First day with no sun .. and deluvian rain. So surprising as summer seemed to linger endlessly, with hours of sitting outdoors doing nothing, just like Mao, or did I copy her?
Mao is on a diet, she is too fat, and so am I, but it is hard to be on a diet, no one is counting the food intake for me like I do for Mao... not fair!
I am alone in my old place back from a great summer full of fresh air and infinite sea views at any hours of day and night, hours spent watching the tidal waves and the moon, time shared also with the family, getting amused by the girls who are growing gently into their teen age.
The yard shows autumn colour touches. Grapes are fine this year probably because I finally sprayed the old vine at the right time.
Luckily on the radio, (midday Magazine on France Musique), a couple of amazing musicians and comedians, Igudesman&Joo took me away, and yes, Mozart will survive!
But I will not be in Paris to see them at Salle Pleyel, I will not go to Bastille either to see Karine Deshayes in a super funny Rosina.
I find it hard to move to Paris for musical events this season, probably because prices have gone up tremendously (not travel fares! it is possible to go to Paris on real budget tickets with Ouigo trains and IDTGV if booking is done fairly in advance), it seems hard to get enthusiastic because the lyric world is now taken over by the star system and I am not necessarilly pro star any more.
Now I would like to go to the Italian opera houses as much as I can. Culture is having drastic cuts in Europe ( Italian theaters seem more fragile than ever) and I have not been to La Scala yet.
More than ever I will move 'locally': it will be cheaper, rewarding, as I will discover younger singers perhaps stars to be, but somehow I feel better to avoïd the very expensive events. This season I will try to follow the Discreet Divas as much as I can afford it. I started last season when Anja Harteros went to Bastille. I will head on to Milan soon to see the place, feel the atmosphere for myself after all I read about it. Verdi's Requiem where it was created as a celebration for Claudio Abbado under Riccardo Chailly will be my second live Requiem ... then in November my beloved Discreet Diva n° 1 is coming to Marseille Opera House !
With this very special Rossini's opera I think the Bel Canto Festival has become an institution at this time of year in Marseille.
Mariella Devia's amazing participation now for the third time consecrates this "institution" !
This time there is also Annick Massis who is a Belcantist for sure!
Another great event : the second venue of Juan Diego Florez, this time, a French recital all about Love....so why should I travel to Paris and the posh TCE ?(which I do not like, I prefer the more popular atmosphere of salle Pleyel and I am looking forward to discover La Philarmonie one day in 2015 with the girls, because I saw interesting musical events for a younger audience with affordable prices). I have an idea Cecillia Bartoli may come to Montpellier as she did in recent past, and that would be better than travelling to Paris where Hotels are getting really expensive.
But as time goes by I realise it is better to plan long distance outings, and forget almost about Paris , then stay at home and make the most of it with all that is offered in Toulon, Avignon, Aix, and of course Marseille!
The concert In saint-Tropez on 20 Sept. Theâtre de la Renaissance.
Karine Deshayes does a real summer tour. I tried to attend all her concerts near by.
At Festival de L'empéri for two nights of melodies, and on the 20th at Saint-Tropez for a special Mezzo performance '2 mezzos sinon rien'. My conclusion after the show is :
'2 mezzos c'est trop beau' !
Karine Deshayes and Delphine Haïdan who are also friends have complementary voices, Karine being more 'soprano' with clear tops and glowing medium , while Delphine is more mezzo with lower tones and a kind of bass sound effect. Their voices intermingled with beauty and I was under the charm of the duets especially during the second part of the concert with all the best baroque arias where the lower mezzo range impersonified the man in the couple.
2 Mezzo sinon rien:
I -
Felix Mendelssohnn Ich Wollt meine Liebe ergösse. Herbstlied
Robert Schumann In der Nach
Benjamin Godard Berceuse Jocelyn
Gabriel Fauré Puisqu'ici bas toute âme
Massenet Elégie
Méditation de Thaïs-Eric Courèges Violoncelle
Camille saint Saëns El Desdichado-
II-
G.F Haendel Jules Cesar Son nata lagimar ( best ever with these two voices !)
Lascia Chio pianga (D. Haïdan)
G. Rossini La donna del lago Malcom & Elena: Vivere io non potro
G.Bizet Carmen la seguedille (Karine Deshayes)
Jacques Offenbachh-Les Contes d'Offmann La Barcarolle
2 encore:
Duet Poppea and Nero (Monteverdi) Pur ti miro (a wonder !)
And then a fine musical arrangement by Johan Farjot at the piano and Eric Courège at the cello plus the two mezzos of :" Somewhere over the rainbow " (Wizard of Oz).
My best of in this programe is Karine singing Elegie then the two in the new version of somewhere echoing each over. That was a delicious evening in extravagant Saint-Tropez but who cares when the artists do not try to get on the stargazing system of this wealthy spot on the Var and give a rich performance with great musicality and love for their audience?
Nice bouquets from the organisers, ( Alexandre Durand-Viel is thanking the artists) and books on Saint- Trop for Johan Farjot and Eric Courège. There was also a bouquet for Karine Deshayes 's teacher and friend Mireille Alcantara ( a wonderful person I was introduced to by the organiser of this event M. Alexandre Durand-Viel, I felt most confused, but was happy to talk to Karine and her teacher afterwards).
It would be nice to have a Cd giving a good account of this type of musical evening these four artists offered us, it is such a change from operas! I am a melody fan more and more and Karine Deshayes is just marvellous at it!
On sunday, (being Journée du Patrimoine) I discovered la Citadelle and stayed quite a while in a Museum which is like a jewel with views of the Port: l'Annonciade.
There was an exhibition on Orientalism, colour and light. There again, like at the theatre de la Renaissance where I dreamed with the musicians, in this so quiet place by the sea, I gazed at Delacoix paintings from Morocco. (and forgot about the huge yatchs rather ugly looking to my taste which block the sea view but where trendy people like to be seen...)
(yvette, the village from la Citadelle)I would have liked to post Elegie the way Karine Deshayes interprets it. But it is not on YT and I do not think she recorded it so far.
She sang it at l'Empéri also and probably she sang it last Summer when I went to her recital at Saint- Rémy de Provence. It is a kind of 'her' signature for me.
Here is one rendition from youtube, it is such a romantic melody either with viola or cello.
The cello is my favourite though. And that night at Saint-Tropez, the cello voice really matched the mezzo voice with passion and reserve. A wonderful duet !
No comments:
Post a Comment