Addio, addio, visiteur régulier de ce blog, speranza ed anima Sol tu sarai per me*.

I'm headed for well-deserved vacations in the country of Vincenzo Bellini and Giuseppe DiStefano (and also my own personal ancestors). Back in two weeks, hopefully tanned and full of wonderful memories.

In the meantime, I advise you to go check out these other blogs partly or entirely about opera :

In French: Kozeries en dilettante
Les chroniques lyriques de Friedmund
Paris Broadway
In English: Sieglinde's Diaries
Opera chanteuse (with a title only an American can come up with)
Ionarts
Prima la musica, poi le parole
In Italian: Opera Bouffe
Di Tanti Pulpiti
Tanti Affetti
In Spanish: GTL Torn T, la temporada del Gran Teatre del Liceu desde distintas butacas
Una butaca en el paraíso
Opera siempre

Ci vediamo!


* from Rigoletto, Act One, Scene XII.

The curse of Ariodante

I mentionned the devastating critics from Le Monde a couple of weeks ago, about the Paris performances (Théâtre des Champs Elysées).
Well, both musicians and singers are playing the Haendel's opera in London (Barbican Centre) and Madrid. At least they're trying. The cast has been decimated by various health problems, as reported here.
I guess they just forgot to mention there the real curse of the opera: unoriginal music, stupid libretto, bad conducting by Christophe Rousset, awful singers.

Who wouldn't want to miss the upcoming performances?

Lyon 2007-2008

Pour faire suite à mon billet sur la prochaine saison ici, à l'Opéra de Lyon, quelques informations complémentaires (source: Opéra de Lyon); Le Siegried de Wagner est annoncé pour Octobre 2007. A midsummer’s night dream, de Britten, pour Avril 2008. Quant au Maria Stuarda de Donizetti en version de concert, dont j'ai déjà parlé, en coproduction avec le TCE, il sera naturellement dirigé par Evelino Pido et ouvrira la saison de l'Opéra de Lyon: Maria Stuarda - Patrizia Ciofi Elisabeth 1ère - Iano Tamar Talbot - Giovanni Furlanetto Anna Kennedy - Paula Gardino Orchestre et choeurs de l'Opéra de Lyon Opéra de Lyon: 26 et 28 septembre 2007 Théâtre des Champs Elysées: 30 septembre 2007 Des infos supplémentaires sur l'oeuvre, Ciofi, Pido et Tamar ici. En Mars 2008, pour l'année du Japon en France, Festival No, 4 opéras dédiés au pays du soleil levant: Lady Sarashina, en création mondiale (commande de l'Opéra de Lyon), opéra de Peter Eötvös (livret en anglais), mis en scène par Ushio Amagatsu (4, 7, 9, 11, 13 et 16 mars 2008), inspiré du journal de Lady Sarashina, poétesse de la Cour du Japon au XIe siècle pendant l'ère Heain, As I crossed a bridge of dreams. Hanjo, de Toshio Hosokawa, mis en scène par Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker (5, 9, 12 et 14 mars 2008), opéra de chambre, livret du compositeur (en anglais) d'après Hanjo, le dernier des Cinq Nô Modernes de Yukio Mishima, créé au festival d'Aix-en-Provence en 2004 The Curlew River, déjà évoqué ici, de Britten, dans la mise en scène de Py, dirigé par Georges Walker, qui sera donné au Théâtre des Célestins (bonjour l'acoustique) les 6, 8, 10 et 15 mars 2008 Der Jasager / Der Neinsager, de Kurt Weil (1930), livret de Weil d'après La Chute dans la vallée, conte japonais du XVe siècle, mis en scène par Richard Brunel, donné au théâtre d'Oullins en mars 2008 (en français) Des infos supplémentaires sur les oeuvres, etc... ici.

Présentation de la saison: Lundi 16 avril, 20h, entrée libre.

Sinon, la saison 2007-2008 du Liceu (Barcelone) est en ligne, de même que celle du Deutsche Oper (Berlin) et de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie (récapitulatif ici; à noter qu'ils proposent eux-aussi un Maria Stuarda avec Ciofi).

Hiatus

One thing I love about opera is that nobody ever agrees on anything. Take the recent performance of Angela Gheorghiu in Verdi's Traviata at the MET. Yesterday, I was reading this enthusiastic post. Today, the opposite;
" Gheorghiu's Violetta was, in its low key, medium voiced way, effective, but I felt there was something "patented" about it - emotions taken "out of the box" intact for this performance and then put back in, likewise intact, for the next outing.
The curtain calls were ridiculous and showed what might have been really going on in our Leading Lady's mind - all sorts of superannuated "little girl" scamperings, skippings, wavings etc.the public's Indulged Darling "in excelcis."
By the ovations she got you would have thought this woman combined the technical prowess of Sutherland (NOT!) with the interpretative genius of Callas (most definitely NOT!).
Maybe I've seen too much that has moved me as being genuine (as recently as Die Agyptische Helena on Friday and Banks, Vlasak-Nolen in La Donna del Lago on Saturday) to have responded to this kind of ersatz art. "

Stephen Charitan

[Ears openers] III. Maria Callas

Everything has already been said and written about La Callas.
So I’m not gonna add another enthusiastic post from another unconditional fan.


I just wanted to let you be the judge.
I’ve selected 4 extracts from YouTube, from the 4 major female roles in Italian opera; Amina in Bellini’s La Sonnambula, Lucia from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Norma from Bellini’s Norma and Violetta from Verdi’s La Traviata.


I’m giving you the YouTube version of Maria Callas I prefer, as well as the other version I fancy (from anyone but Callas).

There’s no brainstorming on these extracts for me.
However great the other singer is (and I must admit Ciofi as Lucia, Gheorghiu as Violetta and Dessay as Amina are pretty amazing), Maria Callas is still singing in another galaxy.




Amina – La Sonnambula – two extracts from two recitals of the same aria, “Ah! non credea mirarti”
The Callas recital, the 2006 New York performance of Natalie Dessay.





Lucia – Lucia di Lammermoor – two live performances of the Mad Scene.
The Callas 1955 live from Berlin (part one, part two), the 2006 Orange performance of Patrizia Ciofi (part one, part two).





Norma – Norma – two live performances of “Casta Diva”
The Callas 1955 Opening night at La Scala (sound only), the 1974 Orange performance of Montserrat Caballé.





Violetta – La Traviata – two live performances of “Sempre libera”
The Callas 1951 live from Mexico City (sound only), the 1994 Covent Garden performance of Angela Gheorghiu.


Further readings

- An article published in Time Magazine on Callas, written by Cecilia Bartoli
- Interviews of Maria Callas in French (1965 and 1969), extracts from the INA archives (other extracts here)

- French site exclusively about Maria Callas
- La Divina Maria Callas (in Italian and in English)
- listing of main sites about Callas

Monkey : Journey to the west

I knew it since several months. That Damon Albarn, former leader of Blur and Gorillaz, was composing an opera. The kind of news I'm kinda excited about (after all, I like Albarn's pop music) and real anxious at the same time (if his operatic try is a disaster). Things are getting real, now. The Manchester International Festival has announced its programmation for its first edition; Albarn's Monkey:Journey to the west will premiere on Sat. June 28th, 2007, and be played until July 8. Albarn's work, subtitled A circus opera for the 21st century (aren't you scared? just a little bit?), based on an ancient Chinese legend, will feature 45 Chinese circus acrobats, Beijing Opera actors & singers, and Shaolin martial artists (scared already?). In addition, there will be 15 Chinese and western musicians. Oh, and the "libretto" is in Madarin, with English surtitles. Still not scared? Are you sure? Director: Chen Shi-Zheng Design & animation: Jamie Hewlett (also a Gorillaz member) Lyrics: David Greenspan Designed and created by the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris in co-production with Manchester International Festival and the State Opera House, Berlin (Staatsoper Unter den Linden). Paris performances: opening of the 2007/2008 season, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 13 (15 performances).

[Ears openers] II. Ernest Blanc

One of the greatest French baritones, born Nov.1 1923, in Sanary-sur-Mer (near Toulon).



Ernest Blanc is one of those few singers I find unrivalled whatever role they’re singing.
Meaning, as soon as I hear their interpretation of one role, I find everyone else’s common and lacking something.


Ernest Blanc is beyond comparison.
Not only was his diction in French perfect, but his voice was magnificent.
Powerful, expressive, always right on the note, with an amazing consistency, perfect balance, extraordinary breath, unique dark timbre.




He learnt how to sing in the Conservatoire de Musique de Toulon, and made his debuts in Marseille in 1950 in Tonio.

His first role in Paris was Rigoletto in 1954; he sang in Lisbon (1958), was one of the only French singers ever invited to the Bayreuth Festival were he sang the role of Friedrich von Telramund in Lohengrin in 1958 and 1959 (with his wife Belgian mezzo-soprano Rita Gorr singing Ortrud in 1959); he also sang in Chicago and San Francisco (1959); La Scala and the Glyndebourne Festival (1960); Covent Garden in London (1961); the New York MET, the Berlin Deutsche Oper and Philadelphia (1963); Amsterdam (1964)...



Audio extract:

- "L'orage s'est calmé" from the beginning of Act III of Georges Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles - "O sainte médaille", Gounod's Faust (Valentin aria) (YouTube, audio) - "Maudite à jamais soit la race", Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila (YouTube, audio)



A few roles he sang in Paris :


1955 : Opéra Garnier, Les Indes Galantes, JP Rameau
1952 production, Louis Fourestier conducting

Jan. 22 -
Van Herck (Hébé), Couderc (Bellone), Chalanda (L'Amour), Vaillant (Osman), Jacqueline Brumaire (Emilie), Jean Giraudeau (Valère), Ernest Blanc (Huascar), Suzanne Juyol (Phani), Huylbrock (Don Carlos), Alain Vanzo (Tacmas), Noguera (Ali), Guilhard (Zaïre), Angelici (Fatime), Camille Rouquetty (Adario), Roger Gardes (Damon), Clavère (Don Alvar), Berthe Monmart (Zima)

Oct. 29 -
Christiane Castelli (Hébé), Bouvier (Bellone), Chalanda (L'Amour), Xavier Depraz (Osman), Cumia (Emilie), Jean Giraudeau (Valère), Ernest Blanc (Huascar), Suzanne Juyol (Phani), Georges Doré (Don Carlos), Alain Vanzo (Tacmas), Noguera (Ali), Denise Duval (Zaïre), Angelici (Fatime), Verdière (Adario), Nicolaï Gedda (Damon), Clavère (Don Alvar), Gisèle Desmoutiers (Zima)

Dec. 10 -
Renée Doria (Hébé), Couderc (Bellone), Chalanda (L'Amour), Xavier Depraz (Osman), Cumia (Emilie), Henri Legay (Valère), Ernest Blanc (Huascar), Melvat (Phani), Romagnoni (Don Carlos), Alain Vanzo (Tacmas), Noguera (Ali), Guilhard (Zaïre), Angelici (Fatime), Verdière (Adario), Roger Gardes (Damon), Clavère (Don Alvar), Gisèle Desmoutiers (Zima)


1956: August 24, Opéra Garnier, Rigoletto, Verdi, (French traduction of Édouard Duprez)
Pierre Dervaux conducting
Renée Doria (Gilda), Suzanne Lefort (Madeleine), Raphaël Romagnoni (duc de Mantoue), Ernest Blanc (Rigoletto), André Philippe (Monterone) Charles Paul (Ceprano) Gérard Serkoyan (Sparafucile)


1956 : Mozart’s Don Gionvanni, staged by José Beckmans, Jacques Marillier’s settings
Ernest Blanc (Don Giovanni), Louis Noguéra (Leporello), Régine Crespin (Donna Anna) and Jacqueline Brumaire (Donna Elvira).


1980 : Boris Godounov, Modeste Moussorgsky
Ruggero Raimondi, Virioca Cortez, Ernest Blanc & Roger Soyer



A few roles he sang elsewhere:


1959 (Dec. 10)
Carmen
Chicago
Lovro von Matacic conducting
Don José – Giuseppe di Stefano
Escamillo – Ernest Blanc
Carmen – Jean Madeira
Micaëla – Dorothy Warenskjold


1960 (Jan.2)
Carmen
Scala, Milano
Nino Sanzogno conducting
Don José – Giuseppe di Stefano
Escamillo – Ernest Blanc
Carmen – Giulietta Simionato
Micaëla – Gabriella Tucci





DISCOGRAPHY


Faust, Charles Gounod
1958 André Cluytens; Chœurs et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris
Victoria de los Angeles - Marguerite
Liliane Berton - Siébel
Rita Gorr - Marthe
Nicolai Gedda - Faust
Ernest Blanc - Valentin
Boris Christoff - Méphistophélès
Victor Autran - Wagner
HMW ALP 1721-4 (4 LP); EMI 769 983-2 (3 CD)


Lohengrin, Richard Wagner
1958 André Cluytens Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & chorus
Sándor Kónya - Lohengrin
Leonie Rysanek - Elsa
Kieth Engen - König Heinrich)
Ernest Blanc - Telramund
Astrid Varnay - Ortrud
Eberhard Waechter - Heerrufer
Réédition Myto 1994


Lohengrin, Richard Wagner
1959, Lovro von Matacic, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra & Chorus
Sandor Konya - Lohengrin
Elisabeth Grummer - Elsa
Eberhard Waechter - Heerrufer)
Ernest Blanc - Telramund
Rita Gorr - Ortrud
Franz Crass - König Heinrich
Golden Melodram


Carmen, Georges Bizet
1959 Thomas Beecham; Chœurs et Maîtrise de la Radiodiffusion Française, Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française
Victoria de los Angeles - Carmen
Nicolai Gedda - Don José
Janine Micheau - Micaëla
Ernest Blanc - Escamillo
Denis Monteil - Frasquita
Monique Linval/Marcelle Croisier - Mercédès
Jean-Christophe Benoit - Dancaire
Michel Hamel - Remendado
HMW SLS 5021; EMI 556 214-2 (3 CD)

"Ernest Blanc, doté d'une voix très ferme, parfois presque dure, ou du moins rude et authentiquement formée, n'en possédait pas moins, en plus de l'autorité déjà évoquée dans le message précédent, une véritable élégance, apanage nécessaire de l'opéra. Quiconque a rencontré la version Beecham de Carmen doit reconnaître que la trivialité du propos a ici fait place à la nuance, au goût, au phrasé impeccablement géré. Ses ornementations et appoggiatures des couplets d'entrée d'Escamillo, tantôt fines évocations à l'espagnolade, tantôt murmures flatteurs, ne laissent pas d'enchanter,contrairement aux attaques forte de ses collègues, même les plus méritants, faisant de ce toast aux suggestions semi-érotiques un air de bravoure aussi discret que "Di quella pira" chanté par le néanmoins admirable Del Monaco."
Extract from OperaCritiques

"Ernest Blanc’s manly aristocratic voice and style fits exactly Escamillo - he is unrivalled in this role."
Extract from here



Les Pêcheurs de perles, Georges Bizet
1960 Pierre Dervaux; Chœurs et Orchestre du Théâtre de l'Opéra Comique ParisJanine Micheau - Lëila
Nicolai Gedda - Nadir
Ernest Blanc - Zurga
Jacques Mars - Nourabad
EMI SLS 877 (2 LP); EMI 566 020-2 (2 CD)


Louise, Gustave Charpentier
Sylvain Cambreling, Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Belgique
Felicity Lott - Louise
Rita Gorr - La mère
Ernest Blanc - Le père
Erato 8573-82298-2


Iphigénie en Tauride , Christoph Willibald Gluck
1961 Georges Prêtre; Orchestre des Concerts du Conservatoire
Rita Gorr - Iphigénie
Ernest Blanc - Oreste
Nicolai Gedda - Pylade
Louis Quilico - Thoas
EMI 29 1241 1 (LP), EMI 5 73090 2 (CD)


Lakmé, Léo Delibes
1962 Jésus Etcheverry, Orchestre Les Solistes de Paris
Gérard - Nicolai Gedda/Alain Vanzo
Lakmé - Gianna d' Angelo/Renée Doria
Mallika - Jane Berbié
Nilakantha - Ernest Blanc/Adrien Legros
Accord 149164, Accord 220 642 (CD)


Samson et Dalila, Camille St-Saëns
1962, Georges Prêtre, chœurs René Duclos, Orchestre du Theatre National de L'Opera de Paris
Jon ViIckers, Rita Gorr, Ernest Blanc, Anton Diakov, Remy Corazza, Jacques Potier, Jean-Pierre Hurteau
EMI 0724356759824


I puritani, Vincenzo Bellini
1963 Richard Bonynge, American Opera Society Chorus and Orchestra Philadelphia
Joan Sutherland - Elvira
Nicolai Gedda - Arturo Talbo
Ernest Blanc - Riccardo Forth
Justino Diaz - Giorgio Valton
SRO 838 (2 CD) (Live Recording from Philadelphia Academy of Music, April 18, 1963)


Samson et Dalila, Camille St-Saëns
Live version
1964 Jean Fournet, Groot Omroepkoor, Radio Filarmonisch Orkest
Jon Vickers: Samson
Oralia Dominguez - Dalila
Ernest Blanc - Le Grand-Pretre
Henk Driessen - Abimelech
Peter van der Bilt - Un Viellard Hebreu
Live version from Amsterdam, February 29, 1964


Les Contes d’Hoffman, Jacques Offenbach
1964-65 Andre Cluytens, choeurs René Duclos, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Nicolaï Gedda - Hoffmann
George London - Coppélius, Miracle
Ernest Blanc - Dapertutto
Nicola Ghiuselev - Lindorf
Gianna d'Angelo - Olympia
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf - Giulietta
Victoria de Los Angeles - Antonia
Jean-Christophe Benoît - Nicklausse
Christiane Gayraud - La mère
Robert Geay - Crespel
Michel Sénéchal - Spalanzani
Jean-Pierre Laffage - Luther/Schlemil
Jacques Loreau - Andrès, Cochenille, Pitichinaccio, Frantz
André Mallabrera - Nathanaël
Jacques Pruvost - Hermann
EMI 0724356798359 (2CD)


L’Enfance du Christ, Hector Berlioz
1967 Andre Cluytens, choeurs René Duclos, Paris Conservatory Orchestra
Xavier Depraz, Remy Corazza, Bernard Cottret, Ernest Blanc, Victoria de Los Angeles, Roger Soyer, Nicolai Gedda


Herodiade, Jules Massenet
1974, David Lloyd-Jones, ORTF Lyric Orchestra
Pierre Thau, Michelle Martin, Nadine Denize, Ernest Blanc, Michel Philippe
Opera D'Oro ODO 1336, Released in 2002, Live recording May 12, 1974


Don Procopio, Georges Bizet
1975 Bruno Amaducci, Chœur et Orchestre Radio Lyrique de Paris
Jules Bastin - Don Procopio
Ernest Blanc - Don Andronico
Alain Vanzo - Don Odoardo
Robert Massard - Don Ernesto
Jean-Louis Soumagnas - Pasquino
Mady Mesplé - Donna Bettina
Lyliane Guitton - Donna Eufemia
MRF 177 (3 LP); UORC 297/Le Chant du Monde 278914 (1 CD) (extracts)


Djamileh, Georges Bizet
1975 Bruno Amaducci; Chœur et Orchestre Radio Lyrique de Paris
Christiane Eda-Pierre, Mady Mesplé, Ernest Blanc, Robert Massard
MRF 177 (Extracts)

Further readings:
- Wikipedia article (in French)

- From Abeille Musique Forum;
12-04-06 22:09
Ernest Blanc, qui doit habiter Toulon ou sa région, serait bien malade.
Ne l'oublions pas. Quelle voix et quelle diction !

Je viens de retrouver par hasard un article du Monde (17/18 déc 1978) suite à la reprise de Samson. Voici un extrait de cet article :
"ce qui... donne à cette série de représentations de Samson et Dalila une valeur exemplaire, c'est le retour d'Ernest Blanc dans ce rôle de Grand Prêtre.... Y a-t-il encore beaucoup de chanteurs français dont la diction soit aussi parfaite, qui sache joindre le mot à la musique, faisant rejaillir l'un sur l'autre selon les règles de la rhétorique ?... En l'écoutant chanter, on croit découvrir ce que devrait toujours être l'opéra."
Merci infiniment Monsieur Ernest Blanc.

[Ears openers] Introduction

Have you noticed how opera addicts tend to make a list of everything ? My ten favourite tenors, the 20 best sopranos, the 100 best singers ever, etc. ?
I have some issues doing that. Simply because the voice can change so quickly, for better or for worse, and also because opera is full of surprises. You might never know what you can discover, past or future performances.
Instead of yet another “top 10”, I’ve decided to start a new series, that I’ve untitled “ears openers”; people that have changed my vision of opera, hopefully with many more to come.
I’ve already written about Franco Corelli, who will be, for that matter, my first post of this series I’m launching.
A few names I often mention, on those to follow; Riccardo Muti, Maria Callas, Ernest Blanc, Nicolai Gedda, etc.

Faust, MET, March 17, 2007

And you, what did you do last evening ?
I personally listened to the MET live broadcast of Gounod’s Faust.


CAST

Marguerite: Ruth Ann Swenson
Siébel: Karine Deshayes
Faust: Ramón Vargas
Valentin: Hung Yun
Méphistophélès: Ildar Abdrazakov
Conductor: Maurizio Benini

Mary Sohl / Metropolitan Opera

The overall performance was good, not great, one of those I won’t probably remember in a couple of years.


Ramon Vargas, supposedly one of the best tenors in the world right now was a disappointment, especially in the first act, where, apart from his unimpressive skills to pronounce French properly, he had some bad notes here and there.
He was much better later on, but in the love act, the third one, he was not very credible either.


Hung Fun’s Valentin was equally average, with some problems on low notes especially at the enc of act four (when he dies).

Ildar Abdrazakov as Méphistophélès had some sparkles, as did Karine Deshayes singing Siébel.


Maurizio Benini gave a solid interpretation of Gounod’s score, cutting (as so often with this piece) the first scene of Act IV, as well as the first scene of Act V (a cut rarely done).
But, in my mind, Faust is one of these operas you can’t really conduct poorly, the score being so straightforward and coherent from beginning to end.


The real surprise for me was Ruth Ann Swenson, whose Marguerite was very unique and very attractive (though she had some problems at the end of long aria such as the Jewel song), a well-balanced mixture between her naïve moments and her dark side.






This MET’s production of Faust was created in 2005 by Andrei Serban and received a lot of critics. Further info in this NY Times article from Allan Kozinn.

Lucy Arner on Faust: "Simple is not simplistic".

"Rien à garder"

Amis parisiens, je n'ai pas fini de me gausser de vous.

Quelques extraits choisis de la critique de Renaud Machart, parue dans le Monde de ce jour, sur l'Ariodante de Haendel qui se joue actuellement au Théâtre des Champs Elysées ; " En 2005, au Festival d'art lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence, Lukas Hemlet avait donné un spectacle lyrique ridicule. C'était une Clémence de Titus, de Mozart, en toge, qu'on eût cru signé d'un apprenti metteur en scène désigné pour un spectacle d'une fin d'année scolaire. Mais certains assuraient que Hemleb était un grand metteur en scène de théâtre et que ce premier pas dans une grande institution lyrique n'était qu'un faux pas. Presque trois ans plus tard, l'Allemand signe un Ariodante, de Haendel, au Théâtre des Champs Elysées, à Paris. Et, le rideau baissé, la seule consolation est de filer au Bar des Théâtres, sis en face. Filer au bar, après un spectacle, est chose naturelle quand on y va pour fructifier l'expérience, la partager et la mettre en perspective. Quand on y court pour oublier, l'heure est grave. Bernanos, qui avait le sens du tragique, eût dit: "Dieu nous renonce." Qu'on le prenne par le début ou par la fin, ce spectacle est un désastre. Par le début? Un bouffon (du roi) exécute des simagrées qui disent qu'une lecture de biais va intervenir. (La plupart des metteurs en scène signalent leur regard "décalé" sur le legs ancien par des gestes critiques, donc bouffons.) Par la fin? Le bouffon, qui est danseur, est rejoint par une troupe lourdaude et peu inspirée, qui se tappe le cul par terre (littéralement, on l'assure), agite des mouchoirs et tente de donner sens à la chorégraphie d'Andrew George. (...) On aurait aimé dire que Dominique Bruguière eût été de taille à sauver cet Ariodante par ses belles lumières comme stupéfiées, aux tons blêmes d'un petit matin nauséeux. Mais c'était compter sans cette chorégraphie catastrophique, ces combinaisons en Lycra, ces couvre-chefs en forme de lustres dont on ne voudrait pas dans notre salon et ces girls chaussées de stilettos de Cesare Paciotti sur lesquels même le mannequin Naomi Campbell, reine du pas en biais, vacillerait. L'interprétation musicale, elle non plus, ne convainc pas. De la distribution, garnie de quelques stars peu probantes (...), on ne retient que Joël Azzaretti* et Topi Lehtipuu, seconds rôles mais frais et vrais. Le chef d'orchestre Christophe Rousset, fin musicien, dirige comme un pianiste accompagnerait à couvercle fermé. Trop réservé, trop subtil pour porter le message, qui l'est beaucoup moins, d'Ariodante. * entendue dans La Sonnambula de Bellini en novembre dernier à Lyon. France Musique retransmettra cet Ariodante samedi prochain, 24 mars, dans l'émission lyrique de Jérémie Rousseau.

Rehearsal

Photo Fred R. Conrad for The New York Times

Deborah Voigt in rehearsal for Strauss’s Ägyptische Helena

which she sings at the Metropolitan Opera tonight.


Strauss audio extracts on the NY Times page.


Further reading on the importance of Voigt to Strauss's music.

Elsewhere

” Apparently, our favorite bel canto diva, Anna Netrebko, is gracing the March issue of American Vogue once again. According to the fashion bible, Ms. Netrebko is this century's greatest soprano. What?!!!! Excuse me, while I vomit. “
Extract from there.

I love it!





Also, you can find here some pictures of the Massenet’s Manon at the Vienna State Opera, featuring Netrebko and Alagna, directed by Andrei Serban whose controversial Lucia opened the 2006-2007 season in Paris (with Natalie Dessay as Lucia). The Manon performances are conducted by Bertrand De Billy. Two more dates: March 16 and 19.

YouTube extracts are already available here (“Ah fuyez douce image” by Le Chevalier Des Grieux, aka Alagna), there (“En fermant les yeux”, duet between Des Grieux and Manon, aka Netrebko) and there (beginning of the first act, Des Grieux and Manon; Netrebko wearing not much is a joy to see, especially when she’s not singing).





Also, the MET is selling $100,000 tickets for its opening night next September with Natalie Dessay’s Lucia.
Yes $100,000, this is not a mistake.
For that price, the buyer doesn’t even get to spend the rest of the evening on a one on one with Dessay.
Alas, what’s the use?

Photo © Johan Jacobs

Also, March 9 saw the world premiere in Brussels of the first opera of Benoît Mernier, Frühlings Erwachen, based on the play by Frank Wedekind (1890).

Martine D. Mergeay’s review in La Libre Belgique is enthusiastic about everything she heard and saw during that evening (except for the first part of Act I she found annoying).
Some pictures of the production can be found here, along with the synopsis, and the cast.

The opera will be broadcast on Klara Radio on March.24 at 8pm (Paris time) and on Musiq'3 on April 1 at 8pm (Paris time).






Also, if you want to see Angela Gheorghiu singing a Romanian pop song (!) à la Céline Dion, check out this YouTube video.
And then, you can kill yourself after seeing the husband singing on Prime Time French TV La quête, from L’homme de la mancha, with Lara Fabian.

Seriously, how stupid can the couple Gheorghiu / Alagna get?