Sunday Brunch – Arleen Auger sings Brahms

Last Thursday, blogger dehggial at opera, innit? posted a clip of Arleen Auger as Alcina. At the conclusion of that wonderful performance, YouTube (being the great time-sink of the interwebz that it is) offered me another Auger clip. This is from a performance of the Brahms Requiem under the direction of Sergiu Celibidache. 

This has got to be the slowest performance on record. But rather than sounding static, it gave me a sense of being suspended in time. At some points, it almost threatens to go backwards. It's gorgeous. And best of all, soprano Arleen Auger is undaunted by the slow tempo. Kudos also to the chorus and orchestra for keeping the line moving. Exquisite!  

You now have sorrow; 

but I shall see you again 

and your heart shall rejoice 

and your joy no one shall take from you.

Behold me:I have had for a little time toil and torment, 

and now have found great consolation. 

I will console you, 

as one is consoled by his mother.

Gratuitous Friday – Malin Hartelius is Vitellia (Non piu di fiori)

And here is a link to the complete performance recorded at Barbican Hall on February 22, 2012. Louis Langrée conducts the Deustcher Kammerchor and the Deutsche Kammer Philharmonie Bremen, which also features Michael Schade as Tito and Alice Coote as Sesto. 

Double-Mezzo Monday – Belle nuit, Indeed!

Continuing my pursuit of Sd'O: what to my wondering eyes did appear? 

A duet with ASvO (before she learned the part of Niklaussse by heart!)!! 

Gratuitous Friday Double Feature – The Merry Widow Waltz

I said I wanted to hear more from Stéphanie d'Oustrac; and this clip is one of the first I came across. Of course she's sung a lot of real French music, and a lot her performances can be found on YouTube. But here is something that couldn't be much more different than her recent appearances as Orphée. Duetting with her is the (unknown to me) tenor Philippe Do, who sounds like he's worth searching out, too. 

Singing the Merry Widow outdoors seems to be a very European thing to do. Right on the same page as the above video (thank you, YouTube, for being one of the biggest time sinks in my life) is this performance from Hanna-Elisabeth Müller (seen recently in Munich with very big hair as Servillia) and Martin Mitterrutzner (noted previously in this blog.) Could they be any more charming?

Moving (if somewhat manipulative) Orphée from La Monnaie

I really want to write a full-on review of this performance. But, as so often is the case, I am not 100% sure how I feel about it. I feel manipulated; but I'm not sure I mind. 

Overlaying a new story over an established plot is not a new idea. That's what great directors (sometimes) do. While Romeo Castellucci is no Stefan Herheim, I believe he has an interesting and effective new way to approach Orphée et Eurydice. Castellucci equates Eurydice's plight to the story of Els, a young Belgian woman suffering from Locked-in Syndrome, or a pseudocoma. She is completely paralyzed, and seems comatose, but is fully aware of here surroundings; and with accommodation, she can communicate. The story of her condition and how her family has responded is quite moving; so moving that it actually threatens to overtake the opera completely at some points.