La manera mas facil de ganar dinero, es a través de Las Ventas. Uno se pone su propio sueldo. Victor Giordani, it pionero en trabajar con Hipnosis de Las Ventas, desde 1990 con empresas como plant life, Jafra, Amway, Mary Kay y otras

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ccHieRzBtg&hl=en

HINTERREGGIO-AVELLINO 1-0
HINTERREGGIO (3-4-3): Pratticò 6,5; Cutrupi 6,
D’Agostino 6 (20’ st Borghetto sv), Caputo 6;  
Benci 6 Caridi 6,5, Cormaci 6 , Crucitti 6.5;
Alessandrì 6, Filicetti 7 (40’st Romeo sv),
Garufi 6 ( 20’st Pacera sv). A disp. Ragusa,
Minniti, Postorino Crisalli.
All. Melchionna 6,5.
AVELLINO  (4-4-2): Giordani 6,5; Serao 5.5,
Esposito M. 5.5, De Rosa 5, Patti 6; Lonardo 5,5
(47’ pt De Angelis 5,5), Rega 6,5, Fanelli 6
( 9’ st Viscido sv), Tisci 6,5 (28’ st Esposito E. sv); 
Biancone 5,5, Tarquini 7.  A disp. Apuzzo, Meola,
Esposito C., Moscarino . All. D’Arrigo 6.
ARBTRO: Taioli di Cesena 6, (Emione 6 –Guerriero 6).
MARCATORI: 30’ st Filicetti.
NOTE: 400 spettatori. Ammoniti: Caridi (H),
Filicetti (H), De Rosa
(A. Calci d’angolo 5-0 (1-0 pt) per l’ Hinterreggio.
Recu.: pt 2’, st 5’.

BOCALE (RC): Al comunale di Bocale Hinterreggio e
Avellino danno vita a un primo tempo scialbo.
Colpa o merito, dell’Avellino che nella prima fase
di gioco addormenta la partita. Già al 4’ del primo
tempo l’Hinterreggio si prodiga in un’ottima azione.
Crucitti serve Garufi che manda di un soffio al lato
del portiere bianco verde. Al 15’ del primo tempo,
l’esterno destro dell’Avellino Rega si libera di due
avversari e tira di poco fuori alla destra del portiere
Pratticò. Sul finire della prima frazione Lonardo
difensore dell’Avellino cade a terrà dolorante mentre
porta palla, per lui un sospetto stiramento
dei flessori della coscia destra.
Nella seconda frazione l’Hinterreggio si fa avanti.
L’Avellino risponde prontamente con numerose
incursioni di Rega che però uno spento Biancone
non riesce a sfruttarle. Alla mezzora della seconda
frazione di gioco, l’Hinterreggio passa in vantaggio
con un meraviglioso gol di Felicetti che, dopo aver
scambiato fuori dall’area con Alessandrì, si inserisce
in solitario nell’area dell’Avellino e mette la palla
di sinistro sotto l’incrocio opposto. La partita si
innervosisce, vengono allontanati dal campo alcuni
dirigenti dell’Hinterreggio,l’Avellino in netta
difficoltà non tiene bene il campo negli ultimi minuti
e l’Hinterreggio conquista cosi il primo successo
casalingo. A fine gara contestazione da parte dei
tifosi avellinesi giunti fino a Bocale.

Antonio Morelli / Liopress

Heute mal keinen langen Beitrag, stattdessen ein Video. “Caro mio ben” von Giordani, hier interpretiert von der fantastischen Cecilia Bartoli.

Warum ich ausgerechnet dieses Stück poste, ist leicht zu erklären: Ich werde in den nächsten Wochen ein neues Demo im Tonstudio aufnehmen und dieses Lied wird darauf die klassische Sparte vertreten. Beim ersten Hören mag es recht einfach klingen, es ist ein beliebtes Übungsstück für den Gesangsunterricht. Dennoch sollte man als Sänger/-in das Ganze nicht unterschätzen. Für mich heißt das: ganz viel üben

Bis morgen!

Deine/Ihre/Eure

Zoey

Zara Dolukhanova (Зара Долуханова) – 1918-2007 – NSND Xô Viết

Mồng 1 tết năm ngoái bắt đầu bằng Wiedgenlied (Schubert) với Zara Dolukhanova, và mồng 1 tết năm nay cũng lại Dolukhanova, thật là “hữu duyên”, thế nên quyết định làm 1 entry lăng xê các mezzo-soprano Nga và Liên Xô cũ khai phím đầu năm, thay cho Le Spectre de la rose (Les Nuits d’Été – Beriloz) – R.Crespin. (năm mới năm me gọi hồn ma bóng quế e mọi người ném đá)
Download: W.A.Mozart – Alelluja (Exsultate, jubilate – K.165) – Zara Dolukhanova (mezzo-soprano) Moscow Chamber Orchestra/ Rudolf Borisovich Barshai (conductor)

Cách đây không lâu, vẫn nhớ từng bảo với ku Fúc là “Z.Dolukhanova = M.Horne + J.Baker + gia vị Nga”, khi lần đầu tiên thưởng thức giọng hát của Zara qua 1 vài đĩa Apo gửi về. Và đến giờ vẫn không thay đổi nhiều lắm. Zara sở hữu khả năng coloratura đỉnh cao của Horne, nhưng khác với âm sắc nồng ấm pha chút “khê” đặc trưng của Horne, là âm sắc hơi khô, lạnh và cái đầu “tỉnh” kiểu J.Baker cộng với chất slavic truyền thống đặc trưng của hầu hết những ca sĩ slavic nói chung.
Download: G. Giordani – Caro mio ben – Zara Dolukhanova (mezzo-soprano) Moscow Chamber Orchestra/ Rudolf Borisovich Barshai (conductor)

Zara Alexandrovna Dolukhanova (Зара Александровна Долуханова) không chỉ là mezzo-soprano nổi tiếng nhất Liên xô thập niên 50 đặc biệt ở mảng thính phòng, hơn thế, Zara thực sự là 1 huyền thoại – ở 1 đất nước không thiếu những huyền thoại thanh nhạc cổ điển, k0 thiếu những giọng mezzo xuất chúng. Zara đã chứng tỏ cho cả thế giới biết Liên xô không chỉ có những mezzo đầy cá tính với giọng hát rực lửa, góc cạnh như người ta hay nhớ đến mà những giọng mezzo Liên Xô còn biết hát đẹp (tôi dùng từ đẹp theo nghĩa nguyên thủy của nó, k0 fải theo nghĩa bel canto). Giọng mezzo trong suốt hiếm có và không hề bị đục ngay cả những note thấp nhất thuộc âm vực contralto và vẫn sạch sẽ , khóang đạt trong những note cao thuộc âm vực soprano.
Download: W.A.Mozart – Ridente la calma, K.210a – Zara Dolukhanova (mezzo-soprano), B.Kozel (piano)

Nếu như Obukhova đã xây nên một tượng đài vững chắc không thể thay thế đối với romances và các ca khúc thính phòng Nga, còn Obraztsova thì cho cả thế giới phải ngưỡng mộ trước tài năng và giọng hát có 1 không 2 vượt ra ngoài biên giới quốc gia, Zara chỉ là 1 nét gạch nối mảnh mai, giản dị nhưng chắc chắn giữa nền thanh nhạc Liên Xô và thế giới. Khác với phần lớn những ca sĩ thính phòng ở Liên Xô thời bấy giờ, Zara biểu diễn rất nhiều những tác phẩm âm nhạc thế giới, kể cả những tác phẩm mang màu sắc tôn giáo thời kì baroque của Bach, Scarlatti,… mà chính quyến Liên xô vốn lạnh nhạt, Zara cũng là người đầu tiên hát chùm 4 ca khúc cuối cùng của R.Strauss tại Liên Xô, và thu âm, biểu diễn rất nhiều lieder, art songs của Wolf, Schubert, Schumann, Ravel, Falla, Britten… Zara cũng thừong xuyên biểu diễn những tác phẩm của những nhà soạn nhạc Xô viết hiện đai, và không ít trong số đó là được đề tặng cho chính bà.
Download: - D.Shostakovich – From Jewish Folk Poetry Op.79a – No.02: Fussy mummy and Auntie – Zara Dolukhanova(mezzo-soprano), Nina Dorliak (soprano), Dmitri Shostakovich(piano)
- D.Shostakovich – From Jewish Folk Poetry Op.79a – No.033: Lullaby – Zara Dolukhanova(mezzo-soprano), Dmitri Shostakovich(piano)

Zara Dolukhanova xuất hiện khi Obukhova và Preobrazhenskaya vẫn chưa qua đỉnh, còn Arkhipova thì sắp bừng nở, dù gần như chỉ chuyên tâm vào biểu diễn recital và rất ít tham gia biểu diễn opera, Dolukhanova vẫn là 1 trong những nữ ca sĩ có ảnh hưởng mạnh mẽ và 1 trong những mezzo nổi bật nhất của nền thanh nhạc Xô Viết.
“Ah vâng , tôi đã nghe Dolukhanova. Liệu có phải là 1 mezzo belcato không ? (nguyên văn là “Wasn’t she a Rossini specialist?”, nhưng YIH hiểu theo nghĩa này có lẽ đúng hơn?). Ồ, có và không. Bà ấy là 1 nghệ sỹ belcanto thực sự sâu sắc, linh hoạt và nhạy cảm kịch tính cao. Nhưng những gì ở bà ấy không chỉ đơn giản như vây. Bà ấy là một nghệ sỹ am hiểu âm nhạc từ thế kỉ 17 đến cả thời kì của bà ấy, thế kỉ 20. Chúng ta lắng nghe, rồi yêu thích giọng hát ấy, tài năng và cả tính tình hài hước, hóm hỉnh ấy, chúng ta lắng nghe và rồi hiểu được âm nhạc thực sự được sinh ra như thế nào .” – Larry Friedman.

Zara Dolukhanova đã có 1 sự nghiệp chói lọi, nhưng vương miện “nữ hoàng của Romance Nga” của Nadezhda Obukhova đến bây giờ vẫn chưa ai có thể kế thừa. Doloukhanova trước Obukhova giống như Janet Baker trước Kathleen Ferrier, như Grace Bumbry trước Marian Anderson mà thôi …
(còn tiếp… đi chơi đã)

“…..nuova mai giocata”

direttamente dal Radiotron.

Ayer casi me pierdo la función de Simon Boccanegra. La verdad es que me olvidé completamente del tema y pensaba que era el próximo domingo. Si no llega a ser porque leí en el periódico lo del pregón del Concurso Viñas hubiera atado cabos: el domingo que yo pensaba que se daba la función de Simon Boccanegra también era la final del Viñas y eso no podía ser.

Tengo que advertir que Simon Boccanegra no es un título que me pirre, se trata de esos Verdi oscuros de los que no me acaban de gustar. Anoche se confirmó esto no consiguiendo entrar en la música, hacía tiempo que no me pasaba esto. A veces el público también puede fallar, o sea yo. Otras veces cualquier cosa nos puede gustar. Lo digo porque lo que vimos ayer por la tarde estuvo a un buen nivel.

El Simon de Anthony Michaels-Moore no fue excelente pero era el barítono que nos tocó en suerte. Quizá donde menos me gustó fue en el último acto donde perdió un poco el control. Krasimira Stoyonova fue una excelente Amelia con una excelente línea de canto que nos recordó el porqué de su éxito como Desdémona hace unas temporadas.

Foto: GTL / Antoni Bofill

Marcello Giordani como Adorno me pareció un tenor fiable con una voz no demasiado bonita. Es el típico cantante de la escuela italiana que es capaz de desempeñar correctamente lo que se le encomienda pero que parece un cantante de los años cincuenta. Su manera de cantar nos recuerda las grabaciones de esos años.

Giacomo Prestia resultó ser un estupendo Fiesco superándose en este papel y mejorando actuaciones previas en el teatro.

La orquesta sonó bien bajó la dirección de Paolo Carignami, quizá excesivamente fuerte en algunos momentos lo que hizo que los cantantes tuvieran que esforzarse un poco para poder ser oídos.

La escena excesivamente minimalista y pensada principalmente para el público de platea (a veces el juego de luces deslumbraba al público del anfiteatro) no me gustó especialmente.

El viaje operístico empezaba con el esperado debut de Daniel Barenboim en el MET dirigiendo Tristan und Isolde. Un teatro lleno a rebosar con ilustres compañeros entre el público como Lang Lang y Mitsuko Uchida. La llegada al podio del maestro fue saludada con una atronadora ovación. Su lectura de la partitura fue más apasionada que preciosista y fueron muchos los momentos en que llegó a cotas de emoción indescriptible.

Foto: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP

En el reparto figuraba Katarina Dalayman, una Isolde de voz aterciopelada y agudo de exacta precisión tonal. Supo dar al personaje una morbidez y calor especial pero acusó cierta debilidad en los pasajes en forte. A su lado Peter Seiffert (aunque no se anunció creo que no se encontraba en perfectas condiciones de salud) empezó enérgico y contundente. A medida que avanzaba la representación empezaron a aparecer flemas en el registro grave que evolucionaron desfavorablemente hasta la afonía en el tercer acto, donde Barenboim demostró que su solidaridad en la vida pública se extiende también al podio orquestal.

Michelle De Young hizo una Brangane de lujo con cierta pérdida de timbre en el agudo. Gerd Grochowski puso mucho ánimo a  Kurwenal tanto vocal como escénicamente. El triunfador vocal de la noche fue el apabullante Rey Marke de René Pape, un auténtico festival del matiz al forte.

La producción de Dieter Dorn se acompañó de una iluminación muy acertada pero el movimiento escénico de los personajes se mantuvo excesivamente sobrio y poco comunicativo. Al final ovaciones para todos con mayor intensidad para Pape y Barenboim.

El 2º día, sábado, hice doblete. A las 12.30 La Damnation de Faust bajo la batuta en auténtico estado de gracia de James Levine. La orquesta mostró una profusión de detalles de la partitura absolutamente  insólita. La dirección de Levine fue vibrante, pulcra y suave. En suma una actuación de un músico total que supo transmitir de maravilla la belleza de una partitura que ama apasionadamente.

El reparto era de gran nivel empezando por la Marguerite de Susan Graham que mostró un gusto musical y una dulzura difícilmente superables. A su lado Marcello Giordani estuvo especialmente afortunado superando los escollos de la partitura  con admirable facilidad. Por último bien cantado y mejor actuado el Mephistophelès de John Relyea.

El  otro punto excepcional vino de la mano de la producción de Robert Lepage. Profusa imaginación con unos cambios de escena sorprendentes conducidos por proyecciones cinematográficas  y un grupo de extras, bailarines –acróbatas de infinita agilidad. Una función de nivel extraordinario, para no perderse.

Por la noche, a las 8.30, asistí a la representación de Pikovaia Dama. Las primeras funciones fueron dirigidas por Seiji Ozawa con un éxito apoteósico. A mí me tocó el joven maestro J. David Jackson que quizás no goza de la inspiración de su antecesor pero con una orquesta tan bien preparada el resultado no bajó del excelente.

Foto: MET

El nivel vocal rayó a grandísima altura. Empezando por el Herman de Ben Heppner (he leído que cantará este rol en junio 2010 en el Liceu). El gran tenor utiliza una impostación vocal mixta (máscara-nasal) que le permite ascender al agudo manteniendo su precioso timbre vocal. Como siempre su musicalidad se mostró infalible y al final del 2º acto se permitió el lujo de ascender al Si natural junto a la soprano. Posiblemente el mejor Herman de los últimos 20 años.

A su lado Maria Guleghina cantó una Liza atormentada que supo controlar sus grandes facultades en los momentos de mayor intimidad. Una grandísima soprano, no una gritona más. Excelentes Wladimir Stoyanov (Yeletsky), Mark Delavan (Tomsky) y Felicity Palmer (Condesa). Un gran descubrimiento: Ekaterina Semenchuk (Polina), voz de timbre precioso y musicalidad mozartiana.

La producción de corte clásico y gran belleza visual tiene su mejor hallazgo en alejar el personaje de la Condesa de la imagen de vieja tenebrosa y convertirla en una mujer elegante y a la vez irónica que aparece en la habitación de Herman y en el último cuadro para mostrar las cartas en actitud burlesca. Todo ello confiere al personaje un toque Hitchcock muy interesante que ayuda a comprender el carácter paranoico de Herman.

La última función a la que asistí fue el Don Giovanni bajo la dirección de Lothar Koenigs. Un director con ideas y buen pulso, como puso de relieve mediante una orquesta de gran nivel como es la del MET. Erwin Schrott hizo escénicamente un Don Giovanni de inacabable poder seductor y cantó como nadie hoy en día el aria del vino y la escena final.

Foto: MET

Ildebrando d’Arcangelo compuso un Leporello muy bien cantado pero algo inexpresivo. Tamar Iveri hizo una Donna Anna de gran nivel con algún pequeño problema en la coloratura. Dorothea Röschmann (sustituía a la prevista Schnitzer) constituyó la prestación vocal más perfecta de la noche, con una musicalidad insuperable.

Magníficos Isabel Leonard (Zerlina) y Kwangchul Youn (Comendatore). Simplemente correcto Mark Thomsen (Don Ottavio) que sustituía al anunciado Polenzani. La producción de Marthe Keller resultó de plástica elegancia a la vez que anodina y de fácil olvido. Gran nivel musical en una escena old fashioned.

Dandini

Queste sono le piadine del chiosco Marina (via Serra 1/A), che l’anno scorso ha vinto il concorso Piadina d’Autore, la cui finale 2008 si disputerà il 13 maggio al Castello di Sorrivoli. La piadina la conoscete tutti. Ma fate attenzione al piano di cottura. Quello di Marina Cedioli non è metallico, ma di refrattario, cioè di terracotta, lo stesso materiale di cui erano fatte le vecchie tegie (teglie) che usavano le arzdore, mitiche “reggitrici” della casa contadina romagnola.

La cottura – e non solo quella – è perfetta, come posso constatare dal mio assaggio di una semplice piadina, relativamente spessa, e di un crescione alle erbe (o guscione, o cassone, è una piadina ripiena, ripiegata in due e sigillata come un raviolo). Ma com’è che la piadina – o pida, o piada, o piè, a seconda del dialetto locale – da pane povero contadino è diventato cibo di strada?

Me lo ha raccontato Rosanna Smeraldi di Borello, una delle prime piadaiole di Cesena (chiosco in viale Mazzoni, 34). «Nel 1963 è stata chiusa la fabbrica dell’Arrigoni, dove lavoravo insieme a tante altre donne. A me e un’altra amica è venuta l’idea di venire a fare le piadine a Cesena. Allora ci siamo procurate un bidone per cuocere, una tegia, un tagliere per impastare e siamo venute qui una mattina. Abbiamo cominciato impastando 3 chili di farina. Stavano tutti a guardare. I chili da 3 diventarono 4. Qualcuno chiese se si poteva avere un po’ di prosciutto e così cominciò la storia».

Una storia esemplare: la crisi di una fabbrica poteva creare nuovi poveri, invece ha generato una piccola classe di nuove imprenditrici-artigiane, che col tempo sono diventate un’istituzione. La signora Rosanna mi dà anche gli ingredienti della sua ricetta base: farina, strutto, sale, bicarbonato e un po’ di dose (lievito). Ci sono anche quelle senza strutto con l’olio, quelle dolci (zucchero, vanillina, olio), quelle integrali, alla soia, al farro. Provo un crescione con le erbe e uno con verze e salsicce. Quest’ultimo, meno tradizionale, lo trovo memorabile.

A Cesena ci sono molti altri chioschi. Il mio ospitalissimo cicerone, Gianpiero Giordani (fiduciario della locale condotta Slow Food e segretario della Confesercenti Cesenate) mi accompagna anche a quello di Maria Pavirani (piazza Almerici 15), che è di fronte alla Biblioteca Malatestiana. La signora ci lavora da 17 anni, ma il chiosco è qui dal quel fatidico 1963. Se la sua collega Rosanna nei primi anni Sessanta aveva bisogno quotidianamente di 4 chili di farina, Maria Pavirani oggi per soddisfare la sua clientela ne impasta 25-30 al giorno.

Ultima tappa, San Vittore, piccolo borgo all’uscita Cesena Nord dell’A14. Ci rechiamo qui per visitare il chiosco di Cinzia Branzaglia, una celebrità. Perché, per seguire il mestiere cominciato dalla madre dopo la crisi dell’Arrigoni, ha appeso a un chiodo la sua laurea in farmacia. Perché ha vinto diverse volte il Carlino d’Oro, premio indetto dal Resto del Carlino (i lettori inviano un tagliando, indicando il chiosco preferito; lei abitualmente supera le mille preferenze). Perché oltre alle fragrantissime piadine, fa uno stupendo crescione zucca e patate, la sua specialità.

Viernes 1 de Febrero: Manon Lescaut

Es una de mis óperas preferidas pero entraña gran dificultad para la orquesta y los dos protagonistas. James Levine hizo sonar la orquesta de maravilla. Las intervenciones de los instrumentos solistas fueron bellísimas y el dificilísimo final del segundo acto fue un modelo de precisión. Gran ovación para el maestro i la orquesta.

La Manon de Karita Mattila posee un fraseo elegante, una musicalidad excelente y unos pianísimos de ensueño pero tiene algún problema en el cuarto acto. Creo que este acto exige una soprano con facilidad en el agudo en forte y con la suficiente seguridad para abandonarse al canto desgarrado y conmovedor. Ahí encontré a faltar las versiones de Zeani, Freni o Guleghina.

El Papel de Des Grieux es un rol muy difícil vocalmente. Su intérprete debe tener un gran volumen, facilidad para el legato y grandes dosis de pasión. Marcello Giordani lo resuelve admirablemente, solo echo en falta un timbre más atractivo en el primer y segundo acto. En los dos últimos la pasión que imprime le lleva a convencer plenamente.

Muy bien el Lescaut de Dwayne Croft. Su voz es una de las mas bellas voces de barítono de la actualidad, lástima que su proyección no sea más contundente. Correcto Dale Travis como Gerente, espectacular el debut de Sean Panikkar como Edmondo y muy buenos el resto de los comprimarios. La producción de Gina Lapinski es tradicional con decorados espectaculares pero muy bien trabajada.

Al final ovaciones para todos.

Dandini

La Cieca has just heard that Roberto Alagna will sing his first Met Radames tomorrow night, replacing the ailing Marco Berti. Which means, if you haven’t guessed it yet, that Marcello Giordani is jumping into tonight’s Butterfly. By the end of the season, Giordani will have five different roles in his Met repertoire for 2007-08: Edgardo, Roméo, Pinkerton, Ernani and des Grieux (Manon Lescaut.)

La Cieca has just heard that Marcello Giordani goes on tonight (i.e., two hours from now) as Roméo at the Met, jumping in for Joseph Kaiser who presumably is ill. That brings the total number of lovers for Anna Netrebko’s Juliette to three after only four nights of the 10-performance run. By the end of December, Anna may be giving Elizabeth Taylor a run for her money!

UPDATE: The Met’s website (already!) reports on Giordani’s “rescue act” and, incidentally, provides a few minutes of the opening night Lucia on video.

01 Mozart – Le nozze di Figaro – Porgi amor
02 Mozart – Le nozze di Figaro – Dove sono i bei momenti
03 Mozart – Don Giovanni – Crudele! Non mi dir
04 Verdi – La forza del destino – Me pellegrina ed orfana..
05 Verdi – La forza del destino – Son giunta…
06 Verdi – La forza del destino – Pace , pace mio Dio!
07 Catalani – La Wally – Ebben ne andro lontana
08 Wagner – Tannhauser – Dich teure halle
09 Beethoven – Fidelio – Abscheulicher…
10 Puccini – Tosca – Vissi d’arte
11 Giordano – Andrea Chenier – La mamma morta
12 Ponchielli – La Gioconda – Suicidio!
13 Verdi – Aida – Ritorna vincitor..
14 Verdi – Don Carlo – Tu che le vanita

http://rapidshare.com/files/5452988/Maria_Slatinaru_1.zip
http://rapidshare.com/files/5453579/Maria_Slatinaru_2.zip

Habe heute irgendwie mein Problem mit den Kommentaren in den Griff bekommen . Was ich mit meiner so entstandenen Kommentarseite mache, weiss ich noch nicht genau.

Habe jetzt auch weniger Zeit – bin gerade bei Konzert T-19 und die 2-getrennte-Strophen Version (damit während des Vortrags nichts passieren kann ) eines Stückes ist gerade fertig geworden. Jetzt muss ich noch schnell das Programm für die Prüfung machen, aber es wird von dem unten nicht mehr sehr stark abweichen:

1. Perfidi!… Pieta, rispetto, onore (Rezitativ und Arie des Macbeth von G.Verdi; wow – I like it)
2. Behold, I tell you a mystery…The trumpet shall sound (Rezitativ und Arie für Bass aus dem Messias von G.F.Händel; englisch oder deutsch weiss ich noch nicht – mal sehen)
3. Odin’s Meeresritt (Ballade von C.Loewe – eines meiner Lieblingsstücke; wenn Du das in einer Klassik-Jukebox siehst – sowas gibt’s sicher irgendwo – schmeiss ein paar Cent rein und hör’ Dir’s an)
4. Zueignung (Lied von R.Strauß; was Romantisches muss auch dabei sein)
5. Caro mio ben (Arie antiche von T.Giordani; schluchz – mehr dazu unten)

Für meine Blog-Wartung habe ich heute dann nicht mehr so recht Zeit – muss möglicherweise auf nach dem Urlaub (ja ich habe auch einmal so etwas ) verschoben werden. Schlafen soll man ja auch vor einem Konzert – mache ich immer .

Wer will, kann ja noch den Text von Stück Nummer 5 lesen – (man muss aber ein bisserl italienisch verstehen – Übersetzung habe ich keine)

Caro mio ben,
credimi almen,
senza di te
languisce il cor.

Il tuo fedel
so spira ognor.
Cessa, crudel,
tanto rigor!

La Cieca’s cher public are, as in so many aspects of their existence, well ahead of the curve on foreknowledge of casting at the Met in the bel canto and German wings. Perhaps this wintry Friday is a good time to move on to a more semi-substantiated gossip, now on the subject of the operas of Giuseppe Verdi. (Do keep in mind that none of this is set in stone. In fact, given the Gelb administration’s penchant for last minute switcheroos, one should probably hold off on booking tickets for 2012 until, oh, 2011 at the earliest.) But, anyway, herewith a few possible highlights of the next five years:

Next season’s hot ticket will surely be a rare revival of Ernani starring Marcello Giordani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Thomas Hampson and Ferruccio Furlanetto. That certainly sounds more fun than the new Macbeth “starring” Andrea Gruber, Leo Nucci. Carlos Alvarez, Marco Berti and Roberto Aronica. Will anyone be surprised at massive audience attrition following the second-act demise of Banco (John Relyea/Rene Pape)? Fans of Mr. Berti (if such there be) may expect to hear him as well in revivals of Ballo (shared with Salvatore Licitra, and featuring Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s first local Renato) and Aida (alternating with debutant Nicola Rossi-Giordano in an otherwise dismal cast). Renee Fleming offers repeat engagements of La traviata and Otello, with Ruth Ann Swenson optimistically double-cast as Violetta and Johan Botha as the Moor.

Rumors of Ms. Radvanovsky’s “buyout” should be dismissed once and for all since she is on the books for two high-profile assignments in 2008-2009, a new Trovatore (opposite Mr. Lictira) and her first in-house Traviata (alternating with Anja Harteros). Those two up-and-coming tenors Giuseppe Filianoti and Joseph Calleja share Duca duties in a Rigoletto otherwise notable only for Diana Damrau’s Gilda. And speaking of tenors, Placido Domingo is supposed to cross over to the bass clef for the title role in Simon Boccanegra, but La Cieca will believe that when she hears it.

The big news of ‘09-’10 is the Met debut of Riccardo Muti leading the company premiere of Attila. There will be singers as well in this production, notably Violeta Urmana and less notably Ramon Vargas, C. Alvarez and Ildar Abdrazakov. Mme. Urmana will also join two other golden-age physiques, Dolora Zajick and Mr. Botha, for Aida. La Radvanovsky’s career continues full-tilt in a revival of Stiffelio heavy on hunk-appeal (Jose Cura and Mr. Hvorostovsky), and the Gruber doesn’t seem to be going away either: she’s up for a repeat of Nabucco.

As we move into the twenty-teens, we can foresee new productions of La traviata (with Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon in the Willy Decker update) and Don Carlo (probably not with Angela Gheorghiu, though the rest of the cast seems firm enough: Mr. Villazon, plus Luciana D’Intino, Simon Keenlyside/Anthony Michaels-Moore, Rene Pape. Antonio Pappano and Nicholas Hytner will reprise their Covent Garden duties. Also: revivals of I Lombardi (Giordani) and Il trovatore (Fleming). That year may also see Mr. Hvorostovsky’s Boccanegra.

The “jackpot” year of 2012 is still pretty much up for grabs, La Cieca hears, with only Falstaff (Bryn Terfel, James Levine) a definite maybe.

Where else would La Cieca be this Sunday but basking the the star radiance of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation’s annual gala? Now! With 100% more Met artists, including Elizabeth Futral, Samuel Ramey, José Cura, René Pape, James Morris, Marcello Giordani, Patricia Racette, Joseph Calleja, Angela Marambio, Sandra Radvanovsky and Aprile Millo. The galalicious fun begins at 6:00 PM at Avery Fisher Hall.

At least one former winner of the Tucker award won’t be appearing, darn it, because she’s just finished a gala benefit of her own at La Scala. It’s Renaaay, of course, and the new (to La Cieca) blog Opera Chic describes the scene:

Interestingly, La Fleming had arranged to be basked in the glow of a peachy, pinkish spotlight. Hartmut Höll instead was replete in the flat, sterile, blue/white light, which by default, is implemented for every other normal recital. I mean, homegirl looked good, but it was like Liz Taylor and her vaseline filters.

La Cieca feels like she was there, I tell you, and wait until you read the breathless paragraphs detailing The Frock (by Gianfranco Ferré, of course.)

And did La Cieca mention that they’re bringing back Big Gay Date Night at the Met? For just $95 you get an orchestra seat, pre-performance hors d’oeuvres, intermission champagne and dessert, and, just possibly, some post-performance nooky. Boheme is on November 21, but La Cieca thinks that the best husband material will be found at the February 2 Jenufa. (For that matter, surely the combination of Karita Mattila and Anja Silja will attract an upscale lesbian crowd as well.)

Plus: don’t forget the Smart Singer Tricks on The Late Show With David Letterman tonight, beginning at 11:35 pm (US Eastern and Pacific time) on CBS-TV.

Beginning tomorrow night with the season premiere of Rigoletto, the Met will offer weekly free (yes, that’s right, free) streaming broadcasts of opera performances over their website, metopera.org. Further broadcasts through the end of the year will include:

• Rigoletto (Siurina, Calleja, Pons) Wednesday October 25

• Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci (Guleghina, Racette, Licitra) Monday, October 30
• Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Damrau, Flórez, Mattei) Friday November 10
• Madama Butterfly (Gallardo-Domâs, Giordani, Croft; Levine) Saturday, November 18
• Tosca (Millo, Fraccaro, Morris) Saturday, November 25
• Idomeneo (Röschmann, Deshorties, Kožená, van Rensburg; Levine) Wednesday, November 29
• La Boheme (Netrebko, Villazón) Tuesday, December 5
• Don Carlo (Racette, Borodina, Botha, Hvorostovsky, Pape, Ramey; Levine) Monday, December 11 (7:00 PM/EST)
• The First Emperor (Futral, DeYoung, Domingo, Groves; Tan Dun — world premiere) Thursday, December 21
• I Puritani (Netrebko, Cutler) Wednesday, December 27

These broadcasts will be streamed with “support from RealNetworks®, the leading creator of digital media services.” In honor of this innovation, La Cieca will host one of her legendary live chats tomorrow night during the Rigoletto streaming broadcast. Check back on parterre.com Wednesday afternoon for a link to the chat page.

To begin with: everybody was there. People you haven’t seen in 20 years were there. People you were sure were dead were there. (They were alive, at least as of the third intermission.) The house was quite nearly full, and there were no significant defections as the long evening wore on.

Miss M herself began in slightly rough voice (nervous, surely), but after that note that Zinka spoiled for everyone, she settled in, and there was a lot of glorious singing, most especially the quiet introspective moments in the last act. She looks better than La Cieca has seen her for years, slimmer and handsomely costumed.

The acting was in the trademark Millo-grandiose manner. It’s not perhaps what you’d want to see in a Minghella Butterfly, but this is a melodrama played on 40 year old sets, and Millo is not embarassed to play it big. La Cieca has heard the top in more consistent form, but it never lacked for power, and Millo doesn’t tiptoe around the high C’s the way Violeta Urmana does.

La Urmana was in the audience, by the way, and she’s exotically attractive in person, far more so than in photos. Marcello Giordani was there too, and he is not exactly hard on the eyes himself. Ildar Abdrazakov showed up backstage to escort his Mrs. (Olga Borodina): she very blonde in a pink linen jacket and low-rider jeans; he just the right degree of scruffy. Onlookers viewing Abdrazakov up close agreed unanimously that Borodina is one mezzo who will never have an excuse to go lesbian. (As La Cieca left the building, Mr. A was being accosted by one of the autograph crazies in the tunnel. She — the crazy, not La Cieca — was cackling, “So, in Faust, do you have a tail? Do you have a tail?” La Cieca wanted to say “I’m sure he has all the tail he can handle,” but you know one must be polite, even to crazy people.)

One bit of gossip to be passed along: Dwayne Croft is jumping into the Met’s Pagliacci as Silvio, replacing the originally scheduled Pavel Baransky — who departed after the dress rehearsal.

Oh, and another bit: La Cieca was told that Sirius now has about 6 million subscribers total, including approximately 440,000 new customers in the July – September period.

La Cieca is back in her beloved Sunnyside late this evening, even though the Metropolitan Opera opening night began at 6:30. By her watch, the performance of Madama Butterfly ran not quite four hours including intermissions and curtain call. Oddly, though, the evening didn’t seem unnaturally long — maybe because La Cieca enjoyed a disco nap prior to the performance, or maybe because her seat for this opening night was in the plaza, watching on the big screen video, or, as we have come to call it, the Plazatron.

First things first: quite unlike most free events in New York, and on the Upper West Side in particular, the crowd was mostly very well mannered, attentive and appreciative. The weather, La Cieca must say, was simply superb, with just the hint of a cool autumnal breeze. The much-ballyhooed Red Carpet was somewhat underwhelming, hidden as it was over near Damrosch Park. La Cieca did catch a glimpse of Jude Law in the flesh, looking very dapper in black tie, and on the Plazatron, she noticed our own Dawn Fatale looking very boyish indeed against a backdrop of social xrays.

About the performance proper La Cieca can’t really say anything because our own JJ will review a later performance, but she will note that the Plaza crowd was treated to an intermission feature showing director Anthony Minghella and the cast in rehearsal. Minghella talks too much, La Cieca thinks, and in the video one could sense that Marcello Giordani and Dwayne Croft were getting a bit impatient with all the chitchat. Speaking of which, Giordani looks great these days, slim and dashing in his Navy whites, and Croft has evolved into a very sexy daddy type — particularly since this production makes no effort to disguise his mostly-bald pate. You know how La Cieca goes for the tete de peau look!

As La Cieca was preparing her podcast this evening she was listening to the second Met Radio broadcast on Sirius, a 1971 Rigoletto, and she sees the ante has been upped: she’ll have to redouble her efforts to bring you the best in Unnatural Acts of Opera.

That’s how one industry insider described today’s open dress rehearsal of Madama Butterfly at the Met. “More people than I’ve ever seen in the theater, some of them with tickets scalped from Ebay!”

A more measured assessment comes from yet another of La Cieca’s network of operatives:

“Well I am happy to say that today’s affair was well worth the wait in line! To begin with, the Met has transformed into a sort of “butterfly cocoon,” with a myriad of exhibits, pictures and a giant ancient chinese banner outside which reads “Cio Cio San”. The new art gallery has some very interesting paintings relating to the new production, although I question the inclusion of a collage of lesbian erotica which represents Madama Butterfly (quite a ballsy thing for such a bastion of tradition!). The documentary and Q&A session after the performance were
substantive and informative. Even Mayor Bloomberg deigned to make a short speech.

“Now, as for the performance–it certainly lived up to the hype! The crowd loved it, although a few people were puzzled bythe use of a puppet for Butterfly’s child. I, however, felt it heightened the drama in that it allowed for a greater expressive range and highlighted the child’s powerlessness. Besides that, the production really stunned everyone. The striking use of lighting as well as the costumes added so much to the performance and made for what is probably the most dramatic interpretation of the final scene. The giant black mirror which reflects the slanted stage gives the whole opera a cinematic feeling: you can see things in the mirror you cannot see on the stage, e.g., something happening behind a screen.

“Unlike so many productions at the MET, the effects are never an end in themselves and are meant to highlight the drama in some way rather that just dazzle the audience. On the whole, the sophistication of choreography, staging, and creativity is way ahead of most productions at the MET. It had the feeling of an excellent small theater production in that it was very specific and pretty much flawless. However, in its own way it was extravagant — without being overblown like those Zeffirelli productions.

“Now, as for the singing….that is somewhat of a mixed bag. Giordani knocked my socks off with his gorgeous and unbroken sound. Vocally, he and Croft were the best aspects of the production. Gallardo-Domas was, well, not great . . . . She has no variety or delicacy, but at least she has a big enough voice to fill the house. As an actress she is suberb. It almost didn’t matter that she couldn’t quite fill the shoes of the role in the way that Scotto or de los Angeles could, because the production was just so damn superb.

“Oh and the best thing is that one does not have to be especially close to enjoy it–the production actually has more impact from a distance. For those who like their productions traditional –do not despair! This Butterfly production, while essentially minimalist, is not some kooky Eurotrash kitsch. It has the best aspects of a modern production, but is essentially traditional.

“I applaud the MET for finally doing something right. The open house was exciting, informative and just a wonderful experience all around. I hope this is a sign of things to come!”