Anja Harteros is at the Semperoper (Dresden), giving life to Arabella. From the pictures on the opera site, she looks really exquisite for the role. Reviews are praising her singing and acting. (link given by my friend from Munich).photo:Matthias Creutziger
At the beginning of December she will be in Dresden with another Strauss opera: Der RosenKavalier, she will be singing the Marschallin. She sang her first Marschallin in 2011 at the BSO and Sophie Koch was Octavian. They will sing together and I think they both share aristocratic looks if not an aristocrastic way of singing when necessary! I will be there! (fingers crossed...)
(photo from the conductor's site, Anja Bihlmaier.
I do not know when I will be able to attend a live concert to enjoy one of my favourite mezzo...Vesselina!
Breaking news: If you are ready to fly to Wiener Konzerhaus on the 18th: Vesselina Kasarova will sing Berlioz'la mort de cléopâtre during a concert dedicated to French composers Ravel, Berlioz Debussy.
She has a wonderful approach to Berlioz, I remember her singing Marie some years ago at Pleyel 'L'Enfance du Christ' . A pity this is not in Paris, I would have made the trip!
Ludovic Tézier caught a bad virus which compelled him to abandon Scarpia at Bastille. I read he also had to cancel Colline Opera. I hope he will be back to singing and recovering soon. But he is on my radio for a while among the best of the'Barytons français' present and past: France Musique Lirico Spinto
(photo france musique)Jonas Kaufmann was also on sick leave for quite a while and had to cancel several appearances, but now is back to his native town Munich, favourite opera house: BSO, rehearsing Manon Lescaut he already sang at the ROH. Whimsical Anna Netrbko cancelled (like she did for Faust but this time for other reasons than her new voice shape). From what I saw and heard on the web, Jonas and Kristine are great. All the best for both on the 15th!
Coffee break: photo K.Opolais
Patricia Ciofi was at the Liceù with Traviata, and I know what she is like in this role! I will see her twice this season, and I am always pleased because she has such dramatic commitment in all the roles she tackles. The Traviata run with Charles Castronovo ( I also know what he is like in De Grieux), finished end of October. But I will not be lucky enough to see Charles Castronovo just round the corner like Patrizia Ciofi who is a regular singer in Marseille, Avignon and Orange!
There are also so many singers I appreciate either in concerts and operas, but these are the ones I made a journey to listen to them and will try to see again if I can...
There is the case of my favourite tenor of course: Rolando Villazon. It is difficult these days to be' fan' like I was. I did not attend his last recital at the TCE. I used to. I can see him on TV, where he is quite often, very mediatic and funny! I keep my best memories of him, nearly ten years ago.... already!
Last saturday, although I enjoyed thoroughly Sonia Ganassi's energetic and brilliant Sinaïde, I would have liked to listen to Mariella Devia's voice live once more. She will be in Valencia in March, with .Norma.
Now, the younger ones: I have tried without success to see where young JenNy Kim was after her Chatelet appearances in The King and I. May be I will get some good news. I hope she will succeed!
I love your tracking, i do it myself too, "stalking" :-D. can't wait to hear your impression of Anja in early Dec!! i'll try my luck as well in Cologne with VK.. (and Sara Mingardo and Nathalie Stutzmann). Also, i managed to secure 1 ticket for trovatore in Jan.. am hoping to scavenge a couple more to make my trip worthwhile if i decide to go in Feb.. Hope we'll criss-cross path again at the opera, or if somehow you come up to TCE for Nathalie Stutzmann's Händel Messiah i'll see you there! -thadieu
ReplyDeleteDear An, nice reading you , always! This AutumnI wll not travel like I did last year, nut I am sure you will live the Dom in Cologne with vesselina! I loved every minute of it last year including visiting ... wonderful spot ,( but I saw on TV yesterday some clashes between ulra right youths against Muslims...times are really unsettled around Europe.)
ReplyDeleteI will not go to Paris apart from visiting the family. I have too much to do with them in December and Springtime . will tell you private. Enjoy as much as you can ! Will be reading you even more from Kohn!!!
i back with a question Yvette :-). Could you tell me a bit about the seat you had last time? or where one should sit? It's a concert performance i believe, and i wonder if sitting in the orchestra would be a bit "below" the stage and thus the sound doesn't go well.. especially with Berlioz with lots of horns + drums :-). Any ticket would be fine for me, but i don't know the hall at all.. -thadieu
ReplyDeleteHello An! if I remember well the Dom is a modern structure which is in use for classical music and opera while the opera house is under refurbishing; so it is a fan shape open space ( I mean civeres of course!!!!) with full view from everywhere I think . I was situated at the parterre part, a bit left hand side, perhaps 10th row but if I remember well there is no seat bellow the stage. there are tierss above as well. the outside is quite interesting with view on the river and nice top bar with a good atlmosphere. No such feeling of snooty snobs like at TCE or Garnier.... or else I had no clue how to judge the place! lucky you... young traveller!!!!
ReplyDeleteCOVERED like a dome!!!!!!
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