Thread: Miscellaneous Opera-related Chat

Saturday's Guardian has a supplement How To Enjoy Opera.

Sadly, to detriment of my finances, I already know how to do that.

Originally Posted by sospiro

Saturday's Guardian has a supplement How To Enjoy Opera.

Sadly, to detriment of my finances, I already know how to do that.

In that case, you might want to read the article How Not To Enjoy Opera So Damn Much.

Interesting! Which one do you wanna have?

http://blog.roh.org.uk/?p=4659

I would love to just be able to see them and check out the workmanship. Wow. I often wonder if they do a set of costumes for each artist in a role--and how long they hang onto them (I'm thinking in terms of the multi-cast productions). Also wonder if they make them with generous seams for alterations, when a cover has to come in!

Originally Posted by ooopera

Interesting! Which one do you wanna have?

http://blog.roh.org.uk/?p=4659

I want Diana Damrau's Queen of the Night dress from the recent Zauberflöte. Just to behold its fabulousness, really.

When I was in Milan last year I went to an exhibition of La Scala costumes (thanks to mamascarlatti who told me about it beforehand).

You could get right up close, photography was allowed & opera was piped through loudspeakers.



I spent ages in there & took loads of photos. This costume below (Ulrica) was one of my favourites. I asked for & was given permission to feel the weight of the necklace - how can they be expected to sing & act wearing such elaborate costumes?

Originally Posted by sospiro

This costume below (Ulrica) was one of my favourites. I asked for & was given permission to feel the weight of the necklace - how can they be expected to sing & act wearing such elaborate costumes?

Necklace shmeclace. Try this for size:

I got the LA Opera season brochure. Kind of conventional season: Eugene Onegin, Così fan Tutte, Roméo et Juliette, Simon Boccanegra (Annie, it's with Plácido Domingo and Anna María Martinez), Albert Herring, and La Bohème.

The only one that may motivate me to take the long trip to LA (6 hours by plane) is the Roméo et Juliette, because it's got an intriguing cast: Vittorio Grigolo and Nino Machaidze. November 6, 9, 12, 17, 20, and 26. I may consider it.

Originally Posted by Almaviva

I got the LA Opera season brochure. Kind of conventional season: Eugene Onegin, Così fan Tutte, Roméo et Juliette, Simon Boccanegra (Annie, it's with Plácido Domingo and Anna María Martinez), Albert Herring, and La Bohème.

Interesting but the next time I see it I want the role to be sung by a proper baritone. I heard Dima's interpretation was superb.

Originally Posted by Almaviva

The only one that may motivate me to take the long trip to LA (6 hours by plane) is the Roméo et Juliette, because it's got an intriguing cast: Vittorio Grigolo and Nino Machaidze. November 6, 9, 12, 17, 20, and 26. I may consider it.

Nino Machaidze was Adina when I saw L'elisir in Munich & she was brilliant. I still can't decide about Grigolo, but I would imagine they'll make a really believable R et J.

Originally Posted by sospiro

Nino Machaidze was Adina when I saw L'elisir in Munich & she was brilliant. I still can't decide about Grigolo, but I would imagine they'll make a really believable R et J.

I think Grigolo has potential to develop well - at the moment his singing is a bit one dimensional - ardent, ardent or ardent. Sounds good for Romeo then.

NON-German* fans of Jonas Kaufmann will need the brain bleach after this one!



The leisure suit! (hard to believe this is 2001) the belt! the hair! the sunglasses as headband! the lip-synching! the acting/smiling...?! He goes for the high note at the end, though. Nowadays he doesn't need to prove himself.

Du bist die welt für mich, from a 2001 "Springtime in Vienna" program

Follow the link, click on "Jonas Kaufmann" upper left for a pulldown menu, then click on "Du bist die welt für mich" if you DARE!

*for German/Austrian fans, this is all in a normal day's work. If you've lived in another country, ever notice how there are certain cultural things that just. don't. transfer?

Let me risk being assaulted by many female TC members, but isn't JK's voice a bit too nasal?

My god, that's fab-u-lous.

Let me risk being assaulted by many female TC members, but isn't JK's voice a bit too nasal?

Well, I can only say "not to me".

Trying to think of someone (in my limited experience of opera) who DOES sound nasal to me, and off the top of my I head I can't remember, but I do know I've thought that occasionally while watching something. Or maybe I'm just remembering our former priest who had a terrific voice but whenever he chanted would launch into this awful nasality.

Not to you because he *isn't* nasal, or not to you because, like me with Anna Netrebko, you're ready to forgive him for any possible shortcomings?