General Opera News

Started by uffeviking, April 08, 2007, 06:49:51 PM

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Guido

Is it a decent piece of music?
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Guido

Yes, but is it a decent piece of music?
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Tsaraslondon

Quote from: Guido on March 15, 2012, 09:23:43 AM
Yes, but is it a decent piece of music?

I found this  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbKmF7KkB5Q  It didn't do much for me, but what do I know? I liked Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire and Corigliano's Ghosts of Versailles, contemporary operas that weren't much liked by the critics.

\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

kishnevi

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 15, 2012, 10:54:22 AM
I found this  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbKmF7KkB5Q  It didn't do much for me, but what do I know? I liked Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire and Corigliano's Ghosts of Versailles, contemporary operas that weren't much liked by the critics.

I remember trying to listen to Ghosts of Versailles on a rather scratchy FM radio when it took its turn on the Met Saturday afternoon broadcasts.  I'm not sure if I liked what the radio let me hear, but I certainly couldn't understand why people seemed to be knocking it, and almost everything I have heard by Corigliano since then has struck me as being at a minimum decent music.   Has GoV ever been released on audio or DVD?

Tsaraslondon

Quote from: Jeffrey Smith on March 15, 2012, 07:07:06 PM
  Has GoV ever been released on audio or DVD?

The Met production with Stratas, Fleming and Horne was definitely available on video and laserdisc. I don't know whether it ever made it to DVD though.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Wendell_E

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 17, 2012, 04:06:27 AM
The Met production [of The Ghosts of Versailles] with Stratas, Fleming and Horne was definitely available on video and laserdisc. I don't know whether it ever made it to DVD though.

It was released as part of the Levine 40th anniversary box.  It's now available separately as well (in the U.S., at least):

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ghosts-Versailles-Metropolitan-Recording/dp/B0064R55VC/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1332004709&sr=1-1
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

Guido

Quote from: James on March 17, 2012, 04:36:49 AM
That's the last scene from the 1st act of the very first opera (Donnerstag) in the cycle which was written between 1977-1980 and staged by La Scalla in 1981. Each opera in the cycle is completely different. The one I am posting about (Mittwoch) was written between 1995-1998 and is getting staged this summer at the Olympics 2012.

I know James. But: Is it good music?
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Tsaraslondon

http://www.dongiovannitheopera.com/index.html

Don't quite know what to say about this. The updating bothers me far less than the reassignment of roles. Apart from the Don, all the other roles are assigned to the opposite gender. I really cannot imagine Donna Anna's Non mi dir, sung by a tenor!. And what on earth happens to the ensembles?

\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Wendell_E

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on March 25, 2012, 01:52:37 PM
http://www.dongiovannitheopera.com/index.html

Don't quite know what to say about this. The updating bothers me far less than the reassignment of roles. Apart from the Don, all the other roles are assigned to the opposite gender. I really cannot imagine Donna Anna's Non mi dir, sung by a tenor!. And what on earth happens to the ensembles?

Yikes!  Fortunately, Mozart and da Ponte will survive long after this production's an unpleasant memory.  There was a similar, all-male Così fan tutte tutti, a few years back.  There was also a "gay" production of Wedekind's Lulu plays.
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

Guido

I may well be going to that Don... I'll let you know how it is.
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Tsaraslondon

Quote from: Guido on April 12, 2012, 08:06:13 AM
I may well be going to that Don... I'll let you know how it is.

I'm in Cape Town now and won't be back till the end of May, so will miss it. Though I abhor the idea of gender switching on musical grounds, (aside form the arias, what on earth will it do to the sublime ensembles) the idea in itself sounds very interesting. I look forward to your reaction.

\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Guido

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on April 12, 2012, 10:28:28 AM
I'm in Cape Town now and won't be back till the end of May, so will miss it. Though I abhor the idea of gender switching on musical grounds, (aside form the arias, what on earth will it do to the sublime ensembles) the idea in itself sounds very interesting. I look forward to your reaction.

Are you going to Les Troyens by the way? Fastest selling ROH production ever!
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Tsaraslondon

Quote from: Guido on April 14, 2012, 02:32:16 AM
Are you going to Les Troyens by the way? Fastest selling ROH production ever!

If it's selling that fast, I doubt it. Just tried accessing booking on the web from here in Cape Town, and the site seems to be down.

\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Guido

It's sold out. But you'll obviously be able to get tickets on the day, by queuing. I can't wait.
Geologist.

The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Wendell_E

Yes, even Edgar and Le villi.

This from a company that hasn't had a Nozze di Figaro since 1974, and has never done Così fan tutte, or anything older than Figaro.  Still, it'll be interesting to see if it actually happens.  They replaced what was to have been their first Manon Lescaut a few season ago with a "Love & Lust" concert.

http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/04/mobile_opera_will_launch_pucci.html
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

knight66

Frankly, it all looks a bit grim. Don P and Puccini. I don't see how a company can avoid Mozart so assiduously yet expect to gain a decent reputation. I guess I ought to look for the whole season before I make any judgements.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Wendell_E

Quote from: knight66 on April 28, 2012, 12:42:08 AM
Frankly, it all looks a bit grim. Don P and Puccini. I don't see how a company can avoid Mozart so assiduously yet expect to gain a decent reputation. I guess I ought to look for the whole season before I make any judgements.

We're talking Mobile, Alabama here.  Don Pasquale and Fanciulla ARE the whole season!  Actually, it's first one in a while that's actually excited me, Fanciulla being one of my favorites (and I've never seen it live).  My other local(ish) companies aren't doing any better:  Pensacola has Barbiere, Tosca, and a semi-staged Sweeney Todd, New Orleans another Barbiere, Butterfly, Samson et Dalila, and, if you're willing to pay extra (I'm not), a Domingo gala.  I'm thinking about trying to go to Santa Fe in August for all five operas they're giving:  Tosca, Pêcheurs de perles, Maometto II, Król Roger, and Arabella.
"Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ― Mark Twain

knight66

Santa Fe sounds like the way to go. I am sure it is hard going for a lot of opera companies to risk anything demanding that does not guarantee a full box office.

I really ought to take more advantage of what is around me.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

jlaurson



Pathetic, Peter Gelb?
QuotePeter Gelb, and with him the Metropolitan Opera, enjoyed "an 8-hour New Coke/Coca-Cola Classic day" last week... an inadvertent (yet perfectly predictable)
PR debacle about alleged censorship. The background is best provided by Dan Wakin in the New York Times, here. Shortly after that came the turn-around
(well covered here and here and here) – although Gelb's "I think [!] I made a mistake" (emphasis mine) confession will hardly undo much of the damage...

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/05/pathetic-peter-gelb.html[/url]

DavidRoss

SFO's new production of The Magic Flute was wonderful! Every performer was first-rate, especially Norman Reinhardt (subbing for Nathaniel Peake as Tamino), whose creamy smooth voice makes him the best sounding tenor I've ever heard! But the real star of this production is artist Jun Kaneko. His set and costume design was out of this world, fabulously beautiful and inventive! (The video clips and photos at the link below don't begin to do his work justice.)

http://sfopera.com/Season-Tickets/2011-2012-Season/The-Magic-Flute.aspx#media-videos
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher