The Return of Regie, or not Regie

  The 2025 Revival

      or Why I Decided Someone Else Might Care.

I stopped blogging a few years back when I started working full time again (go figure!).I had less time
to watch opera and less time to ponder the points of less traditional opera productions. The original inspiration for this blog was all the annoying negative posts on YouTube about any production that varied from the "norm". 

I am fascinated by rethinking operas from a staging standpoint, and I love how (most) rethought productions focus not only on the singing (that's why we're here, after all) but also on the acting, the drama, the meaning. I feel this way especially when seeing an opera that's been done so many times before. I feel this way when we've seen too many hoop skirts, sausage curls, chandeliers, horns & breastplates, and bathrobes (the Nabucco productions!) 

For a few years I watched "controversies" on various Facebook groups, other blogs, and yes, still on YouTube comments. Every time I thought I'd restart the blog, I thought, "I don't really care what everyone else thinks. Why should they care what I think?" I also thought about the fact that blogs are kind of passe here in the 2020s. But my urge to share finally won out. So here we are. 

The name of this blog is a (weak) pun. The question really is are we watching a thoughtful restaging, a well-directed rethink, or just someone working out their own difficult childhood (or all three and more)? Just because Rigoletto is set in Las Vegas or Aida in Kiev or Boheme on the moon or Cosi in the 1960s doesn't necessarily make the drama less dramatic, the singing less wonderful (or awful), or the plot less moving. 

So, here we are. Welcome back. Please enjoy, and feel free to comment. I love the interaction!

Not Your Father's Traviata

Although My Dad would have liked it.

I just saw a gripping La Traviata on YouTube. The title for the post included "Poor Verdi" so you know I just had to see/hear it!!

It's not at ALL traditional—a little grimy, but very moving, I thought. There was a total of four Violettas on stage (five if you count Germont’s daughter, who was kind of another Violetta). Two singing, one dancing, and one as a child. Was Giorgio Germont really Violetta's dad or was it just symbolism of how badly well-heeled men treated lesser-born women?

It’s also slightly out of score order. It should not be one’s first exposure to the opera! But, that said, I highly recommend it to anyone who is open to new interpretations of well-known classics.

Upcoming Opera Online from Belgium (Especially Mozart!)

Here's my semi-annual blog post. I am putting it here mostly for me, because I really want to be sure to see these three Mozart/Daponte operas!

I just experienced the Tales of Hoffmann from La Monnaie as well. I was a bit disappointed in the concept with most numbers sung in front of a microphone (I get why they did it, but I found it annoying after the fifth or sixth time), and by Patricia Pettibon, who seemed very stressed. 

Love, like, or hate them, I am always glad to experience productions from La Monnaie. And, as I said, I am looking forward to these Mozarts (and Pique Dame and Rosenkavalier.) Their video streams usually are up for about six weeks, starting right after closing night. Some are available on other platforms. Hoffmann is on arte.tv, and it's geoblocked in the United States; but you can access it with a VPN.

Here's the trailer for the upcoming Figaro.

Thanks to anyone who's still reading me. I will try to update my little blog a little more often!

Gratuitous Wednesday – Jakub Józef Orliński at the Eiffel Tower

...and because I need to get a post in before the end of July. This is exquisite, especially considering he is: (1) singing outdoors; (2) miked to death; (3) in a huge, open space; (4) with a giant symphony orchestra (why is there even a harpsichord there?); (5) to an audience who may not have heard of Vivaldi; (6) beneath the Eiffel Tower (I'm not distracted, you're distracted!) The man is charming to watch as well as to listen to. No breakdancing this time, but, oh, what singing!

Thanks to the YT poster who shared this.  

Operas Online (Arte Concert Edition) – Some Last Chance Opportunities

Arte Concert has some goodies for us online this summer; and some are going away very soon or sooner. Take some time to enjoy these while they last. In order of disappearance: 

06/21/2019 – Benjamin: Lessons in Love and Violence

07/10/2019 – Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos

07/10/2019 – Stravinsky: The Rake’s Progress

08/20/2019 – Leoncavello: I Pagliacci

08/20/2019 – Montemezzi: L’incante Simo

08/30/2019 – Gluck: Alceste (not available in U.S. but can be viewed using VPN)

10/26/2019 – Mercadante: Il Bravo

12/13/2020 – Mozart: Thamos

Thomas Hampson – Schubert Master Class in Heidelberg

Schubert master class in Heidelberg. Much good advice for singers. And Mr. Hampson also provides great guidance for the accompanist. I always find a few tidbits I can apply to my own music-making and/or life as well. Highly recommended! And there will be another one tomorrow morning. 

Check here for more information, too. 

Aria Code – Redial and Review: Ah fors'è lui...Sempre libera

I finally listened to the first installment of  Aria Code, the new podcast coproduced by WQXR and the Met. Each podcast addresses just one aria, giving it in-depth thought and consideration. Based on this episode, they don't just consider the music or explain the plot; they delve into how the music reflects the character's thoughts and feelings in relation to the story.  

This episode is a refreshing glimpse into the mind of the singer and character as Diana Damrau narrates Violetta's big Act 1 finale. She discusses how the music reflects Violetta's thoughts and emotions. I felt like I was being let in on the musical process, as well as Ms. Damrau's thought process as an actor/singer.

Host Rhiannon Giddens, who studied opera at Oberlin before embarking on a folk music career, called on two additional commentators to reflect on the cultural setting of the opera and the mindset of a woman in Violetta's position: Cori Ellison is the company dramaturg for Santa Fe Opera; and Brooke Magnanti, a writer and former escort (yes, that kind of escort).

The discussion is insightful, thoughtful, and informative; and it’s not overly scholarly or "arch," as some of the official Met podcasts can be. It feels more like a personal analysis than “this is high art” musicology or someone simply describing the plot (which most of us already know, anyway.)

Maybe best of all, this episode concludes with a complete performance of  Ah fors'è lui...Sempre libera by Ms. Damrau. (Each podcast will feature a complete peformance of the aria under discussion.) The only quibble I have with the whole production is the "title" of the episode, which (maybe in my own snobbery) I think: (1) is inaccurate, because Violetta seems classy already; and (2) unnecessarily cheapens the podcast's image. But that is a very minor quibble.

So, I finally listened, and I am glad I did. And now I cannot wait for the next episode. Take a half hour (plus or minus) and check out this wonderful podcast!

Aria Code – A New Opera Podcast

A new opera podcast; one that sounds like it will be a smart, down-to-earth podcast. Rhiannon Giddens hosts: 

"Each episode dives into one aria — a feature for a single singer — and explores how and why these brief musical moments have imprinted themselves in our collective consciousness and what it takes to stand on the Met stage and sing them."

Produced in cooperation with the Metropolitan Opera, the podcast will feature interviews with singers, other musical folks, writers, and other music lovers. This sounds like it will be a lot of fun, and a nice companion to He Sang She Sang and the official Met podcasts.

There's a two-minute intro up now; the first official episode will be available on December 2.

What's Richard Croft (Singing God) Up to These Days?

This clip is from about two years ago. He was an amazing Tito at Glyndbourne in 2017. What's he up to this year? Lovers of gorgeous tenor singing want to know.

More Staatsoper.TV

And while we’re on the subject, here’s the schedule for the rest of the 2018 – 2019 live-stream season from the Bayerische Staatsoper:

01/06/2019

Bedřich Smetana

Die verkaufte Braut (The Bartered Bride)

18.00 hours

Conductor: Tomáš Hanus

Director: David Bösch

Selene Zanetti (Marie), Pavol Breslik (Hans), Günther Groissböck (Kezal)

02/23/2019

Ernst Krenek

Karl V.

19.00 hours

Conductor: Erik Nielsen

Director: Carlus Padrissa – La Fura dels Baus

Bo Skovhus (Karl V.), Anne Schwanewilms (Isabella), Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Franz I.)

03/30/2019

Giacomo Puccini
La fanciulla del West
19.00 hours
Conductor: James Gaffigan
Director: Andreas Dresen
Anja Kampe (Minnie), Brandon Jovanovich (Dick), John Lundgren (Jack)

07/06/2019

Richard Strauss
Salome
20.00 hours
Conductor: Kirill Petrenko
Director: Krzysztof Warlikowski
Marlis Petersen (Salome), Wolfgang Koch (Jochanaan), Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke (Herodes), Michaela Schuster (Herodias)

Harteros, Kaufmann, and Finley – Otello Live on Staatsoper.TV

Live on December 2, and available on-demand the next day for 24 hours. I am not an Otello super-fan, but I am looking forward to seeing/hearing this performance. 

Connect to the stream on December 2nd. 

And find out more information about the production now. 

  

More He Sang She Sang -- Michael Fabiano/Mefistofele Edition

Michael Fabiano appeared today on He Sang She Sang. Mr. Fabiano chats about Mefistofele, singing, his life philosophtm his new marriage, flying, and his ArtSmart foundation. 

He Sang She Sang – Podcast Reincarnated as Live Facebook Videos

I've  periodically harassed WQXR to ask them to bring back the one-season podcast He Sang She Sang, which presented wonderful insights into upcoming Met opera broadcasts. They've steadfastly ignored me.

Meanwhile, He Sang She Sang sneakily reappeared as video feeds on Facebook. They're now focused more on behind-the-scenes conversations with opera singers. They're a lot of fun; and they're informative. I think they're available only at Facebook; do check them out!

Thomas Hampson on the Singing "Industry"

In a recent interview on a new (to me, but it's been around for about five years) blog, Thomas Hampson talks about how the opera singing industry has changed since he started his career. Back then...

“There was this foregone conclusion that with every operatic role and experience, you should develop into something vocally and theatrically better,” Hampson says. “I don’t see that kind of emphasis today.”

What he does see is a focus not on developing opera singers, but on developing opera productions. With the integrity of a singular production a growing priority, companies are on the hunt for singers who fit a specific aesthetic – be it musical or visual; and in response, singers are training not to become autonomous and unique artists, but to become useful to the operatic industry. In fact, they’re persuaded to do so, Hampson argues. “We no longer encourage young singers to become singers. We teach them how to become voices that are useful for an industry purpose. That bothers me a lot, as a pedagogue.”

Read the entire interview here, and check out more articles and opera info at the website. 

The Rush to Judgement – A Reflection Sparked by 2018 Bayreuth

An excerpt from the latest Bayreuth Lohengrin provoked critical comments from opera fans. We know there are many who are willing to criticize a production sight-unseen. Others will reserve judgement till they at least see photos or maybe a 5-minute video.

My readers know by now that I will argue that it’s not fair to pass judgement on a performance without seeing/hearing/experiencing the whole thing.

With most "non-traditional" stagings, it's very hard to grasp a production from excerpts. (Granted, this Lohengrin bit is a nice long excerpt.) Neuenfels' Lohengrin just seems gimmicky if you only see one scene, aria, or chorus; but it made sense (to me) once I watched it through. Decker's Traviata (like it or not) makes a lot more sense when you see it from start to finish, rather than just the Brindisi. And, (one of my unsung—so to speak—favorites) Richard Jones' Boheme from Bregenz (2002) kind of weirded me out until I saw the whole thing.

All we are saying is, “Give (the) Piece a Chance.”

P.S. At this moment, while writing about Lohengrin, I'm listening to a stream of Die Meistersinger, and experiencing what my granddaughter would call "cognitive dissonance" (even though I am pretty certain she's not quite sure what cognitive dissonance means!)

James Jordan’s Afternoon Delight – Parterre Saturday Webcasts

Those of us who feel lost in the summer without our Saturday Met broadcasts, look no further. Parterre Saturday Afternoon (now playing its ninth show as I type) offers rare/historical/interesting/beautiful (choose all that apply) performances streamed in real time from Parterre Box Presents La Cieca blog site and on YouTube as operazine. 

Even better, the streams remain on YouTube for future listening. I just caught up with the stream from last week featuring Beverly Sills singing Mozart and Strauss.

Today, in between acts of Gounod’s Faust (an opera I rarely seek out, but always love when I come across it), James offers a two-part interview with tenor Michael Fabiano. James is a font of operatic knowledge to begin with. And Parterre's followers offer humorous and informative thoughts, opinions, gossip, and trivia in the comments sections.

If you're looking for me next Saturday, I'll be at my computer (or on my phone) lisetning to Parterre Saturday Afternoon! Bravo James!! 

NYC Opera Seeking Transgender Singer

I have so many things to write about: four Hoffmann productions; a Lucia di Lammermoor; a Flying Dutchman; the new La Clemenza di Tito audio recording. But this item needs immediate attention and requires no commentary from me. New York City Opera seeks a transgender singer to create a role in a new opera. 

About Stonewall

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the event, Stonewall is a moving and explosive new American opera that captures the rage, grit, humor and, finally, hope of the LGBTQ community’s uprising in a Greenwich Village dance club on one hot night in June 1969. The work follows a diverse group of characters whose lives collide at that pivotal moment in history when the police push them too far and they find the courage to fight back.

Met in HD Encores – Three Left this Summer

Three Met in HD summer encores are left this year. I  missed the gorgeous Butterfly last week because I was out of town. 

I am not sure I need to see this Trovatore again, but I’ll probably go anyway. 

I used to have the Onegin on DVD (I cannot find it...who did I loan it to? Sorry; to whom did I loan it?); and I think it's a "don't miss" performance and production (all those leaves!). I reviewed this one, and here is the first part. My Uncle (my Dad's brother) had some thoughts about this production of his favorite opera. 

And I simply must see Nina Stemme as Turandot.

Here are the dates the encores playing in my neighborhood (all Wednesdays):

• 06/27 – Trovatore 7:00 PM
• 07/11 – Eugene Onegin 7:00 PM
• 07/18 – Turandot 7:00 PM

Herheim’s Boheme – Must See DVD

So, this arrived yesterday. Everyone leave me alone. 

It’s a very Boheme Sunday. I’ll be back later to discuss. 

ReJoyce, for her 2018 Master Classes are Online Now

Joyce DiDonato is back for her annual Carnegie Hall Master Classes. I missed them live over the weekend (the trials of having a job!) But lucky for us, the three days of classes are online now at Medici.TV. As soon as I have a lull at work, I'll be watching them. See you there!     

P.S. Her Juilliard class from last fall is still there, too.