximova is the new CARMEN on the block. Neil Shicoff acts but he is no Carreras, Domingo, Cura & Alvarez. Clemens Unterreiner was Escamillo and a good, solid one.

Frederic Chaslin conducted it all.

Then  when we thought it was over we got 45 minutes or so with speaches. Shicoff ended it with his I am so nervous, the most nervous if them all. The audience gives us the energy not the other way around. And thank god for my wife, Dawn Kotoski.

And I am still not cured. Kleenex forever!!!

The Day After going home worrying about having enough Kleenex and to endure the 3 plane trips back home. Survival modus needed...

From Oslo to Berlin, from Wagner to Verdi: DON CARLO 2015-04-30

My last opera erlebnis was Lohengrin in Oslo and now off to Berlin for Don Carlo. From Wagner to Verdi, from greatness to Greatness. Verdi even worked WITH other people, like his librettist. Rolando Villazon and the whole cast was wonderful and I was in great shape myself but it rained cats and dogs when the opera was over so I never took any "backstage" photos. If Wiener Staasoper had not misinformed me that Agnes Baltsa would be singing in the Neil Shicoff Gala on May 3rd I would have stayed in Berlin to get a second dose of this great masterpiece in Berlin.

2015-04-30 Don Carlo (Giuseppe Verdi), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Philipp II. = Giacomo Prestia

Don Carlo = Rolando Villazón

Rodrigo, Marquis von Posa = Etienne Dupuis

Graf von Lerma / Herold = Gideon Poppe

Der Großinquisitor = Albert Pesendorfer

Ein Mönch = Andrew Harris

Elisabeth von Valois = Kristin Lewis

Prinzessin Eboli = Anna Smirnova

Tebaldo = Alexandra Hutton

Stimme von oben = Siobhan Stagg

1. Flandrischer Deputierter = Michael Rapke

2. Flandrischer Deputierter = Thomas Lehman

3. Flandrischer Deputierter = Seth Carico

4. Flandrischer Deputierter = Carlton Ford

5. Flandrischer Deputierter = Noel Bouley

6. Flandrischer Deputierter = Andrew Harris

Donald Runnicles, conductor

Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Inszenierung, Bühne, Licht - Marco Arturo Marelli

Kostüme - Dagmar Niefind

Chöre - William Spaulding

A great performance of Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi

Giacomo Prestia as Felipe II, Rolando Villazon as Don Carlos, Kristin Lewis as Elisabeth de Valois were all great in their roles and singing. Etienne Depuis as Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa was a marvel to hear and see. Gideon Poppe as the Count of Lerma was equally an enjoyment to hear and see. The high and mighty Albert Pesendorfer was the high and mighty Grand'Inquisitor.  Anna Smirnova was impressing as Principessa Eboli. As lovely Tebaldo we had the lovely Alexandra Hutton. Siobhan Stagg sang divinely as the Celestial Voice. Andrew Harris was hard pressed to impress as the monk (Carlo Quinto) but he hold his way.

Donald Runnicles was running the show as the conductor making it a Don Carlo to rememmber fondly. Marco Arturo Marelli made the opera work as the director, scenographer and light designer with Dagmar Niefind creating the costumes. William Spaulding as chorus master. Orchestra and Chorus of Deutche Oper Berlin. 

A total win on all fronts: musically, theatrically and the choice of Edition was perfect. It was the Italian 4 act version with one interval after 105 minutes of music. No Fontainebleau scene here and no addition of the extra French fuzzies translated into Italian.  This was the work as I believe it should always be played.

Kristin Lewis was amazing. AND Rolando Villazon is back!!!!

Etienne Depuis was the best of the best. Remember his name: ETIENNE DEPUIS.

Domingo, Giordani, Pavarotti: Ernani by Verdi

I have always believed Ernani to be Verdi's dullest work. Apparently that is what you get you only have seen Ernani from La Scala conducted by Muti with Domingo as Ernani, Mirella Freni as Elvira, Nicolai Ghiaurov as Silva and Renato Bruson as Carlo. Strange when all those names even in themselves often serves as garantie for excellence.

But it all starts with that genius conductor Riccardo Muti and his quest for purity which in this case backfires. Evidently Giuseppe Verdi himself saw that this work needed something more and he gave it more of his finest work after the premiere. As a purist Muti wants it come scritto, like as it was on the very first night. Then we have his, as it has been described before, puritanical conducting. Ernani suffers especially badly by this approach. Ernani need lots of passion from everybody.

Placido Domingo is the most adorable Ernani. His facial expressions alone makes a woman go LOVE YOU FOREVER, PLACIDISSIMO. Acting and singing is amazing. Sadly he has the wonderful, amazing soprano Mirella Freni at his side. Mirella Freni singing Elisabetta in Verdi's Don Carlo is as far as she can reach, Elvira is out of he league. A terrified Elvira is not enough, one need supremely confident soprano as Elvira. Freni does not have the big, dark voice for Elvira. Ghiaurov and Bruson are adequate enough. But where is the passion. Ernani is really an opera about big feelings all the time. Passion is not there, sadly.

But I have Met on Demand so how would Metropolitan Opera make of this opera. First I chose the newest video with Marco Armiliato conducting Marcello Giordani as Ernani, Angela Meade as Elvira, Ferruccio Furlanetto as Silva and Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Carlo. Marco Armiliato lets the opera breath passion and the production is just as wonderful. Marcello Giordani is good enough. Angela Meade is just fabulous. What a difference a soprano makes? We got passion. Ferruccio Furlanetto is a brilliant Silva. Dmitiri Hvorostovsky offers an interesting Carlo. Go for Carlo, Elvira!!

The winner the video from December 17, 1983. Same production, except that Elvira does not kill herself as she does almost 30 years later. Conducted by James Levine it just simply a joy listening to it. Luciano Pavarotti is the most wonderful Ernani and I am not only talking vocally. Pavarotti acts with every fibre of his being Ernani. Leonie Mitchell is a great Elvira even as Angela Meade wins with her agility. Ruggero Raimondi is Silva, wonderful singing and acting. Sherrill Milnes is the best Carlo ever. Just perfect!!

From Munich to Oslo, from Easter to Lohengrin 2015-04-11

April 1. 2015: traveling from Munich and home, a whole day traveling. At least I was home well before midnight. That was Wednesday and April Fool's Day and in the middle of so-called Holy Weeek of Easter. So Friday I was looking at Parsifal from the Met with Jonas Kaufmann and Katarina Dalayman with Rene Pape as Gurnemanz and Peter Mattei as Amfortas. Wonderful!!!

April 11, 2015: traveling to Oslo to see Lohengrin.

2015-04-11 Lohengrin (Wagner), Den Norske Opera & Ballett (Oslo)

Heinrich der Vogler = Magne Fremmerlid

Lohengrin = Paul Groves

Elsa von Brabant = Nina Gravrok

Friedrich von Telramund = Ole Jørgen Kristiansen

Ortrud = Elena Zhidkova

Heerrufer = Yngve Søberg

John Helmer Fiore, conductor

Regie- Johannes Erath

Scenography - Kaspar Glarner

Costumes - Christian Lacroix

A wonderful Lohengrin in Oslo, or was it?

The production was in black and white mostly except that Ortrud was dressed in green. Even as the prelude started we were shown that Ortrud was most probably the villain and also at other times we were shown flashbacks to the past were Telramund tried to kiss Elsa and Ortrud took the brother of Elsa. Directors of to today do not think the audience are too bright so they have to show it all. 

The problem for me was Elsa. All that running around, being crazy, and fainting and then suddenly she was able to show some dignity as a noble woman. Only men think women faint that easily. It was true at one time when women's dresses and so on was so tight that taking a deep breath was impossible. With more loose dresses women do no longer faint at all kind of moments. Nina Gravrok was Elsa von Brabant. First act aria "Einsam in trueben Tagen" was sung very staccato and with no legato line that it never seemed to become the first class aria it is. Even as it is years since I listened to Jessye Norman on CD and almost a decade since I saw it in Vienna with Soile Isokoski I remember the celestial feeling this arias gives you when sung by these too first class opera singers. Luckily as the opera progressed and Elsa did not have to act so absurdly Nina Gravrok singing improved. Unfortunately I expected more of a professional singer: to be able to sing legato and give every line their right form even if the directors demands you to run around onstage as a madwoman.

Elena Zhidkova was Ortrud. What more to say about this great singer? She acted and sang just as you would dream a Ortrud being able to do. She was helped by the director allowing her to play the role straight up without inventing stupid moves. If one wanted more and/or different from Ortrud one would have to falk to Richard Wagner, the composer who also wrote the text to his operas.

Ole Kristian Jørgensen was Friedrich von Telramund. Again a great singer / actor who was allowed to bring the best of himself without the director inserting himself. In short Ortrud and Friedrich von Telramund was utterly believable as a couple and in themselves. 

Magne Fremmerlid was King Heinrich der Vogler. He did it well but I missed hearing the full sound of his large voice. Was it deliberate or was something not right? Most importantly it was nothing that diminished him, he was perfectly put in the right spot and did not waiver.

Paul Groves was Lohengrin. What should I say about Paul Groves as Lohengrin? That he was great enough? Or... Was he perfect or was he lacking as Lohengrin. In many ways that is the whole question of Lohengrin himself. The perfect knight of the Grail or the imperfect human being.

Lohengrin could be the story of a purity society. I never noticed Telramund admitted to force himself on Elsa just after realizing the boy, the duke of Brabant disappearing. Telramund has a claim of Brabant especially when the boy, the heir, is gone missing. And if Elsa accepts him as husband then voila Telramund becomes Brabant. Elsa rejects Telramund and that "tells" him that she must have killed her brother. Thus disgusted with Elsa, the young woman and heiress of Brabant, he married a woman much more to his liking. No he is still pure-thinking when the other woman is Otrud, the last offspring of those who ruled Brabant before it was Christened. 

Telramund tells this directly to the king with everybody hearing and Telramund is still considered brave etc man. His purity is intact but Elsa's purity is in doubt. Should I even have to call the witness who is said saw the deed. Of course not. To doubt a man on his word. What an horror! Of course it was Ortrud behind him all the times. Elsa is not allowed to be anything except crazed after her unknown knight. Wagner makes her such, and the director drinks it up and does not allow much dignity to poor Elsa. Lohengrin appears an otherworldly creature for the people of the times of Lohengrin. As a modern woman he appears as an arrogant idiot. The adieu to the swan, the looking into Elsa's eyes to see she is innocence. Wow. Well the singing was great enough and the director did not destroy the moments so one can enjoy it. To care for Elsa or Lohengrin that is not so easy.

Lohengrin has won the fight. Of course the men had to fight and they had to call the fighting God's courtroom. What could possibly go wrong? Telramund as so many men of  opera is incapable of understanding the fault was their own, so he accuses his wife. As a Christian he believes that God must have fought hard on Lohengrin side since he seemed to be such a wimp. When Ortrud who hated this new God and religion, tells him that Lohengrin used sorcery to win Telramund jumps up, yeah! He was not wrong, he was wronged. Then she has her man back and can get him to do what she wants.

After being weak and foolish Elsa, who is getting married, now has her dignity in place and can act like the nobility she is. Ortrud worms her in with her woe is me, you getting married, but my poor, poor husband. Elsa being noble allows Ortrud to come in become part of the bride parade. Being meek is not something Ortrud does well so she shows her real colors when Elsa is going to church or from church and accuses Elsa of all kinds of things while giving the girl doubt about her man, why not know his name and family and whether he is a noble at all. Telramund works on the men, this Lohengrin is he really..

Wedded bliss, no bed. They are alone for the first time EVER. And now married. Both now nothing except that GOD is important. The love duet is filled with God and purity. They love each-other, but always remember, it is pure love. Love is not sex, beds are not needed, what two people need is to have a talk, not THE TALK, but to talk about we love God and trust God. Then Elsa topples down and goes completely Eve to her Adam. I love you so much as I would rather die than tell anyone your name and station, but please tell me who are you. The forbidden fruit, the forbidden question. Alas, now all our happiness is gone!!! (Did I miss something, when did all that happiness happen? Oh, I must have blinked)

The king had come to Brabant to make it whole by deciding who will be the duke there just sow that Brabant would also be part of the German war against Hungary. Now that Lohengrin is married to Elsa and Telramund is banished, they can all happily go to war. Lohengrin killed Telramund after he jumped to kill Lohengrin when Elsa popped the wrong question. Now he asks was he right to kill the banished man that tried to kill him. Yes. But the Defender of Brabant as asked the brabantian to call him, ask also did they all hear Elsa swear to never ask. Since she has now asked he must go away but he ask them to deem if he was noble enough. Of course, he is. Knight of the Grail, and his father Parsifal who is crowned there. Is Elsa totally defeated as Lohengrin, who we all now know as Lohengrin, goes away with his swan. Lohengrin also tells now if only she had waited a year her brother would have come home. Defender, because the brother is still the Duke. Tell your brother all about me, Lohengrin says. Ortrud tells all that the brother was the swan. Lohengrin frees him.  Elsa dies.

No happy ending for you!!!

April 12, 2015: from Oslo to visit my dad and then back to Oslo Gardermoen to take the plane home. Great. Except that one of the navigation radio did not work. The tech people tried to tech it. 10, 20, 30 minutes and waiting. That does not work but they can find the item in Gardermoen. 30 mintes wait. No, it is not there. A plane from Gothenburg will carry the item. 2 hrs after schedule and we are off. But before not before 11 at night, 23 hrs did we land. For me I was not too bad off as we landed at the airport close to home so I was home at 2345. The people who was the land at the second airport had to take the bus all the way, my bus tour was over after 15-20 minutes, they had 2 hrs or more.

From Milano to Munich, Bizet-Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann 2015-03-31

From hot weather in Milano to cold weather in Munich via Frankfurt. A Sunday flight to Frankfurt from Linate airport and it is Summer time in Europe. I thought it would be time enough to go to the opera and it wasn't really because I was really tired so I just ate and slept in Frankfurt. Monday morning eating breakfast at McDonald's. Then by train to Munich. Monday was my shopping day. 

It was not just because of Rolando Villazon.

2015-03-31 Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Jacques Offenbach), Bayerische Staatsoper (Munich)

Olympia = Jane Archibald

Giulietta = Brenda Rae

Antonia = Serena Farnocchia

Cochenille, Pitichinaccio, Frantz = Kevin Conners Lindorf, Coppélius, Dapertutto, Miracle = Christian Van Horn

Nicklausse/Muse = Angela Brower 

Stimme aus dem Grab = Qiu Lin Zhang 

Hoffmann = Rolando Villazón 

Spalanzani = Ulrich Reß 

Nathanaël = Dean Power 

Hermann = Andrea Borghini 

Schlémil = Christian Rieger 

Wilhelm = Petr Nekoranec 

Crespel = Peter Lobert 

Luther = Peter Lobert

Constantin Trinks, conductor

Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper Orchester Bayerisches Staatsorchester 

Inszenierung - Richard Jones

Bühne - Giles Cadle 

Kostüme- Buki Shiff 

Choreographie - Lucy Burge 

Licht - Mimi Jordan Sherin 

Dramaturgie - Rainer Karlitschek 

Chor - Sören Eckhoff

Having seen this opera before with Placido Domingo and Agnes Baltsa as Hoffmann and Giulietta, the video recording from Royal Opera House Covent Garden, I was not overly optimistic. The only part I could really enjoy was the Giulietta act and even Domingo could not make me enjoy the whole opera. The parts with Placido was always the best and with Agnes Baltsa too, it became magic.

Rolando Villazon was the best actor for this role and a good tenor, too. His voice is not as it used to be, they say. In this performance I saw a promise to come back to greatness with some care. Villazon was a great Hoffmann and by his side the true wonder of the evening Angela Brower as Nicklausse. The 3 sopranos was great. Jane Archibald was the most amazing Olympia. Serena Farnocchia was the most wonderful Olympia. Brenda Rae was Giulietta. This time I did not love the Giulietta act more the rest. It was just the most perfect production.