TCE new GM

As you know, I wish the Opéra de Lyon GM, Serge Dorny, was somewhere else experimenting with his "extraordinary" ideas. Turns out, he almost left. He was in the final two for the job of director of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris (the actual director Dominique Meyer will depart to head the Vienna State Opera in 2010), as reported by Le Figaro. Hélas, Michel Franck was chosen and we are stuck in Lyon with Serge Dorny.

[Rigoletto] III. The score

Act I

I'll easily admit that the first 15 minutes of the score are forgettable and basically not an ideal way to get hooked to this overall admirable piece.
The main reason is the obvious similarity with the beginning of La Traviata: same context, same structure and same harmonies. Yet, let's remember the plagiarism is on La Traviata's side, composed after Rigoletto, although it has become through the years Verdi's most performed opera; obviously a decadent young woman is more appealing to the masses then a bipolar hunchbacked jester whose stupidity is literally bigger than life.

Anyway, after the first frivolous scene, the score gets more and more interesting as the action unfolds.

The first jewel is undoubtedly Monterone's maledizione (Act I, scene 6) when the score suddenly looses all foolishness and switches to fit the dramatic appearance of this deceived father. The violins' line when he sings is a wonderful preview of the end of the act, when Rigoletto realizes he contributed to his own daughter's kidnapping.
The dichotomy of the score, constantly oscillating between easy-listening bars and dramatic intensity is I believe, its biggest asset throughout the entire opera and certainly one of the main reasons for my unconditional love for it.

The only aria of Rigoletto (Act I scene 8), though libretto-wise especially irritating and condescending, is musically full of dark emotions briefly lightened by the flute line and acts as the perfect introduction for the exquisite duet between him and his daughter Gilda.
This duet (also pretty dumb libretto-wise) is unforgettable and the highlight of the first act, especially the part below:

"Solo, difforme, povero,
Per compassion mi amo.
Ah! moria... le zolle coprano
Lievi quel capo amato.
Sola or tu resti al misero...
Dio, sii ringraziato! ..."

Act I middle of Scene 9, Rigoletto, Sony live recording, 1994
Renato Bruson as Rigoletto, Andrea Rost as Gilda,
Riccardo Muti conducting the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala.



Act I finale, Rigoletto, Sony live recording, 1994
Riccardo Muti conducting the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala
Listen to the extraordinary breath of the orchestra at 2:38 min.


Acts II & III

The second act opens on the Duke's aria "Parmi veder le lagrime" and is overall the less compelling of the three.

The last act on the other hand is fantastically well-balanced and a marvel of orchestration on Verdi's part.
The highlights are the magnificent 2-movement quartet "Ebben, osserva dunque" that starts with the mega hit "La donna è mobile" and especially the second part "Bella figlia dell' amore", the Tempesta scene, and of course the finale where the theme from the end of Act I is modified, ending with Rigoletto's heart-breaking last shout, "La maledizione!".




YouTube extracts

- "Parmi veder le lagrime" Jussi Björling
- "Bella figlia dell'amore" Siepi, Peters, Valletti, Thebom
- same aria, Filippeschi, Gobbi, Pagliughi

Opera quizz

You are a real opera fanatic if all of the following answers are obvious to you ;

1. Who composed the first opera? a. Giovanni Gabrieli b. Giacomo Carrisimo c. Claudio Monteverdi 2. Didon was the queen of which city? a. Carthage b. Troie c. Tyr 3. Where is buried Georg Friedrich Haendel? a. Westminster Abbey, London b. Hamburg c. Rome 4. Which two composers wrote an opera about Orfeo? a. Claudio Monteverdi b. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart c. Christoph Willibald von Gluck 5. Which writer created the Don Juan myth? a. Cervantès b. Tirso de Molina c. Lorenzo Da Ponte 6. Cosima Wagner was the daughter of: a. Weber b. Hans von Bulow c. Franz Liszt 7. How is called Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung? a. the Tetralogy b. the Cosmology c. the Ontology 8. For which piece was Berlioz inspired by Shakespeare? a. La Damnation de Faust b. Roméo et Juliette c. Les Troyens 9. Who composed Il Barbiere di Siviglia? a. Mozart b. Rossini c. Puccini 10. What writer was the inspiration behind Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor? a. Walter Scott b. Alexandre Dumas c. Victor Hugo 11. In Verdi's Otello, how is called Otello's wife? a. Desdemona b. Mimi c. Violetta 12. Which two operas were composed by Gounod? a. Faust b. Mireille c. Samson et Dalila 13. Which writer inspired Bizet for Carmen? a. Prosper Mérimée b. Garcia Lorca c. Halévy 14. Which two operas were composed by Jules Massenet? a. Werther b. Manon c. Les Pêcheurs de Perles 15. Which librettist is behind Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande? a. Maurice Maeterlinck b. Pierre Louÿs c. Tristan L'Hermite 16. With which librettist did Richard Strauss most work? a. Oscar Wilde b. Hugo von Hofmannsthal c. Eichendorff 17. Where was Janacek from? a. Romania b. Bulgaria c. Czech Republic [Extract from L'indispensable de la culture musicale, Marie-France Castarède and Benoît Berthou, published in 2004, in French] [Answers on demand]

Dark future ahead

After An inconvenient truth and Brokeback Mountain, the time for someone to adapt Sex And The City into an opera libretto is just seconds away I'm afraid... Where has the imagination to write original new operas instead of recycling others' ideas gone? On Mars?

[Rigoletto] II.Synopsis

Not that I have forgotten about my previous commitments, but work is eating me alive right now. Yet, I have to find some time for Rigoletto if I want my series to end with my journey to Dresden.
Today is synopsis time, obviously.

Enrico Caruso as Il Duca di Mantova

PREMIER ACTE - La scène représente un bal animé, dans les magnifiques salles du palais ducal.

Le duc et ses familiers se promènent, en causant de leurs aventures galantes.
Un courtisan raconte, en riant, que Rigoletto, l'horrible bouffon, possède une maîtresse et qu'il l'a vu pénétrer, la nuit, en se cachant, dans la demeure de la belle. Pour se venger des railleries de Rigoletto, les courtisans complotent l'enlèvement de sa bien-aimée et se donnent rendez-vous pour la nuit suivante.
La fête est interrompue par l'apparition de Monterone, qui vient demander compte au duc de l'honneur de sa fille. L'indignation et les plaintes du vieillard sont accueillies par les plaisanteries des courtisans et les quolibets moqueurs de Rigoletto. Le duc, enfin lassé des objurgations de Monterone, le fait arrêter par ses hallebardiers. Le vieillard jette, en partant, sa malédiction au bouffon.


DEUXIEME ACTE - Un carrefour désert, la nuit; à droite, les murs très élevés d'un jardin; à gauche, la maison de Gilda.

C'est dans cette demeure isolée que Rigoletto cache son trésor le plus cher, non pas sa maîtresse, ainsi que le croient les courtisans, mais sa fille Gilda. Lui, homme sans moeurs, âme vile et conseiller pervers, il aime son enfant avec idolâtrie et il veut la conserver pure de toute souillure.
Au moment où il va pénétrer chez Gilda, Rigoletto est accosté par un spadassin, Sparafucile, qui lui offre ses services; quelqu'un rôde souvent autour de la maison et l'épée du bandit délivrerait Rigoletto des importuns.
Le bouffon entre dans la maison, interroge avec anxiété Gilda et sa gouvernante. Rassuré par leurs réponses, il sort bientôt, tandis que le Duc, qui s'est introduit dans la cour, se met aux genoux de la jeune fille et lui dit son amour. Le Duc se fait passer, auprès de Gilda, pour un étudiant pauvre nommé Carlo Baldi, il la suit depuis longtemps, lui a parlé plusieurs fois, et Gilda l'aime de toute son âme.
Pendant la causerie des deux amoureux, les courtisans surviennent, pour mettre à exécution leur projet d'enlèvement. Le Duc se sauve. Par un stratagème infernal, les courtisans amènenent Rigoletto, qu'ils ont rencontré, à se laisser bander les yeux et à tenir l'échelle aux ravisseurs de son enfant. Le crime accompli, le bouffon s'aperçoit qu'on s'est cruellement joué de lui; mais il est trop tard, sa fille a disparu.



TROISIEME ACTE - Le théâtre est séparé en deux; à gauche une place déserte; à droite, l'intérieur du cabaret tenu par Sparafucile.

Le Duc et la courtisane Maddalena, soeur du spadassin, sont dans la salle basse de l'auberge, visible pour le spectateur. Une lézarde dans la muraille permet aussi aux passants de voir ce qui se passe à l'intérieur du bouge; c'est ainsi que Rigoletto et Gilda voient le Duc, déguisé, se livrer à une orgie au plus bas étage, qui le révèle tel qu'il est à la fille du bouffon.
Cette situation, une des plus fortes qu'on ait produites au théâtre, donne lieu à un magnifique quatuor, qui est sans contredit la plus merveilleuse page musicale qu'on ait jamais conçue.
La galanterie du Duc, la coquetterie de Maddalena, l'horreur et le désespoir qu'éprouve Gilda à ce spectacle, les sentiments de compassion de Rigoletto pour sa fille et de vengeance à l'égard du Duc, tout cela est coordonné dans une conception d'une force, d'une hardiesse et d'un effet admirables.
Rigoletto renvoie sa fille, en lui enjoignant de prendre un habit d'homme et de se rendre à Vérone; il concerte ensuite, avec Sparafucile, la mort du Duc, moyennant une somme de vingt écus, et sort à son tour.
Maddalena implore la pitié de son frère en faveur de leur hôte, dont la jeunesse et la grâce l'intéressent vivement.
Un violent orage éclate.
Gilda, poussée par un funeste pressentiment, revient, habillée en homme, et reprend son poste devant la fente de la muraille. Elle apprend ainsi le coup qui menace le Duc, et entend Sparafucile promettre à sa soeur d'épargner le jeune homme, si un autre voyageur se présente et s'il peut livrer un autre cadavre au client qui l'a payé.
La pensée de mourir, à la place du séducteur qui la trahit, vient à l'esprit de Gilda; elle frappe à la porte, elle entre; Sparafucile l'assassine et met son cadavre dans un sac.
Rigoletto se présente, afin de s'assurer par ses propres yeux que l'oeuvre de sa vengeance est consommée. Il ouvre le sac, voit les traits inanimés de sa fille chérie, et tombe presque sans vie sur le corps de la malheureuse, tandis que le Duc s'éloigne tranquillement, aux premières lueurs de l'aurore, accompagné par Maddalena, et chantant gaiement sa chanson favorite:

Comme la plume au vent,
Femme est volage,
Et bien peu sage
Qui s'y fie un instant.

Extrait de L'album-guide parisien, 1889, p74
" Portraits des principaux artistes des théâtres de Paris
Analyse et distribution des rôles des ouvrages du Répertoire de l'Opéra."

Jussi Björling as Il Duca di Mantova
Copenhagen, 1942

Synopsis in English by the Met here.

Opera against Alzheimer

On June 21, the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg will hold on its parvis an auction sale of previous productions accessories to raise money against Alzheimer's disease.
The "pot-pourri" selection includes a fake strawberry tart from Der Rosenkavalier (1995-96, 5 euros listing), a polystyrene Virgin Mary from Héloïse et Abélard (2000-01, 150 euros), a 233-kg bell from Die Tote Stadt (30 euros), a motorless fire fighters truck and many more disparate and unlikely stuff.

More on the auction:
Qobuz, Opera du Rhin website.

Doctor Atomic

John Adams' Doctor Atomic
Chicago Lyric Opera, Dec. 2007

"EU Issues Alert After Incident at Slovenian Nuclear Plant"

And yet I had no idea Slovenia was so close to where I live.
Utterly scary, come to think of it.

Opera rara

Because I love "almost beyond-obscure operas", especially XIXth century French rarities, I am one of the only few eagerly waiting for the Summer release of the recording (video extracts there, click on Videotrailer at the bottom of the page) of Gounod's La Nonne Sanglante recreated last January in Osnabrück (Germany), by CPO (who else knows that, seriously?).

In that line of unseen/unheard/unknown operas, Intermezzo just came back from Zürich where Halévy's Clari was recreated in May (mainly due to the obstination of Cecilia Bartoli), with some clues about the score, the libretto and of course the performance.
Other reviews: ResMusica (in French), Diapason (also in French), International Herald Tribune.

Now, who would be kind enough to schedule my all-time favorite in that category, Donizetti's L'assedio di Calais?
Anyone?

Athénée's operas for 08-09

The Eden-Théâtre, build in the 1880s rue Boudreau in Paris after an Hindu temple, underwent many changes before becoming in 1896, l'Athénée Théâtre. The theater's name is now inseparable with its greatest director of all, legendary actor Louis Jouvet (who died in his office from a heart attack on August 16, 1951).
After Jouvet's death, the theater never really recovered until owner Pierre Bergé sold it to the state in 1982 for "un franc symbolique". It became a place of choice for XXth century theater.

In 1999, the orchestra pitt was rediscovered, allowing the seasons to include staged operas.




The 2008-09 season has been announced this week (though not yet available on the website), and will include La Cantatrice chauve (opera composed by Jean-Philippe Calvin based on Ionesco's play), L’Opéra de quatre notes from minimalist composer Tom Johnson, Mauricio Kagel's Le Tribun/Finale, Delibes's La Cour du roi Pétaud and Vaughan Williams's Riders To The Sea; two revivals from la Maison de la culture de Bourges will be scheduled : Philip Glass's Les Enfants terribles, and Mozart's Cosi fan tutte (version with wind instruments only).

ACA's Carmen

London, Royal Opera House
Broadcast of the Dec.19, 2006 performance
DVD also available
Pictures of the production there









Carmen : Anna Caterina Antonacci
Don José : Jonas Kaufmann (role debut)
Michaëla : Nora Amsellem
Escamillo : Ildebrando d’Arcangelo
Zuniga : Matthew Rose
Le Dancaïre : Jean Sebastien Bou
Le Remendado : Jean Paul Fouchécourt
Morales : Jacques Imbrailo
Fraquita : Elena Xanthoudakis
Mercedes : Viktoria Vizin

Conductor : Antonio Pappano
Director : Francesca Zambello

Anna Caterina Antonacci
© 2006 by Catherine Ashmore

At last a production that captures the true essence of an opera…

Francesca Zambello’s view may seem unoriginal on the surface (simple set, costumes that could have been seen in Paris when Carmen was created in 1875, choreography true to the Spanish/Gypsy atmosphere), yet it’s the first time I’ve seen such a care to portray Don José as he was intended in Bizet’s mind.

In June 1872, the Opéra Comique in Paris ordered a new opera to Bizet, who chose to build the story based on Prosper Mérimée’s novel, Carmen (1845). If the librettists Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy were excited by this choice, the minister Adolphe de Leuven was horrified by it: it was unconceivable, according to him, to see a dramatic ending in the Opéra Comique, as well as depraved and low-life gypsies.
After all, this House was the place of choice for families and wedding arrangements.
In order for the piece to be accepted, Bizet was urged to change the ending into a happy one (which he refused) or at least to make Don José more lovable by introducing a new and pure character, Micaëla, his childhood sweetheart.
In the composition of the opera, the distinction between the arias of Carmen and Micaëla is obvious, the latter singing in the usual Opéra Français style (duet “Parle-moi de ma mère” in Act One for instance), while Carmen is granted with the Spanish connotation.

The Opéra Comique is also responsible, by the way, for the spoken parts in the piece (which I don’t think add anything to the story).

The audience at the premiere included Délibes, Gounod, Massenet, Offenbach, Thomas, Alphonse Daudet and Alexandre Dumas-fils. Yet the piece was a huge failure, as the libretto was too shooking and the music too awkward.





In any case, Carmen was build around an aggressive and mean Don José, and nowadays, almost all the productions of this piece portray him as a kind soul whose only fault is his jealousy.

Well, Francesca Zambello took on Bizet’s approach, and Jonas Kaufman, with his dark voice and rustic appearance was indeed the perfect tenor for this (although I was very sceptical in the beginning). We’re miles away from the crystalline singing of Nicolaï Gedda but this approach definitely made me revisit what I expect of Don José. How often can a production alter for the best the perception you have of a piece, seriously?

The children’s chorus was full of life and extraordinary realistic, and I also loved the first silent picture of Don José (during the overture), handcuffed, dirty, visibly disoriented and in despair, holding the faded rose Carmen once gave him and being taken away to die. A simple idea, yet perfectly describing the essence of this opera in just a few seconds.

I know Londoners don’t like it when someone dares to criticize Antonio Pappano and his conducting, but I have to say his interpretation lacks the flamboyance of Georges Prêtre’s and I’m not sure being a singers’ conductor turns out to suit this work: it slowed down the rhythmn at times, and the rhythmics is paramount in this piece.

© 2006 by Catherine Ashmore

Ildebrando d’Arcangelo (or Michelangelo, as I call him) was a powerful Escamillo (even if bringing a magnificent horse on stage didn’t really bring anything to the production, it was fascinating to watch him sing while riding it). The score is not really his cup of tea, and neither is the French language, but his stage presence is always outstanding and made up for his weaknesses.
Nora Amsellem was a weak Micaëla with way too much vibrato everywhere; the two gypsies Elena Xanthoudakis and Viktoria Vizin were pretty good, especially the latter.


The Carmen of Anna Caterina Antonacci is simply extraordinary.
She has the fire in her eyes to own the character from the very first few seconds; her stage presence is phenomenal and suits exactly the role, her acting skills are brilliant, her French diction is perfect and her singing is amazing. What more can you ask for?

So obviously people, I will try and see her in Toulouse next April…

YouTube extracts of this production:

- Carmen’s Habanera, " L’amour est un oiseau rebelle "
- Carmen, gypsy's song "Les tringles des sistres tintaient"
- Carmen & Don José, final duet "C'est toi, c'est moi"
- Don José, "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée"
- Escamillo, Toreador's song, "Votre toast, je peux le vous le rendre"

© 2006 by Catherine Ashmore

Toulouse 2008-09

The last season of Nicolas Joël as head of the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse is once again very well-balanced and has two majors highlights, in my opinion (full brochure there):

- Anna Caterina Antonacci will be Carmen alongside Zoran Todorovich (Don José) and Inva Mula (Micaëla). The production, a revival from 1997 (directed by Nicolas Joël), will be conducted by Daniele Callegari (April 3 to 12).

- The Faust production by Nicolas Joël that will premiere this summer in Orange will be performed in Toulouse from June 19 to 30. Orlin Anastassov should make a very fine Méphistophélès, and will share the stage with Inva Mula (Marguerite) and Giuseppe Filianoti (Faust). Emmanuel Plasson (the son of Michel Plasson who will be in Orange) will conduct.


The 2008-09 season in Toulouse will also feature Marco Armiliato (conducting Le Nozze di Figaro in Nov.), Karine Deshayes (Offenbach's La Périchole for the Christmas holidays), Stéphane Degout and Emmanuelle Haïm and her orchestra and chorus of Concert d'Astrée for Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie, and Ludovic Tézier (Jochanaan) and Thomas Moser (Herodes) in Salomé.

Opéra National de Lorraine 08-09

Ever heard of this Opera House? I won't blame you if you haven't, since it's a very small one in Nancy with little to offer.

I don't know where they found the money, but the 2008-09 season is indeed worth noticing.

It will open on Sept.30 with the world premiere of Divorce à l'italienne composed by Giorgio Battistelli (who is also responsible for the libretto, inspired from the Pietro Germi's movie Divorzio all'Italiana). The director brought in is David Pountney, not a bad name for opening a season.

Rossini's La Cenerentola will be up next (November and early December) with Nicolas Testé as Alidoro and Donato di Stefano as Don Magnifico.

The comic opera staged next season will be a very original choice indeed: Les neveux du Capitaine Grant from Manuel Fernandez Caballero (1877), with a libretto by Ramos Carrion (from Jules Verne) in January and February.

To broaden the audience, Rigoletto is scheduled in March and Haendel's The Messiah in April (Jean-Christophe Spinosi conducting his Matheus Ensemble).
Back to original choices in May with Maurizio Kagel's Le Tribun (1979) with a singing cast of one (a calvary if Dominique Pinon turns out to be bad).
Finally, the season will end with Mozart's Idomeneo in June.

Not bad a season for such a small Opera House, wouldn't you say?



Season brochure available for download here.