Verdi: DON CARLO

Für die Salzburger Festspiele 2013 erarbeiteten Regisseur Peter Stein und der Dirigent Antonio Pappano die Urfassung der Oper – allerdings in Italienisch und ohne das Ballett. Hingegen sind auch jene Passagen zu hören, die noch vor der Uraufführung 1867 kurzfristig gestrichen wurden.

So in 2013 a Don Carlo is performed with all the music from the orginal version but without the ballet and in Italian in stead of the original French. I was very happy to hear it in Italian because I think in French it is too weak. Musically Verdi is almost always better in Italian than another language. Jerusalem might be the only exception. But all that "original version" music makes Don Carlo extremely long even without ballet and it drags it down. Especially the Lacrymosa part of the prison scene makes it slow and I for one loses the interest because the drama is halted. For me Jonas Kaufmann is more of a handsome man than a tenor. I love to look at him but I don't always love to hear him. His voice is too dark for me so I always hear baritone when he sings as tenor. Other than that, I just find it a nice experiment but hopes that no one follows. Doubt my plea will be heard. Originalism is now rampant in opera.

I love the 4 act Italian version of Don Carlo without any Lacrymosa ans such. Love the Don Carlo from Salzburg 1986 with Carreras, Furlanetto, Izzo D'Amico, Baltsa, Cappuccilli. A true classic and it is on DVD. Wonderful, beautiful production with Karajan!!! Then another Don Carlo, also possible to buy on DVD, Willy Decker's Don Carlo from Amsterdam 2004 with Rolando Villazon as Don Carlo.

But if I were to buy the 5 act version I would love to get Don Carlo from Royal Opera House 2008 with Rolando Villazon or from the Met 2010 with Roberto Alagna. Not avalable on DVD yet. And they are both in Italian and it is the same production by Nicholas Hytner. Other than Don Carlo it is mostly the same cast, different Eboli though. The music just flows and it is a beautiful production.

In all version I think that the acting is very good. The one from 1986 might seem a bit stiff by comparison but one should remember that the court of Filip 2 was not a loose one.

Jonas Kaufmann as Don Carlo in Salzburg 2013 ORF TvThek
Medici.tv
Broadcast date : Aug. 16, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
Antonio Pappano conductor
Peter Stein stage director
Ferdinand Wögerbauer set designer
Annamaria Heinreich costume designer
Joachim Barth lightings
Lia Tsolaki choreography
Jörn Hinnerk Andresen chorus master


Matti Salminen (Flilppo II)
Jonas Kaufmann (Don Carlo)
Anja Harteros (Elisabetta di Valois)
Thomas Hampson (Rodrigo, Marchese di Posa)
Ekaterina Semenchuk (La Principessa Eboli)
Eric Halfvarson (Il Grande Inquisitore)
Robert Lloyd (Un frate)
Maria Celeng (Tebaldo)
Sen Guo (Una voce dal cielo)
Benjamin Bernheim (Il Conte di Lerma/Un Araldo reale)
Members of the Young Singers Project (Sei deputati fiamminghi)
Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus
Wiener Philharmoniker
Agnes Méth movie director
Location : Grosses Festspielhaus (Salzburg, Austria)

Roberto Villazon as Don Carlo in New York 2010 MetOpera on Demand

Don Carlo
(Dec. 11, 2010)

Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Librettist: Original French libretto by François Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the play by Friedrich Schiller
Nézet-Séguin; Poplavskaya, Smirnova, Alagna, Keenlyside, Furlanetto

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

Approximate running time: 3 hrs. 35 min.

Director Nicholas Hytner, who made his Met debut with this production, brings out all the passionate intensity that is at the heart of Verdi’s monumental drama. Don Carlo (Roberto Alagna), the Spanish crown prince, and Elizabeth of Valois (Marina Poplavskaya), daughter of the King of France, fall in love, only to be torn apart by international politics when Carlo’s father, King Philip II (Ferruccio Furlanetto), decides to marry Elizabeth himself. Carlo’s friend, Rodrigo (Simon Keenlyside), plays a dangerous game, balancing his political aims with the trust of his monarch. And when the beautiful Princess Eboli (Anna Smirnova) discovers her love for Don Carlo is not returned, her revenge terribly backfires. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Met orchestra and chorus.

Rolando Villazon as Don Carlo in London 2008
Medici.tv




Antonio Pappano musical direction
Nicholas Hytner stage director
Bob Crowley set designer
Mark Henderson lightings



Rolando Villazón (Don Carlos)
Marina Poplavskaya (Elizabeth of Valois)
Simon Keenlyside (Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa)
Ferruccio Furlanetto (Philip II)
Sonia Ganassi (Princess Eboli)
Pumeza Matshikiza (Tebaldo)
Nikola Matišić (Count of Lerma)
Jacques Imbrailo (Flemish deputy)
Krzysztof Szumanski (Flemish deputy)
Kostas Smoriginas (Flemish deputy)
Daniel Grice (Flemish deputy)
Darren Jeffery (Flemish deputy)
Vuyani Mlinde (Flemish deputy)
Eric Halfvarson (Grand Inquisitor)
Robert Lloyd (Carlos V)
Anita Watson (Voice from Heaven)
Alexander D'Andrea (Priest inquisitor)


Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Royal Opera Chorus
Renato Balsadonna chorus master
Movie director : Robin Lough

Musical period : Romanticism
Music genre : Opera
Duration : 03 h 29 min
Location : Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London, Great Britain)
Production date : 2008
Production : © Opus Arte
Available version(s) : IT ST FR

Rolando Villazon as Don Carlo in Amsterdam 2004
Medici.tv

Willy Decker stage director
Wolfgang Gussmann set designer


Robert Lloyd (Filippo II)
Rolando Villazón (Don Carlo)
Dwayne Croft (Rodrigo)
Jaakko Ryhänen (Il grande inquisitore)
Giorgio Giuseppini (Un frate)
Amanda Roocroft (Elisabetta di Valois)
Violeta Urmana (La principessa d’Eboli)
Marisca Mulder (Tebaldo, paggio d’Elisabetta)
Maartje de Lint (La contessa d’Aremberg)
Kristian Benedikt (Il conte di Lerma)
Rudi De Vries (Un araldo reale)
Cinzia Forte (Una voce dal cielo)

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Koor Van De Nederlandese Opera
Riccardo Chailly musical direction
Movie director : Misjel Vermeiren
Duration : 02 h 49 min
Location : De Nederlandse Opera (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Production date : 2004
Production : © NPS
Available version(s) : IT ST EN, IT ST ES, IT ST FR

Jose Carreras as Don Carlo in Salzburg 1986


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

The 3rd TROVATORE in 2013

I love opera and sometimes you will end up in surprising places, like El Vendrell, Catalonia, Spain. First I had to take the night bus to the airport, take the plane to Barcelona and then a train to El Vendrell. And so ca. 1430 on August 3rd, 2013, I was in El Vendrell train station and was starting to go to my hotel when I noticed that something was terribly wrong, my dear phone was missing. OperaDuets Iphone was not in my purse and nowhere in my backpack. So I went to the train station and finally he understood that I had forgot my Iphone on the train from Barcelona Sants to El Vendrell. Nobody found it on the train, nobody that searched for it did. But where is it, does anybody have it? 

Sadly, I just had to go to my hotel. No miracle waiting for me. I did not chose the most direct route to my hotel. I went via Plaza Vella. And it was such a small plaza but the stage was there alright. It was not possible to buy tickets yet, that was not until 1700. Then I walked to my hotel, Ramblas Vendrell and rested there until I was back in Plaza Vella and bought my ticket (20 Euros). Back to my hotel again since the restaurants was closed and I had to wait to have something to eat. But finally the restaurant was open for a hungry tourist and I had a pizza verdura. And then back to the Plaza. Sergi Gimenez, the Manrico of the evening was so surprised that I came for this little performance. Michelle Francis Cook and all the rest of cast was eating together and Michelle asked if I had eaten yet, and well, I had, hadn't I. It was so cute to meet them in such a way. 

IL TROVATORE, EL Vendrell 2013-08-03.

Count of Luna = Fernando Alvarez

Leonora = Michelle-Marie Francis Cook

Manrico = Sergi Giménez Carreras

Azucena = Montserrat Carreras

So there I was, in El Vendrell, to see IL TROVATORE in the tiny Plaza Vella. 

Michelle Francis Cook, a soprano destined to sing big roles in the big stages of the world (my opinion), sang Leonora with aplomb and delicacy. Sergi Gimenez never lost his way even when the orchestra sounded truly lost in Verdi's masterpiece. I loved his acting, but as he is the nephew of Josep Carreras he (and I) can never escape the memory of Carreras' voice. Fernando Alvarez was a strong, commanding Conte di Luna.

Of the main singers, Montserrat Carreras as Azucena was the one to suffer most from the lack of sync between the orchestra and stage. She had to do with what she had and what she had was the support of the other singers. Sergi was a great support!!

The chorus did an admirable job. I believe the cut in the score was not helpful. One had to take leaps of logic or know Trovatore well to understand it. It also made it harder for the orchestra to follow the score and the singers. Maestro Joan Toldra's tendency to go slow did not help. The orchestra also lacked some of the instruments needed to really make the music swing.

In many ways I could hear the complexity of Giuseppe Verdi's score and to suffer when it became to much to achieve in this night in lovely El Vendrell. But what can one expect after just one real rehearsal. To perfectly understand the musicality and the story of Il Trovatore much rehearsal is needed. But with their limited resources it was admirably done. 

---

So it was over, I got to talk to my new favorite soprano, Michelle Francis Cook. But then it was night and time to sleep in my hotel. So Sunday, up early, breakfast, to train station, no iphone, train to Barcelona Airport via Barcelona Sants. Then plane to Oslo. Airport Train to Oslo Main Train Station, then bus home. At midnight home. 

Thank you, Michelle Francis Cook and Sergi Gimenez for a wonderful evening in El Vendrell!!!

Day 6+7: NABUCCO and home again.

NABUCCO, Arena di Verona 2013-07-25

I loved this production. All seamed so historial correct. And then we had this wonderful Abigaille, Lucrecia Garcia. She really made it all so perfect. Nobody shone like her in this show. Of course, it would not have worked without the other singers, the chorus and orchestra w/conductor. I love Abigaille!!! Lucrecia Garcia is certainly a singer I would love to see and hear more.

The best food with the best cameriere (Cinzia) was at Cafe Emanuel in Piazza Bra.

On Friday July 26th, 2013 when I was on my way home did I finally get some wonderful tasty pizza. First in Milano Malpensa airport and then in Frankfurt airport. With my father's 85th birthday on Monday the question was going home for a short stay or stay in Oslo with relatives. I went home to an appartment where the electricity went down every 5 hours, annoying. Then on Sunday back to Oslo and on Monday birthday party close to my hometown.

Dad, 85.

Day 4+5: TRAVIATA + TROVATORE

Traviata and Trovatore, two of the greatest classics of Opera. And in Verona, finally Regie that is true and real. Hugo de Ana's Traviata had only one fault, in preludio to the opera and the preludio to the last act, he just had to remind us that Violetta is dead and everything is to be told. 3 great frames (like to old paintiings) was the stage. The middle frames was naturally the main stage. But it was still true to the time of Violetta. Loved it, and Elena Mosuc was great as Violetta!!

LA TRAVIATA, Arena di Verona 2013-07-23.

Trovatore was finally set in the right time. The Middle Ages. The great towers was on the stage. Like in Macerata it was played as a 2 act opera. Scene changes was smooth. Extra music was added for the zingaras, and there was castagnettes and much dancing. The zingaras and their dancing and music also came to the Di Luna men and their siege.

IL TROVATORE, Arena di Verona 2013-07-24.

My first 3 days in Italy (Summer Opera Holidays 2013)

I arrived early in Milano Malpensa Airport. I know where to go to get to the MalpensaExpress. The train goes directly to Milano Centrale which means it stops at least at 3 stations before Centrale. And then I have to buy the tickets to Macerata. Lucikily I did look it up before traveling but I did it on Deutsche Bahn. I should have bought all my train tickets on trenitalia.com before traveling. OK. In Bologna Centrale I have to change train and now I have no seating. My back was killing me until finally I was allowed a seat. Heaven. My back could heal again. Then after all the trains I was in Macerata. An old, beautiful city but I never had time to explore or take many photos,

IL TROVATORE, Macerata 2013-07-20. It was the premiere. It was confusing. Sometimes with great ideas but not so effectual, sometimes just not the right idea. Aquiles Machado was Manrico and Enkelejda Shkosa was Azucena. They made it worth a trip. Shkosa was a great Azucena. Aquiles Machado was a wonderful, lovely Manrico. The soprano that sang Leonora became better as the evening progressed. I found the baritone that sang Conte di Luna not as good as the rest, neither was Ferrando. Inez was good. 

Why was there children present whenever Ferrando was telling the story? What was it about the Di Luna men that made them sometimes crawl like animals? Azucena's mother and the dead child of Azucena came and went onstage. That worked. But it would be confusing for anyone completely new to the story of IL TROVATORE.

The stage in Macreta arena sferisterio is too long. And to have 2 things a one time at both ends of the stage was not a great idea. You had to choose where to look. 

On thing is for sure Azucena, Enkelejda Shkosa was the highlight and she was the one that took the conductor and director onstage for the applaus. And Enkelejda Shkosa left the stage with her stage son, Aquiles Machado. Bravi!

After Macerata train travel to Verona. It was supposed to be only 3 trains but then I took the wrong train (this costed me 50 euro extra). A short stop in Padova and then finally Verona.

AIDA, Arena di Verona 2013-07-21. Regie by Fura del Baus. Hui He was an amazing AIDA, Jorge de Leon was a lovely Radames and Daniela Barcellona excelled as Amneris. 

The costumes was great to OK. Aida is on Egypt so why not make an extra story about the British Museum taking artifacts from Egypt. Well, first because this is opera staged and no film, so it is not working nor is it needed. The Regista must really love moving heavy objects around because it was happening all the time also at delicate musical times. And it really did not add anything of worth to the opera. Only distractions. The crocodiles in act 2 was also a distraction. Mechanical animals, camels and elephants. Cute, but... Was the whipping of the Ethiopian prisioners really necessary and why dressed like that? And all those in orange suits... 

Musically speaking it was a triumph, especially the 3 protagonists and orchestra and chorus. The ballett, no. Really, no. Hui He carried the opera. The was the focus point. Alberto Mastromarino was a superb Amonasro. I saw a wonderful AIDA in 2005, please, bring it back!!!!

From Verona to Milano. One train only. And only 1h 22mins. Lovely hotel. And then La Scala.

UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, Teatro alla Scala 2013-07-22. 

The Boston version. But now updated to 2013. Vote for Riccardo 2013, incorrotta gloria!! Marianne Cornetti sang Ulrica, and just look at her, blonde and dressed in white. No African-American praying to Satan here. Ulrica is here a miracle worker and we see it, blind see, people rise up from walking again. Marcelo Alvarez was stupendous as Riccardo. Luckily he was not made into a blonde like poor Amelia.  One could hardly recognise Sondra Radvanovsky with her blonde hair. Making her into a desperate middle-aged women with brown skirts and brown trousers. She was great!! Oscar was in this production a secretary and without any doubt a woman, a young woman. No boy here. In  2013 no man can just kill his wife for adultery and think it is going to be right. And really it was in this scene the regie got most things wrong. The child is inside with the father and Amelia is singing her heart out outside. Who can hear it? The change of heart plausible. The child there as Tom and Sam arrive... No, I don't think they got it right. Un ballo in maschera, but nobody is carrying masks or dressed as anyone other than themselves. A play with placards of Riccardo in human size. Then Riccardo dies but first he becomes a ghost and Amelia is mouthing what he is singing as she is reading a paper. Now, that end worked. BUT!!!!!!

After the surprise operation, it is opera time again

COn Sunday, June 30th, I had a successfull surgery. And lucky for me I am well enough to travel to Italy on July 20th. It will be my Viva Verdi tour with only Verdi operas. My first time in Macerata and first time in LaScala. And my finally back in Verona. I hope it will go well. I am still recovering from the surgery but I have almost no pain and I can walk but not fast.

Could not resist this photo of the 3 tenors and no 4, Zubin Mehta. Caracalla 1990

After sickness, maybe health (Summer 2013)

So maybe I will get the hang of it. This new pain. I need to become great friends with food and eating. Naturally it has to be the right food and the right kind of eating. Would be just great if my appetite for food was as powerful as my appetite for opera. If I love planning meals as much as I love planning opera travels. If eating was as enjoyable as hearing my favorite singers singing my favorite operas.

PLANS FOR SUMMER 2013

I have ticket for my first visit to the LaScala opera in Milan: 2013-07-22 UN BALLO IN MASCHERA with Marcelo Alvarez. And so I am thinking about going to Arena di Verona for even more operas. Then I have ticket for Puccini Festival Torre del Lago CAV/Tabarro on August 10. Another first time.Maybe see more operas there too?



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