Anna Netrebko

Tsaraslondon · January 17, 2008, 12:39:49 AM

Quote from: Morigan on January 16, 2008, 03:53:55 PM
The production that made Gheorghiu into a star was a good one. A much better staging than Netrebko's recent DVD with Rolando Villazon...

I saw the original production and wasn't that impressed with it, even though the critics raved. Gheorghiu was the undoubted star of the evening, but the rest was decidedly underwhelming; Lopardo only so so as Alfredo. Nucci wooden as usual, and Solti conducting without lyricism or song. Eyre proved himself inexperienced as an opera producer and made some very odd decisions, like having Violetta and Alfredo sing Parigi o cara from opposite sides of the stage. If you'd listened to the critics at the time, you'd have thought that nobody had ever been as good a Violetta as Gheorghiu. She was indeed excellent, but, for me, it was a performance of enormous promise, rather than the finished article. How could it be otherwise? This was her first traversal of an enormously difficult role, and one would expect it to develop the more she performed it.

This is one of the reasons I don't trust critics and prefer to make my own judgements.

Sarastro · January 18, 2008, 08:04:05 PM

Quote from: Tsaraslondon on January 16, 2008, 01:53:25 PM
I thought I'd revive this thread, as today I've been reading (in The Times, The Guardian and The Independent) the reviews of Netrebko's Violetta at Covent Garden (in a revival of the production that made Gheorghiu into a star). They have been uniformly ecstatic, not just for her, but also for her colleagues (Jonas Kaufman and Dimitri Hvorostovsky), and, though I have not so far been impressed by what I have heard and seen (on DVD only), these reviews have made me want to go and see for myself. Can she really be that good? Both her singing and acting have come in for nothing but praise. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to see the production, as it is completely sold out throughout its run. Now I wish I'd booked early!

Kaufman would be really good, I guess, but what about the others? Dmitri Hvorostovsky used to be a good singer with extremely beautiful timbre, but years and being a "star" didn't play with him good, so now not only his diction is far from the ideal, but the way he sings too. Netrebko should be pretty to see and can impress, using her appearance. But after the action is finished, what would be left?
Still very interesting.

Tsaraslondon · January 19, 2008, 01:28:05 AM

Quote from: Sarastro on January 18, 2008, 08:04:05 PM
Kaufman would be really good, I guess, but what about the others? Dmitri Hvorostovsky used to be a good singer with extremely beautiful timbre, but years and being a "star" didn't play with him good, so now not only his diction is far from the ideal, but the way he sings too. Netrebko should be pretty to see and can impress, using her appearance. But after the action is finished, what would be left?
Still very interesting.

Well I managed to find one dissenting voice amid the general ecstasy, that of Rupert Christiansen in The Daily Telegraph. He still had high praise for both Kaufman, and Hovorostovsky (who seems to be getting a lot of good reviews these days - maybe he's back on form), but was less convinced by Netrebko. Reading between the lines of both his review and the positive ones, I get the impression that the performance was all a bit showy, but lacking in real depth; an impression that I too gleaned from her Proms performance last year.

duncan · January 30, 2008, 05:56:16 AM

I'd have counted myself as an Anna-agnostic...until about 18 hours ago!

She obviously has her charms, but I can get that at home thank you very much. I've seen her as Donna Anna and Gilda, both at Covent Garden, and I think some other performances, but I'm struggling to remember much about any of them. The Last Night of Proms is a bit of fun and not to be judged in any serious way.

My other half performed with her on The Last Night, charm personified by all accounts, and she even gave me one of her chocolates (not a euphemism, before anyone gets the wrong idea!). Perfect Wagnerite is wrong, in more ways than one.

I saw the Traviata yesterday. It's the third time I've seen this production, including once with Gheorghiu. It's a solid, nothing-to-scare-the-horses, staging for whatever stars are in town that week. It's never been a particularly memorable evening, before now. Andrzej Dobber was a last-minute stand-in for Hvorostovsky, and did a reasonable job under the circumstances. Kaufman was a superb Alfredo I thought, ardent and then remorseful, completely believable as a man in his early twenties falling in love, and he absolutely looks the part of course. I'm going to join the general praise for Netrebko in this production. I thought it was a wonderful performance, by far and away the best thing I've ever heard her do. Either it's a role she particularly identifies with, or she has matured as an interpreter. It was great acting, vocally and physically.

Anna says "Hi" to all her fans on the forum:

Israfel the Black · January 30, 2008, 09:19:45 AM

Consider me a part of the hype. Her Russian Album is sublime, but it helps I am partial to Russian music.

Morigan · January 30, 2008, 10:26:44 AM

That's awesome, duncan!

I'd really love to see her new Traviata.

duncan · January 31, 2008, 08:15:39 AM

Quote from: Figaro on January 30, 2008, 10:26:44 AM
That's awesome, duncan! I'd really love to see her new Traviata.

Thank you. You can make up your own minds, a recording is being relayed by BBC Radio 3 on Saturday 9th February.

Tsaraslondon · January 31, 2008, 10:14:17 AM

Quote from: duncan on January 31, 2008, 08:15:39 AM
Thank you. You can make up your own minds, a recording is being relayed by BBC Radio 3 on Saturday 9th February.

Yes, but, as its on radio only, we will only be getting half the picture, so to speak.

Wendell_E · February 04, 2008, 09:48:49 AM

Netrebko and her fiance, Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott, are expecting a child this autumn.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jQbL-wh5F_T7VZLRrULmZtx8NQYwD8UJJDQ00