The Carmen-Tancredi mystery solved
Last night thadieu and I decided to revisit this precious moment in Viennese Opera Ball history 😉 and then it occurred to us to compare Gritskova’s moves to previous Opera Ball featured singers. What came out was both amusing and illuminating:
As you can see, the moves appear pre-ordained. Now of course, Netrebko was on the verge of fabulousness (already on top of the world?) at the time and she is a natural mover, as opposed to La Grits, who looks like she’s thinking, I will be famousbulous if it kills me!
You didn’t think you’d escape this “scientific experiement” without an incursion into the steely moves of the Ice Mezzo herself, did you? Here she’s singing Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix (brace yourself for some arctic seduction). But, as you can see, she also has to walk and twirl (I mean wowza at the camera movement! That’s some getting down with the debutants for Vienna!).
As thadieu observed whilst we very carefully surveyed a few of her performances (including La tremenda ultrice spada and Non piu mesta), she seems to be thinking I will sing this intense aria, but I will make 100% sure not to trip on the hem of my gown at any time (actually T was more colourful, saying she was careful to avoid stepping into – vocal – mud).
After some big names, prepare for textbook DIVA action:
Aside from the curiously unflattering musical choices, it’s plain to see that Draculette has drafted into her contract if and when she will be moving! Haha! She’s such a veteran, she knows that she will be asked to cover that huge space and wants it in her own terms.
So there you have it, we can be a little less harsh on Gritsy today. After all, her choice of aria was the most… daring?!
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Posted on May 20, 2018, in acting in opera, mezzos & contraltos, opera humour, sopranos and tagged angela gheorghiu, anna netrebko, elina garanca, margarita gritskova. Bookmark the permalink. 20 Comments.
opera, innit? 
🤣
the moves appear pre-ordained 😂😂
most hilarious moment was the uniform blurting out “she’s not moving!!” at la Draculette
she looked like she was never going to 😉
we’re here not to listen! we want to see your moves!!
😀
I am still debating whether I can click “like” or need another three drinks first — you’ve really braved the lioness’ den (Tigre d’Ircana?) there.
oh, I don’t know that I – not speaking for t – quite got the whole concept of “Opera Ball”. It just felt way alien (are there still actual debuatantes?), especially when we had to skim through to get to the singing. But it was a fun exercise in its weirdness. Most likely were I a singer I wouldn’t look the part and would never have to take part, because I think I’d feel quite a bit like a piece of meat to be gawked at.
Welcome to debutante world – the being a piece of meat to be gawked it is the purpose of the entire shindig, with hopes of turning your physique into money through the highest bidder. But you need to stage it like romance. (Basically, it’s Arabella as a reality show)
so it’s still a thing?! I thought it died off sometime in the ’50s.
Well, Vienna tends to have a certain lag, and yes, that is still a thing,
:-O
you should have seen our jaws..
Apropos jaws, I just saw the G. rehearsal pic with Kenleyside and, darn, would that be a nice thing to catch in performance. I wish I could!
(talk to me on email now now now! i want evidence! 🙂 )
“The ice mezzo” 😀 😀
I was so amused when I saw what aria she chose! It’s like, hell, no, lady, you are NOT a sultry seductress! Then again, talk about fascination 😉 she does have her strange, steely appeal.
You don’t say! 😉
hihihi havig so much fun remembering this
it was a lot of fun “researching” it 😉