Gratuitous Mattias Goerne Tannhäuser Clip

Sigh!  That's all.  Just: Sigh!

OK, you know me. I do have more to say. I initially purchased this album only because Dorothea Röschmann sings on three tracks (I posted two of them a while back). It's good go back and rediscover these gems! Overall I am not thrilled with the conducting on the Mozart, but when I skipped over to the Wagner...well, this is what a friend of mine would call schmalzando, especially the playout (after MG, sadly, stops singing).

Please enjoy this bit of Tuesday Tannhäuser (even though it's probably already Wednesday for most of my readers!)

Wiener Staatsoper Live

About a year ago the Vienna State Opera started streaming live broadcasts on the web and to specially equipped Samsung TVs. It seems they've noticed that not everyone who is interested in their programming speaks German. So this fall they broadened their advertising to reach the English-speaking audience. It is now somewhat easier to figure out how works the website. 

Unlike some organizations, the Staatsoper does charge for their streamed performances, but they also offer benefits such as delayed streaming so you can see the opera at 6pm in your own time zone. Right now you can also get a free pass to an opera of your choice just by registering at their website. And there are some goodies coming up just within the coming week:

Sunday, November 2 

Wagner: Tannhäuser

Friday, November 7

Puccini: La Boheme 

Plus:
Le Nozze di Figaro

La Cenerentola

La Traviata

Arabella 

Die Fledermaus

...all before the clock strikes 2015!

Check out the staatsoperlive.com/en webpage, to get the free offer, and go to staatsoperlive.com/en/live to see the full schedule. And click below to see a preview:

I have to add, whether in the interest of full disclosure, or just to brag, that I received an email a few days ago from the Staatsoperlive folks asking me to post this video on my blog. I have posted about their broadcasts before, so I don't feel I am pandering. On the contrary, I am flattered that they found me and thought my little blog was worth their effort!

Gratuitous Friday – Peter Mattei is Wolfram

Happy Friday!

Sunday Brunch – Christian Gerhaher is Wolfram

William R. Braun recently wrote in his review of the Marek Janowski Tannhäuser in Opera News: 

Gerhaher must be tired of constant comparison to the impeccable performances of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, but the way he has apparently thought about every vowel sound he sings in the entire opera, and his ability to sing the three notes of a major triad perfectly in tune, make this point of reference unavoidable. 

Incidentally, the MP3 download at Amazon.com of this Tannhäuser is a great deal – $9.49 for the entire opera. Robert Dean Smith and Nina Stemme also star. Here is Herr Gerhaher (say that out loud – it's fun) singing the famous "Evening Star" aria from this recording:

Tiny Tidbits of Troubling Tannhäuser – News Clips of the Cancelled Opera

Finally! A glimpse of the terrifying, troubling Tannhäuser from Dusseldorf; unfortunately these are really, really brief TV-news items (less than a minute each.) Still, it's better than nothing! At least we get to see a tiny bit of what was so shocking to the Germans. But I still think it's wrong to condemn it before seeing a bit more of the production!

The Great Düsseldorf Tannhäuser Scandale – A Panel Discussion

This excerpt from WQXR's (Classical Radio in New York City) Conducting Business series  is a discussion of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein's "controversial" Tannhäuser. On the panel are ENO's John Berry, Parterre Box's James Jorden, and the Washington Post’s Anne Midgette, chaired by Naomi Lewin.

Note that everyone on the panel declines to make an artistic judgement about the production, because they haven't seen it.  The commentators on this panel are refreshingly open-minded.

Tannhäuser, Nazism, and Uninformed Opinions

There is a kerfuffle among the opera blogeratti this week about a new production of Tannhäuser at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. Fledgling opera director Burkhard C. Kosminski has introduced Nazis and gas chambers into the opera, which sounds inappropriate and unpleasant. I probably don’t want to see it, and it’s probably indefensible. However, my complaint is about all the complainers who are rushing to condemn this production without even seeing or hearing it.

photo: Hansjoerg Michel/Opera-am-Rhein

I mean, I can know from what I’ve read that I probably don’t want to see it. Nazis and gas chambers are offensive and unpleasant in pretty much any setting. I'm sure they have no business lurking in this opera.