Split personality. Liking the arts, especially opera, and hockey and Los Toros. I know, I know THAT one is non pc currently. But I can't help it saw some in Spain and got hooked, but good.
But on the other hand right now opera and hockey are in the forefront!
In an eerie deja vu kind of way..... This afternoon I saw Prince Igor (Live from The Met) on the day the Russian Army invaded Crimea, on command of a modern day"Prince" ;-) Vladimir Putin. And the end will certainly be, as in the opera, devastation and death!
In the opera, whose plot is a bit difficult to follow, especially for non-Russian speakers (despite the excellent subtitles). In olden day's Prince Igor Syvatoslavich, bassbariton hunky Ildar Abdrazakov leaves wife Yaroslavna, soprano extraordinaire Oksana Dyka, and folks, behind in Putivl to attack the marauding Polovtsians and their Khan Konchak in the company of his son Prince Vladimir Igorevich, sung by Sergey Semishkur (video clip below). He entrusts the people and his wife to care of his brother-in-law Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich Galitzky. and acts like Mikhail Petrenko (with Semishkur in video clip)
Petrenko as Galitzky abusing Dyka as his sisterYaroslavna
Who, with his Svengali-like (in this production) musicians Skula (Vladimir Ognovenko) and Yeroshka (Andrey Popov), abducts maidens, drinks to excess, and behaves abhorrently towards all, as well as his sister, the Princess. Proclaiming himself the proper successor to Igor is next on his agenda, but the arrival of the conquering Polovetsian hordes puts an end to that, and him!
But, by golly, we love a villain, especially if he sings and acts like Petrenko does...
he reminded my a bit of a former Aeros goalie-Anton Khudobin
Yes, he did, a bit, at first. This is Mikhail Petrenko. So what do you think, cher reader?
The Khan (Kocan) offers a pact to Igor
Dyka and Abdrazako-in a dreamsequence?
Igor is defeated and captured with his son by the Khan, sung by Stefan Kocan, who treats him well, offering him to share the rule over all of Russia. Igor refuses and escapes with the help of baptized Polovtsian Ovlur sung by Mikhail Vekua, (I had to google this because it is not overt in the opera) to return to a Putivl, devastated by the hordes of Khan Gzak, whilst his son Vladimir stays behind with his lover. the Khan Konchak's daughter Konchakovna, mezzo Anita Rachvelishvili..
The famous Polovetsian Dances - you expected Russian and Asian costumes perhaps? - are danced by semi-naked boys and white clad maidens amidst fields of red, red poppies.
This section has a dreamlike feel to it, a misty, hazy feel. But the music just asks for it (Strangers in paradise-remember?)
We are confused, is it real? Or a figment of Igor's battle crazed mind?
Well, whatever it is meant to be, one thing is sure.. most do love the sleek bodies of the limber dancers, and the Maiden solo was performed by Houston Opera Studio Alumna Kiri Deonarine.... brava!
Dmitri Tscherniakov's direction pointed the way to a more in depth treatment of battle with the use of projections in black and white - like in silent films.
Gianandrea Noseda led orchestra, huge chorus and supers beautifully! And he is NOT Russian. But then, some of Borodin's music is just so lyrically romantic.
Now, I was quite enthralled with the quality of the singers, all Russian speakers, even if born in Georgia (Rachvelishvili), Ukraine (Dyka) and Slovakia (Kocan), or Bashkortostan (Abdrazakov), Kirov (Semishkur), and St. Petersburg (Petrenko).
If you love deep manly voices this opera is for you. There are only 2 tenors, all others are basses, bass baritones. I, for one, love that sound!!
And the icing on the cake:
Bass Eric Owens (another HOStudio alum) was the sonorous sounding Master of Ceremony with perfect diction! He reeled off all those names with complete ease!
Brava! Bravo!...I just like seeing/hearing our HGO studio alums.
was much better than expected.
I really went for one, well maybe three, reasons.
One: Susan Graham. I just enjoy her voice. Her composer was all I expected.
I have heard/seen her so many times I lost count, but every time I feel soothed, and filled with warmth by that unexplainable quality she has - it is subjective of course!
Two: wondering how Dolgov (seen in Tosca and liked) and Goerke (seen as Ortrud for which did not care much, then) would sound. I honestly admit, I was blown away by Christine Goerke's Ariadne.
Even though her strong big steely voice is still not my cup of tea, her presentation was superb!
Alexey Dolgov was a more than adequate Bacchus. But at times seemed to strain to keep his own in duets with Gorke's overpowering Ariadne.
Three: Laura Claycomb: a saucy Zerbinetta with incredible vocal and physical agility, high notes, and enormous breathcontrol. I have seen her sing Handel (and like her rather much in either opera), as Verdi's Gilda (sososo-I know that it not what most thought) as Donizetti's Lucia (she did wow me with that).
The smaller roles were filled with youthful enthusiasm and pleasant voices by current (Wheeler, Deonarine, Martin, Dyakov, Peake, Touhy) and ex-Studio (Kolbet) members, and other comprimario singers.
The last two times I saw Ariadne, I was underwhelmed and - I admit it - bored by less than inspired conducting, less then adequate singing (truly I don' t even remember who sang - either time),
and a blah staging and sets. Static sets, boring staging! No sign of the theater within the theater concept..
Neither flashy nortrashy staging! What more need I say.
So, maybe this production had its flaws, very minor ones but overall I like the (is camp the right word?) staging, sets and costumes. They seem traditional, but then this is one opera where traditional (though camp) works for me - LOL!.
I am rather tired of some over the top 'modern' productions in which the directors' will takes precedence over the composers' musical ideas and moods!
So, call me an old foggy!
I don't care.
I liked this production, especially the end..why chandeliers? Why not-it seems a fitting starry end ;-0!
I liked the theater within an old private housetheater concept.
I liked the onstage set changes and machinery as may have been used way back then!
Liked the 'campy' Echo in thecloud...sung by Brittany Wheeler.
Liked the way Summers coaxed dulcet but also powerful tones from the orchestra.
It's probably only due to having been brought up with the sound of the Vienna Philharmoniker playing Strauss, that the strings seem to miss something, that something that the Vienna Philharmoniker seem to do so well! Did my ears deceive me, or did I hear a note or two from Brahms Lullaby? Well, never mind. Strauss took it and composed his variations and they did sound lovely, as did the frquent small waltz like movements.
And then Hugo von Hoffmansthal brought some of that kind of Galgenhumor the Viennese excel in, to the libretto and contents. In the 'funny' parts AND the solemn ones.
After all, Ariadne sees Bacchus (god of Wines!!) as the angel of oblivion, to help her drown her sorrows!
If that is not a bit of irony/sarcasm, I don't know what is! Don't you?
And not only that, but having the Master of the House via his flunky, the Mayor Domo (a speaking role -Jon Kolbet) demand that an opera seria be merged with a harlequinade! BECAUSE he paid money for it - and money talks (and pays for singers and dancers and entertainers, eh?) is sooo ironic!
A spoof on opera seria, diva and divoallures,
composer's self importance,
the 'heart of gold' of a 'less virtuous than she should be' Zerbinetta!
And so on! So it was then and so it still is, don't you think?
Ah, well.. am I reading too much into it? Perhaps.
If you want to know what goes on in this opera, I'll let you google for it ;-)!
Goerke and Dolgov
Kolbet, Graham, Rosel(dancemaster)
Zerbinetta Troupers: Gleadow, Dyakov, Touhy, Peake and Claycomb
Overall it was a surprise and a very pleasant one! At least I think so!
But honestly, no more Ariadne auf Naxos for a while! The 'third's the charm' as they say,
and that's it for me!
AND ANOTHER REAL PLEASANT SURPRISE: In the 2. battle between Airforce and Navy (lol), the Aeros shut out Admirals 2-0 in Round Two Game 2 in Milwaukee with goals by Peters, Wellman, Earl and Gillies, Ortmeyer and Scandella. Hackett getting his FIRST ever play off shut out! GO AEROS.
Three more games for sure right here in Houston TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY!
I had the privilege to attend the final dress rehearsal of Heggie's opera based on the novel (also made into a movie) by Sister Prejean,and afterwards the dead man kept walking. In my mind and in my soul!
The subject is not merely sensational, it certainly causes emotions beyond the visceral.
The visceral does appear first
There is some nudity, violence and profanity.
Compared to what one sees on TV and elsewhere, it's relatively minor.
One feels, as did the parents of the youngsters slain by De Rocher, a thirst for 'biblical' revenge!
One feels Sister Helen Prejean is predisposed to champion the murderer.
Which seems an affront to the desolated parents.
But as the work progresses one comes to realize that belief in God's mercy has a valid presence.
That the death of the murderer does not replace the lives of two slain youngsters.
And it does force one to confront the controversial subject of the death penalty.
As I have neither read the novel, nor seen the movie,
I came to this work innocent of any preconceived ideas.
What impressed me the most:
The truly spectacular 'tour de force' by Mezzo Joyce DiDonato as Sister Prejean. A role she fills with extraordinary beauty of expression, vocally and as an actor. She is on stage almost the whole time. She produces sounds that seem otherworldly...reaching heights I did note expect to
hear from a Mezzo.
.
Frederica von Stade, in one of her farewell appearances, sings De Rocher's Mother with a clarity of diction, that makes surtitles superfluous, in the photo she is pictured with Jake Heggie, the composer:
Phillip Cutlip, as De Rocher, manages rather well portraying a crude, defiant man, unrepenting until the very end, when strapped down, he does express his sorrow for the parents.
Suzanne Mentzer, as mother of the slain girl, strikes just the right vocal balance singing with emotional impact.
The cast, comprised of a large children's chorus, extras and
many cameo roles filled adequately, does surprise one with its size. Somewhat unexpected.
(And therein lies a problem, for me at least. An opera/movie can only make a bald and fixed statement. It may lack the shadings and interpretations the reader can bring to the book. Although a musical work can help that some. The composer, through his choice of music can emphasize emotions, events and actions. But it is, again, HIS choice).
But I digress, so back to the cast:
Measha Brueggergosman as Sister Rose displayed a pleasant sound, but was IMHO,
too often drowned out by the music and scarcely audible.
Now, this could be due to the fact, that some singers do not sing at full power in rehearsals. Beau Gibson, as Father Grenville, disappointed me (see above note re rehearsal)
but others may find his voice pleasantly adequate. Hector Vasquez sang the Warden with a suave and rich baritone sound.
Old and new Studio artists acquitted themselves well. Michael Sumuel as the forgiving motor cycle cop,
and Jon Kolbet as one of the fathers. Brittany Wheeler, Kiri Deonarine and Boris Dyakov blended well with the others. Maestro Summers kept polishing and tweaking orchestral sounds after the intermission,
in order to bring out the best of Heggies' music.
Ah yes, the music.
Strong, sometimes overpowering.
Full crescendo to suit the emotions on stage.
I think I heard a soupcon of Gershwin, a bit of Bernstein here and there.
There was some borrowing of gospel music, some of American folk and pop tunes.
Some subtly hidden, some openly copied.
Sister Prejean's music was ethereal. Wavering, as her 'human' disgust of the murderer made her doubt that she could help him find solace and salvation. But also firmly expressive conveying 'her' conviction in a merciful God.
I admit feeling a bit inadequate to put into words what I experienced whilst listening and watching.
The subject is controversial for sure.
When looking at the instant comments I see several hmpfs.. While I appreciate that you have read this post...thank you!... I would like to know what makes you, chers readers, say hmpf. Do you dislike any subject but hockey? Do you dislike my impressions? I would like to know. Afterall, opera causes subjective reactions. What I experience you may not and vice versa! So grit your teeth and write in a real comment.
