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. 

  

Hello, Ragazzi! (Part Four)

I’ve noticed (and no doubt my readers have noticed) that I've been mentioning/referring to Robert Carsen productions frequently in recent posts. This realization made me think. If the Met is going to continue importing some of its “new” productions from other venues (I understand it’s a more economical way to bring in new work than to create every new production from scratch), can we convince them to bring in Robert Carsen’s La Fanciulla del West? Since the Met was the site of Fanciulla’s origin, I think it’s about time we get a new production (or any production for that matter. It’s been 6 years since the last time they presented it.)

Maybe we could cast it with Nina Stemme and Jonas Kaufmann (though I understand he’s travelling outside Europe less due to changes in his domestic life). Alternate tenors: is Brandon Jovanovich ready for this role? He acted a good prince in Rusalka and sang a pretty exciting Florestan in concert a few years ago. How about Anja Kampe or Patricia Racette as Minnie? I am sure there are many other dramatic tenors and sopranos (and barihunks)—who also can act—who could fill out this production. Who would you like to see in a new Fanciulla?

Hello, Ragazzi! (Part Three)

Fantasy Opera Casting: 

Stemme, Kaufmann, and friends in the Carsen staging.

More Must-See Medici.TV (Mozart and Beethoven)

Tristan and Luca

Luca Pisaroni as the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro. Do I really need to say more? 

The performances are quite good, and I really dig the Upstairs/
Downstairs theme (and set.) Having the Count, Countess, Figaro and Susanna all about the same age also makes sense. I am not sure I like seeing Luca as a bad guy. I mean he does it well, playing a textbook abusive husband, alternately loving and threatening. But, well...Luca's such a nice guy, I think he should always be the hero! The whole cast is pretty impressive*, including Zurich stalwart Martina Janková as Susanna, and Anett Fritsch (a cool Donna Elvira last season), and Adam Plachetka as Figaro. ...and the rest! Anyway, watch it while you can. 

Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro – Dan Ettinger, Sven-Eric Bechtolf – Salzburg Festival on medici.tv.

*including a furry cameo by Luca's doxy Tristan as, appropriately, the Count's Dog. I am still waiting to see Lenny get a juicy opera role. 

While you're hanging out at medici.tv, be sure to watch the new Claus Guth production of Fidelio with Jonas Kaufmann and Adrianne Pieczonka. I’ve seen only a brief excerpt so far. But it looks pretty good. I mean, it's Claus Guth...and of course, there's JK and AP! (It also has dancer Paul Lorenger, and sign language artist Nadia Kichler who both appeared in Guth’s amazing staging of Handel’s Messiah.)

Fidelio: Beethoven – Claus Guth, Franz Welser­-Möst – Salzburg Festival – With Jonas Kaufmann on medici.tv.

Having missed all but Act 1 of Carmen, and barely catching the Bayerische Staatsoper Lulu** before it went off the web***, I am pledging to myself to re-watch Nozze and watch Fidelio from beginning to end before they disappear!!

**Marlis Peterson is amazing as Lulu. I thought Tcherniakov’s production was illuminating—in Acts 1 and 2. Act 3 seems to be a stumbling block for many directors. But MP is amazing—really the whole cast is impressive. If it turns up—ahem—elsewhere, do take time to watch it. I am looking forward to hearing MP in the new Met production. Speaking of Lulu at the Met, there is a really good article/appreciation of this opera in the latest issue of Opera News. Lulu (like Wozzeck, I guess, but I am not as big a fan) provides new insights (to the music and to the characters) with multiple hearings. 

***I left the browser window open for the past few days, and still was able to watch Act 3 today, even though technically it was no longer available.

Puccini: Manon Lescaut Webcast from Bayerische Staatsoper 7/31/2015

July 31, 2015, 8.15 p.m. (C.E.T.)

Giacomo Puccini

Manon Lescaut

New production

Musical Direction: Alain Altinoglu

Stage Direction: Hans Neuenfels

With Kristine Opolais, Jonas Kaufmann a.o.

Jonas Kaufmann and Kate Aldrich in Carmen Live Tomorrow

More live opera this weekend: 

Saturday, July 11, 4:45 Eastern U.S. Time 

Kate Aldrich (Carmen) 
Inva Mula (Micaëla) 
Hélène Guilmette (Frasquita) 
Marie Karall (Mercédès)
Jonas Kaufmann (Don José) 
Kyle Ketelsen (Escamillo) 
Jean Teitgen (Zuniga) 
Olivier Grand (Le Dancaïre) 
Florian Laconi (Le Remendado) 
Armando Noguera (Moralès)

Choir of the Angers-Nantes Opera, Choir of the Opera Grand Avignon
Choir of the Nice Opera, Mastery Des Bouches Du Rhône
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France 
Mikko Franck musical direction
Louis Désiré stage director, set designer, costumes 

Must See Medici TV – Stars in Concert and Staatsoper Lulu

...and speaking of Thomas Hampson, here he is in concert, along with some other singers you may have heard of...

I haven't seen it yet, but it's on my holiday weekend to-do list. 

Watch this at Medici.TV

And now for something completely different, there's this: 

Watch the opera here on medici.tv 

Thanks to MediciTV for sharing this for those of us who missed the live stream on StaatsoperTV. I watched Act 1 on Saturday, but had to give up at intermission. The storm was really messing with my internet connection. What I've seen and heard is impressive. DT's production seems to really suit the expressionist tone of the plot and music. (Lulu is my number-one top 20th century opera!) 

And the cast is doing an exceptional job so far, featuring singers well-known for their Mozart interpretations (including two former Belmontes as Alwa and the Painter!) Watch this blog for a full review sometime soon.

Saturday Matinee – Cav und Pag mit Kaufmann

Several fans have posted this performance on the TOOB. This is the cleanest transfer I've seen so far, and they're both together in one file. I've always been more partial to Cav. Couldn't someone pair it with something like Gianni Schicci or another fluffier piece? 

But the opportunity to see/hear JK in both roles is hard to pass up. I confess I haven't sat through the whole double feature yet. (I had to re-watch the blue kool-aid Cosi first!) Maybe today's the day for Cav/Pag. Happy Saturday Matinee everyone!

Update 02/08/2018: because opera fugit, the Cav has disappeared; but Pag has shown up again. Here it is:

And here's the beginning of a playlist with some clips from Cav: 

Gratuitous Friday – JK to Appear in Meistersinger (but not till 2016)

Wow! Talk about antici-    pation!

Here's a preview of the new Meistersinger starring Jonas Kaufmann (and probably some other singers, too...) at the Bayerische Staatsoper. The new production will debut in May 2016. At least the interviews are thoughtfully subtitled auf English! I am sure we'll have a Staatsoper.tv opportunity to see this from afar, but they haven't (as far as I know) published the 2015/2016 broadcast schedule yet. 

Meanwhile we do still have the (apparently quite bizarre, but it's hard to beat the singing) Manon Lescaut to look forward to this summer:

July 31, 2015, 7.30 p.m. (C.E.T.)
Giacomo Puccini: Manon Lescaut

Jonas Kaufmann (and Tony Pappano) Interviews on Euronews

From Euronews, January 22, 2015, Herr Kaufmann discusses how he takes care of his voice. And Sir Tony chats about working with JK, the Andrea Chenier, and opera in the cinema. (Unfortunately, it looks like the U.S. distributor picked up only the ballets this year.)

Speaking of Star Quality: Jonas Kaufmann – (The Making of) "You Mean the World to Me"

Happy New Year!

Thoughts about Star Quality (and My Dad)

There are a lot of qualifications to become an opera superstar. Great singing and acting, of course, top the list. And there are many we all love, admire, follow, and yes, even worship. But the best of the best, as far as I am concerned have that extra something – a likability factor.

My Dad watched the latest Jonas Kaufmann interview the other day, and we chatted about what makes JK special. (Dad saw him in cinema broadcasts: Lohengrin from La Scala and the Met Parsifal, and has the Wagner CD.) Of course JK sings super-well, he is very easy on the eyes, and he is a pretty good actor. But what my Dad commented on was JK’s intelligence, friendliness, and approach-ability. Dad said that he’d like to be friends with JK, to hang out, have a beer, and talk about stuff—opera and otherwise.

And I think that’s the magic element to super-superstardom, at least in the opera world. Sing good, act good, and be someone that people would want to be friends with. I think about who I’d like to hang out with: Jonas Kaufmann, Joyce DiDonato (duh), Thomas Hampson, Annette Dasch (after seeing some of her German TV clips), Beverly Sills (OK, that’s now impossible, but you know what I mean.) There are others of course, but these are singers who put themselves out there and let people know them as people.

There also are singers who put themselves out there, whom I would not like to hang out with. I won’t name names, but some of these singers come across as arrogant, unapproachable, and “I am a superstar, and don’t you forget it!” Whatever, I don’t feel like I want to have a beer with them...

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I started writing this blog post about a year ago. I never finished it, because I couldn't find a way to wrap it up neatly. But I came across it when searching my files for the key word "Dad." Although I try not to go off topic in this blog, I do have to pause to talk about my Dad; in many ways, he is very on topic.

My Dad passed away last week, early in the morning on December 26, at the age of 91. Last week, he sang in his church choir for midnight mass on Christmas Eve; and, among other things, he heard his great-grandson play the violin on Christmas Day. 

In addition to being the nicest man in the world (I'm not just saying that. Ask anyone who knows him!) my Dad had star quality and unending curiosity: 

Star quality that drew everyone to him. Like JK, my Dad was likable, approachable, intelligent, and friendly (and nearly as handsome). 

And curiosity that kept him exploring life, art, religion, theology, science, and music (including opera) throughout his entire life. He was working his way through one of those "Great Courses" DVD sets about the history of music. In our daily phone chats, he often shared some new-found (or brought back from memory) musical fact. Having sung in a madrigal group in his earlier adulthood, he was excited to learn more background of music he'd been singing for years. My Dad actually was excited about the origin of chant, and organum, how polyphony was developed, and the circumstances surrounding the creation of the first opera. 

He and I shared a particular love of opera, and spent many evenings chatting on the phone (I've mentioned some of these debriefings in other posts) discussing the most recent Met in HD broadcast, a webcast from Brussels or Munich, or an opera DVD. He was particularly intrigued by Willy Decker's Traviata, and he watched the DVD several times before attending the Met in HD. I dare say he was one of the few folks in his retirement village who really "got" that production. And he wasn't content to just "get it" for himself; he made it his goal to bring his fellow opera-lovers on board. 

Dad participated in local amateur opera productions back in the 70s. He did the father and father-like roles: Bartolo in Nozze, Krušina in The Bartered Bride, Dr. Grenville in Traviata, and one of the uncles in Gianni Schicchi, to name a few. He recently shared with his grandsons that he wished he'd done more opera. He was a bit shy back then, but now he felt ready to really step out there. Although he stepped out in only a few operas, he always stepped up in life. 

*********************

Again, I am stuck for a tidy wrap-up for this blog post. But this time, I am not going to let that keep me from posting it. I guess I can wrap up by saying that I really miss my Dad, but I can't begrudge him the rest. He lived a long, full life, always following his curiosity and always with star quality! I love you, Dad! 

Neuenfels, Kaufmann, and Opolais – More about Manon Lescaut

I was going all nostalgic (for the summer...I have a short memory) and looking for the recording I made when BBC Radio 3 broadcast Manon Lescaut from the Royal Opera House. Of course that file has gone missing. After trolling the various disc drives where my music goes to hide, I gave up and googled it, thinking someone else must have recorded the broadcast. 

Well, I did find it, for 7 bucks, which I don’t care to spend on a questionable mp3 download. But better yet, I found this:

Interviews with the director, conductor, and stars of the Bayerische Staatsoper production. It's amazing what you find when you're looking for something else!

I also found this trailer:

In Other Staatsoper News - Manon Lescaut vs. Hans Neuenfels

The new production of Manon Lescaut at the Bayerische Staatsoper is produced/directed by the ever divisive Hans Neuenfels (I love his work, but many don't!) Possibly redeeming the production (or in my case, making it even more exciting) are the two leads: none other than Jonas and Kristine!

The opera will be broadcast, but not till next summer. Meanwhile be on the lookout for (probably) scathing reviews of the production. See more pics at the Staatsoper website.

And here are a few reviews (I am sure there are more somewhere) to tide us over, tempt us, or make us certain we don't want to see it. (Check all that apply.)

Bachtrack (in English)

Der Neue Merker (auf Deutsch)

La Forza del Friday – It's Back!

I was actually looking for the ROH Manon Lescaut with JK, and I came across this instead. But don't tell anyone, just go watch it! It's got JK, AH, LT, and German subtitles!

Come on Manon, let's go!

I used to think (in my young childhood*) the opera was called Manon, Let's Go. And it's not totally nonsensical. I mean, when you think about it, that's basically what Des Grieux and Lescaut say to her in Act 2 while she's busy scooping up her jewelry instead of running from the police. 

Anyway, the reason for this post is to highlight the bounty of "making of" videos the ROH has posted for their new production of Puccini's Manon Lescaut. (This was Puccini's first big hit. Apparently, he could easily have retired and lived off his profits from Edgar and Manon. But fortunately, he didn't rest on his laurels, or he never would have written La Boheme, and a few other big hits!)

Blogger eyesometric provides us with a bunch of other links about this production, and also reminds us that the BBC Radio 3 will be broadcasting a live performance of this new production from the ROH featuring Kristine Opolais, Jonas Kaufmann, and Christopher Maltman with Anthony Pappano waving the stick. 

Meanwhile, here are those videos:

*Yes, I was already listening to opera as a young child. I used to record the Met broadcasts on my reel-to-reel for frequent playback. One that I listened to over and over was an Ariadne with Tatiana Troyanos and…well, I didn’t care about who else was in it at that point. 

Watching the Radio – More Vocal Treasures on Ö1

On Radio Ö1 this week, Chris Tina Tengel hosts two programs of vocal interest.

Apropos Musik from Sunday afternoon is an appreciation of French baritone Gabriel Bacquier, who would have been 90 this year. (He sounds gooooood!)

Stimmen hören provides an overview of recent Lieder recordings featuring clips from Jonas Kaufmann, Paul Armin Edelmann, Maximilian Schmitt, Norbert Ernst, Christian Gerhaher, and several others. Lieder are by the usual suspects, plus Fanny Mendelssohn, Paul Hindemith, and Joseph Marx, to name a few.  Listen to this one first, since it’s only available on 7 Tage Ö1 for a few more days. 

Gratuitous Friday Part 2 – Jonas Kaufmann's Other Test Drive

Apparently, the video in my previous post was not the first time JK test-drove a Bimmer. This clip was posted to YT in 2010 and by all appearances, it was filmed that year. It seems that driving helps him learn his music. 

I have to admit I melted a bit when he started singing the flower aria from Carmen (that and when he patted the car on it's rear fender). Thanks to reader Cecily K for sending me the link to this clip.

Gratuitous Friday – Jonas Kaufmann's Test Drive

Finally! My two favorite obsessions—cars and opera (and JK in particular)—in one place: In this six-minute clip, Jonas Kaufmann test-drives the latest top-luxe BMW 7 series limo. (Although I think this clip actually is a few years old, as JK seems to still be wearing braces and they show a clip of his concert with Erwin Schrott and Anna Netrebko.) 

Why didn't someone think of this sooner? Cars and opera! Perfect!

Fierrabras Complete – You Know You're Curious, Go On, Check it Out

Yes this opera has its flaws—most of them dramatic. On the other hand, it has some really nice tunes, and this cast does a great job. While you're at it, you can try to suss out the reasoning behind the giant grand piano. Leave it to Claus Guth to give us something to chew while we listen to the pretty music.

You might be interested in reading my other posts about this production.