I know it has been eons since I lasted posted, but please keep in mind, I'm a full-time student (i.e. No money for new recordings or opera tickets, and precious few opportunities to actually attend an opera without serious academic consequences). But, there is still hope!
On January 27th, I managed to get out and see the New York Met's new Baroque pastiche, "The Enchanted Island." It sounded promising-- a Baroque pastiche (meaning songs and music by several different Baroque-era composers were jumbled together in an operatic gumbo) with a Shakespearean theme. The story involved the four lovers from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" crashing onto Prospero's Island, and it was to be performed by a stellar cast including my new favorite Luca Pisaroni (as Caliban). What's not to like, right?
Oh, if only you knew...
But then, that's why I write this blog. Well, let's get this thing started! Cast is as follows:
Sycorax--Joyce DiDonato, Soprano
Prospero--David Daniels, Counter-tenor
Ariel--Danielle de Niese, Soprano
Caliban--Luca Pisaroni, Baritone
Miranda--Lisette Oropesa, Soprano
Neptune--Plácido Domingo, Tenor
Ferdinand--Anthony Roth Costanzo, Counter-tenor (Yes, there were two!)
Helena--Lyla Claire, Soprano
Demetrius--Paul Appleby, Tenor
Hermia--Elizabeth DeShong, Mezzo-Soprano
Lysander--Elliot Madore, Baritone
Plus a chorus of mer-people who chill with Neptune and a full orchestra under the baton of William Christie.
So... I'll start with some good points. The authors of the pastiche chose absolutely stunning pieces. I was rather surprised, not usually being a big Baroque fan-- indeed, very pleasantly surprised. Also, I had never heard a counter-tenor before, so I was a little shocked at first to hear what sounded like a mezzo-soprano's voice coming from a middle-aged man's mouth. But after awhile, I could distinguish his voice as definitely masculine despite the high pitch. The costumes and sets were to die for! "Wild" characters like Caliban and Sycorax had touches like dreadlocks and feathers and beads and wore richly colored, sumptuous fabrics. Sycorax herself went through three separate costume changes over the course of the show. Miranda was clad in a flowing, Grecian gown and wore an armband with a few feathers and beads of her own. The four lovers of "A Midsummer's Night Dream" started out in delightful and charming 18th-century garb in sweet pastel shades. Ariel (my favorite character, other than perhaps Caliban) wore a neat little suit of feathers complete with mechanically bound wings, and later, a glorious gold chiton and headdress. I could go on, but I doubt you want me to, so I'll move on to sets. The sets consisted of a sort of archway that changed appearances with the assistance of projections-- sometimes it showed us Prospero's castle, sometimes a luxurious beach, sometimes a wild jungle, sometimes Sycorax's cave-like perch. It also transformed into the mysterious and alluring underwater realm of Neptune. How Neptune managed to sneak into a Shakespeare play, I don't know. But he's there, and it turned out pretty nicely. Another interesting and rather charming touch was that the prompter (a person who stands in a hidden booth downstage to "prompt" singers with queues) handed Ariel props in a playful and comical manner, much akin to a child's puppet show.
The performances were brilliant. Prospero was dark and serious and complicated, Sycorax, darker, more vengeful, yet oddly caring and protective over Caliban. Caliban himself was the best example of a sympathetic "antagonist:" bitter but pitiful. Personally, I've never seen Caliban as a villain per se. I felt empathy for Pisaroni's Caliban-- he could never get what he wanted, even when he created a dream world for himself. Also, his English diction was impeccable! I was very impressed. Ariel was especially fun. De Niese brought a Puckish, Tinkerbell-ish, perhaps even Papageno-ish energy to the role, and you could hear her laughter when she sang; she took joy in the role. It's refreshing to hear that joy again.
Well, there are also choices that weren't so great... For starters, the libretto. Oooooh, I had soo many issues with the libretto. The opera was Shakespearean-themed and set in the 18th century. However, author Jeremy Sams couldn't quite decide between Shakespearean and contemporary English in his "poetry." It's bad enough that this thing wasn't in Italian or something, but to be inconsistent with the language is always a really bad idea. Some of the lyrics were pretty enough, but every now and again I heard something like, "Duh!" or "O.K." or "Come on". Somewhere or other, Miranda and Lysander discover "We rhyme!" It was ridiculous and confusing. At another point, Lysander and Demetrius fight over Miranda, and one gives the other a nipple-twist. Now, my generation has acronyms for this level of confusion... I believe the letters "W-T-F" suit the situation rather nicely. There were a couple of other "WTF" moments in "The Enchanted Island." When Ferdinand was expected to show up, Prospero has a "Welcome Ferdinand" sign and some balloons strung up in the projections. When were ballons invented again? Oh yeah, 1824. Neptune's chorus of mermaids and underwater people consisted of a giant cardboard cut-out with the heads of the singers sticking out in various places. It looked laughable for the audience and uncomfortable for the singers. And as far as Neptune's involvement went, I was really confused by his attitude as a character. He seemed like the god we all know him to be at first: powerful, old as time, pissy at mankind, etc. But he would pause after griping about how men treated the sea (perhaps Sams wanted a little environmentalist preaching?) and say something along the lines of, "Oh, I'm just a grumpy old man. Pardon my whining." No, Neptune! You have reasons to be mad at humans-- stick to your guns! You're not some senile old man, you're the god of the sea!! Another thing that confused me is that Prospero seems utterly distracted with getting ready for Ferdinand's arrival. We do not see Ferdinand until well into Act II. Couldn't we have gotten a glimpse of the guy near the end of Act I as a teaser?
I went to "The Enchanted Island" with an open mind. A new Baroque pastiche! Based on "The Tempest" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream"! The idea had so much promise. But I'm afraid it is my opinion that the New York Met's little experiment did not live up to the potential it had.
I shall post one more blog of gripes, this one concerning "Ernani," and then, we shall come to a happier note about this year's production of "L'Elisir D'Amore."
Until then, I remain
Your friend and fellow opera-lover,
~R.M.
Showing posts with label Placido Domingo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Placido Domingo. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
...But save the Troubadour!
Hi, there! I know I skipped last week-- please, don't throw anything at me-- I was rather sick, and having a long day. Heck, I've been having a lot of long days this week!
So, anyway, this week I want to write about Verdi's "Il Trovatore," "The Troubadour." Considered one of Verdi's three greatest operas (the other two being "Rigoletto" and "La Traviata"), this dark and dramatic work was written in 1854. Verdi, of course, was known for using very dark themes in his operas, and I'd say this one about tops the scale in that regard; it tells "A story of gypsy vengeance and mistaken identity." Set in 16th-century Spain, the opera is divided into four "Parts:" "The Duel," "The Gypsy," "The Gypsy's Son," and "The Ordeal." The opera opens as Count de Luna's guards tell the tale of his sad past: the Count once had a brother who, while still a baby, grew sick. An old gypsy woman who was found near the baby's cradle was accused of cursing him and burned at the stake, but the gypsy's daughter stole the Count's baby brother. A child's skeleton was found in the ashes of the flame the gypsy had burned in, but the Count's father insisted that the baby boy was still alive and made the Count swear never to stop looking for his brother. Next, we see the Count's preparations to woo the fair Leonora thwarted by his enemy, the Troubadour Manrico, who Leonora is in love with. Leonora comes out of her chambers, and in the darkness mistakes the Count for the Troubadour. A bit of hectic madness ensues, the misunderstanding is cleared up between Manrico and Leonora, but Count de Luna demands a fight, and Manrico is willing to give him satisfaction. The two go off to have a duel, and the first "Part" ends. In the next part, a bandaged Manrico and a caravan of gypsies are seen working merrily away to the tune of a very famous chorus, "Chi de gitano" or the "Anvil chorus." But their merriment does not last long; Azucena, an old gypsy woman, sings a haunting aria narrating the death of her mother, who was burned at stake [*HINT HINT HINT*]. Azucena then can only repeat the words her mother said before she died: "Avenge me! Avenge me!" The gypsies leave to seek other amusements, leaving Azcena and Manrico alone. Manrico asks his mother what is the matter, and she tells an even darker tale as she goes through the finer details of what happened the day her mother was burned. Moments later, Manrico receives intelligence that Leonora, who thinks Manrico is dead, is about to join a nunnery. Despite his mother's warnings, Manrico leaves to stop Leonora before he loses her forever. Little does he know that the Count is already there, poised to kidnap Leonora. Manrico, however, has brought help, and the Count's forces are outnumbered. Manrico wins the day and takes Leonora back to his hideout. Thus ends the second part.
Phew... *stretches* Two more parts to go. Deep breath! On we go!
So... Third part: Azucena wanders off to look for Manrico and gets captured by Count de Luna, who recognizes her as the gypsy who stole his baby brother. He imprisons her, plotting revenge. Meanwhile, Manrico and Leonora are preparing to be married, when someone comes and tells Marnico that De Luna is planning on burning Azucena at stake. Manrico rushes off to go save his mother, and the third part ends. And now, the finale. The fourth and last act opens with Leonora and one of Manrico's comrades outside de Luna's castle. Manrico has been captured, and de Luna intends to execute him as well as the gypsy. Leonora has come to see if she can reason with de Luna and save Manrico. She finds de Luna and pleads with him to no avail. "Kill me, drink my blood, trample my corpse, but save the Troubadour!" She says, but the Count will not comply. Finally, she kneels down and offers herself to the Count in exchange for Manrico's life. The Count is all too eager to accept that bargain, and makes her swear to it. While the Count arranges Manrico's release, Leonora drinks a dose of poison she had hidden in her ring, and says in sottovoce, "You will have me... but cold and dead!" Meanwhile, Manrico and Azucena are contemplating their respective demises in their prison cell. Azucena fears the stake more than anything in the world, but Manrico manages to get her to lie down and sleep, to dream of happy times. Then, Leonora comes in and attempts to convince Manrico to leave, but he will not go without her. He suspects that she has sold the love she swore was his. He curses her for her infidelity, but she keeps trying to get him out, until she faints and explains, "I chose to die yours rather than live as another's." Manrico immediately repents of his accusations, and the Count, having entered in the background, sees that Leonora has betrayed him. As Leonora breathes her last, the Count sends Manrico to the stake. Just then, Azucena wakes up, and tries to stop the Count from killing Manrico-- minutes too late. "He was your brother!" She cries, "Mother, you are avenged!" The Count, horrified, screams, "And I must live on!" and the opera ends.
Wow. That took really long. Would you have ever guessed that Manrico was the Count's long-lost brother?? [*wink*] So, some notes about the opera: the "Anvil Chorus," Azucena's aria "Stride la Vampa," Manrico's arias "Ah, si, Ben Mio" and "Di Quella Pira" and the Count's aria "Il Balen del Suo Sorriso" are all very famous. The duet between the Count and Leonora in the fourth act is pretty standard amongst singers specializing in Verdi, too. But I think these songs are all better when you hear them in context. Verdi once said that in order for a production of "Il Trovatore" to be successful, "All you need are the four greatest singers in the world." So, what recording do I have to offer you today?
Here it is, folks! The RCA Victor 1970 recording of "Il Trovatore" starring Placido Domingo in the title role, Leontyne Price as Leonora, Fiorenza Cossotto as Azucena, and Sherrill Milnes as the Count de Luna. Zubin Mehta conducts the New Philharmonia Orchestra and John McCarthy directs the Ambrosian Opera Chorus.
This collection of recordings, as far as I have experienced, is fabulous. Great casts, excellent sound quality, and very reasonably priced. Heck, the recording of "I, Pagliacci" from this series only costs $8 new on Amazon! I think this one was $11 or maybe $15. Either way, the RCA Victor Opera Treasury collection is great, so if you find other operas from it, they'll probably be really good purchases. Let's talk about the cast...
As I have said, I love Placido Domingo. He is not only a great singer but a marvelous actor. His performance here is so incredible-- it's mostly what made me fall in love with this recording (I rented it from a library before I owned it).
Fiorenza Cossotto is absolutely amazing as Azucena. Her voice is dark and mysterious, with a great vibrato, good consistency, and good heavens, what control! She sounds haunting without sounding cold. She's a great singer, and she is perfect for this role.
I have always had a fondness for Sherrill Milnes. A lot of people say he sang incorrectly for a long time (which is true-- I've heard it in videos on Youtube), but in all the studio recordings I have of him, he sounds great. He is as versatile and as great at acting as Domingo. He's very reliable as baritones go, and he does a great job as the Count.
Hm... Leontyne Price... I like her voice, and she has a great range, etc. etc. etc., but I don't think she's the greatest Leonora. I feel like Price's voice is a little bit dark for the role, or maybe her voice was just stressed during the recording session. Her high notes sound stressed and a bit stretched out to me, but no weaker than her lower-register bits, which is a good thing. Price's voice is stable, powerful, and flexible. She's not half bad as Leonora, but I would definitely recommend that you explore Youtube, etc., and listen to other Leonoras first. Sandra Radvanovsky is a good one, for example. But, this recording is still fantastic, and I highly recommend it! The chorus is wonderful, the conducting is wonderful, and all around, it's just a beautiful recording of "Il Trovatore."
With that, I bid you farewell until next week.
Your friend and fellow opera-lover,
~R.M.
So, anyway, this week I want to write about Verdi's "Il Trovatore," "The Troubadour." Considered one of Verdi's three greatest operas (the other two being "Rigoletto" and "La Traviata"), this dark and dramatic work was written in 1854. Verdi, of course, was known for using very dark themes in his operas, and I'd say this one about tops the scale in that regard; it tells "A story of gypsy vengeance and mistaken identity." Set in 16th-century Spain, the opera is divided into four "Parts:" "The Duel," "The Gypsy," "The Gypsy's Son," and "The Ordeal." The opera opens as Count de Luna's guards tell the tale of his sad past: the Count once had a brother who, while still a baby, grew sick. An old gypsy woman who was found near the baby's cradle was accused of cursing him and burned at the stake, but the gypsy's daughter stole the Count's baby brother. A child's skeleton was found in the ashes of the flame the gypsy had burned in, but the Count's father insisted that the baby boy was still alive and made the Count swear never to stop looking for his brother. Next, we see the Count's preparations to woo the fair Leonora thwarted by his enemy, the Troubadour Manrico, who Leonora is in love with. Leonora comes out of her chambers, and in the darkness mistakes the Count for the Troubadour. A bit of hectic madness ensues, the misunderstanding is cleared up between Manrico and Leonora, but Count de Luna demands a fight, and Manrico is willing to give him satisfaction. The two go off to have a duel, and the first "Part" ends. In the next part, a bandaged Manrico and a caravan of gypsies are seen working merrily away to the tune of a very famous chorus, "Chi de gitano" or the "Anvil chorus." But their merriment does not last long; Azucena, an old gypsy woman, sings a haunting aria narrating the death of her mother, who was burned at stake [*HINT HINT HINT*]. Azucena then can only repeat the words her mother said before she died: "Avenge me! Avenge me!" The gypsies leave to seek other amusements, leaving Azcena and Manrico alone. Manrico asks his mother what is the matter, and she tells an even darker tale as she goes through the finer details of what happened the day her mother was burned. Moments later, Manrico receives intelligence that Leonora, who thinks Manrico is dead, is about to join a nunnery. Despite his mother's warnings, Manrico leaves to stop Leonora before he loses her forever. Little does he know that the Count is already there, poised to kidnap Leonora. Manrico, however, has brought help, and the Count's forces are outnumbered. Manrico wins the day and takes Leonora back to his hideout. Thus ends the second part.
Phew... *stretches* Two more parts to go. Deep breath! On we go!
So... Third part: Azucena wanders off to look for Manrico and gets captured by Count de Luna, who recognizes her as the gypsy who stole his baby brother. He imprisons her, plotting revenge. Meanwhile, Manrico and Leonora are preparing to be married, when someone comes and tells Marnico that De Luna is planning on burning Azucena at stake. Manrico rushes off to go save his mother, and the third part ends. And now, the finale. The fourth and last act opens with Leonora and one of Manrico's comrades outside de Luna's castle. Manrico has been captured, and de Luna intends to execute him as well as the gypsy. Leonora has come to see if she can reason with de Luna and save Manrico. She finds de Luna and pleads with him to no avail. "Kill me, drink my blood, trample my corpse, but save the Troubadour!" She says, but the Count will not comply. Finally, she kneels down and offers herself to the Count in exchange for Manrico's life. The Count is all too eager to accept that bargain, and makes her swear to it. While the Count arranges Manrico's release, Leonora drinks a dose of poison she had hidden in her ring, and says in sottovoce, "You will have me... but cold and dead!" Meanwhile, Manrico and Azucena are contemplating their respective demises in their prison cell. Azucena fears the stake more than anything in the world, but Manrico manages to get her to lie down and sleep, to dream of happy times. Then, Leonora comes in and attempts to convince Manrico to leave, but he will not go without her. He suspects that she has sold the love she swore was his. He curses her for her infidelity, but she keeps trying to get him out, until she faints and explains, "I chose to die yours rather than live as another's." Manrico immediately repents of his accusations, and the Count, having entered in the background, sees that Leonora has betrayed him. As Leonora breathes her last, the Count sends Manrico to the stake. Just then, Azucena wakes up, and tries to stop the Count from killing Manrico-- minutes too late. "He was your brother!" She cries, "Mother, you are avenged!" The Count, horrified, screams, "And I must live on!" and the opera ends.
Wow. That took really long. Would you have ever guessed that Manrico was the Count's long-lost brother?? [*wink*] So, some notes about the opera: the "Anvil Chorus," Azucena's aria "Stride la Vampa," Manrico's arias "Ah, si, Ben Mio" and "Di Quella Pira" and the Count's aria "Il Balen del Suo Sorriso" are all very famous. The duet between the Count and Leonora in the fourth act is pretty standard amongst singers specializing in Verdi, too. But I think these songs are all better when you hear them in context. Verdi once said that in order for a production of "Il Trovatore" to be successful, "All you need are the four greatest singers in the world." So, what recording do I have to offer you today?
Here it is, folks! The RCA Victor 1970 recording of "Il Trovatore" starring Placido Domingo in the title role, Leontyne Price as Leonora, Fiorenza Cossotto as Azucena, and Sherrill Milnes as the Count de Luna. Zubin Mehta conducts the New Philharmonia Orchestra and John McCarthy directs the Ambrosian Opera Chorus.
This collection of recordings, as far as I have experienced, is fabulous. Great casts, excellent sound quality, and very reasonably priced. Heck, the recording of "I, Pagliacci" from this series only costs $8 new on Amazon! I think this one was $11 or maybe $15. Either way, the RCA Victor Opera Treasury collection is great, so if you find other operas from it, they'll probably be really good purchases. Let's talk about the cast...
As I have said, I love Placido Domingo. He is not only a great singer but a marvelous actor. His performance here is so incredible-- it's mostly what made me fall in love with this recording (I rented it from a library before I owned it).
Fiorenza Cossotto is absolutely amazing as Azucena. Her voice is dark and mysterious, with a great vibrato, good consistency, and good heavens, what control! She sounds haunting without sounding cold. She's a great singer, and she is perfect for this role.
I have always had a fondness for Sherrill Milnes. A lot of people say he sang incorrectly for a long time (which is true-- I've heard it in videos on Youtube), but in all the studio recordings I have of him, he sounds great. He is as versatile and as great at acting as Domingo. He's very reliable as baritones go, and he does a great job as the Count.
Hm... Leontyne Price... I like her voice, and she has a great range, etc. etc. etc., but I don't think she's the greatest Leonora. I feel like Price's voice is a little bit dark for the role, or maybe her voice was just stressed during the recording session. Her high notes sound stressed and a bit stretched out to me, but no weaker than her lower-register bits, which is a good thing. Price's voice is stable, powerful, and flexible. She's not half bad as Leonora, but I would definitely recommend that you explore Youtube, etc., and listen to other Leonoras first. Sandra Radvanovsky is a good one, for example. But, this recording is still fantastic, and I highly recommend it! The chorus is wonderful, the conducting is wonderful, and all around, it's just a beautiful recording of "Il Trovatore."
With that, I bid you farewell until next week.
Your friend and fellow opera-lover,
~R.M.
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