Jared wrote:An interesting post, Pepe... primarily because I also watched Cav & Pag at the weekend, (my first ever) and found it very interesting. I was particularly compelled by how art imitated life in the Pagliacci story, which seemed in some way to influence Il Tabarro. The version I 'won' on ebay at a bargain price was:
I didn´t buy that Blu Ray because I read some baffling reviews about Gian Carlo del Monaco´s production. I read that the Prologue of Pagliacci is performed before Cavalleria, which is quite simply atrocious, I can only imagine what both Mascagni and Leoncavallo might have said about that.
I like Violeta Urmana a lot, so I imagine she sings a good Santuzza, but tenor Vincenzo La Scola to put it kindly is quite simply a put off.
If you ever have the chance get the MET´s 1978 Cav/Pag with singers really capable of singing their roles and a sensitive Franco Zeffirelli production. It is throughly enjoyable. Also worth having is the mid 60´s Karajan/La Scala productions filmed like cinema, in a studio not the stage, but with glorious performances from Jon Vickers (Canio) and Fiorenza Cossotto (Santuzza).
As you will see from my facebook page, last night I went to the Courtyard to see the new production of Mozart's 'La Clemenza di Tito', his final opera, written during the last summer of his life. Returning to the form of 'Opera Seria', Mozart looks at the 'clemency' of the Roman emperor Titus, toward Vitellia and Sesto, who misguidedly plot against him. It is a very human and indeed humane opera, which I enjoyed a good deal.
I thought Dino Starcevic's production, set in costume contemporary to Mozart, against a backdrop of Roman architecture, was very well done... unfussy and certainly not overly done. I particularly liked the ship 'sailing' to the back of the stage to take Berenice home. The cast was very fine, especially Elina Garanca and Barbara Frittoli. It was also very good to see Lucy Crowe, our home-grown soprano and Glyndebourne and ROH regular, making her Met debut here... in the mid session interval, she finished her inverview with Susan Graham, dressed as a late enlightenment meringue, by sending her love to her mum and dad who would be watching the production from the cinema in Burton-On-Trent! Priceless..
Oh, and Susan graham was characteristically charming, insightful and entertaining...
Jared wrote:
....last night I went to the Courtyard to see the new production of Mozart's 'La Clemenza di Tito', his final opera, written during the last summer of his life. Returning to the form of 'Opera Seria', Mozart looks at the 'clemency' of the Roman emperor Titus, toward Vitellia and Sesto, who misguidedly plot against him. It is a very human and indeed humane opera, which I enjoyed a good deal....
I would be curious to know Jared how you find the experience overall of "going out to see" a production compared to viewing it at home (leaving out the "social" side of things)?
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
The Met are now putting on a series of 12 operas per season (Sept-Apr) as live screenings in Cinemas around the world. These are incredibly well done, and give the viewer as near concert experience as is possible, as well as an opportunity to learn a little more about the opera, but the way the operas are staged... ideal for the learner, like me.
When I arrive, I am given a typed up Synopsis to read, before the lights go down. The live screenings commence at the same time everywhere, all are in HD with stunning camera work. We are introduced to the opera by the host for the evening, Renee Fleming, Susan Graham, Deborah Voigt, Joyce Didonato etc, who tells us a little of what we are about to witness. The intervals are 30 mins long, where you can head to the bar if you like, however these are broken into 3 sections. The first 10 mins will be brief interviews with the main cast, the 2nd 'intermission' winds the clock down, whilst you see the stage hands setting up the new props for the 2nd half, usually with a rush against time, then the host commences for the final 10 minutes with interviews with other cast members and maybe the conductor and set director.
the set of 12 operas will always contain a Mozart, Verdi & Puccini (apparently) but of course will vary greatly from season to season, and will include 4 or 5 new productions, as well as 7 or 8 from recent years.
I can't speak for anyone else of course, but I have to say that as a complete novice, I am learning a lot from the experience, as opera for me has to be about the complete package; the set, costumes, orchestra and atmosphere as well as the soloists... that's the way I am going to get to understand and appreciate it for what it is, and I have to say I wish the facility had been available in my youth; maybe I would have a different, more enlightened view of the art form now....
Cheers for that Jared. They do them over here sometimes but I have never attended one; perhaps I will in the future based on what you have written above!
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Jared wrote:well, to resurrect this little thread.
As you will see from my facebook page, last night I went to the Courtyard to see the new production of Mozart's 'La Clemenza di Tito', his final opera, written during the last summer of his life. Returning to the form of 'Opera Seria', Mozart looks at the 'clemency' of the Roman emperor Titus, toward Vitellia and Sesto, who misguidedly plot against him. It is a very human and indeed humane opera, which I enjoyed a good deal.
I thought Dino Starcevic's production, set in costume contemporary to Mozart, against a backdrop of Roman architecture, was very well done... unfussy and certainly not overly done. I particularly liked the ship 'sailing' to the back of the stage to take Berenice home. The cast was very fine, especially Elina Garanca and Barbara Frittoli. It was also very good to see Lucy Crowe, our home-grown soprano and Glyndebourne and ROH regular, making her Met debut here... in the mid session interval, she finished her inverview with Susan Graham, dressed as a late enlightenment meringue, by sending her love to her mum and dad who would be watching the production from the cinema in Burton-On-Trent! Priceless..
Oh, and Susan graham was characteristically charming, insightful and entertaining...
Just a question Jared, where did you get the "Dino Starcevic" name? La Clemenza di Tito is a production from the late Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, one of the finest opera directors ever, and the sets and the costumes were also designed by him. This production dates back from the mid 70´s and was first seen at the Salzburg Festival. Ponnelle himself made a TV film of it with the also late Tatiana Troyanos and James Levine conducting (it´s available on dvd).
Since I was present on the November 16 performance which was broadcast on pay-per-listen radio I can say that Garanca was absolutely wonderful, warm, lovely beyond words. Lucy Crowe had a big success in the small role of Servilia. Her little aria was a moment of true Mozart magic and the audience absolutely adored her. Her voice is maybe too small for the MET, but singing Mozart you are always on the safe side. Giuseppe Filianoti was a good Tito despite some trouble with the fioriture. Harry Bicket did a splendid job, convincing the orchestra of some period manners, he got as close-as-you-can-get to a Freiburger Barockorchester sound with a modern orchestra. Big applause for him too.
The one disappointment was Barbara Frittoli as Vitellia. This is one of the most difficult roles in all Mozart operas because he asks for a wide tessitura, and poor Frittoli just couldn´t deliver. To see how the role should be sung go to Julia Varady in either Böhm´s or Gardiner´s recordings (how wonderful for her to have recorded Clemenza twice with such two Mozartians!).
But all in all it was a marvelous Clemenza di Tito. Garanca alone would have make it memorable.
Jose Echenique wrote: Harry Bicket did a splendid job, convincing the orchestra of some period manners, he got as close-as-you-can-get to a Freiburger Barockorchester sound with a modern orchestra. Big applause for him too.
yes, he was interviewed by Susan during the interval, and she asked him about the extent of HIP he was bringing to the orchestra; he said he didn't want to change things much given their quality and tradition. He said he initially trained there under James Levine and was in awe of their knowledge, so the changes were going to be very slight.
Jose Echenique wrote: Harry Bicket did a splendid job, convincing the orchestra of some period manners, he got as close-as-you-can-get to a Freiburger Barockorchester sound with a modern orchestra. Big applause for him too.
yes, he was interviewed by Susan during the interval, and she asked him about the extent of HIP he was bringing to the orchestra; he said he didn't want to change things much given their quality and tradition. He said he initially trained there under James Levine and was in awe of their knowledge, so the changes were going to be very slight.
I don´t think the changes were that "slight". It was amazing to hear the orchestra play Ballo one night, with the typical Verdi sound, and Clemenza the next with very little vibrato and period articulation. The wonderful thing is that they did it so naturally. I wouldn´t be surprised that in a decade they will be playing XVIII Century operas in period instruments like the Zürich Opera is doing now. By the way, the did use a corno di bassetto for Vitellia´s aria instead of a clarinet.
