Gratuitous Friday – Miah Persson: "Lascia ch'io pianga"

This is from Rene Jacobs' 2003 complete recording of Handel's Rinaldo, with Mia Persson as "a lovely Almirena," and the ever-reliable Freiburger Baroqueorchester. It may be the slowest performances of this aria I've ever heard. Halting, yet always moving forward, and beautifully ornamented in the da capo. Sigh!

More Miah (Interview from 2011) Plus Sarah and John Mark

I was actually doing a search on tenor John Mark Ainsley, which led me to a 2008 interview with mezzo Sarah Connolly, which (obviously?) led me to this Miah Persson interview from 2011. As we know MP became an amazing Donna Elvira and Governess (in Turn of the Screw); and she turned out a rather charming Adina in L'Elisir. So, meanwhile, here she is in (for me) some unexpected repertoire. Can you imagine her Violetta? Sigh!

OK since I mentioned JMA and SC, here are some clips from them, too 

(in more expected repertoire):

Gratuitous Friday – Miah Persson Sings Strauss' Four Last Songs

...can there be a Marschallin in her future? One can only hope!

Lieder: Strauss i Mahler

(Click the link above the photo. There doesn't seem to be a way to embed this.)

I think I found this one thanks to PauaGirl. Thank you, PauaGirl!

Monday Mozart with Miah Persson

Miah sings Mi tradi... in the 2013 Paris production:.

Anticipation – What I Downloaded Today...

...but don't have time to listen to till tomorrow:

Although I did hear an excerpt here.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756 – 1791)

Mitridate, rè di Ponto, K. 87 (74a)

Barry Banks (Mitridate)

Miah Persson (Aspasia)

Sophie Bevan (Sifare)

Lawrence Zazzo (Farnace)

Klara Ek (Ismene)

Robert Murray (Marzio)

Anna Devin (Arbate)

The Orchestra of Classical Opera; Ian Page, conductor

Recorded at St Jude-on-the-Hill, London, England, UK, 12 – 26 July 2013

Reading the Fine Print – Miah Persson Singing Mahler

A few years back I was caught up in a Mahler craze (right before the opera craze took hold) and I listened to quite a few different recordings of each of the symphonies. I decided to check out a few today, and as I was scrolling through my iTunes library, I saw a Mahler 4^th and wondered, "hmmm, who might the soloist be?" Squinting, I read the name I love to see of the soprano I love to hear: Miah Persson!

I am always intrigued to hear what kind of soprano a conductor chooses for this movement. Maybe it’s whoever he/she can get, but I always hope that they choose a soloist for this song based on the sound of the voice and the soprano’s approach to the text.

Some sopranos sound a bit too grown up and worldly-wise for this text. I mean it’s a pretty ironic text, but I think the singer should sound a little child-like (maybe child-like with an edge) without actually sounding childish.

I think Miah Persson nailed it on this one. Listen and see (hear) if you agree.

For a contrasting  (more ominous) interpretation from another beloved (by me) soprano, check out this version with Dorothea Röschmann.

Watching the Radio – Opera on Concerthuis 4

From Radio 4 in the Netherlands: More reasons to spend time in front of your computer!

Handel: Orlando* 

Bejun Mehta

Sunhae Im

Lenneke Ruiten

Rene Jacobs conducting (2014)

Mozart: Die Zauberflöte

Miah Persson

Topi Lehtipuu

Daniel Schumutzhard

Rene Jacobs conducting (2012)

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Anders Dahlen

Lenneke Ruiten

Cynthia Seiden

Frans Brüggen conducting (2011)

Tchaikovsky: Mazeppa

Lado Ataneli

Gelena Gaskarova

Yuri Kissin

Alexander Vedernikov conducting (2014)

Happy listening!

*This one is great fun! I just finished listening to it, and I'm ready to do it again!

Sunday Brunch – Miah and Ann and John Eliot and Wolfie

Miah Persson, Ann Hallenberg, Peter Mattei, John Eliot Gardiner, the Monteverdi Choir...

...and Mozart. Need I say more? *

*Probably, but I wanted to make sure you had a chance to hear it. Then we can talk!

(If you don’t have a lot of time, at least take a few minutes to check out the soprano duel duet that starts at about 16 minutes in.)

Gratuitous Friday – Miah Persson is Sifare

Richard Croft & Miah Persson

Yes, I know it's only Thursday, but I couldn't wait to re-share this clip. I am re-posting this absolutely wonderful performance—the performance that caused me to fall in love with Miah Persson—for two reasons: 

1.   The original post has been simply slammed with spam. It's very annoying, especially since the post is a year and a half old.
 

2.   I just heard Christiane Karg sing this in a Mozartwoche concert on Ö1 Radio. She was wonderful, but frankly, I just like this performance better. That being said, I do encourage my readers to go listen to that concert. It also includes two symphonies by Muzio Clementi (of piano sonatina fame), one of which (surprisingly) contains rather extensive variarations on God Save the King.

But more importantly to my readers: In between the Clementi symphonies, soprano Christine Karg (whose "big break" was singing in the same M22 festival series of operas that this video clip in taken from) sings a nice variety of early Mozart opera arias, including this one from Mitradate. 

But before you go listen to that concert, listen once again to the lovely and talented Miah Persson sing Lunga da te, mio bene.

Miah Persson and Lisa Della Casa on Ö1 Radio (but not together!)

Sunday was a great day to listen to Austria's Ö1 Radio! From the Mozartwoche 2014:

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu with: 

Miah Persson, Soprano; Maximilian Schmitt, Tenor; Michael Nagy, Bass; the RIAS Kammerchor; Berlin Freiburger Barockorchester; directed by René Jacobs.

And from the archives, on Apropos Musik: Die Arabellissima: an hour-long tribute to Lisa Della Casa featuring music by Mozart, R. Strauss, Wagner, and Lehár.

These two programs are available in archive for about 5 more days. Meanwhile, there are more gems coming from the Mozartwoche, including, on February 16, a concert of excerpts from both Gluck's and Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito featuring Malin Hartelius and...some other singers (who cares who else is there?)

Here is a listing of all of the Mozartwoche concerts scheduled this month on Ö1 Radio.

Sunday Brunch – Miah Persson's Pie Jesu (Hidden Gems in my iTunes Library)

I was looking up Miah Persson in my iTunes library the other day for a "Nachtigal" reference (yes, I had to look up the quote, so I knew to look up Nachtigal (nightingale). And in doing so, I came across a recording I didn't realize I had! Miah Persson singing Pie Jesu from the Faure Requiem.

Sometimes I am  a sucker for these cheap collections from Amazon.com. This one is called The 99 Most Essential Relaxing Classics. You get 99 tracks (as the title implies) and it costs less than six bucks (I think it was $1.99 when I bought it).

Most of the recordings are from Naxos or BIS, so there are some really decent performances. Sure, there is some flotsam and jetsam in the collection, and often bits and pieces of larger works that I'd rather listen to in full. But then there are these gems...

Miah Persson Hot

These three words recently have brought several readers to my humble little blog:

miah persson hot

Why, yes. Yes she is. 

And here is a photo (with Isabel Leonard) that also comes up with this search phrase:

Cosi Fan Tutte 

Indeed. 

Ahem! 

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog post.

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 – More Miah (and Rolando) in L'Elisir

I have a lot to say about this production, but I will save a more lengthy discussion for another day. 

As a director, Rolando is a very good tenor, and of course Miah Persson is a game leading lady (and probably a better director). 

Rolando's s concept is cute; but he either needs to go further with the silent movie camp, or really reel it in (no pun intended). For my money, I'd like to see less mugging and more character. Meanwhile, Adina seems to be a good fit for Ms. Persson. So for now, let's just enjoy Miah and Rolando doing some lovely vocalizing. 

And with this clip, Miah Persson week comes to a close...or does it?

Ask And Ye Shall Recieve – the 2013 Paris Don Giovanni

Just yesterday I wrote that I wished we could see this whole production. Lo, and behold, here it is. The entire opera is embedded below, and if you click here, you can go right to Donna Elvira's entrance for Ah, fuggi traditore! It's Christmas in September!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Don Giovanni (1787) 

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées 2013 

Markus Werba | Don Giovanni
Miah Persson | Donna Elvira
Daniel Behle | Don Ottavio
Sophie Marin-Degor | Donna Anna
Robert Gleadow | Leporello
Serena Malfi | Zerlina
Nahuel Di Pierro | Masetto
Steven Humes | Le Commandeur
Chor des Théâtre des Champs-Elysées
Le Cercle de l’Harmonie
Dirigent | Jérémie Rhorer 

Miah Persson's Spring 2013 Interview

Markus Werba and Miah Persson as Don Giovanni and Donna Elvira

In my Miah Persson research last weekend, I came across this interview. I didn't find it in a magazine or newspaper; it’s actually on her management (Askonas Holt) website. 

I thought since I hadn't seen it before, maybe some of my readers hadn’t come across it yet, either. She gave this interview last Spring,  right after she appeared as Donna Elvira in the Théâtre des Champs Élysées production of Don Giovanni with Markus Werba, Robert Gleadow, and Daniel Behle (and some other sopranos, too, I guess.)

Miah Persson Evokes Tears...well, Mistiness

This is cheating a bit, since it's merely a slightly expanded version of a comment I posted over at The Earworm the other day, entitled Tears and Sarcasm:

I just finished listening to Du bist die ruh’ again; I’m not literally crying, but I am feeling Very Misty. Miah Persson has a way of stretching a phrase till it almost pulls apart, then hugging it back into shape with a warm sigh. (And Roger Vignoles is no slouch, either!) I think I’d better listen again. Twice!

Monday Morning Mendelssohn (and Handel) with Miah Persson

You know how you hear or see one thing, then that gets you to looking around for more? Well, here’s where that led me this morning. After listening to her recital from September 2, I decided to look for reviews of Miah Persson's performance. I did not find any, but I did come cross this concert:

On September 6, 2013, Miah Persson participated in the season opening concert of the NDR Symphony Orchestra. She sang two beautiful arias with soloists from the NDR Youth Symphony Orchestra—one very familiar (Let the bright Seraphim), and the other brand new to me (Mendelssohn's concert scena, Infelice). 

Sunday Brunch – Miah Persson Sings Grieg

This is the second encore from Miah Persson’s September 2 recital.

Jeg elsker Dig! (I love you!)

Edvard Grieg/Hans Christian Andersen

(We love you, too, Miah!)

Watching the Radio – Soprano Sendungen von Ö1

Joyce, Anna, Nuria, and Miah

If you have the kind of trouble I have finding programmes on BBC Radio 3, and you can’t access U-toob* at work, you can at least listen to the broadcast from the Last Night of the Proms on my new favorite radio station, Austria’s Ö1. Of course, it’s a great listen, plus it’s fun to hear the Austrian announcer pronounce “Last Night of the Proms” perfectly, then stumble over “DiDonato.” The program is on 7 Tage, and is available for a few more days online or on your mobile Ö1 app.