Welcome to the Rossini wrap up. We covered a lot of ground over the last two weeks. If you missed any of the posts, you could find them here: Intro to Rossini with a focus on opera buffaRossini’s later works with a focus on opera seriaListening session with Michele and Heather where we talk Rossini
I enjoyed the offerings for today's Rossini month finale. Now that I know he left us a treasure trove of operas, I look forward to finding both full productions online, and listening to famous artists who have interpreted his music. My first stop will be "Semiramide", because Joan Sutherland's bel canto style moves me. I suspect Rossini has long been a primer for every possible type of operatic voice. Hearing Maria Callas's soprano and Marilyn Horne's mezzo soprano, side-by-side, on "Una voce poco fa," was a good way to learn how to distinguish these voices. Speaking of which - dramatic, lyric, coloratura, mezzo - all describe the soprano voice. Yet, did I really read somewhere the term coloratura being applied to a tenor? And until I heard John Holiday on "The Voice" I had never heard of a "countertenor". I also am curious about the castrati, and what they did for art, willingly or not. Back to today, though, the clip of Arturo Toscanini conducting the overture from "Guillaume Tell" was a gem. He definitely was the G.O.A.T. in his day, wasn't he!?! Thomas Hampson singing "Largo al Factotum" was a special treat. I loved the campy introduction, too! How nice, after all these years, to know the real name of that aria!) You really sealed the deal, though, with the Spanish divas, Teresa Berganza (" L'italiana in Algeri") and Montserrat Caballé (“Figlia impura di Bolena”).
I'm excited for Gaetano Donizetti's operas about the Tudor Queens. I will brush up on my reading and documentary viewing in order to see how these herstories come to life in music.
Thank you so much, Heather, Michele (and let me add Nicole, too) for the work you've done to bring opera into our homes and workplaces. I'm here for it all!❤☮🌞💋
I meant to include some full Rossini operas in the last post so will include some in a follow up comment. And yes Toscanini was THE GOAT!!!!
In terms of tenors, there are definitely a handful that are most common. I am hesistant to lay out a fast and hard rile for how to categorize them given some move to the heavier roles as they get a bit more mature in their career..but here is a stab….
The rarest type of tenor is the countertenor (previously called castrati)…they sing in the mezzo and soprano ranges using their “falsetto” (to sing in the falsetto, the vocal cords come together on the very edge, which makes it difficult to switch to another register without a large break or vocal shift (Think David Daniels). The light-lyric tenor is essentially the male equivalent of a lyric coloratura (soprano)….light, agile voice that can move! (Think Larry Brownlee or Juan Diego Florez). Then you have a lyric tenor (Think Pavarotti) and then the dramatic tenor which is a bit heavier (Think Placido Domingo), and then heldentenor which tends to sing a bit more of the German romantic operatic repertoire (think Wagner and the singers Jon Vickers and Simon O’Neill). You also hear Mozart tenor and Rossini tenor which tend to overlap with the light-lyric tenor and the lyric tenors…
Thank you for the links to "Semiramide" and "Tancredi"😊. I'm also thrilled to have this introduction to the various tenor voices, and to some of the artists who possess them. I'll explore them all this week.
I have always been mildly obsessed with the colorful, interesting and often tragic stories of the powerful European queens. It started with Isabella of Spain and Marie Antoinette of France. A couple of years ago, after I saw "The Favourite" and “Mary Queen of Scots”, I plowed through “Queen Anne” by Anne Somerset and “Mary Queen of Scots” by Antonia Fraser, two exceptionally well written and sympathetic histories. The paths and bloodlines of these royals intersected in such fascinating and fateful ways. Elizabeth I emerged a winner at a time when other queens were losing their thrones and their heads. At any rate, for an irreverent look at Anne Boleyn, here’s "Weird History" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dv1uAKCEKE). More serious films, documentaries and histories are certainly available at the click of a mouse or a TV remote. I'll be here for the opera stars next Sunday. (Meanwhile, I'll be celebrating Valentine's Day💟 and Black History Month😎. Whatcha got for me, OperaDaily?🥰)
I did my best to get into the 1971 recording of "Semiramide", but failed. I was captivated, however, by an elegant production: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrY6XHdvQ6I&t=1136s) by Teatro La Fenice (https://www.teatrolafenice.it/en/la-fenice-foundation/visit-us/). The subtitles are in French, but never mind. The singing, acting, staging and costumes are pure drama. My opera knowledge is admittedly limited, but I'm gaining fluency each week. So, I hereby pronounce Joan Sutherland's performance of "Bel raggio luminghier" peerless. I challenge anyone - professional or amateur - to prove otherwise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvZ-o0sgUHM). I promise to listen to any and all offerings!😀
My favorite is Sutherland but I must say (and this is not to challenge Joan's!), June Anderson's interpretation is pretty thrilling (although a bit shrill a times), for many of the same reasons as Sutherland's...
I missed out on so many great composers, operas and artists like June Anderson. I enjoyed her "Bel raggio luminghier". Thank you for this introduction. When the "Mad Scene" from "Lucia di Lammermoor" popped up right afterwards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTRUIaEIH1c), I had a chance to really hear the colors in her beautiful coloratura soprano.👏 I didn't realize how many topflight opera stars America has produced through the years. We may be a young country, but we have an old world soul in opera.💖
Goodness, such emotion, such delivery, so powerful.
Yes, get ready for some DRAMA!!!!
I enjoyed the offerings for today's Rossini month finale. Now that I know he left us a treasure trove of operas, I look forward to finding both full productions online, and listening to famous artists who have interpreted his music. My first stop will be "Semiramide", because Joan Sutherland's bel canto style moves me. I suspect Rossini has long been a primer for every possible type of operatic voice. Hearing Maria Callas's soprano and Marilyn Horne's mezzo soprano, side-by-side, on "Una voce poco fa," was a good way to learn how to distinguish these voices. Speaking of which - dramatic, lyric, coloratura, mezzo - all describe the soprano voice. Yet, did I really read somewhere the term coloratura being applied to a tenor? And until I heard John Holiday on "The Voice" I had never heard of a "countertenor". I also am curious about the castrati, and what they did for art, willingly or not. Back to today, though, the clip of Arturo Toscanini conducting the overture from "Guillaume Tell" was a gem. He definitely was the G.O.A.T. in his day, wasn't he!?! Thomas Hampson singing "Largo al Factotum" was a special treat. I loved the campy introduction, too! How nice, after all these years, to know the real name of that aria!) You really sealed the deal, though, with the Spanish divas, Teresa Berganza (" L'italiana in Algeri") and Montserrat Caballé (“Figlia impura di Bolena”).
I'm excited for Gaetano Donizetti's operas about the Tudor Queens. I will brush up on my reading and documentary viewing in order to see how these herstories come to life in music.
Thank you so much, Heather, Michele (and let me add Nicole, too) for the work you've done to bring opera into our homes and workplaces. I'm here for it all!❤☮🌞💋
I meant to include some full Rossini operas in the last post so will include some in a follow up comment. And yes Toscanini was THE GOAT!!!!
In terms of tenors, there are definitely a handful that are most common. I am hesistant to lay out a fast and hard rile for how to categorize them given some move to the heavier roles as they get a bit more mature in their career..but here is a stab….
The rarest type of tenor is the countertenor (previously called castrati)…they sing in the mezzo and soprano ranges using their “falsetto” (to sing in the falsetto, the vocal cords come together on the very edge, which makes it difficult to switch to another register without a large break or vocal shift (Think David Daniels). The light-lyric tenor is essentially the male equivalent of a lyric coloratura (soprano)….light, agile voice that can move! (Think Larry Brownlee or Juan Diego Florez). Then you have a lyric tenor (Think Pavarotti) and then the dramatic tenor which is a bit heavier (Think Placido Domingo), and then heldentenor which tends to sing a bit more of the German romantic operatic repertoire (think Wagner and the singers Jon Vickers and Simon O’Neill). You also hear Mozart tenor and Rossini tenor which tend to overlap with the light-lyric tenor and the lyric tenors…
Thank you for the links to "Semiramide" and "Tancredi"😊. I'm also thrilled to have this introduction to the various tenor voices, and to some of the artists who possess them. I'll explore them all this week.
I have always been mildly obsessed with the colorful, interesting and often tragic stories of the powerful European queens. It started with Isabella of Spain and Marie Antoinette of France. A couple of years ago, after I saw "The Favourite" and “Mary Queen of Scots”, I plowed through “Queen Anne” by Anne Somerset and “Mary Queen of Scots” by Antonia Fraser, two exceptionally well written and sympathetic histories. The paths and bloodlines of these royals intersected in such fascinating and fateful ways. Elizabeth I emerged a winner at a time when other queens were losing their thrones and their heads. At any rate, for an irreverent look at Anne Boleyn, here’s "Weird History" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dv1uAKCEKE). More serious films, documentaries and histories are certainly available at the click of a mouse or a TV remote. I'll be here for the opera stars next Sunday. (Meanwhile, I'll be celebrating Valentine's Day💟 and Black History Month😎. Whatcha got for me, OperaDaily?🥰)
Semiramide (LIVE 1971 Chicago, Sutherland, Horne, Malas, Bottazzo - Bonynge)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biM0S0KuMH4
Tancredi (1981 Aix-en-Provence, Horne, Ricciarelli, Gonzalez, Zaccaria)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAo3oJqeQVU
I did my best to get into the 1971 recording of "Semiramide", but failed. I was captivated, however, by an elegant production: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrY6XHdvQ6I&t=1136s) by Teatro La Fenice (https://www.teatrolafenice.it/en/la-fenice-foundation/visit-us/). The subtitles are in French, but never mind. The singing, acting, staging and costumes are pure drama. My opera knowledge is admittedly limited, but I'm gaining fluency each week. So, I hereby pronounce Joan Sutherland's performance of "Bel raggio luminghier" peerless. I challenge anyone - professional or amateur - to prove otherwise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvZ-o0sgUHM). I promise to listen to any and all offerings!😀
My favorite is Sutherland but I must say (and this is not to challenge Joan's!), June Anderson's interpretation is pretty thrilling (although a bit shrill a times), for many of the same reasons as Sutherland's...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e5sGY5aWVE
I missed out on so many great composers, operas and artists like June Anderson. I enjoyed her "Bel raggio luminghier". Thank you for this introduction. When the "Mad Scene" from "Lucia di Lammermoor" popped up right afterwards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTRUIaEIH1c), I had a chance to really hear the colors in her beautiful coloratura soprano.👏 I didn't realize how many topflight opera stars America has produced through the years. We may be a young country, but we have an old world soul in opera.💖