ROH Spring Season and London Handel Fest General Sale
Yours truly’s purse has taken a heavy hit today as these two fine opera purveyors have decided to start their General Sale on the same day. Luckily Wigmore Hall’s is on 5 February (whew). Here’s what I got:
ROH
Boris Godunov
Lucia di Lamermoor
Oedipe
London Handel Fest
Ariodante – my demands are few: Dopo notte and a good Polinesso. Let’s hope so!
Maria Ostroukhova recital – anyone who includes La bocca vaga in their recital has my attention.
Berenice – “She (Berenice) has her sights on the Macedonian prince Demetrio. But he loves Berenice’s sister Selene,” – my hope is we’ll get a nice mezzo-countertenor duet out of this. In any case, looking forward to Michal Czerniawski.
Elpidia (pasticcio) – Opera Settecento returns with some of our local faves
Alexander Balus was so overpriced I had to let it go. The prices seemed high in general, but the festival offers discounts for booking 3+ events.
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Posted on January 19, 2016, in 20th century, baroque, basses, donizetti, mezzos & contraltos, royal opera house and tagged ariodante, berenice, boris godunov, elpidia, lucia di lamermoor, maria ostroukhova, oedipe. Bookmark the permalink. 111 Comments.
opera, innit? 
Nice selection!
🙂 are you going to Boris Godunov?
Sadly no, not this time. My next opera trip is to see Benjamin’s Dream of the Song and then Written on Skin at the Barbican. Are you going to either of those?
I didn’t like Written on Skin and I don’t know the other one.
I didn’t like Written on Skin at first but it’s growing on me now, albeit slowly. I felt I was stuck in a rut of just liking opera from a particular era and I want to experience contemporary opera. I’ll let you know if I make it to the end!!
d*mn, i was sooo hoping ariodante close to liverpool, ack.. but it’s all local talents? have never heard of any of their names.. they’re staging this in toronto soon with Alice Coote and Varduhi Abrahamyan!
VA seems to be cornering the market on Polinesso 😉 she’s a good one, too. I’d so go if I were there.
Yes, these are definitely local talents, even I haven’t heard of any!
VA: i kept getting her confused with M.-E.Nesi for some reason! but seems she’s always tasked with the low voice in Händel, yay! she was the cute Bradamante in tie to M.Ernman’s Ruggiero a couple years back in Zürich.. but i somehow cant remember if i have heard her in any complete operas!
Maria Ostroukhova: Her name sounds quite familiar for some reason, must be your review of Poppea 1.2 yr ago? “Voglio di vita uscir”: melikes! have been listening on ends.. has been the earbugs the last 3 nights! i won’t tell where i first heard it 😉
yea, I remember that jaunty tune! 😉 MO was Ottavia in the clever Poppea I saw here in London, yes.
I just read about that Zurich Alcina and it sounded a bit… let’s say ME’s antics are not my thing.
her tap dance finale was quite fun (i love those ballet boys!) I re-listened to a couple of clips of CB’s Alcina a while back and remembered liking them the 2nd time better than the first.. but yeah, i think we had a discussion once re. ME and trousers (oy, suddenly i developed a wish for ACA as Ruggiero! with dreadlox!!)
Ok, here’s how I would like ME: standing there looking hot, no tapdance and no opening her piehole. But that would defeat the purpose of singing/acting 😉
I have that Alcina somewhere and never made it through (I think the recording was also poor or something technical didn’t help).
ACA as Ruggiero is an interesting idea, dreadlox or no dreadlox 😉 I was humming La bocca vaga in the shower earlier and then it somehow went into Bella sorge la speranza… But how about her as Alcina?
a bit harsh? 🙂 . she (ME) has her way of doing things and has her audience. I do occasionally enjoyed her singing (e.g., that Agrippina in Brussels in 2000, i was quite amazed how well she sang). I might have my opinions.. but have never seen/heard her live, and Purity who had seen this particular Alcina had some really nice things to say about how the whole show fitted together with ME contributing to its success (and when not knowing, i keep mind open to what madam Purity recommended 🙂 , and i love dancing! ).
ACA as Alcina! yes! interesting i haven’t thought of that.. though i really enjoyed her Vitellia. too bad she abandoned Händel so early.. but since she’s suddenly singing Purcell now, there might be a chance hopefully.. there was an interview (in French) earlier last year where she mentioned she’d continue to sing Monteverdi.. then talked about her fav Poppea production (the super dark Bologna one) and mentioned casually exploring Nerone’s psychology.. (oh how i’d love to see her analyzing Ruggiero, can’t separate this from lox for some reason!) JDD sang Alcina so clearly it’s within ACA’s range.. perhaps no-one has approached her yet re. the role? ( i still secretly hoping someone will also approach her re. Orfeo!!)
– shower: hum a bit louder, wasn’t it how R.Viz..something.. was discovered? 😉
heh, he’s another one who sounds better in the shower 😀 if anyone discovers me it’ll be true what Callas fans keep saying about opera going down the drain 😉
yea, ME was good in that but otherwise not my thing at all and that dance routine she does in EVERYTHING got old really fast.
have you heard ACA’s Tornami a vagheggiar? Not the right voice yet I like it a lot!
hehe, I just found out she also sang Parto in that recital. Unsurprisingly not a whingy Sesto. Like with Romeo, though, I think she sounds a bit too girly.
I would go if she sang Monteverdi again somewhere.
darn it, i melt again.. something about her voice, gets me every time! i like that Parto muuuuch more than Tornami a vagheggiar actually! the first “mio”, the way she descending the scale, making it dark.. (i’ve had my share of live “parto”, and besides VK and a few others.. it’s often you have this on-the-light-side re. heft.. and when it comes to that, i like her tone much better than the typical soprano/light mezzo sound..)
(may be i have to move this over to some fangirl post instead of hijacking this :D, but since we’re on the subject, here’s also my general “impression”, esp while listening to “ornami a vagheggiar” (and “intorno all’idol mio…“): there’s often a lack of coherent “rhythm” and even the more-than-once occasions of off-pitch, but i think that’s why i really like it, it’s very “real”, makes one (me) paying attention to the point of the entire phrasing, vulnerability, raw emotion, a host of other things.. )
it’s funny to check out those 1990s recitals, her rep was all over the place 😀
start a post 😉
I like the piano part in Parto, makes me want to learn it!
actually the piano is quite interesting, makes it like a monologue w/ internal mind, no need for Vitellia 😉
there’s always need for Vitellia! Dream team: VK = Vitellia, ACA = Sesto. Would that work?
😉
alternating!
(salivating)
JK Tito ;-D JDD Annio.
ps- coz i’ve just done looping 4x ACA’s Vitellia!
4 times the same one? or different ones?
same one! the one w video, her non piu… i really like it :-). u r a true jk fan ey ;-). mezzo heaven w jdd! who d b … dang whats her name!! i so out of touch!
I was thinking the straight ladies and gay men would like something to look at and take pictures with at curtain call 😉
Servilia and Publio? I didn’t want to cast everybody, you can have a go.
given that i forgot their character names.. , not sure if i have much to say… in fact the only ones i have memory of is LP as Publio and BB draping herself bowing to Tito on the floor.. i mean.. it’s pushing a bit.. but i was in fact thinking of sliding JDD over to Servilia so i can shove SM in 😀 😀 . and LP is just fine i think…
Ha, JDD would probably attempt S’altro che lagrime. Though do you think SM could cope with Tu fosti tradito? It’s really high. I like LP as Publio (of course! that cast is gold) but how about having Stutzmann sing Publio? 😉 Or maybe Stutzmann can sing Tito and SM Publio and we got rid of the men…
hahaha, the straight women + gay men would have major problems, and we all know we need them to sell the whole haus 😉 .. NS, how about she conducts!!! i’d be REALLY interested in that! she’s really quite amazing in pulling out her bells and whistles ;-).. wasn’t BAch also high as SM mentioned and she said it’s good for the voice?
(but i’m pushing a lot, you can vote on your dream cast too 😉 but VK + ACA stay for sure, alternating. btw, since NS will be with her band, the pitch will be lower, so suits SM even more!)
I like the idea of NS conducting, why not? We can also have the Arnold Schoenberg Choir. In the end they can even transpose Tu fosti tradito if they need to. So then we keep JK to fill the house and LP the same.
Sesto/Vitellia: VK/ACA
Tito: JK
Annio: SM
Servilia: JDD
Publio: LP
Conductor: Stutzmann
Arnold Shoenberg Choir
We can now draft the project and sell it to opera houses 😉
❤
(let’s talk staging?)
back, just done another round of “Non più di fiori”! and realized i haven’t seen too many stagings of this! (listened to plenty) . how’s that flying potato staging? i mean she (Vitellia) has a very very nice dress! 😀
oh, the potato is very good! Vitellia is wickedly funny, Sesto wonderfully sung, he gets to make out with both Vitellia and Annio (well, almost), Tito is a bit weak, Publio looks like an accountant and sings like one, Servilia is too cute for words and her duet with Annio really good and lovely staging. Watch it!
i need to hunt the potato w/ ACA! (which other one is there? SG w/ V.Gens? there’s also one with EG right?)
you will LOVE the one with EG! It’s TRADITIONAL 😀 😀
the one from TCE and the one from Aix.
no no, i found the one w/ EG that i remembered.. it’s w/ ACA in fact! (as i’m currently listening now.. she’s singing “Deh, se piacer mi vuoi”) . noway the MET version that sent me directly to zzz 😉
ah, that’s the Potato production.
ps- i remember the Aix one, with SC? i did watch that whole thing when it was on and remember thinking it was the pg-13 version of Salzburg’03 😀
it was so PG13 and mopey Sesto and just kind of meh. Though Vitellia tried. I’m trying to think of that take on Vitellia (save me, Sesto! (or I’ll blank you out)) with VK or ACA as Sesto… could be interesting, though they would have to be allowed to do their Sesto and not the original one.
hang on, ACA is dragging a chair while phrasing “molesto dubitar” 😉
ACA being mean to EG is strangely satisfying!
ahem, onto 3rd round of “deh, se piacer..” there’s some serious obsessions going on here 😉
but back to that Aix production, i was very puzzled why it was so “ah ah, no touch touch”.. and thought may be it’s chemistry? (and kept getting distracted w/ Vitellia looking strikingly like the sister of Edward in Sense and Sensibility!)
Haha, she IS the sister! I have to admit I find Giannatassio very sexy. I don’t think it’s the chemistry, both are good actors. It must be the stupid direction.
there’s also making out in Se al volto in the Potato production.
oh, i should watch that Aix again.. coz at the time this came out i was still very very fresh as opera “fan” and didn’t know 90% of the cast.. and now looking through, all these names have been around for quite some time!! (including Servillia who was Amore in my gold-standard Poppea from Paris! 😀 ) . Aren’t you having something lined up w/ A.Stephany? and i need to listen more to C.Giannattasio, everyone is also talking about her and i know nothing!
A Stephany will be Sesto in the revival of the Zurich Tito this summer. I just saw her in Orontea. Giannatassio was Elisabeta in Maria Stuarda with JDD here in London – lots of fun but I need to like her voice more.
i simply can not help it, every time they’re speeding through the first recit fight i felt the urge to rewatch wrestling from Salzburg..
that wrestling is very special 😉 makes me want to knwo what happened between Sesto and Vitellia in the 1/2 hour before the start of the opera.
😉
wow, DR is so great in that.. (and wow, vk..) ok, let me “try” to navigate K.Lindsey now… (and experiencing KG who is superb…)
interestingly, DR sounds even better in the 2006 revival.
you know, that Paris production can grow on you. KG is awesome.
it’s already growing… i really like KG! she’s in a different league than KL i’d say.. that orchestra, tempo, love , greeeat in giving it the swing too, in addition to truly highlighting the music wrapping around the singers.. gosh, i love the baroque texture 🙂
KL is still very young and I think a bit limited dramatically (and coloratura is not her strongest point). KG’s experience comes through big time.
I said the same thing about the orchestra! Really lovely rendition.
“I said the same thing about the orchestra! ”
oh, there’s a post somewhere 😀 . i clearly behind time.. am guessing last year?
ya, still very young.. but i think the ability to phrase + act sometimes show up already.. for example if you compare her with T.Erraugh..
re. KG: there has been discussion (from insiders too) that because opera haus these days look for “super-model” types singers like her have difficulty getting gigs despite the immense talent!!
You can read my thoughts here.
This super model thing has started to become a bit of an issue, I agree. But at least in a show like this you have super model KL and excellent artist KG, hopefully everybody’s happy.
ps3- do you realize how portable this cast is to “L’incoronazione di Poppea” ?
of course! Although who’s JK in that? Arnalta? haha.
omg i just got invited to Bergen 15-16 of March… surely i must insist.. and make good use of it!! afterall, all connections are naturally via London!
what dates do you have in mind?
oh, i don’t know any dates yet, first i need to negotiate/secure my dates in Bergen, then will wrap my visit around it somehow 🙂
just got the ok for this :D, so i was looking at schedule.. there’s ariodante just before? damn it 23 is too far away.. i wonder if i can negotiate staying a couple of days longer in Bergen.. that would allow me to stretch.. as i’d like to combine it somehow with NS+Bach 🙂
the last Ariodante is on 14 March. Berenice is on 17.
ps- which date you had your tix for Ariodante? i think this might be the most realistic option for me given the rule book…
12 March.
one can’t go wrong with Ariodante right? may be i try to go for 2 of those… will negotiate w/ the secretary and the travel office tomorrow 😀
🙂 not too much, though I bet you’ll have very high standards for Scherza, infida.
nah, not really, i take things in stride 😉 (but i will cry obsessively if they produce a CT…)
they have not advertised one for the title role. Afraid Polinesso is one on alternative nights.
😮 , u mean i could potentially run into a CT both nights?? two per while at it??
yes! My calculations say I will miss him but I’m not 100% sure.
oh, i will need to investigate this further… 17th sounds really cool too but i couldn’t find a damn flight back to London from Bergen in the early afternoon, either noon or 8pm!
sorry to hear that!
i might try boat, though difficult to justify with the travel office 😀
I thought your department was all about boats 😉
no no, that’s a different school! they’re all cool about boats! that was that city i went to back in Nov with a post on how i liked it 🙂
call me confused dot com…
it’s not your fault, i’m moving around a bit 😉
good, i raided your Capuleti posts from 2012.
ahh.. my romeo… ❤
your posts are so cute and bright eyed! too bad I still don’t like that production (bitchy post to come soon).
hehe. i tell u, live, i see what i see 😉 that camera man should be excused! give me the camera!!!
ps- as we have discussed via Stray, i willing to overlook anything for the “right” Romeo 😉
In theory, I agree. But good luck finding a proper one these days. Also let me know when you do!
i was explaining my bright eyed behavior, pretty much the same as at the autograph table 😉
😀 that is one funny picture!
fav 😉 , can sit next to the one w/ SM…
ps- i had a dream last night VK just finished her Ariodante for the night (i came in late, but was so relieved to hear she was singing it again 😀 )
ps2- do you know what “house seat” is in that hall for Ariodante in London?
I don’t know that I have been to that hall. I think I have but I’m not 100%. House seat you mean best seat? I just bought the cheapest they had…
the hauseat has 0 £ value but u can pick, hence my confusion… will get flights demain if my negotiation goes well 🙂
I am totally confused now…?
at the hall for Ariodante for the London festival, if you roam around the confusing seat-charts, there are options for “house seat” which costs nothing, so i’m confused myself what that means. All other options gives you a price. Here, let me attach a fig.
! I never noticed this. Have you tried booking it? I tried and it came up with “your basket is empty”, which I take to mean those seats are not bookable?
ah ok, no i didn’t get that far… hope to negotiate my plane tix tomorrow, then immediately to the booking of Ariodante 😀 (not much left!!, hence my probing into haus seats)
good luck with the plane tix 🙂
ok, I have been there. It’s the place where I saw JC Bach’s Adriano in Siria. Don’t know about the stalls seats, I had a seat in the balcony and apparently the acoustic was good. It’s a small venue (390 seats). Brace yourself for a possibly traditional production, the one I saw there was.
i take a 390-seat hall over any traditions! 😀 currently i see only 2 seats left for 20£ for 12/mar w/o obstructions.. have you ever sat on the side “with restricted view” ? on 14/mar i’ll likely take the last 30£ or sit on side w/ restricted view for 20£ (ha, found the handy shortcut for £ on keyboard! ££££ 😀 )
(oh, no, it’s not too early here, only 1 hr behind east coast! so 6hr behind london.., yesterday sporting 28ºC with sunset at 6pm!! compared to 4pm in Boston!)
my seat in the balcony had restricted view which meant action was invisible at times.
28C? wow.
on the other hand it might be a wildly conceptual production nobody will understand, like the one with the stilts from the background picture 😉
i have wild imagination ;-), will ingest modern better than traditional with rugs methinks
ps- hahaha, sorry, that previous reply summarizes my english issues: 1. random mix of singular/plural, 2. (related to 1) conjugation 😀 😀
it must be early there, my mind hasn’t even picked it up 😉
Did you get Damrau in Lucia? You will have to tell me how she is! I heard her in Traviata after the children and I was SO disappointed….
Re: Ariodante, I’m going to Amsterdam this weekend, Sarah Connolly as Ariodante and Sonia Prina as Polinesso!! Same production as in Aix en Provence. Excited!!
sorry to barge in.., Amsterdam Ariodante, woow!! (i heard Damrau on a live radio broadcast also as Violetta, she was very good!)
oooh, that great production! I’ll be curious to read about it 🙂
I liked her Violetta two years ago. Why were you disappointed?
Damrau as Violetta sounded very out of brearh to me 2 years ago. Maybe a bad night, but she sounded like she was struggling. Breathing every other note. I am a bit obsessed by singers breathing though.
But do let me know about her Lucia. I will post my review of Aruodante on my blog next week 🙂
I’ll keep an ear out for elephant breath 😉 I like Damrau so much as an actress I might have an easier tome getting over certain vocal shortcomings (she’s not my favourite soprano voice).
To be fair my reason for going to see Lucia is her, I’m not the biggest Lucia fan. Though it would be interesting to see Kurzak as well…
I translated into English the review I wrote about Traviata 2 years ago, if you want to read it. Here it is!
https://latonella.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/la-traviata-royal-opera-house-2/
While translating it I realized that I actually liked Damrau a lot. I just was a bit disappointed, not a lot. 🙂
Now I am scared of “La bocca vaga”…sitting here and thinking “What’s the catch?” 😉
it’s rather quirky, isn’t it? Alcina isn’t known as a funny opera, yet that one is a funny scene.
“stalking” scene
Hm, I agree with that, though I’d say I see it as a mad scene (especially the B section with a huge reference to “D te mi rido semplice stolto”).
yea, he’s a bit mad 😉 Di te mi rido is another good one, I like that he ridicules his “opponent”. Productions could do all sorts of silly things with that.
ps- sorry i failed to credit you fully for some of your original ideas here that mapped into my opera dream/wish list..
but i’m here trying to find out which comment section you posted the whiteshirt polished tank
found it, your comment on my 7/feb/2016 post.. the photo is now receiving its due attention in the comment on Anik’s latest post
don’t worry, it’s teamwork 😀