Back from 'Music Land' and the cold....

Used to very warm Provence weather and rather moderate humid British one from time to time, our 'expedition' to Moscow was quite an event...
Short day light (it starts getting dark around half past three some days) and very low temperatures (-17° when we landed and for our first day around Red Square) ) did not take us by surprise as we read about Russian Winter but it was quite a sight to see us transformed into  yeti and huge

matryoshka .. looking rather inelegant when the Moscow feminine population looked rather smart in their expensive  fur coats, leather boots. and fur hats.. I had borrowed my granddaughter skiing boots and scarves and hardly felt the cold !(my first pict of me on the blog... amazing souvenir, it was around -18° and was the night of arrival around 11pm we wanted to see the main street where we were and the Boshoï just there too)





Each day an army of workers was busy scrubbing the snow in the center around Revolution Square, the Bolshoï and Red Square . It was always easy to walk there,  at times  it got slippery in spite of all the salt which was thrown all day long. We watched  our steps most of the time and while walking for an hour or so under light falling snow we popped into shops to warm up then carried on walking and visiting.  We took the metro twice, found the steps rather tiring too, but it was worth visiting the ones we took.

We  had a great time during two evenings , one spent at the Bolshoï New stage for the Stone Guest ( Don Juan revisited in a romantic style by Pushkin for the libretto, and very fine music from Alexander Dargomyzhsky, orchestred by Rimsky Korsakov and Cui after the musician's death). The second night was spent  at the Tchaikovsky Hall for a piano recital : Lucas Debargue gave a stunning rendition of Chimanovsky Sonata n° 2 and two Schubert sonatas (12 and 14) . He finished with two Encore (a Scarlatti short quiet piece and perhaps a Debussy one  which had L'après midi d'un Faune accents somehow). It was a fine musical evening in this prestigious house. (full and very welcoming for this young French pianist)
 There are so many concert halls and opera houses in Moscow!

When we visited Saint Basil,  three A cappella  singers  gave us  a free concert in the main chuch of the Intercession. I could not resist taking a short video; It was tearjerking !(but I cannot upload it and I do not want to publish it on youtube, it is too short and does not do justice to these great voices, so...)Here's a screenshot the three amazing singers with wonderful voices:

I found the three singers we listened to on Sunday morning the 18th on youtube at a warmer season ( they were wearing open shirts) this is tremendous singing. I could listen to them all nights ans days..; (thank you for this uploading)

As a souvenir are these two cds, very affordable compared to our prices. Russia  in Winter is a wonderful destination for Music, every where even on the Red Square full of free intertainement for families even when it is -14° !
Our Son and Daughter in law  bought us the airtickets as a present ... they  were so right ! Moscow with snow and End of year decorations lit up around 4pm looks fabulous!

   

Ten days break and a trip to Russia...

Before this long day is over and to be sure to find it without trouble on my Ipad during this trip, here is my favourite melody, at 7.34,  sung by Karine Deshayes, it is also a dedicace to that Dec 10 2001....

Sunshine in Winter: our granddaughter's 15th birthday!

When she was born in the village where we live we had a phonecall at 4am from my daughter in law 's family that she was arriving... so we got up and walked as fast as we could to the maternity hall. And there she was!
(photo Zurich lake, Nov 26)

Missing Elisabetta-Anja Harteros in Zurich, Don Carlo revival, opening night, Nov 27th...

(photo found on the net, same production ,same costumes.Vesselina Kasarova on the left was Eboli, Zurich Opernhaus,March 2012)

No need to say I missed Anja Harteros tremendously and still do... Not that the young and vigourous Tamara Wilson who replaced her was no good...but she was not what I like in this role. She was towering Ramon Vargas (but is it necessary to be matched physically on an opera stage? )
 Having convinced myself that Anja Harteros's Elisabetta is the best for this opera, how could I appreciate this new too strong and less flexible and less subtle voice?
 I had the impression, through her energetic singing that Tamara Wilson could have sung anything with the same stamina. For her,  the words did not mean or  weigh much... she had all the notes, and that was it. As for her dramatic abilities, they were next to nothing,  almost as clumsy as another young singer I discovered in Shanghaï and is now for me a kind of model for what I have to avoid even if the singing abilities tend to be fine at some points, I mean the Tosca delivered by O. Dikka. Seeing Tamara Wilson lying at the front stage when she fainted, I thought 'what a sight' and 'will she manage to pull herself up? '. I did not like her tops and even heard a wobble which is not a good sign with young singers. Her duet with Carlo was better than her 'Tu che le vanita'.
And yet,   Tamara Wilson received tremendous applause, perhaps too much, and I thought she had the support of American friends and fans in the house, well trained for over clapping! ( 'la claque' ?)
Anja Harteros  missed the revival première...  I still cannot get over it !
When one is used to Mrs Harteros's singing as I am it was obvious I would miss her unique way of giving the Verdi legato and piani plus the sense of drama which is so remarquable in her acting.   
What was excellent that night: all the men's voices and Eboli, a wonderful mezzo soprano I discovered.

 Peter Matteï 's Posa, matched with Ramon Vargas' Carlo, (touching

and even more fragile than in his Bastille Hoffman), made a great vocal and dramatic team. The elegance of  Peter Matteï 's acting when expressing these touching feelings of frienship made him better  than Ludovic Tezier's Posa, (Tezier had been for long my favourite Posa).
 The house burst with applause after René Pape 's ' Ella geimmai m'amo'
which was stunning although he did not sound previously at the best of his form.The orchestra was full blast most of the time and luckily very fine when the warhorses  were being performed. The solo instruments had a lot of pathos, especially the cello before Philip 's complaint for not having been loved, and in this production, it was the bare truth !
I even wondered considering the artists on stage that night, if love could have been possible between them because they did not act as if it could have been possible: Tamara Wilson never looked at Ramon Vargas, or any of the protagonists.  Eboli showed more artistic concerns about her love towards Carlo.
Don Carlo without the Fontainebleau act is not the one I like best but on the whole it is the same grand opera which offers a balance between love and political issues. In this production the cast (not counting Anja Harteros 's cancellation at this première revival) was the best you can have these days.
It was worth the journey in the end.

It was the first Advent Sunday and the town was ready to open the lovely Christmas markets and funfair just in front of the operahouse. I treated myself to quiet walks along the lake past the Chinese garden and also rides on various trams to see life at a quiet pace  with nice sceneries going past.


The special Giacometti exhibition at Kuntshouse was also highly moving. I had another long

encounter with the Dog and his broken heart overflowing with kindness. I was strangely happy to see him again. This sculpture has a soul !
Verdi, Giacometti  and Zurich lit up for Christmas, made the journey worth while, and just to keep it in mind, also on that Sunday morning around midday,  I was at the presentation of Missa da Requiem where I listened to a Liberame out of a dream come true...(and selected arias too)with wonderful artists who came at this early sunday morning hours and sang with piano just for us...

Why didn't I plan my trip later?
 I would have seen Anja Harteros's Elisabetta again and would have attended that very unique creation of 'Messa da Requiem'... I will get the Dvd (I am not rich enough to sponsor it but I know some are in this very special place, Zurich and surroundings, nice, very nice but so expensive ...)