June 22, 2005: I Puritani in Berlin

2005-06-22 I Puritani (Bellini), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Lord Gualtiero = Piér Dalàs
Sir Giorgio = Arutjun Kotchinian
Lord Arturo Talbo = Joseph Calleja
Sir Riccardo Forth = Franco Vassallo
Sir Bruno Robertson = Yosep Kang
Enrichetta ´di Francia = Cheri Rose Katz Elvira = Edita Gruberova

Frédéric Chaslin, conductor

VINCENZO BELLINI :: DIE PURITANER
22. Juni 2005
Musikalische Leitung Frédéric Chaslin
Beginn: 19.30 Uhr


Spieldauer: 3:00 Std.
1. Akt: 75 Min.
2./3. Akt: 75 Min.

Pause
Pause [ca. 30 Min.]
nach dem 1. Akt




Inszenierung John Dew
Bühne Heinz Balthes
Kostüme José Manuel Vasquez
Chöre Ulrich Paetzholdt





A disappointment!!

A more heavy-voiced Puritani than in Vienna. Arutjun Kotchinian was an impressive and deep-voiced Sir Giorgio. Franco Vassallo was a great Sir Riccardo Forth although his voice was in my opinion too heavy for the role. Still Vassallo was a virtuous singer but a lighter voice would have been even better.

Edita Gruberova is of course a great singer and actress but her high notes was too shrill this time. Joseph Calleja, a great tenor promises but now his high notes was shrill and no so enjoyable as in Vienna. In all it seem to be more heavy-handed Puritani in Berlin. And when the opera ends like it does with a totally unwanted murder at the end, Arturo is killed by Riccardo which make it a very depressing opera indeed. The two lovers are saved only to have Arturo killed by Riccardo. But here we saw Riccardo falling on his knees after killing his rival, at the end he too is totally desperate; the rival is killed that no relief only desperation remains for him.

After Puritani Gruberova had Signierstunde in the opera house. I never found out where then but still I just wanted to go to the train station Zoologischer Garten and wait for my train to Munich and later Berlin. A long day was over I had traveled from Norway to Germany (with another flight that scheduled because my plane had left ahead of plan). And a few minutes later than scheduled my train arrived and left Berlin for Munich.

June 22, 2002: Carmen in Zurich

2002-06-22 Carmen (G. Bizet), Opernhaus Zurich

Carmen = Luciana d'Intino
Micaela = Elena Prokina
Don José = Julian Gavin
Escamillo = Michele Pertusi
Frasquita = Martin Jankova
Mercedes = Irene Friedli
Zuniga = Jakob Will
Remendado = Martin Zysset
Dancairo = Peter Kalman
Morales = Valeriy Murga

Michel Plasson, conductor



I never thought I could get bored during a Carmen performance. The Prelude was fine, but then the curtain was raised, such a boring stage, and the people was all dressed in black. When I say people, I just mean the soldiers, there was no ordinary people on the stage (Drôle de gens). So it was just meaningless the "Sur la place". When Carmen, Luciana D'Intino, came into the stage, it lit up, not the stage, she was too dressed in black, but her presence was much needed to make this opera exciting. Micaela, Elena Prokina, was the only one that was not dressed in black. Unfortunately it didn't get better in the second act, so black and boring, the only excitement came from Luciana D'Intino. Julian Gavin was a OK Don Jose. Well, I forgot about Escamillo, Michele Pertusi, he was in black too, but one could see the silver from his black Matador-outfit. He was exciting. The only extraordinary thing in this Carmen production was the two dogs who came in the stage in the Entr'acte music, they was wonderful.

I LEFT THE OPERA in the middle, I never do that, but I longed for Vienna and Carmen in Vienna with Agnes Baltsa.

Bizet: CARMENd
Musikalische LeitungMICHEL PLASSON
InszenierungPETER MUSSBACH
RegiemitarbeitTINE BUYSE
BühnenbildERICH WONDER
KostümeANDREA SCHMIDT-FUTTERER
LichtgestaltungFRANZ PETER DAVID
ChorERNST RAFFELSBERGER

MicaelaELENA PROKINA*

EscamilloMICHELE PERTUSI*
FrasquitaMARTINA JANKOVÁ*

RemendadoMARTIN ZYSSET*
DancairoPETER KÁLMÁN*

* Rollendebüt
CHOR DES OPERNHAUSES ZÜRICH ZUSATZCHOR OPERNHAUS ZÜRICH KINDERCHOR DES OPERNHAUSES ZÜRICH STATISTENVEREIN AM OPERNHAUS ZÜRICH
ORCHESTER DER OPER ZÜRICH
EIN KULTUR-ENGAGEMENT DER
CREDIT SUISSE PRIVATE BANKING
Samstag, 22. Juni 2002PREMIERE, PREMIEREN-ABO A
Pause nach dem 2. Akt
Beginn: 19.00 Uhr, Ende: ca. 22.1 S Uhr
Musikalische Assistenz
und EinstudierungFRANCK VILLARD, THOMAS BARTHEL
Abendspielleitung und
RegieassistenzCLAUDIA BLERSCH
RegiehospitanzPASCAL SCHMID
BühnenbildassistenzMICHAELA BÜRGER, DANIELA JUCKEL
KostümassistenzJOHANNA BRONNER
KostümhospitanzCRISTINA NYFFELER
Organisation und
Betreuung der KinderSUSY SIEGRIST
KampfszenenKLAUS FIGGE, WERNER HUG
InspizienzSUSANN ZAHLER
SouffleurLORENZO COLADONATO
Die Hunde Pyros und Aisha wurden
von der Kantonspolizei Zürich zur VerfÛgung gestellt.

June 22, 2000: Lucia di Lammermoor in Vienna

2000-06-22 Lucia di Lammermoor (G. Donizetti), Wiener Staatsoper

Enrico = Franco Vassallo
Lucia = Edita Gruberova
Edgardo = Keith Ikaia-Purdy
Arturo = Torsten Kerl
Raimondo = Egils Silins
Alisa = Mihaela Ungureanu
Normanno = Tomislav Muzek

Marcello Viotti, conductor

Wiener Staatsoper
donnerstag,22. juni 2000
124. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung

Zum letzten Mal in dieser Spielzeit
Lucia di Lammermoor
Tragische Oper
Dichtung nach Walter Scott
von Salvatore Cammarano
Musik von Gaetano Donizetti

Musikalische Leitung / Marcello Viotti
Inszenierung / Boleslaw Barlog
Bühnenbild / Pantelis Dessyllas
Kostüme / Silvia Strahammer
Chorleitung / Ernst Dunshirn
.,
Enrico (Lord Henry Ashton) Franco Vassalloo

-,
Ort der Handlung
Schloß und Park von Ravenswood in Schottland
.Zeit Ende des 16 jahrhunderts

Orchester und Chor der Wiener Staatsoper

0 Debüt an der Wiener Staatsoper

It was the most wonderful evening in the opera. Amazing this woman, Gruberova!! I had to remind myself that she was not really so young as she seemed as Lucia. An actress, a wonderful voice! I loved the production. The other singers was good too, Edgardo and Lucia's brother. And because Neil Shicoff was not singing I got a splendid ticket and wonderful seat.