So many years of experience and still making mistakes!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Mercoledi Musicale
On Saturday night I'll have the opportunity to hear Elina Garnaca, the new mezzo sensation, in Carmen. While surfing YouTube for a clip I came across one of her singing another French role - Dalila. A few of the comments on her singing of "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" took me to what is one of the great performances of Saint-Saens' best known opera. Shirley Verrett was one of the great singers in the last half of the 20th century. Retired after a incredible career she is now teaching at the University of Michigan. Here at Covent Garden in 1981 she and Jon Vickers seemed to have inspired each other to give one of those performances that became legendary.
I only had the pleasure of seeing Verrett on stage twice - the first time in 1971 as Gluck's Orfeo with Georg Solti conducting at Covent Garden and the following year in Meyerbeer's rarely performed L'Africaine with Placido Domingo at San Fransisco Opera. Performances that have stayed with me to this day.
Lucky you. Garanca is a gorgeous artist; while I can't say the Octavian I saw in Vienna made a huge impact, her Charlotte in Serban's Vienna production of Massenet's Werther is stupendous.
Coincidentally I'm just in the middle of reviewing a Sony reissue of the (often tedious) Samson et Dalila - Ludwig is the lady. You wouldn't fall for her sensuality, but you might be aware she'd eat you for breakfast.
Parsifal, that's funny. And a lot more succinct than the pointless (because there's no question about her ineptitude) Jenksbashing that goes on at Parterre.
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5 comments:
Lucky you. Garanca is a gorgeous artist; while I can't say the Octavian I saw in Vienna made a huge impact, her Charlotte in Serban's Vienna production of Massenet's Werther is stupendous.
Coincidentally I'm just in the middle of reviewing a Sony reissue of the (often tedious) Samson et Dalila - Ludwig is the lady. You wouldn't fall for her sensuality, but you might be aware she'd eat you for breakfast.
Cut the namedropping. OK, you saw Verrett twice. So? I saw Katherine Jenkins singing the Habanera (OMG I can't believe I just said that).
David: Why do I have a feeling Ludwig would have arm wrestled Samson... and won!
Parsi: Did I mention the Africaine was the night after the Sills-Pavarotti Lucia. Oh and the Africaine was with Domingo.
didn't he sit in on a set with willie?
Parsifal, that's funny. And a lot more succinct than the pointless (because there's no question about her ineptitude) Jenksbashing that goes on at Parterre.
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