Opera on weekday afternoons...

[iselima]

Last week I discovered that Sky Arts broadcasts full opera's in the afternoon. Normally I don't watch TV in the daytime, but I wanted to listen some classical music and gave a try at Sky Arts...and what a surprise (to me at least): they were showing Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" from the Met's 2007/2008 season.

It was with Deborah Voigt as Isolde, hugely powerful in voice and personality, it will not be easy to sing and act 'up to her', I believe. Tristan was performed by Robert Dean Smith, he held his own against the soprano luckily. My favourite voice was the mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as Brangaene, I loved the warmth in her singing. 

It was great to know that Sky is giving a full opera, all performed in the Met, every weekday afternoon. Thus, at two o'clock you can find me in front of the TV, with a cup of coffee AND tea, so that I don't have to run to the kitchen for liquids during the performance. I've always loved opera, but am ashamed to admit I hardly ever saw or listened to a full one - no time, no money - so this is a wonderful opportunity. Afternoons are perfect to watch opera for me: children are at school and time is mine. Husband is working or busy with his poetry-pages on Facebook and doesn't object to the 'noise' in the background. 

After "Tristan und Isolde" I've seen "Peter Grimes" by Benjamin Britten, half of "Der Rosenkavalier" of Strauss and today they showed "Simon Boccanegra" of Verdi. For me the star of today was soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, as she was the only woman in a major role and had so much to sing. I loved her voice and her quality of singing and acting. Placido Domingo was Simon Boccanegra and was doing fine, but not more than that I feel. I liked the choruses of this opera very much. Warm female voices, from contraltos till sopranos, and chorus-singing have always been my love.

I guess "Peter Grimes" was my favourite, but probably because all these operas are new to me, hence i did not yet recognize any thing. Peter Grimes was most melodious and 'easy' to get into. Also it was the most memorable character  so far: performed both shocking and touching as well as very beautiful and expressive by Anthony Dean Griffey. 

Actually I would dearly love to listen all of these operas a couple of times more, so that I get familiar with the music and the singing and can get 'lost' in them more easily. Now I have to concentrate so very much on every thing at once, especially as I am trying to understand the 'story'. So I'm more watching than listening so far.

Tomorrow it will be "Macbeth", Thursday "Manon Lescaut" and Friday "La Fille du Regiment". A lot to look forward to!

Comments

[tetleythesecond]

Oooooh, Tristan! My absolute favourite opera! I haven't heard Deborah Voigt as Isolde, but I trust she's wonderful. And Robert Dean Smith is a fine Tristan. It's a hellishly difficult role; not many singers can do the long stint of the third act (after doing a one-hour love duet the act before, to boot).

Michelle DeYoung is a great Brangäne! And the role goes to my heart -- I nearly always cry when she sings that one small stanza in the second act as she sits guard while Tristan and Isolde do whatever it is they do.

(If I may pimp my own favourite Isolde: for me, they don't get any better than her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGbmjX7AYyU. I've seen her live several times in my West Siberian hamlet and got this performance on DVD. It's out of this world.)

Also, Rosenkavalier! ♥ I so love this one. My favourite stageing so far (at least of the ones I've seen live) had Adrianne Pieczonka as the Marschallin, in period costume. And I had a place in the standee section, all the way above the stage. Prime view of fine cleavage on top of superb music -- how much more does one want?

(Again, feel free to ignore the pimping, but ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYZliEez2Vk)

Have fun with Macbeth tomorrow!

[iselima.livejournal.com]

Please do pimp! :-)

I've been so much out of music in the past years that anything to catch up and to get to know more singers is highly enjoyable (and useful :-) )
Your link of Rodelinde with Mariella Devia and Nathalie Stutzmann was awesome! I've put it in my playlist on Youtube and then searched for more videos with them and added a few of those too. So I put your link to good use :-)

Yes, I understood how heavy Tristans role must be and I admired the stamina of Robert Dean Smith. As far as I was able to notice he never wavered.

It was sad and frustrating that there was too much disturbance at home when Rosenkavalier was on. I just had to put it off: when you can't concentrate on it and keep missing pieces, it sort of reduces to 'noise' and I felt it would only disturb my liking of it.

Hmm, can imagine you enjoyed that view, ha ha! But weren't your legs getting tired (if I understand 'standee' correctly)?

[tetleythesecond]

Oh, standing is fine with me as long as the music is captivating. The Munich opera (which is where I was) has rails to lean on, and if it gets really bad one can sit down on the step behind one, where the next row stands. I didn't want to miss anything of the production, though; apart from the costumes, the stage design was beautiful (it was still the same as in the youtube video I sent you, only some 30 years later and with different singers.)