Moshpitting at the Met April 27, 2008
Posted by Jeff in French, Opera, Theater.1 comment so far
From the Vienna Staatsoper production of Gaetano Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, Juan Diego Flórez sings “Pour me rapprocher de Marie”.
Giuseppe di Stefano, 1921-2008 March 3, 2008
Posted by Jeff in In memoriam, Italian, Opera, Theater.add a comment
The last of the great 20th-century Italian tenors, the man whom Luciano Pavarotti called a role model, has died at the age of eighty-seven.
Happy Valentine’s Day, from Eleanor February 14, 2008
Posted by Jeff in French, Opera, Theater.1 comment so far
Eleanor Steber, that is, singing “Depuis le jour” from Gustave Charpentier’s Louise.
The (possibly apocryphal) story is that she recorded this for HMV because she was too hung over to sing the Mozart arias she had been hired to perform.
“Au fond du temple saint” February 4, 2008
Posted by Jeff in French, Opera, Theater.add a comment
From the 1996 Met tribute to James Levine, tenor Roberto Alagna and baritone Bryn Terfel, conducted by Levine.
“Kill da wabbit!” January 13, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1946 through 1960, Cartoons, Movies, Music, Opera, Theater.1 comment so far
Although I would personally vote differently, many have called this the greatest cartoon ever made.
The sublime and the ridiculous January 7, 2008
Posted by Jeff in French, Netrebko and Villazón, Opera, Theater.add a comment
At the Vienna Opera Ball on February 15, 2007, a hilarious contrast between the alpha and omega of contemporary standards of beauty.
“Je veux vivre” January 6, 2008
Posted by Jeff in French, Netrebko and Villazón, Opera.2 comments
Anna Netrebko‘s latest triumph is her Juliette in Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, performed at the Met and broadcast this past December 14.
Here she is in the famous Act I waltz, from a March 2007 concert at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées:
“Meine Lippen sie Kussen so heiß” January 5, 2008
Posted by Jeff in German, Netrebko and Villazón, Opera.add a comment
Literally, “My lips kiss with such fire”, from Giuditta, Franz Lehár’s last stage work, and his only successful opera after a career of hit operettas.
From September 8, 2007, Anna Netrebko sings on the fabled Last Night Of The Proms at Royal Albert Hall, accompanied by BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek.
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“Ah, fors’è lui” January 4, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Giuseppe Verdi, Italian, Netrebko and Villazón, Opera.1 comment so far
Anna Netrebko nails the Olympic women’s triathlon of Italian opera, the last ten minutes of the first act of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata: “Ah, fors’è lui” followed by “Follie! Delirio vano è questo!”, concluding with “Sempre libera”. Briefly accompanied by her best-known operatic partner, Rolando Villazón.
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“La maledizione!” November 23, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Giuseppe Verdi, Italian, Opera, Theater, Tito Gobbi.1 comment so far
Above, the quartet from Act III of Verdi’s Rigoletto, the title character of which is the mark of any Verdi baritone. Lina Pagliughi singing Gilda (acted by Marcella Govoni), Mario Filippeschi as the Duke of Mantua, Anna Maria Canale as Maddelena … and the brilliant Tito Gobbi as the court jester whose daughter is seduced by his employer. From a 1946 film, with the orchestra conducted by Tulio Serafin.
“Credo” November 22, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Giuseppe Verdi, Italian, Opera, Tito Gobbi.add a comment
At the end of his composing career, Giuseppe Verdi returned to his favorite dramatist for his last two operas. Arrigo Boito was very faithful to Shakespeare in his libretto for Otello, but at Verdi’s insistence included an aria in which Iago sings of “Credo in un Dio crudel” — his belief in a cruel God.
“L’autore ha cercato invece pingervi uno squarcio di vita”* November 21, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Italian, La Boheme, Opera, Theater, Tito Gobbi.3 comments
* “Instead, the author has sought to paint for you a scene from life”
If you have ever read program notes for Pagliacci, Ruggero Leoncavallo’s first and best-known opera, you’ve probably seen the story that the composer based his libretto on a true murder case that had been tried by his father, who was a judge.
Great story … too bad it probably isn’t true.
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“Come Paride vezzoso” November 20, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Italian, Opera, Theater, Tito Gobbi.add a comment
Until I saw this clip I think Falstaff was the only comic role I’d ever seen Tito Gobbi portray.
“Don Giovanni” November 19, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Italian, Opera, Theater, Tito Gobbi.1 comment so far
From the 1950 Salzburg Festival, my vote for the greatest recorded performance of a Mozart opera …
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