Just Curious...

...about all the traffic from Facebook to this morning's Rosenkavalier post. (Mr. Regie, we've noticed some unusual activity in your account.)

Mind you, I'm not complaining. Just wondering who posted it where on Facebook? Hmmmmm...

Gratuitous Friday – Anne Sofie von Otter, Barbara Bonney, and the Rose

Our instinct is to look at the person who's singing. But this time, watch Anne Sofie von Otter as Octavian while Sophie (Barbara Bonney) goes on about how pretty the rose smells. ASvO's emotion is electric and honest. I never ever forget that she is a girl playing a boy, but I totally believe she is totally fascinated, turned on, and perhaps even already in love with this lovely girl. And Barbara B. helps by being totally adorable. It sounds cliche, but I actually get chills watching ASvO in this scene. The singers and director make this work!

Tara Erraught: Eines der größtenTalente der Opernwelt

I wouldn’t even have heard about this if the director of the Wolf Trap Opera Company Kim Pensinger Witman, hadn’t blogged about it. (I wasn’t thrilled with the title of the post, but hey, whatever.) 

Lord knows I don’t/won’t read that blogger-who-shall-not-be-named-at-my-blog, who made a point of firing everyone up. (I used to post a link to his blog but I decided I don’t want to encourage all his nonsense.) But then, I was curious about why this post here at RnR was suddenly getting (relatively) heavy traffic again. 

Size-ism is so 1990s! So much has been said, that I have little to add; but I do have two things to say about all the Tara Erraught hoopla:

1. It's the director's fault.
2. They love you in Germany, Tara! And I think you're great, too. Don't let the British press b*ast*rds get you down.

And then I found this video posted by the Bavarian Radio at YouTube on May 16th. Tara Erraught: One of the greatest talents of the opera world! 

Indeed! Brava Tara!

Two-Countertenor Tuesday – Purcell's Sound the Trumpet

I used to have the old David Munrow-led recording of Purcell's birthday odes—on the Seraphim label, I think! It’s still available from Virgin Veritas.

Anyway, this little duet always makes me smile. There are other recordings, both more and less successful in my mind. No matter how marvelous the current French and German countertenors are, to me this music calls for Brits! Michael Chance and James Bowman just have this in their blood (and voices); and they even impart a bit of (very reserved) British humour to this happy music. 

Speaking of Paul Esswood*, here is a Bach duet (audio only) with Austrian tenor Kurt Equiluz—both Bach specialists who were featured on tons of recordings, especially under the direction Harnoncourt and Leonhardt.

*I guess I wasn't speaking of Paul Esswood, but when I think of important British countertenors of the recent past, he always comes to mind.  

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.