For the first time I booked a ticket (15€ all included) for a performance at home on my computer. (I do not regret it).
I messed a bit to get through then managed to log in and there it came !
The quality of the streaming was fairly good except for the Strings which did not seem to have kept their warmth and pathos at one very special moment: the cello, which is part of one of the most moving aria for bass-baritone (Ella giammai m'amo) had very sharp edges due to the sound balance on my computer I bet, and it was a pity.
Still, René Pape was for me a real treat, as always, in this complex Philip II role.
This time in this production he does not have his night socks falling on his ankles and keeps a more royal attitude though completely lost and disheartened in his meditation, with the portrait of his son near his wife's jewel-box Eboli has stolen from his wife's bedroom. It is hard to be on his side when it is well known La Princesse de Valois was engaged to his son and because of Political issue King Philip decided to marry her instead; so why should he complain about his lost love? Philip in this scene has to convince me he loves her. In fact the more I listen to this opera the more I feel the cello voice is Verdi's heart beat, his voice, reaching us but we will never know who his soul is crying for in this aria full of sorrow and tears when René Pape 'plays' it.
When Queen Elizabeth is Anja Harteros it is bound to be amazing, and she was indeed even better than last time I saw her sing this role in Munich. Of course it was good to see and listen to her singing from the live stream but I missed the special effects of her voice in the house, when she gets to her highest notes and sings with the wind instruments ( just like Donizetti does with his soprani). Nobody knows who is Frau Harteros 's voice mentor (a famous conductor? some dedicated music teacher, a member of her family? ), if she found it hard to learn Italian... well, she learnt all these skills which makes her such an accomplished Verdian singer, without making fuss about it! Perhaps we take all this great artistry from her for granted ?
I do not, and each time, I am amazed. Tonight, I found her lower range much more powerful and dramatic, her tops, so ethereal and above all, her presence in the ensemble, striking. Her elegance and frailty make her style unforgettable in every role she tackles, her special touch which suits her vocal gifts. She is 'grand', simply not sharing the Diva sphere. She is above it !!!!
Eboli was the elegant mezzo soprano Beatrice Uria Monzon: she is familiar on our Marseille stage and I always enjoy the way she sings and acts. She was also very convincing, although she has sometimes an off putting vibrato, but the way she acts this Eboli (not on the vulgar side at all) makes me forget it. Her Veil song was great! I noticed the young Tebaldo (trouser role) was not at the final bows. she was very nice too.
Act 4 is even more striking than the previous acts: it is a firework of arias, towering with the famous quartet where Elizabeth faints, when accused of adultery by her jealous husband. Only her voive joins Eboli, Philip and Posa for an extatic prayer to her Mother, recovering slowly from this fearful blow, and turning to heaven for her last hope. It is an exquisite musical moment. Its rendition tonight was fine too.
In this production, Elizabeth throws her arm up to the sky each time she refers to heaven: she will be united to Carlo in Heaven, a gesture of elevation, escape from this world, to catch the sky (there is an open well of light above the stage in act 5, otherwise very claustrophobic.)
There is also the death of Rodrigo, Marquis de Posa: Ludovic Tezier dies in Ramon Vargas arms : it was tearjerking tonight. They both have played these roles often now and they are good: not pushing their voices but living the drama with simple and touching gestures and great skills. Special mention to them !
The Italian conductor M. Armillato loves this opera: I missed the
true atmosphere of the opera house for this masterpiece, the opera
from Verdi I like best. I liked his tempo tonight : he let the orchestra
breathe when it comes to passion, loss and tears. He is also very
concerned about his singers. That is why the audience was so cheerful
during the performance and at the final bows.
I had a great time, happy to see singers I like : the whole cast tonight !
It took my mind away from the floods around Paris, the dreadful social tensions we are going through. The workers have to be listened to from my humble point of view. I do not agree with the present Government attitude. People struggle even more through endless strikes and low cash for most of them. It is a very unfair attitude not to take into account the problems of the workers. Where is the true Left in this country these days?
From Vienne, Austria ( which missed to have a Far Right President ) I saw the opera house was packed, so there seem to be no problems.
Now I have to think twice when I want to travel for operas like it was smooth and easy... ten years ago...when I started travelling around for operas, or the other way round.
