Herheim and Cenerentola – Yes, Please!!

Stefan Herheim's staging of Rossini's La Cenerentola at the Norwegian National Opera. Was it broadcast/streamed? Will it be broadcast/streamed? 

Herr Herheim may not be everyone's cup of tea; but I want to see everything he's touched! He is a director who works from and with the music; and he doesn't have a bad singing voice, either. Fingers crossed that this will appear in some video form (if not already). Meanwhile, let's enjoy this teaser video (as found at The Opera Platform).

Gratuitous Friday – Luca Pisaroni as Alidoro (La Cenerentola)

Luca as Alidoro at the Met last season. And RnR regulars recognize our charming Angelina! Happy Friday!

Zero Degrees of Separation – Stéphanie d'Oustrac and Thomas Dolie

This audio clip features yesterday's Dido from Calvados and Aneas from Amsterdam as Rosina and Figaro in Bordeaux.

Guillaume Tell Online this Weekend from the Bayerische Staatsoper

Tune in to STAATSOPER.TV on Saturday afternoon for the next live webcast from the Bayerische Staatsoper: 

Rossini's Guillaume Tell 

with Michael Volle, Bryan Hymel, Günther Groissböck, and Marina Rebeka among the cast.

Guillaume Tell Michael Volle
Arnold Melcthal Bryan Hymel
Walter Furst Goran Jurić 
Melcthal Christoph Stephinger
Jemmy Evgeniya Sotnikova
Gesler Günther Groissböck
Rodolphe Kevin Conners
Ruodi Enea Scala
Leuthold Christian Rieger
Mathilde Marina Rebeka
Hedwige Jennifer Johnston

Musikalische Leitung Dan Ettinger
Inszenierung Antú Romero Nunes
Mitarbeit Inszenierung Johannes Hofmann
Bühne Florian Lösche
Kostüme Annabelle Witt
Licht Michael Bauer
Produktionsdramaturgie Rainer Karlitschek
Chöre Sören Eckhoff

Glyndebourne, von Karajan, and Joyce DiDonato from France Musique

Because my French comprehension is less than optimal, I listen to France Musique less frequently than British and Austrian online radio. But France Musique offers many musical gems.

Lirico Spinto is the French equivalent of the Austrian Stimmen Hören. The episodes are available for much longer after their original broadcasts than their Austrian counterparts, and they are available as podcasts from iTunes, which you can subscribe to for auto-downloading—much handier than trying to record them with Audacity!) The most recent two programs are wonderful compilations:

Monday Mozart – Kenneth Tarver is Arbace (Audio Track)

Arbace is such an ungrateful role. You need a super technique to sing his two arias, yet it's not really a big part. Depending on which version you are in, you're at least the second tenor, or maybe even third! 

So, I was listening to Rene Jacobs' recording of Idomeneo recently, having only just realized that Richard Croft (sigh) sings the lead in this performance. I confess I was listening casually, so when this aria came on, I had to double check who was singing. Who the heck is Kenneth Tarver? Where can I find more of his performances? 

Well, he is also Don Ottavio on Jacobs' Don Giovanni. He is not brand new on the scene, and he's been singing some big roles in big houses, but we definitely need to hear more. I wonder when he will take on the title role in Idomeneo? (He’d also be an awesome Idamante – I am beginning to really like the idea of tenor Idamante – but don’t worry, I am still a Major Mezzo Fan, too!)

Here is Mr. Tarver as Prince Ramiro in La Cenerentola:

Gratuitous Friday – Joyce DiDonato & Peter Mattei are Rosina & Figaro

How charming are they? SOoooooo Charming!!! After Jonas Kaufmann, the two most visited singers at RnR are Joyce DiDonato and Peter Mattei. In fact, Peter Mattei's Carmina Burana clip is the all time most-visited post here. So in honor of their popularity on my blog, here is a clip that features them both. This is from the 2006 Met Broadcast of The Barber of Seville. I believe JDD was hailed as a "newcomer" in this production. It's hard to imagine she hasn't always been on stage! (Now if we could just get them to switch roles...just once!)

La Donna, non Cosi – Ö1 Changes their Schedule

© Michael Pöhn

I am not sure why, but Austria's Ö1 Radio is not broadcasting the Salzburg Cosi fan tutte tonight/day. I just got a "Seite nicht gefunden" message when I clicked to double-check on it. (I swear it was listed there before!)

Maybe it's due to the crushing reviews Christoph Eschenbach received for his (non)-interpretation. Apparently, he prefers ketchup on his Cosi. It seems he was too busy touring with another ensemble to show up in Salzburg until the final dress rehearsals. The reviewer for the Salzburger Nachrichten said (more or less): 

Gratuitous Friday-Plus – La Donna del Lago with JDD & JDF!

Look what I found at YT: It's probably for a limited time only, and it has no subtitles, but it's a great way to tide us over till the DVD (please, please, please) comes out. 

I haven't been able to track down a (free) English translation, but here is a synopsis, and the Italian libretto, which should help in keeping track of what's going on. At least now I know how I'll be spending part of my weekend. 

Rossini: La Donna del Lago on BBC Radio 3

I highly recommend heading over to BBC Radio 3 some time within the next six days to listen to a complete performance of Rossini's La Donna del Lago from the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

Before you do, take a look at this preview. The featured singers (Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Florez, to name two) offer an overview of the plot, and you get to see some behind the scenes rehearsal footage. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon (or Tuesday evening, or whatever)!

Cool, huh? But wait, there’s more. Here’s JDF singing O fiamma soave:

Another Good Reason to Attend Local Opera Performances

Wolf Trap Opera Company Director Kim Witman wrote in her blog that the April issue of Opera News:

...featured the five 2013 Opera News Award Winners, two of whom – Eric Owens and Dawn Upshaw – are Trappers. The profiles of artists featured in that month’s Met broadcasts included Wolf Trap alums Stephanie Blythe, Erin Morley, Richard Paul Fink, Mark Delavan and Simon O’Neill. 

And Barihunks noted recently: 

If you want to catch Brandon Cedel, he'll be appearing at the Wolf Trap Opera beginning on June 21st in Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims. That production also includes barihunks Aaron Sorensen, Norman Garrett and Steven LaBrie. Additional information is available online. 

Pictured: Wolf Trap Opera Company's featured cast of Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims 

Left column from top: 

Kiri Deonarine, Ryan Speedo Green, Andrea Carroll, Steven LaBrie, Brandon Cedel 

Right column from top: 

Juan José de León, Maya Lahyani, Aaron Sorensen, Ying Fang, Brenton Ryan

Gratuitous Luca Pisaroni Post – Rossini: Stabat Mater

photo copyright (c) Pietro Spagnoli

I don't know about you, but I can never get enough of Luca Pisaroni's smooth warm bass-baritone voice. Here are two movements from Rossini's Stabat Mater. This was recorded in concert last year with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, led by Franz Welser-Möst. 

If player does not appear, click here.

Gratuitous Malin Hartelius & Anna Bonitatibus Post – Rossini's Stabat Mater

Because I finally figured a way to embed sound files in my blog posts...

...here is the soprano duet from Rossini's Stabat Mater, with Franz Welser-Most and the Cleveland Orchestra. Heavenly!  

Good Friday – Rossini’s Stabat Mater: Sancta mater, istud agas

Abstract Pieta ©2013 ~lanestonecyper

At the height of his fame, Rossini walked away from opera and set the sorrows of the Virgin Mary to music. 

Rossini's setting is perhaps a bit bouncier than one might expect on a Good Friday, and it doesn't really match the solemnity of the text. At the same time, you might consider Rossini is focusing on standing beside Mary in solidarity, faith, and love.

Or, you could simply appreciate this quartet as pure, beautiful, virtuoso, vocal music. As you look over the soloists listed below for this recording, you will discover another reason I really love this recording.

Fantasy Opera Casting – Part Deux

©2002 Warner Bros., Inc. 

Probably more opera nerds play Fantasy Opera Casting than would care to admit. It’s even happened on this blog. Here’s a twist: 

In her master classes at Julliard this winter, Joyce DiDonato demonstrated a great affinity for the role of Figaro in Barber of Seville. And I thought, gee she would be a good Figaro. 

This got me thinking about how Jesusa Rodriguez recast Don Giovanni a few years back, calling her show Donna Giovanni. 

More Stabat Mater – Hartelius & Bonitatibus sing Rossini

Not singing the Stabat Mater. (This is Cosi Fan Tutte.)

Malin Hartelius and Anna Bonitatibus sing the beautiful Qui est homo  from the recent radio broadcast performance of the Rossini Stabat Mater, with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus directed by Franz Welser-Möst. 

The Dangers of Listening to Rossini While Driving

About a week ago the Earworm hosted a brief discussion about the dangers of listening to classical music while driving. I now have practical living proof that it is at least inconvenient, if not downright dangerous. So, I was listening to this track while driving to the airport to pick up my Dad. Tenor Martin Mitterutzner is a new name and voice to me, and I listened thoughtfully as he sang.

BBC 3 Offers Mass Gratuitousness – Rossini’s Stabat Mater

My colleague Eyesometric, over at The Eyes Have It, has been watching out for me. Franz Welser-Möst (left) and the Cleveland Orchestra are presenting a series of four programs on BBC 3 this week. (Yes, we have to listen to British radio to hear the Cleveland Orchestra in concert.) 

That's nice to know, but the truly awesome part is that today, the Cleveland Chorus joins the orchestra to perform Rossini’s Stabat Mater, with soloists:  

[Dramatic Pause]  

• Malin Hartelius 
• Luca Pisaroni
• Anna Bonitatibus (Dorabella to MH’s Fiordiligi at Zurich)
• and (last because I don’t know who he is…yet) Martin Mitterutzner.  

Further Blog Posts I Wish I had Written

Now and then, I come across a blog post that really speaks to me.  It usually says, "Why didn't you think of that?" Here are a few more that I wish I'd written, and some clips to go with them. 

Opera Obsession blogger Lucy says she “learned to love opera via studio recordings; then I saw Ponnelle's Cenerentola production and realized that there were worlds even beyond the fabulous music.”