A Smattering of Crosses

Houston Grand Opera's 5 acter DON CARLOS sung in the long original (1887 ? version) French, boasts crosses. Lots of them.
Black ones, small ones,  big ones!
Red ones, and red ones glowing ominously in the dark.

Stark, dark, ominous and threatening.
Fitting sets to the dark, ominous and strong music Verdi composed for this tragedy in 5 acts set during the deepest gloom in Spanish history- the inquisition after a play by Schiller.
The most glorious voices were assembled as cast.
From Soprano Tamara Wilson's silvery yet big voiced Elisabeth to the deepest male voices.
Yes, the basses were upfront on stage here.
From the veteran Samuel Ramey as the Grand Inquisitor who trumps everyone and everything singing gravelly with power (at age 70 yet); via Oren Gradus, a truly sepulchral spirit of Charles V; and Andrea Silvistrelli as Philippe II, the tortured father and anguished husband of Elisabeth, who was originally slated to be his own son's fiancee, to the lighter voiced Boris Dyakov, as always so elegant, as Count Lerme.

The baritones did not stay far behind.
The dramatically sung and especially acted Marquis Posa of Scott Hendricks was  rather emotional to behold. Mark Diamond's Forester showcased his fresh baritone voice in this cameo role.

But the glory of the show went, without hesitations to the 3 main characters.
Soprano Wilson, a regal and yet very sympathetic Elisabeth, trying to uphold her vows.
Christine Goerke,  as Countess Eboli, embodied unrequited love scorned and turned to vicious hatred with a powerful mezzo. But was equally believable in her solo O don fatale, bemoaning her fatal beauty and atoning for her misdeeds.

And Brandon Jovanovich  as Don Carlos used his amazingly big ringing tenor voice to portray love, desire, desperation, resolution and friendship. And his good looks did not hurt at all. He was undoubtedly easily accepted as the love interest of 2 beautiful and powerful women, plus the inspiration of devotion by his best friend.

In other cameos we heard the fine soprano Brittany Wheeler as celestial voice, soprano Lauren Snouffer in the travesty role of Thibault, page ot Elisabeth, Scott Quinn as King's Herald and Judith Irvington as Countess Aremberg.
The HGO orchestra was led by Maestro Summers with sensitivity, while  Chorus Master Bado, as usual, had the HGO chorus singing uniformly with beauty.

Direction by John Caird who placed singers well on stage easily viewed from most seats in the house, (sitting on side orchestra I can attest to that). The set of crosses in all forms and colors was by Johan Engels, well highlighted by lighting designer Levings. Choreography by Sayers.

And now I come to the crux (truly cross to bear, IMO) of the matter:
 the costuming by Oberle!
A terrible mish mash of traditional, modernized (but from which decades?) customes. costumes.
The chorus women's royal blues in various shades at least were becoming.
Elisabeth's dresses were y demonstrative of her role as innocent princess and later wronged queen.
Eboli's simply did not convey the countess's implied (O don fatale! remember) attraction. Oh my, that insipid pink at first.
Later the deeply decolletage'd black lace (a midi-skirted fifties look?) did give perhaps a slight hint of a night of debauchery with the King!

But the men's.
Deliver me from the men's.
From Don Carlos' first appearance in a semblance of Raiders of the Lost Ark get up, to his later costume reminiscent of Pontevedrian counts, with perhaps a soupcon of Mikado thrown in; to the gangster (not gangsta - thank heavens) look complete with black fedoras of the male court, and finally the black stormtrooper looks of the jailers and guards, IMO caused hysterical rather than sinister impressions and seemed, to me, without rhyme nor reason.

Oh, I should not forget the red "Ku Klux clannishly" (:-) clad inquisition executioners. While the Grand Inquisitor was cardinally (lol) dressed simply in black with purple sash and scull cap.

The production by HGO is worth going to, just to the hear the original opera composed by Verdi for the French in the French language (later it was translated into multiple versions, shortened, and re-shortened LOL into Italian which IMO sounds more suited to Verdian Music). But the singers overall did a magnificent job singing en Francais, in French that was actually understood rather well by those in the audience who have knowledge of that tongue, moi included!

Wahre Liebe fuerchtet nicht!

True Love knows no fear! Fidelio - finally seen at HGO today.
And it was a tour de force by Karita Mattila, Kristinn Sigmundsson and Simon O'Neil.
Mattila did the role of Leonore=Fidelio great justice.
She sang with conviction, a vocal force with strong expression, but also lyrical softness when called for and beautifully enunciated German.

She was the most loyal wife in search of her missing husband.
Who was sung with steely clarity in good German by Tenor Simon O'Neil.

When he sang GOD! - spinning it out for ever, or so it seemed - at the first moments of the second part shivers crept down my spine!

Rocco, sung by  Kristinn Sigmundsson I truly liked very much. His voice rang out powerfully with the best German pronunciation of them all. IMO.  Unfortunately no video clips of him as Rocco.. but here as Dr. Basilio his rich bass shines.

Tomas Tomasson's baritone seemed a bit forced as Don Pizarro. But he coped well to garner boos from the audience - not for his singing but for the kind of character he portrayed, rather effectively.

Soprano Brittany Wheeler (*) successfully sang Marcelline.. her German was very good as well.
And Bass Baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the Minister Don Fernando, Tenor Norman Reinhard (+)as Jaquino  gave good accounts for themselves.
Tenor Brendan Touhy (*) sang the First Prisoner with a bell like tenor while Mark Diamond's (*) suave baritone as Second Prisoner seemed a bit drowned out by the swell of the orchestra.
Which was conducted by Michael Hofstetter (Beatrice and Benedict - you may remember his conducting of that opera) in quite a suitable manner given that much is more symphonic than most operas.
The horns were superb.

Wagner may have borrowed from Beethoven in HIS use of horns and other wind instruments.
And he could not have paid as stronger compliment to the genius that was Ludwig Van Beethoven.
(*) current studio members, (+) former studio member.
Staging was stark, effective, with tiers. Costumes updated to a non-specific modern time somewhere!
Prisoner chorus (clip below) well rehearsed by Richard Bado, HGO's Chorus master

Meanwhile at the Toyota Center the Houston Aeros have 5 goals  vs. Charlotte Checkers with 2 goals.

Aeros scored 2 in the First, 2 in the Second. 1 in Third/

SOG's by the Aeros have diminished from 12, 10 to 5

DiSalvatore with 2 goals.

Ortmeyer 1 goal.

Wellman scores an empty net PP goal!

Other AHL Action:

Rampage win vs Texas 3-2 (stopping a long loosing streak).

Hamilton 5 - Binghamton 2

Whale 3 - St. John's 4

Providence 3-Worcester 2 (Anton Khudobin stopping 47 of 49 SoGs)

Toronto 4 - Albany 3

Bridgeport 4 - Hershey 3

 OKC 2 - Milwaukee 3

I admit that 'Ariadne auf Naxos'

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 the cloud...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 divo allures,
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!

Writers, Lecturers, History, Aeros-update

What makes a good writer?  Good writers write interesting scholarly  books.
What makes a Great writer? Great writers write books that grip you and will not let go -even late or rather early into the morning!

And the same goes for lecturers.A good lecturer will speak on any subject.
A Great lecturer will speak fluently,

but will speak in such a way that the subject comes to life.

He/she, if we may say,  will paint vivid pictures with his/her words.

And fires the imagination of the listener in such a way,
he/she WANTS to keep on learning about the subject.

Mark Twain as lecturer-one can almost hear his satirical observations :-)!



And that reminds me of my history Prof!

I'm still not 100% sure how she did it.

But she did...
make history come alive, albeit tinged by a sense of the absurd,
colored by irony and sarcasm, even.
And boy, did it come alive to invade and persuade minds to keep on wanting more of it!

At least for me, it sure did.

It may have been her very Viennese Galgenhumor, that showed up mankind's follies.

Which, alas, have been, are and will be repeated over and over.

(Mankind's memories seem so darn short..barely lasting a generation. IMO.

And so mistakes are allowed to be repeated, with increasingly bigger horrors.)

Anyway, I blame my interest in history, not the detailed, meticulously researched kind, on her! I don't really want to know the exact hour, day month or even year..

it suffices me to know the approximate part of the century it happened  - say.. 'around the first quarter of the 18th century or some such...this and that happened'.

Of course, I will read even detailed reports, but ...it may take a while LOL!

In January this year I started on an account of  "The Peloponnesian War" by the eminent military historian Donald Kagan. 

And  have proudly arrived  ;-) on page 70 in the Chapter Pericles' war,

subheaded The Athenian Response.

At this rate I can guarantee you, I shall finish it ...
by the end of this year!

It is, of course, well researched - 
all 500 plus pages, including sources and index etc.

It is also a bit dry and thus a bit hard going, because of it.
Naturally my knowledge of Greek History is,
and that war in particular :-), 
somewhat mistily shrouded in the very distant past (;-), 
thus it requires much close attention.
Especially since there are no plays, operas or movies that I know of,
that deal with this part of history-unlike the Caesar and Cleopatra one, ;-)!


So in order to loosen up and refresh my little gray cells -
I turn to lighter fare from time to time.


Such as to historical crime novels (Frank Tallis),  previously posted..
Biographical accounts

(Elsa Bjoerkman-Goldschmidt's Erinnerungen "Es geschah in Wien")

Historical Puzzles ("Who Lies There?" Thomas G. Wheeler)-also previously posted

Not This Wheeler - LOL

and most recently John Lawton's "Second Violin",

a historical thriller featuring Inspector Troy..set in London just prior to and during WW 2, but reaching across the Channel into Europe, as well.

Just started it  - and will continue reading the series and THEN post - you'll just have to wait...lol.

The blame in my, on and off again, interest in history - fact or fiction,
lies squarely at the doorstep of that history prof.
Prof. Glaser, wherever you are now, looking down or up (as the case may be)
I thank you for awakening that interest! 


History of Hockey- 17th century

I have spent, and hope to spend, many pleasurable hours immersed in history, herstory  and  theirstories  :-)!

When not spending time at operas, concerts,

Hockey and Musea.
YOU made wanna do it!

AND BEFORE I FORGET:
Aeros made 'theirstory' last night by beating the Chicago Wolves soundly 6 to 1, by Wellman, O'Sullivan, DiSalvatore, Earl, Rau, even the two fighters got a goal-Kassian with Morency!
Aeros managed 4 PP goals in 10! An improvement I'd say.
With a rejuvenated Hackett, in great form in goal, stopping 32 of 33.
Details can be found as usual on the Aeros, AHL and The 3. Intermission sites...
Standings in relation to Calder Cup Play Offs:
Aeros (96) still in 2. behind the Admirals (98),
trailed by Stars (90) and Oklahoma (89).
Rampage in next to last spot, just ahead of Rockford.

AND WILD HAVE CALLED UP GILLIES AND

MacMILLAN 

Granlund

per Russo's Rants.

He also wrote this: "If the Wild's not careful, it'll destroy the Aeros, too".

Plus he fears that neither of the two prospects

(Larsson and Granlund)

from Europe may be quite ready for NHL.

Now what to make of that? Doesn't sound too good, nor too optimistic on the Wild side!

Dead Man Walking..add this

and walking, and walking!

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.

And then there IS that....

the eagerly awaited new computer soon to be installed.

Now I JUST (ha) have to learn how to use that new system and off we go to future blogdom...

I wish it were that easy.
Meanwhile I have my nose in a book! 
Yes, the old kind with fluttering pages to be thumbed through and dog-eared to mark the spot.

I do have bookmarks, just that they are NEVER handy when and where needed.

So I do turn down the corner.

Now this was found by chance in a 'used book' store on our travels.

I am always  excited when coming across an unusual find, a book written by an obscure author (never or rarely on the bestseller list),written about subjects of diminished interest to anyone but history buffs or opera buffs, or hockey buffs (well there are only a handful of those kind of books).

So here it goes:

In 1974 a certain Thomas G.Wheeler wrote HIS (Who Lies Here?) book on the last days of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The author, born, as his bio states, 'in the shadow of the Himalayas in a British Garrison of NW India' studied previous writings on that notorious yet famous French General with his great talents in war who then converted them into the highest position in France.

L'Empereur de France

Emperor and acclaimed foe of many.
Anyway, when he lost at Waterloo, the British with the connivance of  other European ruling heads, decided to exile him to a desolate island in the middle of nowhere.

St. Helena from space

St.Helena, basically a watering station of the.British East India Company, was seen as a place from which no escape seemed possible.


Yet the author, posits that after extensive research into extant papers, memoirs, correspondence and so on, Napoleon did find a way off the island.
Perhaps, financially supported by the various groups of loyalists established, among other places,
also right here in Texas - hm - always a Texas connection somewhere.
Am I starting to believe in weird coincidences...not really :-)!!


Partially he bases his conviction on various factors.

• Such as the seemingly disinterested behaviour of Napoleons family in the latter part of the exile.
• That the person of Napoleon was seldom seen and spoken to face to face by his 'jailers'.
• That a peasant soldier named  Robeaud, with his uncanny resemblance to Napoleon and having been coached as a stand-in even before the exile, vanished suddenly from his farm, never to be seen again.
• That an autopsy performed on 'the emperor' after his sudden death on St. Helena, seemingly disagrees with war wounds known to have been suffered by Napoleon.
• And several other incidents.

Too numerous to recount here - to find out,  do read the book!


In summa, Wheeler does believe in the theory that somehow 'they' whisked Napoleon off St. Helena!

And that he was living in Verona, Italy, some time past the recorded time of ' his' death, as a 'diamond merchant'.

He posits that the Tomb in Les Invalides does not, in fact, house  the body of the real Napoleon Bonaparte, but only of the 'voltigeur' Robeaud, Napoleon's body double.



The Tomb in Les Invalides

It was, truly, an interesting read.

The author spent, undoubtedly, quite some time researching existing decipherable documents and letters and,  perhaps, 'hear say' or second hand reports, as well.

But the conclusion he arrived at, appears based entirely too much on his interpretation and reasoning of  the long deads' perceived actions, even their thoughts.

One can fit just about anything to one's ideas if working hard enough at it! Can't one?

That Goethe, who is quoted on the book cover, once wrote:

"The story of Napoleon produces a similar impression to that created by the Revelation of St. John:

we all know there must be something more there, but we don't know what",

is, for this reader, not grounds enough to believe in such a theory,

however one wants to, however romantic it may sound.

But go ahead and read it yourself, chers readers. 

This is only my opinion.