NY City Opera performed an uncut LUCIA with Sills that included the Ravenswood last act. The recent Met production did not serve the Opera well (cute Photo-Flash) Wedding. Callas, Sutherland and Gruberova were all outstanding. Thanks for your efforts here, colleagues have also enjoyed your work too.
I need to check that out! And thank you Daniel, for your feedback and contributions. I truly appreciate your support and continued feedback as we work to learn, evolve and and grow this newsletter into something special that people enjoy can eventually, love!
I would also recommend a look at Berlioz. I am convinced that many of his works were really intended for the stage as Opera's. In fact, I produced and directed a production of L'Enfance du Christ at the Park theatre that works beautifully as Opera. Berlioz loved the stage but was terrified by bad reviews. Berlioz started renaming them as Oratorio, Dramatic Symphony like his Damnation of Faust (which The Met staged) and Romeo & Juliet. Actually they were all innovative stage works but not French opera per se.
I am going to dig into Berlioz a bit more this week and you are clearly reading my mind because I have been listening to Flicka sing Berlioz (and Cendrillon) non stop all day - French week is coming up
Wonderful. I heard Shirley Verrett and Jon Vickers premiere LES TROYENS at The Met. They were overwhelming and unforgettable. BENVENUTO CELLINI in Andrei Serban's production with Marcello Giordani revealed Berlioz' profound love for Italy with the Roman Carnival. Colin Davis was a great Berliozian as well
Dame Joan Sutherland's performance in the "Mad Scene" from Act III of Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" (Royal Covent Garden, London) was a mind-boggling, 21-minute journey through the incredible colors and athleticism of her phenomenal gifts. I will listen to it again and again. This alone could have earned her the nickname "La Stupenda". I will check out the other renowned artists because you've recommended them, but I have a feeling that this is what they call in Spanish "el colmo". Thumbs up (and some throat lozenges) to those who have embraced bel canto style and technique.
I enjoyed all four renditions of Donizetti's “Regnava nel silenzio” and “Quando rapito in estasi,” from Act I of "Lucia di Lammermoor". I wandered over to Joyce DiDonato's master class after listening to Maria Callas. While trying to follow her instruction, I only succeeded in confirming that opera was definitely not my calling. At least DiDonato enabled me to listen to Anna Netrebko and Edita Gruberova in a more insightful way. I was also surprised that I was able to hum the melody of “Chi mi frena tal momento”, the sextet. As a confessed fan of gangster movies, I'm not sure if I heard it first in "Scarface" or at home. Great opera and the murderous activities of movie mafiosi have become something of a trope. Italy's rich heritage has given the world such treasures. Wikipedia gives me my quick takes on the biographies of the singers. Their stories are often dramatic in their own right. Well, I have lingered in bel canto longer than I expected. Ciao, Italia! Bonjour, France!
I couldn’t agree more about the lives and experiences of the singers. I feel like they often deserve their own moments on OD. Same goes for the individual operas, composers, roles. I am barely scratching the surface here but I appreciate how much deeper you go and others go with the pieces!
NY City Opera performed an uncut LUCIA with Sills that included the Ravenswood last act. The recent Met production did not serve the Opera well (cute Photo-Flash) Wedding. Callas, Sutherland and Gruberova were all outstanding. Thanks for your efforts here, colleagues have also enjoyed your work too.
I need to check that out! And thank you Daniel, for your feedback and contributions. I truly appreciate your support and continued feedback as we work to learn, evolve and and grow this newsletter into something special that people enjoy can eventually, love!
I would also recommend a look at Berlioz. I am convinced that many of his works were really intended for the stage as Opera's. In fact, I produced and directed a production of L'Enfance du Christ at the Park theatre that works beautifully as Opera. Berlioz loved the stage but was terrified by bad reviews. Berlioz started renaming them as Oratorio, Dramatic Symphony like his Damnation of Faust (which The Met staged) and Romeo & Juliet. Actually they were all innovative stage works but not French opera per se.
I am going to dig into Berlioz a bit more this week and you are clearly reading my mind because I have been listening to Flicka sing Berlioz (and Cendrillon) non stop all day - French week is coming up
Wonderful. I heard Shirley Verrett and Jon Vickers premiere LES TROYENS at The Met. They were overwhelming and unforgettable. BENVENUTO CELLINI in Andrei Serban's production with Marcello Giordani revealed Berlioz' profound love for Italy with the Roman Carnival. Colin Davis was a great Berliozian as well
A dramatic piece. Took my breath away
👍🏼🥂
Thanks to Berlioz too "with his red hair playing his guitar" as he appears in my "organized labor" book in poetic form.
Dame Joan Sutherland's performance in the "Mad Scene" from Act III of Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" (Royal Covent Garden, London) was a mind-boggling, 21-minute journey through the incredible colors and athleticism of her phenomenal gifts. I will listen to it again and again. This alone could have earned her the nickname "La Stupenda". I will check out the other renowned artists because you've recommended them, but I have a feeling that this is what they call in Spanish "el colmo". Thumbs up (and some throat lozenges) to those who have embraced bel canto style and technique.
Well said!
I enjoyed all four renditions of Donizetti's “Regnava nel silenzio” and “Quando rapito in estasi,” from Act I of "Lucia di Lammermoor". I wandered over to Joyce DiDonato's master class after listening to Maria Callas. While trying to follow her instruction, I only succeeded in confirming that opera was definitely not my calling. At least DiDonato enabled me to listen to Anna Netrebko and Edita Gruberova in a more insightful way. I was also surprised that I was able to hum the melody of “Chi mi frena tal momento”, the sextet. As a confessed fan of gangster movies, I'm not sure if I heard it first in "Scarface" or at home. Great opera and the murderous activities of movie mafiosi have become something of a trope. Italy's rich heritage has given the world such treasures. Wikipedia gives me my quick takes on the biographies of the singers. Their stories are often dramatic in their own right. Well, I have lingered in bel canto longer than I expected. Ciao, Italia! Bonjour, France!
I couldn’t agree more about the lives and experiences of the singers. I feel like they often deserve their own moments on OD. Same goes for the individual operas, composers, roles. I am barely scratching the surface here but I appreciate how much deeper you go and others go with the pieces!