The Eternal Womanizer

Don Giovanni strikes again at HGO.
It mostly does not make any difference how this opera is presented.  
Mozart's music continually lures and enchants.

Even if, as led by Trevor Pinnock, the orchestra started slow to build to almost Wagnerian sounds often drowning out some singers.
Even if, the set by Oberle, designed with longevity in mind (lol) is used again and again, with lots of simple, clean lines and in neutral colors, could be used for numerous operas, not only for Mozart's. Goeran Jaervefelt's  original directions were more or less faithfully executed by Harry Silverstein

Even if, as was the case, a smallish voiced singer however cute, did not do justice to the role.

Overall, the cast was led with stunning force by the Donna Anna of Rachel Willis Sorensen (in a video clip from Tannhaueser), a HGO Studio alumna,  whose patient lover Don Ottavio sung with precise enunciation and clarity by Joel Prieto (photo above by Felix Sanchez).

PhotoCredit Felix Sanchez HGO website

Equally exciting, and as promised (Showboat's Joe:!), was
the stentorian deep voice of Morris Robinson (right as her slain father, the Commendatore ,
And the resolute, and easily heard over the loudest orchestra, Leporello  by Kyle Ketelsen.

Veronika Dzhioeva as Donna Elvira sang creditably, but with somewhat less fervor than the Donna Elvira of the past, Ana Maria Martinez, although in looks they could be twins.

Malin Christensson, a pipingly voiced pretty little Zerlina was frequently inaudible over the crashing sounds of the orchestra, alas. What was heard though, did sound sweet.

Masetto, sung with a warm bass bariton by former HGO Studio alumnus Michael Sumuel, provided some comic relief.

IMO, the best chosen singer for the role of the dissipated womanizer Don Giovanni, was undoubtedly Viennese born Adrian Eroed  (right) who embodied the dissolute aristocrat perfectly.

Photo Credit Felix Sanchez HGO website

He looked it, he sounded it, he acted it well, very well. He made us sympathise with this man even as we despised him. But what can one do when a man sticks up for his life/belief in the face of going to hell, however misguided that is.

This image of  the Don has fascinated audiences, singers,
directors for centuries. We are appalled, and yet attracted to a scoundrel with panache! Aren't we?

And Mozart wrote music, that is so integral to this image. The Don has fewer soli than the rest and yet dominates.
 
As much as we like the idea of an adoring lover (Ottavio) in principal,  we perhaps feel he is a wimp opposite the forceful and (maybe a bit) homophobic Donna Anna.
The one we do feel sorriest for, is Donna Elvira  who stays optimistic till almost the end.  A woman  scorned but still infatuated.

The moralizing end is so ambiguous, that IMO, it should be left off!
Maybe it was written to warn us not to admire the DON with his evil {?}ways, too much!

Hmm, if that was the reason, it does not quite make it.
We still are on his side, nevertheless ;-)!

Home vs Arena and more..

So, the sports leagues,
specifically at College level, wonder about diminishing audiences ?
Dare I guess?

• too expensive,
• no name players,
• no name coaches
• no need to dress (for success of YOUR team-lol)
• much to-ing and fro-ing between the same teams
• the birth of huge digital television sets
• the comfort of home
• the easy access to (better) food 
• and cheaper drinks (lol)
• the transportability via cell phones
• and staying in touch with one's world via cellphone for immediate updates.

Such as this clip... classical music a la cellphone

Do I really care?
Do you?

Whatever...
have fun listening to 4 Fagots = bassoons played by a Lady Gaga Clones Quartett ;-)!

Music Consoles in Time of Sadness....no words needed..

Verdi

Mozart

Faure

Dixieland Jazz Funeral March

AND

In memoriam KHL Lokomotive Players

Going to The Marriage..

'The Marriage of Figaro', of course!
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte,
as performed at The Houston Grand Opera.

An old familiar set welcomed us with bright cheerfulness.
Originally created by Goeran Jaervefelt - we saw its first airing at the HGO Mozart Anniversary year in 1991. It has survived over 2 decades because of its classic elegantly simple design.
No clutter, not fuzziness, just clean lines and hues.
Designed to let the voices shine.

And they did.

Pisaroni

Bass Baritone Luca Pisaroni debut as Count Almaviva and at HGO was a slender, tall figure of - shall we say- regal appearance with a rich sound.

Not only delicious to look at, he also sang very well, indeed. 



Ladies, such a Count could demand and get his Droit de Seigneur rather easily ;-) right!....(BUT he is happily married to the daughter of another famous interpreter of both Figaro and The Count -Thomas Hampson).

My how the times flies... I remember Hampson.

As I remember Susanne Mentzer (Mezzo-HGOStudio alumna) as Cherubino back then,
today she was Marcellina in a red wig.
She still has it, and her Marcellina was fun to watch and a pleasure to hear.

 

Today's Cherubino, sung by another HGOstudio alumna,
Mezzo Marie Lenormand, entirely credible as teenage wannabe lover of all woman, the Countess, Susanna and Barbarina! I enjoyed her mesmerizing rich mezzosoprano a lot. 
Don't know if she is related to Marie Anne Lenormand, the 18th century professional oracle after whom a Tarot Deck was named..the Tarot Lenormand!

Figaro, the count's valet, was sung by Patrick Carfizzi, whose bass-baritone is familiar to us from many previous appearances. And again, he most certainly did not disappoint. 

Both Countess and Susanna were sung by debuting Sopranos. 

Ellie Dehn sang the Countess's fiendish arias, Porgi and Dove, with a creamy expressive voice. Negotiating both low and high notes with seeming ease. And looked most attractively the part.

Adriana Kucerova was a  frothy Susanna, singing beautifully.

IMO the duets between her and Carfizzi  utterly delighted.

Carlo Lepore as Dr. Bartolo used his bass fulsomely in this comic role.

Other smaller roles were filled by Jon Kolbet, tenor (HGOStudio alumnus); current Studio members, Soprano Kiri Deonarine,tenor Brendan Touhy, and Bass Baritone Michael Sumuel.

I also recognized  Cecilia Duarte (Cruzar la Cara de La Luna) as one of the peasant girls.

Maestro James Gaffigan also made his HGO debut, conducting with a fine Italianate touch.

Mozart composed this opera - I think - with the aim to give all singers ample space to shine.

All principals had their solo arias. There were duets (male/female; female/female; male/male), there were terzets, quartets, sextets and septets.
Plus a few choice chorus pieces. Again for both male, female and combined voices!

The story is at times slapstick with mixed up identities, love interests and more.
On the surface a convoluted but basically simple plot.

But dig deeper, and you'll find - highly unusual for Mozart's time - a critique of the ruling classes.

You do know surely, that then there was no public support of the arts.

All artists depended largely on the patronage of earls, counts, dukes, princes, kings and emperors!

Thus, to dare have servants best their masters...how revolutionary!

The bare facts...nothing but the bare facts

Some time ago I read and perhaps even posted that Daniel Okulitsch, a Canadian Baritone,
caused a sensation as he sang 'en naturel' (in anticipation of the body scanners?-just kidding)
 in LA Opera's THE FLY. To get a brief view  :-),  click on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdCtfFh9AkA

Okulitch's schedule for 2011 will include the title role in Mozart's "Don Giovanni" at Opera Theater of St. Louis in June and July.
Here he is with 'La ci darem la mano' from Don Giovanni.
In the scene where the roue Don tries hard to seduce the young peasant girl Zerlina
(did he or did he not succeed?):




Menotti

 and followed by Abdul in Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Last Savage" with the Santa Fe Opera in July and August.
Menotti (born 1911 in Italy, died 2007 in Monaco) said after a not so well received performance of the opera:
"To say of a piece that it is harsh, dry, acid and unrelenting is to praise it. While to call it sweet and graceful is to damn it. For better or for worse, in The Last Savage I have dared to do away completely with fashionable dissonance, and in a modest way, I have endeavored to rediscover the nobility of gracefulness and the pleasure of sweetness."

Well, I for one, am looking forward to hearing it in Santa Fe this August.
BTW: During 4 weeks in August one can hear all FIVE operas on the schedule, a different one every night!
A veritable opera feast! 
See you in Santa Fe in August?
For more information: http://santafeopera.org/

Since I could not find any excerpts of this rarely given opera,
here is the lullaby from his opera 'The Consul' as a sample of his other compositions:


I hope the lullaby will help you sleep :-)!

Hearing/watching Aeros loose to the Monsters this afternoon was not that nice!
Could it  have been the vaunted LAKE EFFECT?
Or the West to East moving 'Monster' Winterstorm?
That one, that collapsed the inflatable roof of the Minnesota Viking Stadium?

A green Monster of the Lake?

Travis Gawriletz scores game winner ( Photo source AHL)

Despite two goals by Rau=WOW (he sure is coming back strongly - goal and an assist, too in this game,  - after being sidelined for so long!) & McMillan in the First,  alas, they could not keep the momentum going - even after switching goalies!
Just a bad day for the Aeros? OR?
The Monsters lost big to the Marlies just the day before. They had to make up the deficit?
So the Lake Erie Monsters won 5:2.

And the 'oh so beloved' referee Terry K was on duty, calling penalties right and left  -
as usual a real 'stop and skate' (:-) type game -7 per team, spaced evenly through all three periods!
He outdid himself the previous night's game calling even more.
He really must like to take a breather, often! He has been at this for quite a while now, it seems.
Calling penalties stops the game after all!
Read about experience by the Wolfpack - you'll see some familiar skaters' names there, too :-) !
From a blog about a game in 2007 with this referee!
http://ordinaryleastsquare.typepad.com/howlings/2007/12/koharski-and-do.html

Now you will sleep better, eh!

Just passing time...

Since the news in the media is rather depressing this morning, I went surfing...
the net, that is, for funny, funky stuff to start MY day! Join me if you need a boost!
MUSIC, funny or serious, has no boundaries.
This is "SWAN LAKE" interpreted by an Indian choreographer
Is this an Alpine version of Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik?
Mozart might have enjoyed that-he seemed to have had an 'earthy' kind of humor from all I've read about him.

For Hockey fans and those that do enjoy a bit of tongue-in-cheek irony:

Haven't you have enough giggles yet?
Well, for all opera lovers and haters: opera CAN be funny..