Classical Music & Opera Forums

You've gotta watch this to its conclusion.
I never laughed so hard in my life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmczPAoW5uk

mogliettina wrote:You've gotta watch this to its conclusion.
I never laughed so hard in my life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmczPAoW5uk

OK, I won't give it away, but that is one privileged traffic cop!

Got back late last night from RING duty. Overall I give it a B minus. Yzhky & I went -- DargomMom doesn't do Wagner. Production outstanding, as we all know. Morris -- outstanding, too -- he defeated that wobble and gave the perf I hoped for. I understand from Opera L that Sirius bdcst the perf, tho' Juntwait had said they would not. Did they? PD was sick and walked off stage during act 1 -- his cover, Gary Lehman, was very good -- poor guy had to walk out of the wings and start his perf with "Winterstuerme!" He was well received. West gave us a Siggy that would make Melchior revolve in his grave, but he got thru it, and had the notes at the ends of both operas. His concept of the character is a bit too much Li'l Abner, but he can sing the roles. He even had a real high C in the hunt scene just before his death. Every Siggy I've ever heard has always finessed that note, but West grabbed it and held on as if his life depended on it. Watson is a very provincial underpowered dull Brunnie -- her best effort was in the trio in Act 2 of G'D, where she showed some fire. Immolation was very bland. I got not one single frisson the entire four evenings, even when the "Redemption thru love" motif returns at the very end -- that place always gets to me. Best voices as voices: Pieczonka as Sieglinde; Fink as Alberich (a fine artist); Harmer as Freia; and Naef as Fricka and Waltraute (G'D). Jeemmee and the band were good, as expected, but not as good as I had hoped -- lots of ragged playing and blats, esp. in G'D. Of course they are tired! They need a break! I can forgive them a lot, and the public did -- there was a huge long ovation at the end -- they even had to bring the bow lights up again after they had been shut off, because we wouldn't stop applauding. All told, a fine event. It could have been better, but there have been so many cancellations and dropouts that even getting the bugger on stage was an effort. I'm very glad that Gelb has decided not to deep-six the production -- he may need to use it again!

On our off nights we went to Carnegie for the Mahler fest put on by the Berliner Staatskapelle, with Barenboim & Boulez. We heard Barenboim do the First -- extraordinarily exciting and revelatory perf!!! I didn't know the 1st had so much music in it!!! -- and Boulez the third-- dull, pedantic, boring -- how can people say that he can do Mahler? On Sat eve DargomMom went back alone for more Mahler -- the 4th under Boulez -- and was decidedly unimpressed. The TIMES critic (Oestreich) thought Boulez's perfs were the cat's pajamas -- but the public knew, and gave Barenboim a HUGE success and Boulez tepid appreciation. I'm very gladto have seen the Schenk -- bravi tutti!!!

Hey, ACD, here's Solti and the GD Vengeance Trio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhJzbsrkhVs&NR=1

Boy, it was a lot more civilized around here without the ads, eh?

There are banners near the top and bottom of the page, now. I have a pop-up blocker, but these aren't pop-ups; rather, they're embedded in the page. Right now there's a NY Times home delivery banner right above the box where I'm typing this (below the User Control Panel and above the legend "Current Discussion (Opera)"). There's another one near the bottom of the page.

Mogs, perhaps you're lucky and your browser is set up to reject these ads.

I hate being prejudiced against!

Aida

Just love that opera. Last night Sirius played a 1954 Aida with Milanov, Barbieri, Baum and Warren.
Milanov, Warren and Barbieri were fabulous--great Verdi singers--and in good form.

For those who love a gutsy, Italian-type of Amneris (like moi), Barbieri is the one for you. I loved every minute of her singing--and unlike Kojack, Fedora's gutsiness was displayed all over her range, not just in overdone the tops and chests.
And to tell the truth, Kurt Baum wasn't half bad, better the higher he went. After an awful Celeste Aida, he was pretty effective, especially in the third act duet with Zinka (I didn't hear the final) scene.
Milanov had it all, and it was on display here.
The orchestra kinda sounded tinny and awful (was it the recording method?) but the performance was what Aida should be all about and brought me back to the good ol' days.

The orchestra kinda sounded tinny and awful (was it the recording method?) but the performance was what Aida should be all about and brought me back to the good ol' days.

The MET orchestra certainly had that tendency, especially in the Fall, even during the early 1970's when I started going. It took Levine half-a-decade to straighten them out. The minute I heard them in-house during the Fall, I understood exactly why the broadcasts didn't start until December: it took the orchestra that long to knock themselves into shape. We are so spoiled with what we have today, I can't describe it. Levine has worked miracles, and continues to do so.

New York City Opera is currently enmeshed in controversy over contract issues with the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, the union that represents the singers and production staff at NYCO. The outcome has yet to be determined, but the question has been raised whether NYCO can survive the current crisis. Both NYCO and AGMA have issued press releases, letters, and e-mails, taking their fight into the public forum.

http://www.classicalmusicguide.com/view ... 48#p285048

The complete text is a revelation of details regarding NYCO's current troubles, and well worth reading.

Renee Fleming steals credit card
From Parterre and NY Post---and she used it at a Duane Reade!
We can all visit her in jail ("The Tombes"), where will sing a scene from Mefistofele!

From the NYPD Daily Blotter:

A thief was arrested for swiping a credit card from a woman's purse in Midtown and using the plastic to make purchases on the Upper East Side, authorities said yesterday.
Renee Fleming, 50, allegedly snatched a MasterCard from the victim's pocketbook in the Green Café on West 57th Street near Sixth Avenue at 2 p.m. on April 15.
Fleming used the card at the Duane Reade on Second Avenue near East 63rd Street and a nearby Hot & Crusty bakery, sources said. She was arrested last Thursday on Staten Island (visiting Eileen Farrell's family).

I guess that Renee likes it "Hot and Crusty!"

You have to read the posts on Parterre about the Renee Fleming situation. They are hysterical!

http://parterre.com/?p=3750#comments


This is one of my favorites: "Maybe she should consider a new bel canto role: La gazza ladra"

I like this one too: "PRAVDA
Brighton Beach-May 14, Blini crazed brunette Annabolena Netrebko was arrested yesterday in a local restaurant for using a stolen Diner’s Club card. Netrebko had pilfered the plastic from the wallet of one Dmitrova Hvorostovsky while she was consuming the Moskovskaya (Summer Sausage)
treat Hvorovstovsky had prepared for her. When reached for comment the victim had little to say except “I vant to be alone.”

According to an update on Parterre, this is not Renee Fleming the opera singer.

You mean you thought it was?

I wanted to make a post concerning a young opera singer.

However, after making a similar post on the newsgroup REC.MUSIC.OPERA and getting a response charging "exploit(ation of) a nine-year-old child" and "...the abuse of regular public performance" with the responder having no knowledge or evidence of either accusation I am hesitant.

I can assure everyone that she is not being pushed, she is taking very limited (1/2 hour once a week) singing lessons just to make sure she doesn't learn any bad habits and has her heart set on being an opera singer.

What she and her parents don't need are baseless charges of the above issues, but rather support and encouragement.

Any comments on whether I should provide further information are welcome.

Thank you

mogliettina wrote:You mean you thought it was?

No, but judging from the posts on Parterre, a lot of other people did.

calvert wrote:

mogliettina wrote:You mean you thought it was?

No, but judging from the posts on Parterre, a lot of other people did.

Gee. I thought she was unique.

calvert wrote:

mogliettina wrote:You mean you thought it was?

No, but judging from the posts on Parterre, a lot of other people did.

I didn't think it was "the" Renee, but thought that the comments were so funny that it was worth reading them. I still love "Annabolena Netrebko."

If she was blini-crazed, that might make her Annablinibulimic Netrebko.