Tuesday, June 23, 2009

June 23, 2005: Aida in Verona


2005-06-23 Aida (Verdi), Arena di Verona

The King = Marco Spotti
Amneris = Tichina Vaughn
Aida = Micaela Carosi
Radamès = José Cura
Ramfis = Carlo Colombara
Amonasro = Alberto Mastromarino
A messenger = Carlo Bosi
High Priestess = Antonella Trevisan

Daniel Oren, conductor

Arena
23 June 2005 - 21.15



Aida


Opera in 4 acts by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni


PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR Daniel Oren


DIRECTOR Franco Zeffirelli
SCENOGRAPHER Franco Zeffirelli
COSTUME DESIGNER Anna Anni

Wonderful day in Verona

I arrived in Verona Porta Nuova at 1500. It was a hot day. After staying in my hotel Tryp Verona for a few hours I took the Opera Bus to Verona (1830). I tried to find if I could see any JCx friends there, and then I sat at Cafe Opera and had some dinner before the opera. It seem to take forever until day at last opened door one, some trouble with the keys I think.

But at last at the Arena I met Yvonne and Kira and many more. This was a big Zeffirelli Aida production, beautiful and wonderfully operatic. I think I must have had some troubles with my ears because I didn't hear so well the first act. The conductor was a disappointment he was too fast in many of the delicate moments almost ruining the opera. Jose Cura looked wonderful and sing/acted Radames wonderfully. Tichina Vaughn did her best but lacked some of the charisma this role needs. Micaela Carosi had no such troubles, her voice was clear and she had a lot of charisma. No wonder the opera is called AIDA. Alberto Mastromarino was an efficient Amonasro, Carlo Colombara did well as Ramfis, Marco Spotti was OK as the King.

The Ballet was not to my liking, I found it almost offensive. The prima ballerina as a kind of high priestess was a good idea that worked very well.

June 23, 2002: Carmen in Vienna


2002-06-23 Carmen (G. Bizet), Wiener Staatsoper

Carmen = Agnes Baltsa
Don José = Richard Leech
Escamillo = Egils Silins
Micaëla = Anja Harteros
Frasquita = Simina Ivan
Mercedes = Stella Grigorian
Zuniga = Goran Simic
Morales = Yu Chen
Remendado = Walter Pauritsch
Dancairo = Markus Nieminen
Lillas Pastia = Csaba Markovits

Jun Märkl, conductor

Wiener Staatsoper
sonntag, 23. juni 2002
106. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung

Carmen
Oper in vier Akten (nach Prosper Mérimée) von H. Meilhac und L. Halévy
Musik von Georges Bizet

Dirigent Jun Märkl
Inszenierung und
Bühnenbild Franco Zeffirelli
KostümeLeo Bei
Choreographie Rafael de Cordova
Chorleitung Ernst Dunshirn
-

Tänze Rita Kommentisch
Rudolf Wächter
Christoph Wenzel
und das Corps de ballet
" Stipendiat des Herbert von Karajan Centrums

Carmen in Wiener Staatsoper, not a Premiere as in Zürich, but the 109th performance of Franco Zeffirelli's wonderful Carmen.

The sets was wonderful, the costumes too. Agnes Baltsa got better and better in the performance, Richard Leech was a wonderful Don Jose, Anja Hartelos was wonderful as Micaela. Frasquita and Mercedes was wonderfully portrayed by Simina Ivan and Stella Grigorian. I didn't like Escamillo, Egils Silins, but he was good. Needless to say I
loved it.

June 23, 2000: L'Italiana in Algeri, Vienna


2000-06-23 L'Italiana in Algeri (G. Rossini), Wiener Staatsoper

Mustafà = Kristinn Sigmundsson
Elvira = Simina Ivan
Zulma = Stella Grigorian
Haly = Istvan Gati
Lindoro = Juan Diego Flórez
Isabella = Agnes Baltsa
Taddeo = Alfred Sramek

Marcello Viotti, conductor

Wiener Staatsoper
45. Auffiihrung in dieser Inszenierung
Zum letzten Mal in dieser Spielzeit
L' I taliana in Algeri
Drama giocoso per musica in zwei Akten
von Angelo Anelli
Musik von Gioachino Rossini

Musikalische Leitung Marcello Viotti
Nach einer Inszenierung
und in der Ausstattung von Jean-Pierre Ponnelle Chorleitung Ernst Dunshirn
-,-

-, .
Ort der Handlung Aigerien
Orchester und Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Die Auffuhrung basiert auf Azio Corghis kritischer Ausgabe
der Fondazione Rossini Pesaro in Zusammenarbeit
mit G. Ricordi, SPA Milano

Another wonderful performance of

Agnes Baltsa = Isabella
Juan Diego Florez = Lindoro
Taddeo Alfred Sramek
Mustafa = Kristinn Sigmundsson
Elvira = Simina Ivan
Zulma = Stella Grigorian
Haly = Istvan Gati

wonderful!!!!!

June 23, 1997: Stiffelio in Vienna


1997-06-23 Stiffelio (Verdi), Wiener Staatsoper

Stiffelio = Antonio Lotti
Lina = Mara Zampieri
Stankar = Renato Bruson
Raffaele = Ruben Broitman
Jorg = Peter Köves
Federico von Frengel = Peter Jelosits
Dorotea = Marjorie Vance

Fabio Luisi, conductor

Montag, 23. Juni 1997 STAATSOPER
11. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung

Stiffelio
Oper in drei Aktenvon Francesco Maria Piave
MusikGiuseppe Verdi

Musikalische Leitung Fabio Luisi
InszenierungE lijah Moshinsky
Bühnenbild Michael Yeargan
Kostüme Peter J. Hall
Lichtregie Paul Pyant
Choreinstudierung Dietrich D. Gerpheide

Freunde und Gefolgsleute Stiffelios
Balletteleven der
Österreich ischen Bundestheater

So here I was in Vienna with my parents most of all to see Stiffelio, my favorite opera, with Josep Carreras, my favorite tenor. And he did not sing. Antonio Lotti, the Brazilian tenor, sang well enough. Mara Zampieri was Lina and Renato Bruson was Stankar. And it is a very good production. BUT no CARRERAS