General Opera News

[knight66]

A pity Copland was not around for it.

Mike

[uffeviking]

Fascinating and titillating news can be found when surfing during GMG's time on vacation! From classical music's two great geniuses, Pierre Boulez and Patrice Chereau a new concept of building a venue providing space for all of the performing arts. Pierre Audi of De Nederlandse Opera took a tentative step with his direction of the Ring in the 1999 production, making the orchestra part of the scene, raising the pit, encircled by innovative settings.

I congratulate the Lucerne Festival administration and send my best wishes for a successful realisation of the revolutionary plan.

http://e.lucernefestival.ch/platform/content/element/5391/SML%20engl.pdf

[bhodges]

Fascinating and titillating news can be found when surfing during GMG's time on vacation! From classical music's two great geniuses, Pierre Boulez and Patrice Chereau a new concept of building a venue providing space for all of the performing arts. Pierre Audi of De Nederlandse Opera took a tentative step with his direction of the Ring in the 1999 production, making the orchestra part of the scene, raising the pit, encircled by innovative settings.

I congratulate the Lucerne Festival administration and send my best wishes for a successful realisation of the revolutionary plan.

http://e.lucernefestival.ch/platform/content/element/5391/SML%20engl.pdf

This sounds fascinating, and I would welcome any venue where having the orchestra on view would be an option.  This is one of my few beefs with the operatic medium: that the non-singers are basically invisible.

Watching De Nederlandse Opera's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, I enjoyed seeing the photographers show occasional glimpses of Jansons and the Concertgebouw at work, especially given the excitement of what Shostakovich wrote for them.

--Bruce

[uffeviking]

  This is one of my few beefs with the operatic medium: that the non-singers are basically invisible.

--Bruce

Watching any Wagner opera performance, where the music is on equal footing with the singers: One half of the performers in exposed view on the stage, the other half hidden away in the dungeons of the pit! Including the conductor who is the most important figure in the whole spectacle!

Bruce, you think Mr. Gelb and his blue-haired followers will open their money bags and proudly beat Lucerne to the punch? Naw, they don't even want to spend money for one DVD, namely Mattila's Salome!

[bhodges]

Bruce, you think Mr. Gelb and his blue-haired followers will open their money bags and proudly beat Lucerne to the punch? Naw, they don't even want to spend money for one DVD, namely Mattila's Salome!

To renovate the Met's stage would involve who knows what kind of architectural tinkering (in addition to the money).  For now, maybe they will let the cameras venture further into the pit when the film these for video broadcast.  That would be at least a small step!

--Bruce

[Wendell_E]

Watching any Wagner opera performance, where the music is on equal footing with the singers: One half of the performers in exposed view on the stage, the other half hidden away in the dungeons of the pit! Including the conductor who is the most important figure in the whole spectacle!

Hmmm.  Let's not forget that Wagner himself designed a theatre in which the orchestra is completely invisible.

Of course, the wishes of a mere composer should be ignored.

[bhodges]

Hmmm.  Let's not forget that Wagner himself designed a theatre in which the orchestra is completely invisble.

I know, I know.  What on earth was he thinking? 

--Bruce

[Wendell_E]

I know, I know.  What on earth was he thinking? 

--Bruce

Verdi obviously knew as little about opera as Wagner.  From a letter he wrote to Giulio Ricordi about performing Aida:

.... And then the invisible orchestra.  This idea is not mine, but
Wagner's, and it is an excellent one.  It is absurd today to have to tolerate horrid white ties and tails ancient against Egyptian, Assyrian and Druid costumes, to set the orchestra, which should be part of an imaginary world, in the middle of the floor in the middle of the crowd as it applauds or hisses.  And think too how annoying it is to have harps, double basses, to say nothing of the conductor's windmill arms, all jutting up into the view.

[uffeviking]

Herbert von Karajan, in his early video career, demanded of the camera operators to skip over certain musicians because they are not good looking. He also had wigs issued to the bald ones.

But Wagner was a few years ago; times change, tastes change, everything changes and change is good! There will still be enough opera houses in this world in traditional style architecture to appease the opponents of change! 

How about some constructive comments on the Lucerne concept?  You did read the entire article, studied the sketches, etc.?

[uffeviking]

To renovate the Met's stage would involve who knows what kind of architectural tinkering (in addition to the money).  For now, maybe they will let the cameras venture further into the pit when the film these for video broadcast.  That would be at least a small step!

--Bruce

Heaven's No, I would never advocate renovating this venerable old barn; I am thinking of building this marvel from scratch at Tanglewild or other such culture-minded landscapes! 

[Wendell_E]

Herbert von Karajan, in his early video career, demanded of the camera operators to skip over certain musicians because they are not good looking. He also had wigs issued to the bald ones.

But Wagner was a few years ago; times change, tastes change, everything changes and change is good! There will still be enough opera houses in this world in traditional style architecture to appease the opponents of change! 

How about some constructive comments on the Lucerne concept?  You did read the entire article, studied the sketches, etc.?

According to Rudolf Bing's 5000 Nights at the Opera, Karajan also "raised the level of the Met's orchestra pit [which is adjustable] higher than any conductor had ever had it", but, given his ego, no doubt he would agree with you that it's "the conductor who is the most important figure in the whole spectacle".  I know I'm hoplessly old-fashioned, but I think opera orchestras and their conductor should be heard, and not seen.

I think we should replace that old-fashioned and expensive large Wagnerian orchestra with a synthesizer, five kazoos, and a musical saw, and cast Britney Spears as Wotan.  Change isn't always good.   

I do think the Lucerne concept is interesting, and at least it seems flexible enough to keep the orchestra mostly invisible (page 7). 

[uffeviking]

Wendell, you shouldn't have mentioned this new opera idea of yours; one of our resident composers might pick it up, run with it, and then we'll have to suffer through Hurwitz's review of it! 

[Wendell_E]

Wendell, you shouldn't have mentioned this new opera idea of yours; one of our resident composers might pick it up, run with it, and then we'll have to suffer through Hurwitz's review of it! 

I'll expect a hefty commision, of course.   

In other news: The Fantom webite now has a list of participating theatres for next season's Met Live in HD Series. If it's correct, the Mississippi theatre that gave the two repeat performances I saw last season will be carrying the live ones this season.

Prices for adults are rising from $18.00 to $22.00
http://www.fathomevents.com/details.aspx?seriesid=622

[uffeviking]

If you are interested in what poor Nigel W. had to go through attending 'opera' read this:

http://npw-opera-concerts.blogspot.com/

[max]

I think we should replace that old-fashioned and expensive large Wagnerian orchestra with a synthesizer, five kazoos, and a musical saw, and cast Britney Spears as Wotan.  Change isn't always good.   

I think I'll forget about getting any sleep tonight...in lieu of the consequences.

[Siedler]

La Scala follows The Met:

Starting in December 2007 Emerging Pictures, in an exclusive American collaboration with RAI Trade, will bring the Operas from La Scala and two other prestigious Italian opera houses to digital cinemas. The operas were recorded live in gorgeous HDTV format with Dolby Digital sound..
In addition to the venues in the Emerging Cinemas Network, Screenvision has come aboard as Emerging's partner to bring the Operas into multiplex theaters throughout the country.

http://www.emergingpictures.com/operas.htm

[uffeviking]

Thanks for the news, Siedler! It seems my State of Washington does not exist, or maybe they think we have not progressed yet to having cinemas in our Indian teepees!

Don't want it anyhow because there are no elephants in the Scala's Aida! 

[knight66]

It looks mouthwatering, but unfortunately the UK is not part of the arrangement.

Mike

[Maciek]

An album I haven't heard but it's getting rave reviews here so I had post it somewhere. And anyway, this is almost like a moderator-only thread (plus a few friends), and I know our moderators are very understanding... 0:)

So what's the news? The first ever complete Wagner opera committed to disc in Poland! Wow! If that isn't news than I don't know what is...

Der Fliegende Hollander, a live recording of a concert performance in 2005.

Hans Sotin, Endrik Wottrich, David Pittman-Jennings, Christiane Libor, Ewa Marciniec,Ryszard Minkiewicz
National Philharmonic SO and Choir (or Warsaw Philharmonic, as it is sometimes referred to abroad)
Antoni Wit

It looks like this (some will appreciate the fact that it has the conductor on the cover ):

(A couple of short low quality clips here.)

The disc was released in October but it's only beggining to make a stir now.

And just so you don't say I'm only wasting space here - I've now stickied this topic. Hope no one opposes?

[bhodges]

And just so you don't say I'm only wasting space here - I've now stickied this topic. Hope no one opposes?

No complaint here--good idea! 

And that disc sounds very interesting, although I'm mildly shocked that it is the first!  Somehow I would have expected other Wagner recordings to have been made, but there you go. 

I'm also intrigued that it's a live performance, which I generally like on recordings.  Thanks for this interesting heads-up.

--Bruce