Jul 26, 2007

Bayreuther Festspiele



As the Bayreuth Festival opened yesterday, I, too, would love to be born a Wagner, so, by birth right, I could succeed my grandfather Wolfgang as artistic director.



If I was his granddaughter, I would start by, let's say, be the first woman ever to direct one of my great-grandfather operas in the Richard Wagner Festspielhaus.

I would chose Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, of course, because I could really express my talent in this comic tale, where I would focus on the conflict between tradition and innovation and the importance of art.

As usual with true artists, the public wouldn't understand my vision and would boo me on the opening night.

I would direct this, let's say, just before my thirties, then stage another of great-grand daddy's operas each year after that until I would help my grandfather finally retire from his 59-year career as artistic director in 2010 at the age of 90, allowing me, finally, to be the sole master on board.

Plus, of course, I would be gorgeous as hell.






Jul 13, 2007

Bassons


Opéra de Lyon 5 mai 2007

Jul 11, 2007

Donizetti's hell





So...

Still no news about who's going to sing Leicester.

If the opera staff has no clue, let me suggest a few names;
  • Juan Diego Florez (plus, he's already familiar with the score)
  • Dario Schmunck (who's singing the role next November in Berlin and whose name disappeared of the pre-program)
  • Eric Cutler (who sang it in Caen in november 2004 - might be fully booked though)...

Come on, isn't it incredible that the tenor is yet to be cast?
For an opera playing in late September?


More info about everything around this Maria Stuarda (except for Leicester) here (in French).


Jul 9, 2007

Money money money

I hate that opera is becoming marketable.


Katherine Jenkins for Montblanc



Anna Netrebko for Chopard




Plus, as anybody noticed singing is now less important than beauty?



[Pictures digitalized from the June edition of Vogue France].

Jul 8, 2007

Quartiers d'été



Préparation du péristyle Opéra de Lyon 5 juin 2007 [Photoshop 8 juillet 2007]

Jul 6, 2007

Adieu, Maréchale!



Décidément, ce début d'été est fatal aux sopranos.


Régine Crespin, notre Régine lyrique, après avoir fêté en grandes pompes sur France Musique ses 80 ans il y a peu, s'est éteinte jeudi dernier dans un hôpital parisien.


Née en 1927 à Marseille, Régine Crespin a fait ses classes au Conservatoire de musique de Paris, obtenant trois premiers prix en chant, opéra et opéra-comique. Considérée comme une grande voix de l'opéra français, la soprano débute en 1948 à Reims.


Elle se produit dans les plus grandes salles et grands festivals à Bayreuth, Salzbourg (dirigée par Karajan en 1967-68), Vienne (Staatsoper), Berlin (Deutsche Oper), Londres (Covent Garden), Milan (Scala) ou encore New York (MET).


Saluée dans le monde entier pour ses talents de cantatrice, Régine Crespin enseignait sa passion du chant au Conservatoire depuis 1980.



Lectures complémentaires:



Extrait YouTube:




Jul 3, 2007

Beverly Sills left

Beverly Sills as Pamira in L'Assedio di Corinto (Rossini), © Beth Bergman 2007


Last few days, some alarming news about the health of american soprano Beverly Sills were disclosed (here and there).


Well, she died Monday night at 78, of an inoperable lung cancer.


Further reading:

  • Brian Kellow for Opera News (owned by the MET Opera where she was chairwoman) with beautiful pictures on stage

YouTube extracts: