Another Marriage of Figaro? Really?

Do we need another Le Nozze di Figaro? Well, I do. It's my favorite opera. And Luca Pisaroni as Figaro makes any Nozze a don't-miss performance! In honor of his recent San Francisco appearance (and in lieu of a recording of those performances), here he is. There are some other singers and a conductor, too. 

Figaro – Luca Pisaroni

Susanna – Rosemary Joshua

Il Conte Almaviva – Pietro Spagnoli

La Contessa Almaviva – Annette Dasch

Cherubino – Angelica Kirchschlager

Marcellina – Sophie Pondjiclis

Antonio – Alessandro Svab

Bartolo – Antonio Abete

Don Basilio – Enrico Facini

Barbarina – Pauline Courtin

Don Curzio – Serge Goubioud

Conductor – Rene Jacobs

Gratuitous Friday – Angelika Kirchschlager Sings Bach

The other day I found a recording of Bach’s B-Minor Mass conducted by Seji Ozawa. I almost just kept moving, because Ozawa is not one of the first 30 conductors of whom I would think, “Wow, I bet his Bach is awesome!” 

However, I noticed who was singing the Alto solos, so I hesitated, and listened. Here is what I heard. 

Amazon says this recording is from 2011, but it was originally released in 2002 (and that Philips logo on the cover is a clue that it’s not brand new.) 

Frau Kirchschalger also released a solo album of Bach Arias that same year for Sony, which includes my new favorite Bach aria, “Schlummert ein” and this gem from the St. Matthew Passsion: “Erbarme dich.” 

Jonas Merchant and Angelika Cherry Pop (Not About Music)

Thank you, Google Translate, for alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) confusing and amusing me with your oh-so-literal (and frequently inconsistent) translations. Sometimes you automatically translate even when I don't ask you to; these are the most confusing times of all!

Jonas Merchant

Angelika Cherry Pop*

*At least Kaufmann=merchant makes sense...

Sunday Brunch – Christmas in Vienna 2013

Just in time for the First Sunday in Christmastide, this hour-long TV program consists of standard, and mostly traditional, Christmas music, and it's a lovely way to extend our holiday season just a little bit longer. 

The concert features Luca Pisaroni, Angelika Kirchschlager, Ursula Langmayr (filling in for Anna Prohaska), and Joel Prieto, with the Wiener Singakademie, the Wiener Sängerknaben, and the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, all under the direction of Erwin Ortner.

Special thanks to Luca Pisaroni for posting the link on Facebook!

Sunday Brunch, Expanded Edition – Mezzos in Pants

This is a great U-TOOB playlist featuring one of our favorite opera phenomena: mezzos playing men. This playlist includes Sarah Connolly (a lot), Alice Coote, Joyce DiDonato, Vesselina Karasova, Angelika Kirchschlager, Elina Garanca, Isabel Leonard, Helene Schneiderman, and Kate Lindsey and costars some of our favorite sopranos, too (Miah Persson in at least two!!!)!

And then check out La Clemenza di Tito from La Monnaie for more mezzos in pants. (I have a crush on Swedish mezzo Anna Grevelius as Annio, but I am not sure if I have a crush on her, or on him.)

Gratuitous Friday – Rosenkavalier Finale (Kirchschlager, Isokoski, and Kühmeier)

A heavenly Rosenkavalier finale with Angelika Kirschlager, Soile Isokoski, and the lovely Genia Kühmeier.  

Angelika Kirchschlager  (Octavian)

Soile Isokoski   (Marschallin)

Genia Kühmeier  (Sophie) 

Georg Tichy  (Faninal)

Wiener Staatsoper Anniversary Gala (5.11.2005)

Christian Thielemann, conducting