The Met Saturday Morning Broadcasts are back.....

Best of all worlds:
You will get to hear Oropesa's gorgeous voice with her fantastic trills without having to sit there in the audience like me and watch a 16 year old high school teenager being petulant toward her Daddy.
Also, you will be saved from having to watch a Duke who they gave nothing to do but pace back and forth with a grin on his face like a deer in headlights.
The production was awful and that poor Duke seemed out of place. Benjamin Bernheim's voice is simply beautiful and I cannot wait to see him in Romeo next season but his Duke as presented the other day was just not a sexy, impetuous character.
Today's Duke is Costello. I don't see him as a sexy creature either. Ah well, there is always the music.
Go for it Joe Green!

I KNEW IT!! I was wondering what was wrong with Salsi's voice. An announcement was just made that he is having voice problems but will continue. It must be difficult for him.

The Magic Flute will not be broadcast live. It is a re-broadcast of a previous Magic Flute.

Woody:
I wish I could answer your question about Polenzani (normally a fine tenor but not for this piece).
I saw the production live in HD and was absolutely gobsmacked by Sondra Radvanovky's peformance.
I wanted to hear her without seeing her and I still find her doing a superb job today.
It boggles my mind that some true Callas lovers enjoy Maria's voice but many others cannot stand it. I get this same feeling about the remarks on Sondra's voice as well. I really like it and it is very recognizable among other sopranos -- a good sign sez I.
This role is a backbreaker and she came through like a trouper. She was even taught by the director how to crawl like a snake, which has to be an impossible task while singing at the same time.

How sad (and a bit surprising). Not one member listened or commented on today's tour de force. Strange.

You really believe anyone listened?

I appreciate your, as usual, incredibly astute post on this fine opera.
I am also not the least bit surprised that yours is the only critique because I am convinced that many of the members here have a sincere lack of interest in Met productions or opera with today's singers. I guess they're just much more comfortable living in past opera glory.

Monsalvat said:

I think that is too easy of a dichotomy. I didn't hear this broadcast, but not because I don't have a sincere interest in contemporary opera staging. I acknowledge that it's my own loss that I missed it. I can't speak for the "many members here" of which you speak, but while I am perfectly content hearing older recordings of opera (or other music), I'm always happy to hear live performances as well. It isn't an either/or for me, and to suggest that I would rather hear old recordings and skip live contemporary ones is far from the truth in my case. This is an art form which is meant to be enjoyed, in any case; castigating those whose habits, tastes, or choices differ from yours seems to me rather counterproductive and unfair.

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Castigating? Me? Wow, that's a strong word. I only spoke truth from the way I personally saw it. And never would I presume to insinuate that everyone on this list feels the same way. I believe I said "many" but certainly not "all".
Obviously, you took my comments to be hurtful to you personally. I apologize, for that certainly was sincerely not my intent.

I see this Wednesday at my HD theater so I just listened to the opera on my local radio station.
I am trepidacious about Beczala's voice. There is a beginning of wobbles on the highs and I actually thought perhaps he was getting tired near the end and summoned up all of his courage to pull through -- and he did so sucessfully. Perhaps this role is not right for him. At least I hope that's the reason. He's got so much to offer.
I am looking forward to seeing Yoncheva because her voice has deepened considerably since I last saw her and now she's got one fine deep chest tone. But wobbles are starting with her as well. (menopause?)
After writing Andrea Chenier I find this one to be a letdown by Giordano.

Was it Carreras or Corelli? I am puzzled.
PS. Woody: How is your neighbor?

Woodduck said:

Corelli.

The Great Maria Callas

A role for the imagination 'Fedora' by Umberto Giordano is one of the roles sung by Maria Callas at La Scala in 1956 where we have to use our imagination with regard to how she sang and performed it....

zh-cn.facebook.com

My neighbor broke her arm. Doctors are recommending some time in rehab.

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Too bad. That is my biggest worry in my dotage. I am so careful I look like a Nazi soldier when I walk.

I am here with kleenex in hand. Blanche de la Force is doing a beautiful job so far

The music is mesmerizing and this cast is particularly engaging. I think it is becaue it is the final performance and there is a certain camaraderie and sadness shared among them.

I must be losing it. I thought I was listening to Warren but it is Milnes.
I love when Verdi does a "Godfather thing" with his music. Happy, carefree music while at the same time vile thoughts (Macbeth) are happening. (The Godfather baptising his nephew in church while murders are going on at the same time). Another Verdi opera that employs this same type of method is Un Ballo in Maschera when the Conspirators, with their ironic lively music, are laughing and taunting while at the same time Amelia and the King are worrying that Renato is about to discover his wife with the king.
I love the counterpoint of emotions.

Itullian said:

An excellent Macbeth. Excitingly conducted.

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Agree and both Arroyo and Milnes were at their very best.

All done beautifully. I only wish the announcer, Debra Lew Harder, would stop pronouncing Pagliacci as "Polly-yachi".
Most annoying to this voice-over actor.

tsquare07 said:

What do you guys think of Russell Thomas?

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Disappointing

Simplicissimus said:

I found that to be a phenomenally good performance! I have a new favorite Verdi opera! The singing was the best I've heard in a long time - I'm not very experienced with present-day singers, but I am blown away, I didn't know this quality was out there.

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Being that it is my favorite opera I really appreciate when I hear a voice that stands out like the Eboli of today. I also liked the GI of Relyea. Many people really like Buratto as Elisabetta but I was disappointed in her and in Thomas' Don Carlo.
As for Mattei, he was just fine but I am afraid I have Hvorostovsky on the brain when it comes to Posa. Groissbach did well.

Conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson is married to Peter Gelb.

If only the singers would have shut up I might have been able to get through it with Shosty's powerful music but....no!

Woodduck said:

Did I hear that we're going to get La Favorita with Pavarotti?

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..and Verrett? (is that right??)