February 13, 2004: Andrea Chenier in Vienna

2004-02-13 Andrea Chenier (Giordano), Wiener Staatsoper

Andrea Chenier = José Cura
Maddalena di Coigny = Norma Fantini
Carlo Gérard = Renato Bruson
Bersi = Elina Garanca
Gräfin di Coigny = Waltraud Winsauer
Madelon = Mihaela Ungureanu
Roucher = Boaz Daniel
Pietro Fléville = Hans Peter Kammerer
Fouquier Tinville = Goran Simic
Mathieu = Wolfgang Bankl
Abbé = Benedikt Kobel
Incroyable = Michael Roider
Hauhofmeister = Marcus Pelz
Dumas = Peter Köves
Schmidt = Johannes Wiedecke

Marcello Viotti, conductor
13. Februar 2004



ANDREA CHÉNIER
(82. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung)

Dirigent: Marcello Viotti
nach einer Inszenierung von: Otto Schenk
Bühnenbild: Rolf Glittenberg
Kostüme: Milena Canonero
Choreinstudierung: Ernst Dunshirn



Beginn: 19.30


about Andrea Chenier


ANDREA CHENIER, Wiener Staatsoper 13.2.04.

Wonderful production of this most known opera by Umberto Giordano. But I must confess that I was not convinced this was José Cura's best performance as Andrea Chenier. Not that I regret coming to Vienna for this Andrea Chenier. It was interesting to see Renato Bruson as Carlo Gerard and Norma Fantini as Maddalena di Coigny.

But I found the overall impression was not convincing . But the house agreed on Boaz Daniel as Roucher was wonderful. In my opinion José Cura acted Andrea Chenier wonderfully, but sang less good. Pronunciation and timing was somewhat lacking. Renato Bruson was great as Carlo Gerard, but unluckily for me I find his voice a little too hard. Norma Fantini also great as Maddalena, but lacked some of the vocal weight that I heard she had when she sang Aida in Munich (2002). Margareta Hintermeier did not sing the role of the Countess (Maddalena's mother) and I wonder if not that would have made a difference, more weight and drama in this small role.

Madelons aria is always a highlight in the 2 act, but this time it could have easily been overlooked. It is usually quite emotional to listen to this aria. And when the judges came in the judgement scene I did not feel any weight and could not see who they were and neither did I feel the terror that the people feel when the terrible judges come. So act 3 was a little blass.

In the whole the crowd scene was not really good represented on the stage. Very few angry men did get into the gilded house during the party in act 1, the house guests outnumbered them. The crowds was really small and in this huge stage it almost looked stupid, it is afterall supposed to be Paris, a rather overcrowded city.

OD Travel + Photos

February 10, 2009: Stiffelio in Vienna

2009-02-10 Stiffelio (Verdi), Wiener Staatsoper

Stiffelio = José Cura
Lina = Hui He
Stankar = Anthony Michaels-Moore (a)
Stankar = Mark Rucker (s)
Raffaele = Gergely Németi
Jorg = Alexandru Moisiuc
Federico = Benedikt Kobel
Dorotea = Elisabeta Marin

Michael Halász, conductor

Fault no.1: Anthony Michaels-Moore is onstage acting Stankar, but his name is not in the role lists, no mention of him at all. Fault no 2: Mark Rucker is beside the stage singing the role of Stankar with his notes before him, the role list says he is Stankar, but he is not onstage in costume. Fault no 3: the orchestra under Michael Halasz often sound like there is several orchestra members missing, and the conductor is careless so that the singers suffers, they have to fight to come in right on time.

The singers are wonderful. This Stiffelio seemed to have microphones for the radio broadcast. Saturday that was the superior performance was not broadcast, why? Because of the change in baritone, really?? Bad decision, and then to slight 2 baritones in one (see Fault 1+2). I found the acting of Anthony Michaels-Moore worth mentioning, he is great. But still I was disturbed when I understood that Mark Rucker would not be allowed to act as Stankar. If it was the will of either baritones then I will be content, but if it was the management then I really don't understand it. The audience that had not been there on Saturday was understandably confused. If only they had mentioned Anthony Michaels-Moore. M-M who acted admirably was too ill to be there for all the applause, so why wasn't he allowed to rest. If Mark Rucker would have to do some improvising then I would be sure the rest of the cast would have been up to it.

I have read two reviews of this Stiffelio, both praises the baritone Mark Rucker. One said that Jose Cura was no longer a Tenor Crown Prince, meaning he was no good, I guess. But the all the other got some praise. The other praised all, except Hui He who was too Diva and not Lina. Here both Jose Cura and Hui He are doing their best performances vocally and as actors, but the review doesn't like them. They are so wrong. I am really trying to understand how Jose Cura's singing could be prove that he is no longer good. I think the reviewer must already dislike his choices of how to use his voice for dramatic purposes. I can sometime disagree myself, but not this time. Hui He acting like a Diva, wow, not acting like Lina. What? Should she sing the arias bad, and then ... I really wondered, did we see the same performance?

Stiffelio
(35. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung)

Dirigent: Michael Halász
Inszenierung: Elijah Moshinsky
Bühnenbild: Michael Yeargan
Kostüme: Peter J. Hall
Lichtregie: Paul Pyant
Choreinstudierung: Thomas Lang

Stiffelio: José Cura
Lina: Hui He
Stankar: Anthony Michaels-Moore
Raffaele: Gergely Németi
Jorg: Alexandru Moisiuc
Federico: Benedikt Kobel
Dorotea: Elisabeta Marin

Beginn: 19.30

Das Wunder Oper - Wiener Zeitung
Staatsoper: Tenor-Kronprinz? Längst gestürzt! - Die Presse

OD Travel + Photos
3 faults by Vienna Staatsoper, but Stiffelio still...

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com
If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com

February 9, 2009: Un Ballo in Maschera, Vienna

2009-02-09 Un Ballo in Maschera (Verdi), Wiener Staatsoper

Gustaf III. = Ramón Vargas
René Ankarström = Dalibor Jenis
Amelia = Indra Thomas
Ulrica Arvedson = Elisabeth Kulman
Oscar = Ileana Tonca
Christian = Marcus Pelz
Horn = Janusz Monarcha
Warting = Dan Paul Dumitrescu
Richter = Peter Jelosits
Diener = Peter Jelosits

Paolo Carignani, conductor

INDRA THOMAS triumphs as Amelia

Ileana Tonca is wonderful as Oscar. Elisabeth Kulman, who I saw as Fenena, is actually a marvel as Ulrica. For the first time the scene with Ulrica made sense, both musically and as theatre. BRAVA!!!

First in the 3 act, the masked ball, was the costume of Amelia right for Indra Thomas. If this had been a new production then I would have wondered if the old art of making attractive costumes to big bodies had gone lost. Even with her costume not being right for her Indra Thomas managed to project her inner Amelia. Her voice reminded me of Jessye Norman. My wish for Indra Thomas is that she will be recognised as a great soprano, and then she could be DIVA enough to demand costumes that sits right. That would be great for her and her audience.

The men, Ramon Vargas and Dalibor Jenis took longer to warm up. But they were also great.

This production was no doubt set in the historical time of King Gustaf III of Sweden. I really liked it.

9. Februar 2009



UN BALLO IN MASCHERA
(66. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung)

Dirigent: Paolo Carignani
Inszenierung: Gianfranco de Bosio
Bühnenbild: Emanuele Luzzati
Kostüme: Santuzza Calì
Chorleitung: Thomas Lang

Gustaf III.: Ramón Vargas
René Ankarström: Dalibor Jenis
Amelia: Indra Thomas
Ulrica Arvedson: Elisabeth Kulman
Oscar: Ileana Tonca
Christian: Marcus Pelz
Horn: Janusz Monarcha
Warting: Dan Paul Dumitrescu
Richter: Peter Jelosits
Diener: Peter Jelosits

Beginn: 19.00

OD Travel + Photos
INDRA THOMAS triumphs as Amelia, Vienna 2009-02-09

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com
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February 7, 2009: Stiffelio in Vienna

2009-02-07 Stiffelio (Verdi), Wiener Staatsoper

Stiffelio = José Cura
Lina = Hui He
Stankar = Anthony Michaels-Moore (a)
Stankar = Mark Rucker (s)
Raffaele = Gergely Németi*
Jorg = Alexandru Moisiuc*
Federico = Benedikt Kobel*
Dorotea = Elisabeta Marin*

Michael Halász, conductor

Cough, cough, Stiffelio in Vienna:
one sings, the other acts

I didn't. Cough, I mean, But two people did. Maybe more. Annoying.

But the real news, Anthony Michaels-Moore is sick, he cannot sing. The American Mark Rucker steps in on very short notice. So there he stood beside the stage with his partiture singing Stankar while onstage Anthony Michaels-Moore acted Stankar (only mouthing his part). Strange to see and think about but this was like advanced synchron swimming. They did it very well. The actor Michaels-Moore was great as actor, the singer Rucker was great as Stankar. Maybe MM was not great, but opera is not straight theatre, so when we think it as opera acting, not being able to sing probably meant the actor too was a bit unabled by that.

Did Stiffelio, the opera, suffer from this? No, not at all. Was the other singers affected by this? No, they were all great. Did the conductor suffer? No idea at all.

It was a great success for Mark Rucker. People were wild. I was near 3 of them who seem to come only for him. (If there is 3 it must really be plenty.)

HUI HE was wonderful as Lina. And all the audience understood they, one could hear that in the applause. She was warm and acted her role wonderfully. Wonderful voice. JOSE CURA did one of his very best Stiffelio's, if not the best. I wish I could describe how I have seen how Jose has changed with this role. One the negative side: Federico di Frengel was rather thin and old, Raffaele was tall and somewhat big and young, but in the opera it should be possible to think Federico was Raffaele. Oh, that was maybe while it was so dark lit the stage. I thought that was to make it possible to Mark Rucker to read the notes.

Anyway, Mark Rucker was the super nice and happy man with a big laugh when he came out of the opera house. Hui He was also very nice and humble. Jose Cura sat down to as many signing and photos, even until the warming all to get out of the building, the lights are soon put out. It was a relief to Jose Cura, And really the fans was not slighted a bit.

A wonderful opera night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stiffelio
(34. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung)

Dirigent: Michael Halász
Inszenierung: Elijah Moshinsky
Bühnenbild: Michael Yeargan
Kostüme: Peter J. Hall
Lichtregie: Paul Pyant
Choreinstudierung: Thomas Lang

Stiffelio: José Cura
Lina: Hui He
Stankar: Anthony Michaels-Moore (acts)
Stankar: Marck Rucker (sings)
Raffaele: Gergely Németi*
Jorg: Alexandru Moisiuc*
Federico: Benedikt Kobel*
Dorotea: Elisabeta Marin*

(* Rollendebüt an der Wiener Staatsoper)

Beginn: 19.30

OD TRAVEL + Photos
For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com

Cough, cough, Stiffelio in Vienna: one sings, the other acts

If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com

February 6, 2005: Il Corsaro in Barcelona

2005-02-06 Il Corsaro (Verdi), Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona

Corrado = José Cura
Medora = Marina Mescheryakova
Gulnara = Susan Neves
Seid = Carlo Guelfi
Giovanni = Josep Ribot
Selimo / Un Eunuco Negro / Schiavo
= José Manuel Zapata

Marco Guidarini, conductor



Il corsaro (versión concierto)

Musical Director
Marco Guidarini

Orquestra Simfònica
del Gran Teatre del Liceu

Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu

06/02-2005

2005-02-06 Il Corsaro (Verdi), Barcelona

another wonderful concert performance with Jose Cura as Corrado,
Susan Neves as Gulnara, Marina Mescheryakova as Medora, & Carlo
Guelfi as Seid.

Some madrileño had come to Barcelona just to disrupt this
performance. But the Catalan audience hushed him.

OD Travel + Photos

February 5, 2005: Ewa Podles in Barcelona

2005-02-05 Recital, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona

Ewa Podles, mezzo
Roman Markowicz, Piano

I

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
El desig de la noia, op. 74, núm. 4
El noi ben plantat, op. 74, núm. 8
L’anell, op. 74, núm. 14
Cançó lituana, op. 74, núm. 16
Estimat, op. 74, núm. 12

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
Giovanna d’Arco (Cantata)
“E Notte”
“O mia madre”
“Eppur piange”
“Ah, la fiamma”
“Corre la gioia”


II

Serguei Rakhmàninov (1873-1943)
Crist ha ressucitat, op. 26, núm. 6
Des que ha arribat l’amor, op. 14, núm. 3
En el silenci de la nit, op. 4, núm. 3
Tot passa, op. 26, núm. 15
Tant bella com el migdia, op. 14, núm. 9
Rius de primavera, op. 14, núm. 11

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Zigeunerlieder, op. 103
“He, Zigeuner”, núm. 1
“Hochgetürmte Rimaflut”, núm. 2
“WiBt ihr”, núm. 3
“Lieber Gott”, núm. 4
“Brauner Bursche”, núm. 5
“Röslein Dreie”, núm. 6
“Kommt dir manchmal”, núm. 7
“Rote Abendwolken”, núm. 8




Date Serie Price scale*
Saturday 05-02-2005 18:00 h F IV

Saturday 5th, 2005. I decided go early to the Gran Teatre del Liceu to get the guided tour at 10am and I decided also to see the club Cercles de Liceu. Of course the most interesting part of the opera house was closed, the backstage, the technical areas, and not allowed to take photos of the stalls, but the mirror hall was allowed. And the club was nice, but not that interesting. I only got a head-ache after these guided tours. Then I needed some food and I went to the MacDonalds just over the road of Espai Liceu. I had an interresting view. The MacDonalds sign at the top of the small window and the view of Liceu and in the middle the front of the programme of Wolff-Ferrari´s Sly which I saw in June 2000. Ironic and worlds apart.

Then in the evening, Recital Ewa Podles at 1800. It lasted 2 hours with songs of Chopin, Rossini, Rachmaniov & Brahms, the first extra Cruda sorte from Rossini´s L'Italiana in Algeri. and then something that sounded like de Falla's Polo from Siete cançiones españolas, and Spanish song of Rossini.

Then I waited for Ewa Podles to come by the stage door. I took some photos, and I almost talked to her.

OD Travel

February 5, 2000: Carmen in Berlin

2000-02-05 Carmen (G. Bizet), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Carmen = Agnes Baltsa
Don José = Alberto Cupido
Micaela = Michaela Kaune
Escamillo = Ludovic Tézier
Zuniga = Arutjun Kotchinian
Frasquita = Esther Lee
Mercedes = Mariana Cioromila
Morales = Kay Stiefermann
Remendado = Uwe Peper
Dancairo = Morten Ernst Lassen
Lillas Pastia = Frido Meyer-Wolff
Andres = Ulrich George

Ralf Weikert, conductor

DEUTSCHE OPER BERLIN
Saturday, 5. February 2000
Time: 19.00-22.30 hrs
Georges Bizet
Carmen
Conductor: Ralf Weikert (Jiri Kout)
Regie: Thomas M. Zipf
Scenography: Pier Luigi Samaritani
Choir: Helmut Sonne
Choreography: Klaus Beelitz

OPERA COMIQUE
with spoken dialogue
FIRST TIME for me: AGNES BALTSA live AS CARMEN
My first time in Berlin, too, but that's another story. It was not Agnes Baltsa's first time in Deutsche Oper Berlin. She really seemed to enjoy herself. Her voice was velvetly. In the beginning she seemed to be suffering from a cold. Maybe that cold had prevented her from singing Carmen in Zurich in January. To describe this evening in the Deutsche Oper, I must invoke the video from Metropolitan with Baltsa/Carreras. That was February 1987, 13 years ago. (My favourite video)-
Act 1: Much more beautiful setting in Berlin, than the Met. The people seemed more real. Beautiful dresses for the city folks. Morales (Kay Stiefermann, for an indisposed Peter Edelman) was funnier than the townspeople. Michaela (M. Kaune) was very pleasing in her singing and acting. More exciting than the Met. Zuniga was very imposing, great bass, this Aruntjun Kotchinian. Alberto Cupido, beautiful tenor voice, a real pleasure! The french dialogue was better spoken in the Met. AGNES BALTSA, incredible how she made Act 1 more exciting than I could have imagined it possible. When she was standing still, not even singing, just like all electricity was in her body. She was throwing some voltages to poor Don Jose. Agnes Baltsa even better than in video, how is it possible!!!
Act 2: The Lillas Pastia Tavern is really outside Sevilla, almost in the mountains. Quite understandable that the smugglers chose this place to be their rendevouz ordinaire. CHANSON BOHEMIENNE!!!. Agnes Baltsa is throwing herself into the singing/dancing. Beautiful voices from Mercedes & Frasquita. Escamillo (Ludovic Tezier), he is thrilling. Carmen is the only one not interested in him. Escamillo is singing the Toreador's Song and I am watching Carmen. Baltsa is thrilling in just being there, on stage, as Carmen.
Smugglers Quintet. Great. Loved sitting there listening for Agnes Baltsa's voice among all voices. Then Don Jose comes in. Although Alberto Cupido sings the Flower Song really well, has a beautiful voice. There is nothing wrong in his acting abilities. I long for the thrill (no 'that') Carreras brings in the video from the Met. SHE is great. The greatest moment of this act is "Non, tu ne m'aimes pas". That is simply GREAT. But the extra thrill is lacking. (It could be just because I am a Carreras fan, but...)
Zuniga, who is sung by an extraordinary bass, comes in. Or rather forces himself in. Breaking in, ridiculing Jose. Naturally the duel. Carmen makes the joke go to him, Zuniga, calling the other smugglers. For the first time, I realized that Don Jose could have chosen not to become a smuggler. It would have been another jail-sentence....
Act 3: A dangerous spot in the mountains. More reality than in the Met. What a great chorus Deutsche Oper has. So clear the voices ring. GREAT AGNES BALTSA!! Cardscene!! thrills upon thrills. The dialogue with the Guide, was better than in the Met. Not so exaggerating. MICHAELA Kaune sang the aria, with all what you can want. Duet/Duell Jose/Escamillo another highlight. CARMEN saves Escamillo!!. Fury from Don Jose. Then Michaela is found, the Ensembles is caressing my ears.
Act 4: Lovely scene outside the Arena. Maximum use of little place, and few people. Seems more than it is. Grand Parade! Duettino Escamillo/Carmen, Mercedes/Frasquita warn Carmen. GRAND DUET Jose/Carmen. ALL HIGHLIGHTS!!


Carmen = AGNES BALTSA
great singing, acting and dialogue
Her Carmen is wild, only one Law (her own)
More persuading than ever! More Electricity! Fantasy Carmen!
Don Jose = ALBERTO CUPIDO
great tenor voice, beautiful voice!
Difficult to hear what he is saying
Michaela = Michaela Kaune
Great Soprano voice
Acting and dialogue
Escamillo = Ludovic Tézier
Toreador's Song Great
Better than Ramey?
great voice, acting, dialogue
Zuniga = Arutjun Kotchinian
What a Voice!!!!
Greater than most Basses!
Personality!!

FRASQUITA = Esther Lee (Cornelia Götz)
MERCEDES = Mariana Cioromila
MORALES = Kay Stiefermann (Peter Edelmann)
REMENDADO = Uwe Peper
DANCAIRO = Morten Ernst Lassen
LILLAS PASTIA = Frido Meyer-Wolff
ANDRES = Ulrich George

OD Travel

February 3, 2008: Le Cid in Zurich

2008-02-03 Le Cid (J. Massenet), Opernhaus Zurich

Rodrigue = José Cura
Chiméne = Isabelle Kabatu
L'Infante = Isabel Rey
Don Diège = Andreas Hörl
Le Roi = Massimo Cavalletti
Le Comte de Gormas = Cheyne Davidson
St. Jacques = Tomasz Slawinski
1 envoyé Maure = Kresimir Strazanac
Don Arias = Miroslav Christoff
Don Alonzo = Reinhard Mayr

Michel Plasson, conductor

Finally in Zurich to see Le Cid with Jose Cura as Rodrigue. A new singer as The King. His debut. Massimo Cavalletti did well.

Difficult music in act 1+2, almost no help in orchestra for the singers. Mass scenes are wonderfully sung.

Did not like the scenery in this production. If you sat in the middle or high up you could see everything. But for those on the sides very much up the opera was not to be seen because of 2 decorative walls. So how could the L'Infante Isabel Rey see Chiméne Isabelle Kabatu when she came from the right, not at all. Stupid.... Just like Isabelle Kabatu was looking out in the audience when she "saw" Rodrigue Jose Cura. (stupid).

Michel Plasson directed the orchestra and so he must be blamed for the slow and boring "Pleurez mes yeux" from Isabelle Kabatu. Kabatu was in excellent form especially in acts 3+4, but she was boring and having heard Montserrat Caballe singing this opera means that one know how wonderful and exciting it can be.

The great and wonderful aria from LE CID "O souverain, o juge, o pere" was not such a jewel in the opera version. The concert version is so much more wonderful, the opera has the chorus interrupting and St. James singing to Rodrigue. Very disappointing.......

The costumes was somewhat extreme "historic" idiocy. Jose Cura in soldier's uniform was great. Otherwise the production was a half-way: modern in scenography and "traditional" in costumes, and Regie was not great. Did Chiméne have to act like a silly teenager? Stupid. Luckily Isabel Rey was wonderful, acting a dignified L'Infante.

Andreas Hörl was a wonderful Don Diego. The arrogant Count of Gormas was sung by Cheyne Davidson.

Isabelle Kabatu and Isabel Rey sound perhaps too alike to make the duet great. I wound have wanted more music for L'Infante and Isabel Rey. A duet with Rodrigue Jose Cura would have been great.

I found the libretto somewhat weak and the music unexciting.

Le Cid - Massenet
with German subtitles


Supported by the Georg and Bertha Schwyzer-Winiker-Foundation


Conductor
Michel Plasson


Producer/production
Nicolas Joel


Set design
Andreas Reinhardt


Costumes
Andreas Reinhardt


Lighting
Jürgen Hoffmann


Choir rehearsal
Jürg Hämmerli


With
Isabelle Kabatu (Chiméne), Isabel Rey (L'infante); Jose Cura (Rodrigue), Andreas Hörl (Don Diège), Massimo Cavalletti *role debut (Le Roi), Cheyne Davidson (Le Comte de Gormas), Tomasz Slawinski (St. Jacques), Kresimir Strazanac (1 envoyé Maure), Miroslav Christoff (Don Arias), Kresimir Strazanac (Don Alonzo)

OD Travel + Photos

# Le Cid in Zurich 2008, February 3
# Finally Zurich and Le Cid

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com
If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com

February 3, 2005: Il Corsaro in Barcelona

2005-02-03 Il Corsaro (Verdi), Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona

Corrado = José Cura
Medora = Marina Mescheryakova
Gulnara = Susan Neves
Seid = Carlo Guelfi
Giovanni = Josep Ribot
Selimo / Un Eunuco Negro / Schiavo
= José Manuel Zapata

Marco Guidarini, conductor






First I took the night bus to Oslo as usual. Luckily my bus was not affected by the bad weather, real snowy conditions that had closed som montain roads. So I came in Oslo in good time for my flight. And then I was in Barcelona after almost 3 hours on the plane. All one had to look forward to was untasty plane food. So bad
that only the cola light and Pringles tasted good. At last, Barcelona airport and my first encounter with the Catalan way of queuing. Very polite and nice queu for taxi. And there were many taxis and many people, and it was quick and polite. So then I was at my hotel. Nice hotel but my room was very cold. Then I went to Placa
Catalunya to get used to going to the centre and to have some nice food (and get my tickets). Then soon it was time to get to the Liceu for a concert version of Verdi´s Corsaro.

The orchestra was onstage. It was chairs and note-stative for the singers. I was on front row. It was a wonderful sung and "acted" Corsaro, Medora was wonderful, Gulnara even more wonderful, & Corrado, the Corsair, Jose Cura was splendid. After a long wait Jose Cura came out at the stage door. He was photographed, and after signing and talking to his fans, at proximo midnight it was truely
over.

Today, Friday 4th, I have been suffering headaches, after my first try out, I had to stop before I came to Placa Catalunya, I stopped at Provinca and sat down at a small cafe, unfortunately It was heavily music'ed. So I had to get to Muntaner and my hotel. After more tablets and eating, and laying in my bed. I was ready to go out again. Placa Catalunya and down la Ramblas to Liceu and down to the harbour (almost) and the up again. At Placa Catalunya I visited Fnac, at Liceu I visited the Shop and then Placido Domingo came, he is singing Parsifal day, and I got one good photo of him, when I came up from the harbour, I was hijacked into a restaurant, ate great ensalada and had a bite of pollo, then back to Muntaner, and
my hotel.

OD Travel + Photos

January 30, 2010: Nabucco in Zurich

2010-01-30 Nabucco (Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich

Nabucco = Juan Pons
Ismaele = Boiko Zvetanov
Zaccaria = Carlo Colombara
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Stefania Kaluza
High Priest of Belo = Cheyne Davidson
Abdallo = Miroslav Christoff
Anna = Liuba Chuchrova

Nello Santi, conductor

NABUCCO by Giuseppe Verdi. Maria Guleghina was a fantastic Abigaille. Juan Pons was suddenly much thinner but still made a great Nabucco. Boiko Zvetanov was looking like a small Dennis O'Neill. But he was great as Ismaele. One could easily forget his heavy and small look and understand why two women were in love with him. Stefania Kaluza was singing Fenena, she was great in the ensembles, duets, etc. but strangely did not make such a great impression in her aria. Chorus was great. Nello Santi conducted.

Obviously Jonathan Miller had been thinking too much about history. Would really the women and men be separated when they were about to be executed.

Inszenierung
Jonathan Miller

Ausstattung
Isabella Bywater

Lichtgestaltung
Hans-Rudolf Kunz

Choreinstudierung
Jürg Hämmerli


Orchester der Oper Zürich

Chor der Oper Zürich

OD Travel + Photos

OD Travel - January: Nabucco and travel from Zurich

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com