Friday, November 27, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
La Bartoli at the Concertgebouw!
10/11/2009
Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Il Giardino Armonico, cond. by Giovanni Antonini
Programme (vocally speaking only, the fair amount of musical intermezzos were not listed anywhere and remain unidentifiable)
1. Vinci ‘Cervo in bosco’
2. Broschi ‘Chi non sente al mio dolore’
3. Porpora ‘In braccio a mille furie’
4. Porpora ‘Parto, ti lascio, o cara’
5. Porpora ‘Come nave in mezzo all’onde’
6. Leo ‘Qual farfalla’
7. Araia ‘Cadrò, ma qual si mira’
Interval
8. Porpora ‘Usignolo sventurato’
9. Graun ‘Misero pargoletto’
10. Caldara ‘Quel buon pastor son io’
11. Vinci ‘Quanto invidio la sorte … Chi vive amante’
12. Porpora ‘Nobil onda’
Encores:
13. Handel ‘Lascia la Spina'
14. Broschi ‘son qual nave’
This was my very first Cecilia Bartoli concert and to be honest, I was kind of nervous. Bartoli holds a special place in my musical affections, simply because she was probably the first singer I ever consciously heard and could identify (this may have had something to do with the parental units being fans). At any rate, I was nervous because I was afraid her voice wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I had read it was pretty small, and since my seats were second row all the way to the side (and thus not directly in an optimal area projection-wise), I was kind of afraid I wouldn’t be able to hear a thing. So imagine my joy at discovering that my seats did not turn out to mar my hearing of La Bartoli’s voice at all and that her singing surpassed my expectations!
This may have in part been influenced by the amounts of rehearsal time that had gone into this concert tour: at a certain point, Antonini brought down the volume of the orchestra to almost a mere whisper, which allowed Bartoli to give us a beautiful, audible and sustained pianissimo. This is what I can only call the fruit of perfect collaboration.
The gems of the evening were, to me, the slower pieces. Although the faster arias showcased Bartoli’s technical prowess fully (and that of the castrati the pieces were written for), I tend to find that they, in some cases, display more ‘show’ than ‘substance’. I was, on the other hand, deeply moved by the more slow, sweet and slightly melancholy pieces such as ‘Quel buon pastor son io’ – my personal favourite of the Sacrificium repertoire.
The orchestra also gave us some musical intermezzos while Bartoli was adjusting the wardrobe (we’ll come to that in a minute…), and another highlight of the evening was to be found when Antonini laid down his baton in favour of a flute and performed like he was a rock star!
Speaking of the wardrobe – I absolutely loved it. No fancy designer dresses for La Bartoli here, but costumes that actually matched the theme of the concert. She started out in some sort of cape with hat to match, and removed props as the concert went on, ending up in black trousers, a white shirt with frills and riding boots. That is, until the very end, when she had done a very speedy wardrobe change into something else - an orange peacock-like dress that wasn’t a dress entirely since the black trousers and riding boots were still present. This probably reflected the effeminate image of the castrati, and of course ended the concert with a bang. Anyway, see my photos below for an impression.
So, the concert was absolutely spectacular, one of those rare ‘you really had to be there’ kind of nights. Only after a couple of days did the smile that got stuck on my face because of this concert disappear. So, if Bartoli’s up for an Amsterdam concert again next year (and I’m hoping she is!), I will certainly be there!
Afterwards, there was a signing session with an extremely long line – luckily I found myself in the middle of it, so I did manage to catch the last tram and train. It was really wonderful to see how much Cecilia appreciates her fans. We were told she would not be shaking hands due to H1N1, but when she saw two young fans (early teens), she jumped up and kissed them! I also had a brief chat with her (in English, it’s amazing how well she speaks that language nowadays) and she dedicated my Sacrificium CD to me personally and signed a photograph of her I had brought. Maestro Antonini also signed my Sacrificium CD, and I left for home very much a happy girl.
Rating: 5/5 (if only I could give 6/5)
Cecilia wearing her more masculine castrato costume
Cecilia in her more feminine outfit
About to start singing the Handel encore
Cecilia and Maestro Antonini signing
And my copy of Sacrificium!
Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Il Giardino Armonico, cond. by Giovanni Antonini
Programme (vocally speaking only, the fair amount of musical intermezzos were not listed anywhere and remain unidentifiable)
1. Vinci ‘Cervo in bosco’
2. Broschi ‘Chi non sente al mio dolore’
3. Porpora ‘In braccio a mille furie’
4. Porpora ‘Parto, ti lascio, o cara’
5. Porpora ‘Come nave in mezzo all’onde’
6. Leo ‘Qual farfalla’
7. Araia ‘Cadrò, ma qual si mira’
Interval
8. Porpora ‘Usignolo sventurato’
9. Graun ‘Misero pargoletto’
10. Caldara ‘Quel buon pastor son io’
11. Vinci ‘Quanto invidio la sorte … Chi vive amante’
12. Porpora ‘Nobil onda’
Encores:
13. Handel ‘Lascia la Spina'
14. Broschi ‘son qual nave’
This was my very first Cecilia Bartoli concert and to be honest, I was kind of nervous. Bartoli holds a special place in my musical affections, simply because she was probably the first singer I ever consciously heard and could identify (this may have had something to do with the parental units being fans). At any rate, I was nervous because I was afraid her voice wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I had read it was pretty small, and since my seats were second row all the way to the side (and thus not directly in an optimal area projection-wise), I was kind of afraid I wouldn’t be able to hear a thing. So imagine my joy at discovering that my seats did not turn out to mar my hearing of La Bartoli’s voice at all and that her singing surpassed my expectations!
This may have in part been influenced by the amounts of rehearsal time that had gone into this concert tour: at a certain point, Antonini brought down the volume of the orchestra to almost a mere whisper, which allowed Bartoli to give us a beautiful, audible and sustained pianissimo. This is what I can only call the fruit of perfect collaboration.
The gems of the evening were, to me, the slower pieces. Although the faster arias showcased Bartoli’s technical prowess fully (and that of the castrati the pieces were written for), I tend to find that they, in some cases, display more ‘show’ than ‘substance’. I was, on the other hand, deeply moved by the more slow, sweet and slightly melancholy pieces such as ‘Quel buon pastor son io’ – my personal favourite of the Sacrificium repertoire.
The orchestra also gave us some musical intermezzos while Bartoli was adjusting the wardrobe (we’ll come to that in a minute…), and another highlight of the evening was to be found when Antonini laid down his baton in favour of a flute and performed like he was a rock star!
Speaking of the wardrobe – I absolutely loved it. No fancy designer dresses for La Bartoli here, but costumes that actually matched the theme of the concert. She started out in some sort of cape with hat to match, and removed props as the concert went on, ending up in black trousers, a white shirt with frills and riding boots. That is, until the very end, when she had done a very speedy wardrobe change into something else - an orange peacock-like dress that wasn’t a dress entirely since the black trousers and riding boots were still present. This probably reflected the effeminate image of the castrati, and of course ended the concert with a bang. Anyway, see my photos below for an impression.
So, the concert was absolutely spectacular, one of those rare ‘you really had to be there’ kind of nights. Only after a couple of days did the smile that got stuck on my face because of this concert disappear. So, if Bartoli’s up for an Amsterdam concert again next year (and I’m hoping she is!), I will certainly be there!
Afterwards, there was a signing session with an extremely long line – luckily I found myself in the middle of it, so I did manage to catch the last tram and train. It was really wonderful to see how much Cecilia appreciates her fans. We were told she would not be shaking hands due to H1N1, but when she saw two young fans (early teens), she jumped up and kissed them! I also had a brief chat with her (in English, it’s amazing how well she speaks that language nowadays) and she dedicated my Sacrificium CD to me personally and signed a photograph of her I had brought. Maestro Antonini also signed my Sacrificium CD, and I left for home very much a happy girl.
Rating: 5/5 (if only I could give 6/5)
Cecilia wearing her more masculine castrato costume
Cecilia in her more feminine outfit
About to start singing the Handel encore
Cecilia and Maestro Antonini signing
And my copy of Sacrificium! Saturday, November 21, 2009
Ah, the Elisir at DNO
DNO – Het Muziektheater
Attended: 6/11/2009
Adina – Valentina Farcas
Nemorino – Dmitry Korchak
Belcore – Tommi Hakala
Il dottor Dulcamara – Lucio Gallo
Gianetta – Renate Arends
Nederlands Kamerorkest, cond. Daniele Callegari
Directed by: Guy Joosten
I was always convinced that it is extremely difficult, if not entirely impossible, to ruin a Donizetti opera. Now, that faith had been rather extremely shaken last January, when I witnessed two singers of some stature break down in an opera house of, well, some stature as well (i.e. Villazon and Netrebko in the Met Lucia di Lammermoor). Anyway, that’s beside the point. The actual point that I’m trying to make here is that a production such as this promised to be a crazy travesty. Just have a look at the trailer:
But you know what, it was an absolutely GREAT travesty that actually worked! I really enjoyed it from the first minute to the very last. The focus of the production – Dulcamara as some sort of slick salesman straight out of a RAI studio, attended by showgirls and boys – actually worked. It was recognizable, yet crazy, and somehow really resonated with what we know from various shopping channels etc. We started to understand how the entire village comes to believe in the powers of a bottle of bordeaux. The important thing, however, is that the glitter and glamour didn’t constantly take up the scene: there was certainly plenty of room (and relative calm) for developing the Adina-Nemorino love story more or less credibly.
The singing was amazing, and the surprise of the evening came in the form of Dmitry Korchak (Nemorino). It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he is on his way to a very successful career in opera. His una furtiva lagrima was really as great as one could hope – even his long-held pianissimos just soared through the hall. Now to the other cast members: I had heard Romanian soprano Valentina Farcas (Adina) last year in die Fledermaus (Adele) and I have to say that her singing is almost palpably getting better and better. She treated us to some amazing singing (and the Adina attitude to match!), so only praise here as well. Lucio Gallo (Dulcamara) also deserves nothing but praise. Certain Youtube material from very long ago (heck, it stars the man singing Dulcamara to Pavarotti’s Nemorino) had me sort of worrying: the voice sounded tired and strained. But whatever that was, it luckily seems to have passed away, for Gallo really brought down the house. Unfortunately, Gallo won’t be here for the second run of Elisir in June/July, but he will be singing Jack Rance in La Fanciulla del West next month (an entirely different role, which I hope he will pull off as successfully as he did this one). Tommi Hakala did his job very well, but didn’t shine as much as the others did (although he certainly did not drown). Renate Arends also did well, but Gianetta is such a small role that it’s difficult to really comment on. The only problem that does need some attention is that maestro Callegari was out of sync with the singers early on in the opera, and some tempi simply went a bit awry.
So, if anyone were to ask me whether or not they should go to L’Elisir in June/July, I’d definitely say ‘YES’. Heck, I’ve even got my July tickets at the ready!
Rating: 4/5
My reviews of La Bartoli (WOW!) and Salome (er…yeah) will be coming shortly!
Adina (Farcas) and Nemorino (Korchak) post-Nemorino's sip of the elisir.
Attended: 6/11/2009
Adina – Valentina Farcas
Nemorino – Dmitry Korchak
Belcore – Tommi Hakala
Il dottor Dulcamara – Lucio Gallo
Gianetta – Renate Arends
Nederlands Kamerorkest, cond. Daniele Callegari
Directed by: Guy Joosten
I was always convinced that it is extremely difficult, if not entirely impossible, to ruin a Donizetti opera. Now, that faith had been rather extremely shaken last January, when I witnessed two singers of some stature break down in an opera house of, well, some stature as well (i.e. Villazon and Netrebko in the Met Lucia di Lammermoor). Anyway, that’s beside the point. The actual point that I’m trying to make here is that a production such as this promised to be a crazy travesty. Just have a look at the trailer:
But you know what, it was an absolutely GREAT travesty that actually worked! I really enjoyed it from the first minute to the very last. The focus of the production – Dulcamara as some sort of slick salesman straight out of a RAI studio, attended by showgirls and boys – actually worked. It was recognizable, yet crazy, and somehow really resonated with what we know from various shopping channels etc. We started to understand how the entire village comes to believe in the powers of a bottle of bordeaux. The important thing, however, is that the glitter and glamour didn’t constantly take up the scene: there was certainly plenty of room (and relative calm) for developing the Adina-Nemorino love story more or less credibly.
The singing was amazing, and the surprise of the evening came in the form of Dmitry Korchak (Nemorino). It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he is on his way to a very successful career in opera. His una furtiva lagrima was really as great as one could hope – even his long-held pianissimos just soared through the hall. Now to the other cast members: I had heard Romanian soprano Valentina Farcas (Adina) last year in die Fledermaus (Adele) and I have to say that her singing is almost palpably getting better and better. She treated us to some amazing singing (and the Adina attitude to match!), so only praise here as well. Lucio Gallo (Dulcamara) also deserves nothing but praise. Certain Youtube material from very long ago (heck, it stars the man singing Dulcamara to Pavarotti’s Nemorino) had me sort of worrying: the voice sounded tired and strained. But whatever that was, it luckily seems to have passed away, for Gallo really brought down the house. Unfortunately, Gallo won’t be here for the second run of Elisir in June/July, but he will be singing Jack Rance in La Fanciulla del West next month (an entirely different role, which I hope he will pull off as successfully as he did this one). Tommi Hakala did his job very well, but didn’t shine as much as the others did (although he certainly did not drown). Renate Arends also did well, but Gianetta is such a small role that it’s difficult to really comment on. The only problem that does need some attention is that maestro Callegari was out of sync with the singers early on in the opera, and some tempi simply went a bit awry.
So, if anyone were to ask me whether or not they should go to L’Elisir in June/July, I’d definitely say ‘YES’. Heck, I’ve even got my July tickets at the ready!
Rating: 4/5
My reviews of La Bartoli (WOW!) and Salome (er…yeah) will be coming shortly!
Adina (Farcas) and Nemorino (Korchak) post-Nemorino's sip of the elisir. 
Il Dottore's (Gallo) entrance!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Strauss' Salome with a happy end?
I received a letter in the mail today, from DNO, concerning their Salome I bought tickets for months ago. For the record, DNO never sends letters about their upcoming productions. So why this letter?
Well, apparently, "the world's most friendly and advanced audience" [meaning the Dutch], will get to see "something spectacular" by German director Peter Konwitschny, who happens to be "world-famous and respected everywhere". Konwitschny "objects to the male gaze-ifying of this one woman", and has, with that in mind, come up with something "never seen before". Through the newspaper, we were also informed that Konwitschny has been battling severe depression for 4 years now, and that this is his first 'comeback production'.
So...what's up with Konwitschny's Salome, then?
Well, Jochanaan doesn't get decapitated. Instead, he falls in love with Salome, and she with him, and in the end, they walk away very much the happy couple.
WOT? This is really going to be the most insane stuff DNO has ever done.
So why the letter? Is this meant as a pre-emptive strike against booing? Against angry mobs asking their money back? Even the most lenient and friendly audience must have its limits, right? And why does the newspaper article dwell on the director's depression? Why do we have to know that? Again a pre-emptive strike against booing? Pity the director, he's been through so much?
Personally, I'm torn between curiosity (how do you even reach a happy end without some serious libretto twisting? Will people get angry?) and affront (seriously, my first live Salome should be a proper Salome, decapitation and all - and how far can you go in redoing the operas we know and love? What's next? A Traviata that has Violetta living and stabbing both Germonts in an avid attempt to avoid objectification by males?).
I really didn't like the 'revised' ending of I Puritani last year that much - Arturo returned, but got shot by Riccardo and died as Elvira went back to being mad. But at least that only concerned the final 5 minutes of an opera that - let's be honest - has a less-than-credible end to start with. What are we going to have to experience/endure with such a much more revised Salome?
Salome will premiere next Tuesday (10 November), and I've got tickets for Friday 13th....
Well, apparently, "the world's most friendly and advanced audience" [meaning the Dutch], will get to see "something spectacular" by German director Peter Konwitschny, who happens to be "world-famous and respected everywhere". Konwitschny "objects to the male gaze-ifying of this one woman", and has, with that in mind, come up with something "never seen before". Through the newspaper, we were also informed that Konwitschny has been battling severe depression for 4 years now, and that this is his first 'comeback production'.
So...what's up with Konwitschny's Salome, then?
Well, Jochanaan doesn't get decapitated. Instead, he falls in love with Salome, and she with him, and in the end, they walk away very much the happy couple.
WOT? This is really going to be the most insane stuff DNO has ever done.
So why the letter? Is this meant as a pre-emptive strike against booing? Against angry mobs asking their money back? Even the most lenient and friendly audience must have its limits, right? And why does the newspaper article dwell on the director's depression? Why do we have to know that? Again a pre-emptive strike against booing? Pity the director, he's been through so much?
Personally, I'm torn between curiosity (how do you even reach a happy end without some serious libretto twisting? Will people get angry?) and affront (seriously, my first live Salome should be a proper Salome, decapitation and all - and how far can you go in redoing the operas we know and love? What's next? A Traviata that has Violetta living and stabbing both Germonts in an avid attempt to avoid objectification by males?).
I really didn't like the 'revised' ending of I Puritani last year that much - Arturo returned, but got shot by Riccardo and died as Elvira went back to being mad. But at least that only concerned the final 5 minutes of an opera that - let's be honest - has a less-than-credible end to start with. What are we going to have to experience/endure with such a much more revised Salome?
Salome will premiere next Tuesday (10 November), and I've got tickets for Friday 13th....
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Renée Fleming and RPO at the Concertgebouw
Renée Fleming and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra cond. by Charles Dutoit
Concertgebouw Amsterdam
Before the concert
After a wonderfully-played Romeo and Juliet overture, Renée Fleming appeared on stage, and started to sing the letter scene from Eugene Onegin. Beautifully done, but horridly drowned by the orchestra. Low notes had to be more or less mentally filled in. Renée's mouth was moving, but my ears just didn't register anything. High notes were more audible, but the overall balance just sucked. Maybe, but unlikely, it was just my part of the hall that was unlucky. I guess the real problem was the lack of rehearsal (or even sound checking) in the hall, and getting the 'feel' of it.
Photographing crowds storming at Renée down in the hall
Renée receiving applause and flowers
Renée signing programmes, cds etc.
Renée signing my sister's cd booklet.
Amsterdam, October 31 2009
Programme:
Tchaikovsky
(1) Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-overture
(2) Letter scene from Eugene Onegin
(3) Polonaise from Eugene Onegin
Leoncavallo
(4) "Musette svaria sulla bocca viva" (La Bohème)
(5) "Mimì Pinson la biondinetta" (La Bohème)
Giordano
(6) "Nel Suo Amore" (Siberia)
Puccini
(7) "Sola, Perduta, Abbandonata" (Manon Lescaut)
Encore:
(8) "O Mio Babbino Caro" (Puccini - Gianni Schicchi)
Interval
Dvořák
(9) Symphony no. 9 "From the New World"
Concertgebouw AmsterdamSo, last night I went to Renée Fleming's concert in Amsterdam. I didn't quite know the programme (it seemed liable to change a lot, so it was something of a surprise what we were going to get), but I was expecting lots of verismo, as that is the title of her latest album. And it really was an amazing concert, if not for two 'buts'. 'But' no.1: Renée didn't sing that much (let alone verismo). 'But' no.2: The Royal Philharmonic and Renée were not entirely 'balanced', with the orchestra at times drowning Renée's voice (especially in the Eugene Onegin letter scene).
Before the concert
After a wonderfully-played Romeo and Juliet overture, Renée Fleming appeared on stage, and started to sing the letter scene from Eugene Onegin. Beautifully done, but horridly drowned by the orchestra. Low notes had to be more or less mentally filled in. Renée's mouth was moving, but my ears just didn't register anything. High notes were more audible, but the overall balance just sucked. Maybe, but unlikely, it was just my part of the hall that was unlucky. I guess the real problem was the lack of rehearsal (or even sound checking) in the hall, and getting the 'feel' of it.
Photographing crowds storming at Renée down in the hallFortunately, the Italian arias required less orchestral 'violence', so they were more audible (and Renée's voice wasn't drowned anymore). First, we got the two arias from Leoncavallo's Bohème. Beautiful gems, but as everyone who has listened to Fleming's verismo album knows, they're very short. Then we got the beautiful 'Nel suo amore', also from the verismo album. Again, beautifully done. Last, we got 'Sola, Perduta, Abbandonata' - this one especially was amazingly done.
Renée receiving applause and flowersI was counting on 2-3 encores, to be honest, because I felt the verismo part of the concert was pretty meagre as it was. I was thinking 'Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì' and Suor Angelica's 'Senza Mamma' at the very least - nothing like closing off a concert with some Puccini hits, right? Well, we got a Puccini hit alright - "O mio babbino caro", amazingly sung. The house fell into an adorational frenzy. Unfortunately, that was apparently all the encore we were going to get. After the interval Fleming had disappeared from sight, and although we got a beautiful New World Symphony, it was a pity the main draw (Fleming) was missing.
Renée signing programmes, cds etc.
But Fleming hadn't left the house yet - she was to have a signing session after the concert. Knowing the Dutch as people who generally don't give a damn about this stuff, I had sort of expected only a small group of hardcore fans to show up at the signing. Boy, was I wrong! It was a complete massacre! I guess almost a bit too insane for my tastes. Nevertheless, it was worth it - I waited my turn and got my programme and verismo cd signed. So did my sister. After about half an hour, the crowds had thinned a bit, and I could take some decent pictures of La Fleming signing.
Renée signing my sister's cd booklet. All in all, a great concert, but too short when it came to its main draw (Fleming), and not 'balanced' enough volume-wise. But don't mistake me - I had a very good time and would go again if I could. I'm just hoping next time Renée will sing a bit more.
Next up: Friday 6th L'Elisir d'Amore, Tuesday 10th Cecilia Bartoli (I'm pretty sure she has had enough time to really balance things out with Il Giardino Armonico, and that she will sing the amount of arias the main draw of a concert is supposed to sing - so, very much looking forward to it!), Friday 13th Salome.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Dido and Aeneas in Amsterdam
Henry Purcell (composer), Nathum Tate (librettist)
Dido And Aeneas
October 3, 2009
Venue: Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
Company: DNO
Directed by: Deborah Warner
Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie
Dido - Malena Ernman
Aeneas - Luca Pisaroni
Belinda - Judith van Wanroij
Second Woman - Lina Markeby
Sorceress - Hilary Summers
First Witch - Céline Ricci
Second Witch - Ana Quintans
Spirit - Marc Mauillon
Sailor - Ben Davies
Pictures and Trailer (c) DNO
Dido and Aeneas is an opera that is difficult in its simplicity. The story is simple enough: Dido is in love with Aeneas. Aeneas reciprocates the feeling. Stirred on by Belinda, Dido's confidante, they hit it off and go hunting. Meanwhile, a group of witches gathers and they decide on ruining Dido by separating her from Aeneas by - hark! hark! - conjuring a spirit, letting him pretend to be Mercury with a command from the gods (namely that Aeneas leave Carthage at once). The spirit appears to Aeneas, who immediately agrees to sail off. Aeneas then breaks the news to Dido, who gets rather distressed. Aeneas then offers to stay anyway ("I'll stay!"), but Dido does not want him anymore ("away, away!"). Aeneas sails off and Dido dies (from poison in this production). And all that in 60 minutes at the very most. Which is, honestly, impossible to pull of credibly.
So it's all the more surprising that Deborah Warner actually pulled off a credible Dido and Aeneas: in this production, it is highlighted that, for Dido, it's all or nothing. Dido also seems to know beforehand that, if she gets involved with Aeneas, it's doomed to end badly. So, we get to really understand her, and sympathize with her. We see a Dido who is initially trying to protect herself from heartache, then - advised by her confidante Belinda - decides to give it her all, and then - when she learns that Aeneas really wants to leave her - harshly sends him off to sea and herself off to death by means of the bottle of poison she has been carrying around all along, 'just in case'. So, a lot of credit goes to the mezzo Malena Ernman, who proved herself an amazing singer and actress (and whose "When I am laid..." was thoroughly heartbreaking).
To the Hills and the Vales...
Praise should also be given to Luca Pisaroni (Aeneas), who's almost starting to become DNO's resident early music baritone (which is, by the way, a very good thing - artists of his calibre, reliability and acting abilities are hard to come by). Aeneas is a tiny role, but Pisaroni managed to fill it out as much as possible. Incredible though it may seem, we also got to understand a bit of Aeneas. Aeneas is utterly charming, tosses around alluring smiles everywhere, but for him the relationship with Dido is in the end just a summer love, a fling, not meant to go too deep and not meant to last. When he's called away, it doesn't bother him - the only thing he worries about is how to break the news to Dido. If anything, Aeneas wants to avoid problems.
Dido and Aeneas fiddling around
Dido And Aeneas
October 3, 2009
Venue: Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
Company: DNO
Directed by: Deborah Warner
Les Arts Florissants conducted by William Christie
Dido - Malena Ernman
Aeneas - Luca Pisaroni
Belinda - Judith van Wanroij
Second Woman - Lina Markeby
Sorceress - Hilary Summers
First Witch - Céline Ricci
Second Witch - Ana Quintans
Spirit - Marc Mauillon
Sailor - Ben Davies
Pictures and Trailer (c) DNO
Dido and Aeneas is an opera that is difficult in its simplicity. The story is simple enough: Dido is in love with Aeneas. Aeneas reciprocates the feeling. Stirred on by Belinda, Dido's confidante, they hit it off and go hunting. Meanwhile, a group of witches gathers and they decide on ruining Dido by separating her from Aeneas by - hark! hark! - conjuring a spirit, letting him pretend to be Mercury with a command from the gods (namely that Aeneas leave Carthage at once). The spirit appears to Aeneas, who immediately agrees to sail off. Aeneas then breaks the news to Dido, who gets rather distressed. Aeneas then offers to stay anyway ("I'll stay!"), but Dido does not want him anymore ("away, away!"). Aeneas sails off and Dido dies (from poison in this production). And all that in 60 minutes at the very most. Which is, honestly, impossible to pull of credibly.
So it's all the more surprising that Deborah Warner actually pulled off a credible Dido and Aeneas: in this production, it is highlighted that, for Dido, it's all or nothing. Dido also seems to know beforehand that, if she gets involved with Aeneas, it's doomed to end badly. So, we get to really understand her, and sympathize with her. We see a Dido who is initially trying to protect herself from heartache, then - advised by her confidante Belinda - decides to give it her all, and then - when she learns that Aeneas really wants to leave her - harshly sends him off to sea and herself off to death by means of the bottle of poison she has been carrying around all along, 'just in case'. So, a lot of credit goes to the mezzo Malena Ernman, who proved herself an amazing singer and actress (and whose "When I am laid..." was thoroughly heartbreaking).
To the Hills and the Vales...Praise should also be given to Luca Pisaroni (Aeneas), who's almost starting to become DNO's resident early music baritone (which is, by the way, a very good thing - artists of his calibre, reliability and acting abilities are hard to come by). Aeneas is a tiny role, but Pisaroni managed to fill it out as much as possible. Incredible though it may seem, we also got to understand a bit of Aeneas. Aeneas is utterly charming, tosses around alluring smiles everywhere, but for him the relationship with Dido is in the end just a summer love, a fling, not meant to go too deep and not meant to last. When he's called away, it doesn't bother him - the only thing he worries about is how to break the news to Dido. If anything, Aeneas wants to avoid problems.
Dido and Aeneas fiddling aroundThe witches, although intentionally incredibly over the top, were quite nice. In their case, the music was handled quite flexibly, probably in order to reinforce their almost fairy tale-like quality ("Look at me! I'm an evil witch! I want death and destruction!"). Belinda, Dido's confidante, was also well-sung and well-acted: she is portrayed as the type of woman who only reads trashy romance novels and gets excited when she can actually help Dido and Aeneas on their way to what she probably thinks will be their happy end. And to top it off, all this under the musical auspices of the beautifully-playing Les Arts Florrisants conducted by baroque guru William Christie - one would almost think things couldn't be done better.
The one point of criticism I have on this production, though, is the incorporation of the group of little schoolgirls that runs around, screams and dances in between the acts. Seriously - why? Okay, I get why: the opera was probably composed for an all-girls school, so it's nice to see that the performance history of the work is taken into account as well. Nevertheless, it didn't quite work out (perhaps due to lack of rehearsal time?) - the girls were kind of confused all the time as to what their next move was going to be, and had to be constantly guided on stage by a number of adults (which, to be quite honest, looked quite silly and unprofessional - like witnessing a ballet lesson, it's only fun for the parents of the children in question). But we'll let it slip as just a minor issue of this production.
Furthermore, as you can probably see, the sets and the dresses were absolutely lavish, and really helped to increase the impact of the opera. The set could, by just a slight adjustment in lighting and props, be made to complement the atmosphere completely - light and meadow-like when Dido and Aeneas are hunting and frolicking, desolate and cold when Dido is dying.
The production's trailer on Youtube
A last thing that slightly bothered me (and does not really relate directly to the production) was that this production was ousted from the Muziektheater by Michel van der Aa's After Life to the much smaller Stadsschouwburg (DNO could have figured that more people were going to want to see Dido and Aeneas than After Life, so it would have made more sense had they swapped venues - D&A sold out in mere days, while After Life needed incessant marketing in order to attract visitors). Well, live and learn, I guess (or perhaps they had a very good reason, one never knows). All in all, I had an amazing evening (although I still think it was a bit too short, and some sort of double bill - with, say, something else by Purcell, could have been pulled off).
Coming Early November: Lots of write-ups on lots of performances! (Renée Fleming's concert, L'Elisir d'Amore at DNO, Cecilia Bartoli's concert and Salomé at DNO - November is going to be a good month for Amsterdam!).
Monday, October 5, 2009
La Juive Revisited
Believe it or not, but I have been to La Juive at the Muziektheater again. Not because I bought tickets for another performance, but because I actually won two tickets (yes, I actually WON something - the last time I won something (a Victorian mansion, Playmobile style) was when I was ten years old). Instead of just giving away the tickets (which probably would have been the noble thing to do), I decided to go again myself and maybe get the chance to 'reconsider' some things.
And I did. Somehow (and I don't think it's just due to the amazing seats I got!), I got to appreciate the magnificent performance each and every single cast member delivered more. Because they did deliver! Even the weak link of the previous performance I attended, Dennis O'Neill, was in a very good vocal shape this evening, and provided a more credible Eléazar (of course within the limits of the character's credibility). I also got the feeling that some elements in the cast's acting had been adapted - it seemed that at least a bit of the rigidity of the tableaux vivants had been thrown out of the window.
Of course, the essential weaknesses of the opera and production remained: the story was still over the top (in a negative sense) - some characters, no matter how much the singers tried to enliven them, simply remain inexorably flat. The production - martians included - remained ineffective, and eerily strange.
So, all in all, I was glad to see the production again, and I have warmed to it somewhat. What I really hope is that Annick Massis has enjoyed her time and performances in Amsterdam enough to return in the near future for, say, the title role in Lucia - her extremely agile, beautiful and warm voice (and, of course, her prowess in the role) would make for an amazing reprisal of DNO's Lucia production.
Coming up soon: my review of DNO's Dido & Aeneas
And I did. Somehow (and I don't think it's just due to the amazing seats I got!), I got to appreciate the magnificent performance each and every single cast member delivered more. Because they did deliver! Even the weak link of the previous performance I attended, Dennis O'Neill, was in a very good vocal shape this evening, and provided a more credible Eléazar (of course within the limits of the character's credibility). I also got the feeling that some elements in the cast's acting had been adapted - it seemed that at least a bit of the rigidity of the tableaux vivants had been thrown out of the window.
Of course, the essential weaknesses of the opera and production remained: the story was still over the top (in a negative sense) - some characters, no matter how much the singers tried to enliven them, simply remain inexorably flat. The production - martians included - remained ineffective, and eerily strange.
So, all in all, I was glad to see the production again, and I have warmed to it somewhat. What I really hope is that Annick Massis has enjoyed her time and performances in Amsterdam enough to return in the near future for, say, the title role in Lucia - her extremely agile, beautiful and warm voice (and, of course, her prowess in the role) would make for an amazing reprisal of DNO's Lucia production.
Coming up soon: my review of DNO's Dido & Aeneas
Monday, September 7, 2009
La Juive at DNO: A disappointing season opener in Amsterdam
Fromental Halévy (composer), Eugene Scribe (librettist)
La Juive (The Jewess)
4 September 2009, Het Muziektheater Amsterdam
directed by: Pierre Audi
Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest (Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra), conducted by Carlo Rizzi
Rachel - Angeles Blancas Gulin
Le Juif Éléazar - Dennis O’Neill
Léopold - John Osborn
La Princesse Eudoxie - Annick Massis
Le Cardinal Jean-François de Brogni - Alastair Miles
"Darling dearest, I have a horrible secret to tell you!" - "What is it?" - "I'm a Christian!" - "Noooooo!"
The set designer seems to have been drunk.
Éléazar surrounded by Martians.
La Juive (The Jewess)
4 September 2009, Het Muziektheater Amsterdam
directed by: Pierre Audi
Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest (Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra), conducted by Carlo Rizzi
Rachel - Angeles Blancas Gulin
Le Juif Éléazar - Dennis O’Neill
Léopold - John Osborn
La Princesse Eudoxie - Annick Massis
Le Cardinal Jean-François de Brogni - Alastair Miles
All producion photos displayed here are (c) DNO
A forgotten grand (and tragic) opera as a grand season opener, that must have been DNO's intention. And indeed, the cast they had assembled was more than up to the task, and so was the orchestra, conducted by Carlo Rizzi. I was very hopeful and enthusiastic (one might even say slightly hyper) when I went to the Muziektheater for La Juive's first night. If we fast forward about an hour, I am yawning. If we fast forward another hour, I am having a hard time to keep myself from bursting into uncontrolled laughter. If we fast forward yet another hour, I am frowning (which, in my case, can be a sign of an extremely pensive mood or just plain boredom. In this case, the latter). If we fast forward yet another hour, I am looking at my watch impatiently for Éléazar and his daughter to die already. So, what went wrong?
Éléazar (Dennis O'Neill) and Rachel (Angeles Blancas Gulín) spending some quality father-daughter time.
Let's start with the opera itself. It's grand (obviously). Halévy has put in everything you can imagine: A te deum, a ballet (which was unfortunately absent from this production), and a funeral march, just to name a few things. Rather a postmodern-ish (avant la lettre, of course) collage, one could say. Musically speaking, the opera isn't all bad. The melodies are quite easy on the ear, and here and there, there's pure musical beauty to be found. However, these musical strokes of genius are rare, and most of the time, the tunes simply don't stick. The length of the opera (4.5 hours, even with cuts!) doesn't help either: there's a constant struggle going on to keep the audience interested, and when the opera finally gets to "Rachel, quand du Seigneur" (one of its most popular arias), it's too little, too late.
"Darling dearest, I have a horrible secret to tell you!" - "What is it?" - "I'm a Christian!" - "Noooooo!"However, in my opinion, we can't blame Halévy entirely for the opera's eventual - dare we say it? - mediocrity. Eugene Scribe has really delivered a shoddy libretto. The story can't be easily summarized, but I'll give it a try anyway: Éléazar is a Jew who hates Christians and is in turn hated by Christians. His daughter Rachel (who isn't really his daughter, but his archenemy the Cardinal's daughter, although nobody except for Éléazar knows this - the Cardinal thinks his daughter died in a fire, and the daughter is kept in a not so blissful ignorance for the entire length of the opera) is in love with a guy who is in love with her as well. Ah, the love story sounds familiar. Well, no: the guy Rachel is in love with is really some married Christian prince who likes to dress up as a Jew in order to get Rachel into his bed (while still having a happy marriage with princess Eudoxie on the side). At any rate, Rachel figures out he's a Christian. She doesn't exactly like that, and neither does her father, but they get his blessing to get married anyway. Then Prince Léopold suddenly runs off. Rachel follows him, and when she discovers she has only served as a cheap side dish, all hell breaks loose. Rachel accuses Léopold of having had relations with a Jewess (which, apparently, in 1414 Konstanz, meant a death sentence)! Léopold, Rachel and Éléazar (why Éléazar as well?!) are locked up and condemned to death. Rachel is visited in prison by Léopold's idiotically loyal wife, who begs Rachel to testify that Léopold is innocent of adultery (hmm... right). Rachel, out of sheer love for this enigmatic player, agrees to do it, and Léopold is let off the hook. The cardinal wants to show some mercy to Rachel (with whom he feels an incomprehensibly vague connection) and Éléazar, if only Éléazar converts to Christianity. Éléazar refuses, so he ends up facing his death by means of a pot with cooking oil, but not before he has told the cardinal that the girl that just stepped into the oil before him was actually the cardinal's daughter.
Rachel discovers a nasty secret about the fiancé she was about to run off with.
At any rate, the story has some Merchant of Venice-like potential, if treated well in the Libretto-writing process. Scribe has really messed up in this respect. The characters don't think, don't explore their own psyches. They just blurt out random things. For instance, at moments of life or death, they spiral into theological discussions (or rather, statements): "Mais le Dieu qui t'appelle est un Dieu redoutable!" - "Non, le Dieu de Jacob est le seul véritable!"("But the God that calls you is a vengeful God!" - "No, the God of Jacob is the only real God!" - and so on, and so on). It may be very interesting as a depiction of (even 21st-century) religious extremism, but dramatically speaking it's incredibly boring.
The set designer seems to have been drunk.
Éléazar surrounded by Martians.Unfortunately, the Audi production only aggravates the tediousness of the opera. Let's not even discuss the sets (I cannot even fathom what it was supposed to represent - two bridge-like constructions adorned with crystal-like stalactites drooping down from them?), or try to understand why martians and other aliens crowded the stage. I don't hate modern productions, I just hate it when modern productions turn into incomprehensible travesties while the director remarks dry-eyed that everything is constructed around one central idea (in the case of La Juive, intolerance).
Furthermore, this production hinged on static poses (probably also meant to express the central idea of intolerance somehow). So, it all boiled down to having to watch a more or less static image for 4.5 hours, which, in this case, was horribly dull. Not that it was the singers' fault - especially Angeles Blancas Gulín (Rachel) managed to make the most out of the static poses Audi had put her in. And I know, from seeing her as Lucia in Rome, that Annick Massis (Eudoxie) can act as though it is the most natural thing in the world. At any rate, the staticity of this production was what really turned La Juive into a stale and utterly dull opera: it only highlighted how flat and uninteresting the characters of La Juive really are.
And that is a pity, because the singers really sang beautifully. Annick Massis' amazing vocal acrobatics were incredible, Angeles Blancas Gulín really impressed with the passion she managed to convey through her voice, John Osborn - with all high notes in place - delivered magnificently as well. Alistair Miles as the Cardinal - with all low notes in place - was a bit shaky here and there, but gave an overall solid performance as well. I am in two minds about Dennis O'Neill, who really sang passionately and in tune (as he is supposed to do, obviously), but had to gasp for air mid-aria a couple of times.
All in all, an ambitious season opener that fell horribly flat, partly due to the opera itself, and partly due to the staging that managed to highlight all the opera's flaws. So, better luck next time, I hope, when DNO stages Dido and Aeneas.
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