I'll give you something to cry about [UPDATED]

Reacting to something chez Chalk, I thought I would join the "fun" and post some things that make me choke up when I hear/see them live. I don't boo-hoo but my eyes water even rather copiously and I feel deliriously alive. I get into a zone in which sadness and joy are interchangeable and all is understood as the ineluctable prey of mortality--- and yet paradoxically free of it at the same time.

Here are six items that do it for me. I am not going to tell you what they are but you will no doubt know some of them. I will be happy to answer questions in the comments if there is any curiosity.

In (1), we have a theme that blooms so beautifully that I am always suprised by how much it affects me. So sweet. So sad.

(2) is from the same work. Last time I heard this section live I was not that happy with the performance but then I got a hold of myself and plunged right into excess; I thought that a distinct regret of mine when dying will be that I will never hear this music again. A little self-indulgent, a little maudlin--- so I got carried away! I blame the music.

[UPADATED WITH LINK] (3): with the final bars of this concerto, there is no need to stay for the symphony, if they are so foolish not to put this piece last. I mean what is there left to say--- and I was heard to remark, all portentous-like, "there is no other concerto," last time I heard this piece. Honestly, sometimes I should leave these things in the bottle. (But you know I kinda meant it?)

(4) = sweet poesie at the opera. So pretty! Time stands still. Those chord progressions! The piano! Time is still standing still. And will you look at that, will you? My eyes are watering!

(5) Yeah yeah--- he is the villain but did ever a villain break your heart like this? No. Of course not. Can I borrow the handkerchief? I think I have to dab my eyes and I need to go off and think a little. ("I will love ya, babe, even if she won't.")

(6) An act one curtain; after about 60 minutes of restless chromaticism the bright C major as the ship pulls into port on the bright blue Atlantic is orgasmic. The tension breaks and the plot has done some major shifting--- love is on the horizon and tragedy after it--- but for the moment we are in ecstasy with the protagonists and their abandonment spreads to the entire mise-en-scene. For the moment mortality is defeated and the final chord stretches into infinity (or something like that). When I see this on stage my eyes water furiously, I choke up, and, completely happy, I really don't want to talk to anyone at intermission.

Some Good News

I have received the good news that I was promoted from Lecturer level 5 to Lecturer level 7. This may sound like overprecision in a depressingly bureaucratic situation--and you may have something there (but my take on that is that it is ALWAYS something in Academe, so, like, whatevs)--but it hides the fact that I am now tenured [!!] because I went over the bar that exists between levels 5 and 6 [promotion over a bar renders one tenured like magic] and that I was given an accelerated pay raise in addition to the promotion, which is a stamp of approval from the committee over and beyond what was sought (it IS an honour---I should and do feel good about that).

To celebrate, I have a track by a New Zealand coloratura soprano, Mina Foley. This recording was probably made in the early 1950s. This singer evidently went koo-koo coa-coa-nuts crazy and therefore did not have the career all were expecting and that is why she is not more famous. In any case, it is THAT aria ("O luce di quest'anima") from Linda di Chamounix. You have got to hear this rendition to believe it. It starts off modestly enough and then she goes to town, way down-town , then up-town, then all-around town. One might say, one may, that she had a couple of high notes. Yes one could.

Here it is.

Let me know if it will not play, btw. My old solution stopped working and this is new.

Turandot Review

Well this was the best thing I have seen the opera do since I came to NZ. The Faust last year was not bad. The Lucia earlier this year had a nice soprano, Elvira Fatykhova, whose only fault was that she could hit a high e-flat and hold it for only about 2 seconds--- she would hit it and you would be going, "sounds nice, ok! give it me, sock it to me, mamma!" and then she would wrap it up and take it away, as though saying "that's all for you, young man!". Why she does not have a really major career is clear enough to me. It was awkward, really, that she would hit this note and then take it away so quickly. I had never heard anything like it before. We will pass over the Edgardo, Yvan Momirov, in nearly complete silence. The rest of the cast was fine. The minister, Raimondo, one Jud Arthur, was a good singer and easy on the eyes...ok...he was teh hott. Ooh boy. Preach it! You want me to sign something? Sure, anything, ANYthing for you, RaiJudArthurMondo.

But I am here to discuss Turandot.

Like I say, it was really a good production. It is an Alden production which I almost always like. He did an awesome Lucio Silla in Long Beach and super-duper-neato-torpedo Vespri in SF (I still thrill to the triple assassination of Tenor, Baritone, and Soprano in slow-mo in the final moments [yes-- Procida shoots Arrigo, Montfort and Elena dead!! Teh excitement!!!111!! 4rls!!])

But, like I say, not as I do, so far, I am here to discuss Turandot.

The Alden production eschews for the most part overt Chinoiserie (sic?) and instead conjures up a hybridized scene. It is a combination of Cultural Revolution China and late-capitalist-glamour-puss-globalized-celebritized-absolutistic naked assertion of dictatorial-cult-of-personality power---um, you know what I mean. Turandot becomes a glamorous vision of modernity that nonetheless anchors itself in a timeless claim to authority. Modern glamour in purple velvet makes a primeval claim that is not to be denied. This production is highly perceptive on the direction the world very well might be going in. I found it highly thought-provoking.

Check out Turandot. This is from Act 2:





See what I mean? The scenery--spare, modern--cements this impression.

The singing was at a very good level (Liu) to truly excellent (Calaf, Timur and, crucially, Turandot). Here is the cast and production team list:

Turandot Margaret Medlyn
Calaf Dongwon Shin
Liù Maria Costanza Nocentini
Timur Grant Dickson
Ping Phillip Rhodes
Pang Adrian McEniery
Pong Benjamin Fifita Makisi
Conductor Nicholas Braithwaite
Director Christopher Alden

It was announced that Medlyn had a cold but she went on anyway. She has a powerful voice that has a number of brilliant and incisive colours in it. She is an excellent actress and will make you forget that there is anyone else on the stage. She has the measure of the role vocally and histrionicly. We are lucky to have her. Most successful!! Brava!

Shin in the mid range can sound a tad provincial but his upper notes are highly brilliant and deservedly bring the house down. He cleaned up in "Nessun Dorma", and, folks, it really was good. Nocentini sounded a little out of sorts. I saw the dress rehearsal and she was better there. Timur was good. Powerful. The three Ps had lots of funny business to do and I have never seen them staged so well. However, this was closing night and they were still muffing their lines a tad. Honestly! That should not have been happening. Braithwaite chose one excellent tempo after another and the orchestra played fine. The piccolo player needs to work on his or her e flat--it fell apart at the end of Liu's death scene (Why do I note this? Well, I play the flute and piccolo myself.) Fatykhova and the piccolo need some e-flat tutoring.

Here are some more pictures:

Turandot and Liu (Act 3):



Turandot and Timur (Act 3):

Mas de Adriana Blogging

Moving associatively sideways repertoire-wise, we bid goodbye for the moment to Daniela Dessi and can barely recall someone whose initials are Andelina Nebtraintrestle. We now spend some time with this aria from Adriana.

First up is Mirella Freni. She has never been one of my favorites but her voice here is really rich and nice. She just fills the tones out so nicely. This is clearly from a MET Gala or a special performance of Die Fliedermaus:



Howzabout that second to last note? Damn she sounds good at the further end of her career and this is singing that would be nice at the beginning too.

Next is a link to Renata Tebaldi singing this aria on some cheesy telephone hour show, but damn she owned this role. Rudolf Bing said that Tebaldi demanded a production of Adriana at the MET as a quid pro quo. He tried to wiggle out of the agreement but she smiling would not let him. If my memory serves, that smile put "dimples of steel" on her face and he had to do the opera. Here is the

Tebaldi link.


And this is a singer I knew more by reputation but now I have both a visual and an audial image. OMG! This is so over the top! But kids, this is opera!! Portentosa, splendida, fucka, yeaha, si si si!!. Drum-roll please! [fanfares] "Ladies and Gents, I give you scenery-chewer extraordinaire...let's give a loud round of applause... to... Marcella Pobbe!!! (now with pearls):



P.S. She is lipsynching of course, as happens in these Italian films of the operas. I wondered if this were an actress playing the part. No, it IS she:

Dessi in Adriana Lecouvreur

[Dessi blogging!!! OK!!]

Earlier this year, they did Adriana Lecouvreur, a wonderful opera by Cilea, at La Scala. Gosh I would have loved to have been there for that. Opera Chic covered it very nicely in a number of posts. Here is one of the entries if you are interested. You can get all scrollolicious from there and read more, if you are of a mind. OC is fascinated with the Dessi's bust and makes reference to Dessi's endowment amusingly a number of times.

But how is it that Dessi has come to be on the blog menu, as it were? Weren't we supposed to have Trebzoroaster blogging? Well, we were but YouTube has taken away the video that I wanted to post. The lost video is a version of Musetta's waltz-song from La Boheme done like a music video that J-Lo or someone like her would do, only with Puccini. Anyway in it La Trebsaldine is married to this guy and they are like rich and stuff and as they are being driven somewhere her eyes keep meeting the eyes of the hottt chauffeur AND it looks like something may happen but it does not AND at the end it looks like she has only thought of dishonouring her vows and will not now, nor ever. The final look between them is farewell forever [or at least they finish their meal and need a ride home, I guesss] (I add here that Anna Banana has also been singing full on in the back seat of the car, which does put a lot of weight on ye olde suspension bridge of disbelief, you know). Furthermore, the narrative of the video where infidelity is thought of but then is successfully resisted (and let me tell you the wedding bands are a bright shiny gold if memory serves), seems like the idea of what constitutes edgy on some Christian network. Oooh she almost gave in to sin. Thrills. Chills. Sheesh, this is hardly the dementia of which Ethan Morden speaks. But anyway, I am not going to discuss that video because instead I have this one which I ran across as I searched for the other one.

Cilea, Cilea, Cilea! One of the also-rans in the verismo sweepstakes, but he did place well with this opera. The melody is 24 carot-gold and Dessi does it well. She has a nice strong voice and she looks great, if you ask me. And the boys, right before she starts the big melody: "splendida...portentosa...musa...diva...sirena," talk about a fan club! The aria and opening material make for a most gratifying entrance for the soprano. It has been one of my favorite things since I first heard it. Cilea 4eva! 4rls!

Back!

My manuscript is now wending its way to the publishers. May they please say "yes we want your manuscript--OMG--- we want you you you!!1eleven11!!!" (or words to that effect).

I will hopefully be able to post more than in the recent past.

It is Spring down here and here are some pictures from the botanic gardens in Wellington.

But first!, before the pictures, I have learned that Chalkenteros is officially in love with Anna Netrebko again. We wish the happy couple all the best. We hope that true love will find a way and they can stay together. (In fact stay tuned for more Anna blogging!)

Anyway, here are the pictures from the trip over to the gardens:

Back in about a month...

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this truly novel presentation of Act III of Il Trovatore. I will try to post something on occasion, but I have to get this manuscript done!

(I picked up this delightful video at My Favorite Intermissions. This guy is a very witty writer by the way.)

Ciao, for now.

Vingt Regards

Just a quick note on an interesting concert I just attended. The brother of one of my colleagues here in the classics programme played Messiaen's "Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jesus ["20 Looks at You Know Who"]. What an amazing work it is. It is 20 movements and takes something over 2 hours to be played. It is a work out for a solo pianist.

The various movements recreate the effect of the movements of the stars, the tender look of The Virgin at her baby, the quiet omnipresence of God, the Son gazing upon the Son. Inverted rainbows are to be found. So are inverted lightnings. Amazing.

The pianist, Read Gainsford (who teaches piano at Florida State [I think] in Tallahasee) played like the god that is needed for this piece. He has delicacy, power and awesome intelligence.

Seeing this piece was a treat and while I am not a Xian, I nonetheless find the sprituality of this piece honest and most assuredly not cloying. I like Messiaen better and better all the time.

Abigaille + Marisa Galvany = A Reason to Live

Gosh I wish I had been in the audience for this! Is this from the 70's the late 60'? Who knows! Who cares!!

Prima Donna Galvany was an exciting dramatic soprano whose powerful instrument and take charge stage manner brought much joy to opera lovers like me back in the day.

Here, in this scene from Verdi's Nabucco, she is is playing Nabucco's imperious daughter, Abigaille, who has just seized control of the kingdom. At the end of this scene she orders her father (her own father! teh excitment!) arrested. And if you study her movements as he shakes off the guards who are leading him away, she is laughing at him. Bad bad bad!! In fact, study all her movements at the end. She brings her arms fast down after the high e flat---

(which she just pulls [thnx!] out of the ether [drawing on an account the pin number to which only she knows, kids])

---as though to say--- if the kingdom weren't mine before this note, after it it would be!---and that e flat is mighty nice, what bravura singing! She then sweeps her costume back to show dad that she so so so so so so so means business. She laughs at him, as already noted, and then up go the arms as she faces an idol or something that is at the back of the stage--- TREMBLE, PROFANI, I AM TEH QUEEN!!!

Out the Window This Morning

The wind had just shifted bringing cool winds up from the South. There were some showers riding on these winds.

Pictures of Anna Sure to Please My Dad!

Hey dad, we could take Anna to target practice!!! That would be pretty boss, don't you think?

In any case, don't #$%^ with Trebs is henceforth the watchword, surely.




The facets of Anna are fascinating in their unfolding, to put it mixedmetaphorically [I was seduced by the effs, your honour; the siren-song of alliteration made me do it!]

And, you know, a certain Romanian diva recently was less than complimentary about la Trebazoid. Hmmm. [Sotto voce to Angela, "cuidado, chica, k? justsayin' kthnxbi."]

(via Sieglinde's Diaries)

Eleanor Steber Sings the Pagliacci Aria!

Sorry not to be posting lately. There is just so much to do around here. Teaching of course and Chapter Five is well-along but it just takes so much time and sometimes I feel like I am in among the weeds near a pond and not on the royal road that will lead me home and to the finish.

But enough about that--- for the moment.

Here is Eleanor Steber, American Super-Star Soprano from 50s.

I love her! Have done so for just forever! If you run across the old recording of Barber's Vanessa, get it and you will hear her doing an excellent job with the title role.

Her voice has the sound of a well-schooled American diva from the middle of last century, which is not so surprising of course.

I dote on her rolled "r"s. Delightful.

You hear often a metaphor for good operatic singing-- that you have your capital that you preserve and that you sing off the interest. A solid base of masterful and patiently acquired technique makes the singing well-founded and the sound the audience hears is an epiphenomenon of a much larger structure. Understanding singing in this way means that the good singer does not throw him or herself into the role and lose control. Steber's singing here recalls such a metaphor (which is ironic, for she evidently did do things later that she should not have and, they say, ruined her voice [one of these roles was Marie in Wozzeck!])

AND, and and and and, don't miss the lovely control of articulation and volume from about the 44 to 35 second mark--- que bella!!--- AND, and and and and, she also takes no breath here. People!!

Take it away Eleanor!:

bb

Vacation Picture Addendum

Presenting: Scenes from...

...our little vacation to the South Island. Same place we went last time. We like it clearly and the object was to relax. Next summer, in late Jan. and early Feb., the plan is to head way down south to Dunedin and Queenstown kai ta loipa [etc.] and have a proper touring vacation. These were all taken in and around Takaka.

Yeah, yeah... it was beautiful and I WILL be posting pictures but

honestly, what did we listen to? I read your mind. And here, from your ever humble servant, is OPERA LOG!!:

14 April 2007:
Manon, Massenet
studio with Victoria de Los Angeles; she is very fine.


15 April 2007:
Semiramide, Meyerbeer
conducted by Bonynge. A live on Naxos. Meyerbeer was like 22 years old when he brought this work out in 1813. Just a kid and he sounds so so so Italian here. Though there is a certain quality to the line that suggests the future master of French grand opera.

Le Roi de Lahore, Massenet
the Sutherland studio—a stunning piece---and there’s a really kick-ass ballet, by the way

Die Gezeichneten, Schreker
DVD from Salzburg (Act One)—remarks below


16 April 15, 2007
La Caravan du Caire, Gretry
An opera ballet with, not surprsingly, lots of instrumental sections. This is a delightful work.

Cristofo Colombo, Franchetti
Interesting work on the life of this explorer; a star-turn from Bruson late in his career; the orchestration is really rich and lovely; the work lacks a strong artistic profile and the plot is pretty darn diffuse

Die Gezeichneten, Schreker
DVD from Salzburg (Acts Two and Three); this euro-trash production is vexing—a total opportunity missed; if everyone looks like they are showing up for a night of bondage at the club when the curtain opens--- the progressive revelations lose a lot of their punch. Gosh I sound like a cranky older gentleman. Hmm and hmmm. The singing and conducting range from nice to very good indeed (especially the soprano, Schwanewilms who looks good and sounds even better; she is sooooo good--- I am fan of hers from now on; I want to hear more.). The score is cut. Most of the cuts don’t hurt much but there is one (Chalk, are you sitting down?) that is vexatious in the extreme: the grand procession from Act 3 is cut!!


17 April 2007
Polyeucte, Gounod
Zzzzzz, I mean there are like zzzzzz like these good parts zzzzz but zzzz where was I?

Carlo di Borgogna, Pacini
Basically an undisovered masterpiece in a passionate and virtuosic performance; um, like, you need to own this? Oh yes you do; no home should be without it! Below are two exciting moments from this awesome opera: check out Jennifer Larmore (from Act II)—she is pretty f’ing amazing, I should say, here and throughout. Demented and at one with the music!! This is furious and meaningful coloratura in the grand manner. Also below are the final bars from the finale to Act One—the whole cast and orchestra are going mad together. Schuweet!! This is such exciting music making and composing. Futral is great throughout and I think a medal is due Bruce Ford for exemplary service in cause of Bel-Canto for years.
CLIPS:
Final bars of Finale from Act I; the arrial of the bass drum etc. right toward the end is pretty electifying. Close your eyes, volume on high.
Larmore showing all and sundry how this kind of thing is done. Close your eyes, volume on high.


18 April 2007
Elijah, Mendelssohn
Terfel, Fleming, y otras personas.
Husband dotes on this piece and this seems a nice performance of it.

La Cieca’s 200th Podcast—A Gala [Parts One and Part Two]
Many fine things throughout; special mention of Giordani and Stoyanova in with the duet from Les Hugenots—when he sings those soaring lines, I get what the deal about Meyerbeer was/is; the raw emotion and the love of the voice make his writing very special and an opportunity for the artist to display his or her ability and the personal beauty of his or her voice that is coincident with an opportunity to be gloriously IN CHARACTER

19 April 2007
Rinaldo, Handel
Daniels, Bartoli, Organasova, Fink (Hogwood—Academy of Ancient Music); a starry line-up, thatsforsure. As I live blog this, they are delivering; it is very nice work indeed in presenting a piece that gave us a lot of pleasure at NYCO in 2000--- those of you who saw it, can you ever forget Christine Goerke the Armida arriving on top of a huge box amid thunder and lightning—among many other felicities?

I Capuleti ed I Montecchi, Bellini (Act One)
A podcast from Parterre Box with Anna Netrebko as Giulietta! And man does she sound good in this 2004 performance from Salzburg!!

20 April 2007
Tancredi, Rossini
Kasarova, Mei, Vargas, cond: Roberto Abbado; Mei does pretty coloratura; Kasarova is all melancholy introspection and delicacy which, while fetching in a certain way, is not optimal here. Vargas is nice. He is always so nice. Everyone agrees he is nice. Yes he is nicely nice in the most nicely nice way. Roberto Abbado (cond.) needs more pep.

I Capuleti ed I Montecchi, Bellini (Act Two)--- the continuation of last night’s broadcast
A strong finish.


21 April 2007
Rhodelinda, Handel
A boring recording from the late 90s on the Veritas label

Nelly Miricioiu recital disk
Her voice is sort of ugly but she is able to deliver some excitement and has a way with the bravura coloratura. I like her and I like her intelligence and passion. (Donizetti, Boito, y otras cosas)

22 April 21, 2007
Massenet, Manon
Angela Ghjkllthdkjiu [Me and Romanian? Not so good.] and Alagna sounding pretty good; though she is less interesting to me in this role than Sills or De Los Angeles. Alagna was pretty sweet. Pappano is an excellent conductor and was true to form here.

Gone for about a week to the South Island....

...see you on the other side. Eating too much, opera on CD and DVD (Die Gezeichneten from Salzburg!), much dog walking, much sleeping are on the docket. I will make a sprint to try to finish the fifth chapter of my book. Wish me luck with that. TRH will study bridge books to prepare himself to represent the club in interclub competition! No danger of me being asked to do that, though I will practice playing bridge hands on BridgeBaron.

Here are some pics.

Nelson as a puppy:



Nelson grown up:



TRH does not like this picture. He is wrong:



Say "Pacini Cabaletta"!:

Remembrance

Here is a picture of our beloved Niels who left us (after a long and rich life) two years ago today.



I still miss him but his successor, Nelson, does make the missing a sweet thing and something easy to accept. This is a picture of Nelson with TRH:

Another Piece of Convincing Evidence as to Why One Should Love Bel-Canto

We are now back to some original content. Hooray!

Below is a short clip from the Act One Finale of a real rarity: L'Ultimo Giorno di Pompei by Pacini. (The plot of this opera is not without interest to Classicists in the audience and, to my ears, Pacini has included a number of odd-sounding marches that are meant to evoke the Roman mileau.) He wrote this opera in the 1820's. The recording from which this clip comes is a good performance of a very fun piece. I recommend it to you. I listened to the whole thing yesterday morning and was most pleased. You can check out the entire recording here.

The clip features the talented (if a tad bit wild) Iano Tamar as the lead (as you will hear). I like the way Pacini writes an assertive and cutting line for his prima donna. Teh ok! Then when she is done with her bit the chorus bounces in with some very catchy music which has some insinuating chromaticism that falls so sweetly upon the ear (or on my ear at any rate). You know, the bel-canto masters will insert little things here and there in their works that will enchant the listerner if he or she is susceptible. I am terminal in this regard and Pacini is very, very good.

Here is the clip. Enjoy!

Manon Gavotte Face-Off

OK.

Here's the deal. Here is roughly the same excerpt from Massanet's Manon, featuring three heavy hitters: Netrebko, Fleming, and Sills.

[A momentary prayer of Thanksgiving for YouTube would not be out of line here]

It is fascinating to hear the different ways this supremely solipsistic scene can be played.

I will say at the outset that I find Fleming the least successful. This is from Paris I am pretty darn sure cuz we were there. We (TRH and I) were in the front row actually (and feeling highly satisfied with ourselves that we had scored these tickets--- when I saw these seats as being available at the ticket office, I did not even look at how much they cost and just told TRH to give me the VISA cuz "they have some seats" "how much are they?" "the VISA please, it is worth it", and, suprisingly pliable at times, he handed over the Visa and the rest, as they say, erat historia)--anyway, since we were in the front row, we got a long luxuriant look at the red red red costume she is wearing. I sort of like it (but then I have bad taste in women's clothing) but I also wonder if it looks a little like what Carol Burnett wears in the famous sketch she did sending up Gone with the Wind (in a different colour, of course).



Well, maybe not. Memory plays odd tricks sometimes. It must be the upholstered effect of F's costume that made me think in this direction.

But to the singing. I recall being most extremely pleased with her performance. Now however I find some of the sounds she makes just bizarre, croony and underpowered. I think she is better live than on the radio or on recording. But that said, I recall being extraordinarily distressed by her lack of force in filling out the line in the Il Pirata at the MET a couple of years back and that had been a performance we had been looking forward to most most most most keenly (and perhaps too keenly, there was perhaps no way reality could compete with all that anticipation [or with Gavazzeni's conducting on the recording with Caballe (you have GOT to hear the way they do the Act One curtain! It is so exciting!!111!!!)], we were, in short, doomed.) But on the other hand, there is real delicacy in a lot of the passage work and the colors in her voice often are just so so pretty (and she does hold the final long note for a good long time):



Trebs here characterstically ducks out on a little bit of ornamentation here and there but the line is quite authoritative all the way through. She is powerful and the voice comes off as quite slavic when you have her sandwiched by these whitebread girls. She is teh sexaay too. The top is brilliant and pretty darn clean--- love the sound of her big money-shot high notes:



And then there is Sills. The ornamentation just pops out. She sings this music with a real sense of authority. She is oddly enough not interested in some of the longer notes and on the basis of this can almost be seen as an opposite to Trebs. I really like the way she does this. She was justifiably famous for her Manon:



I will probably listen some more and update. But I wanted to get this out there. What do you think? Do some Trebs haterz want to get their freak on? Does someone want to get Rosemary Bollin on line one? Should I have looked at and posted the Gruberova version of this that I did not look at and did not post?

As per request from TRH...

... here are some pictures of a dahlia from our front yard.



TRH feels that this most excellent plant's glories must be beamed out into the internets for all and sundry to admirilate. I agree:





VT ROGATVM, SIC FACTVM.