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

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3 faults by Vienna Staatsoper, but Stiffelio still...

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

January 12, 2002: Nabucco in Vienna

2002-01-12 Nabucco (G. Verdi), Wiener Staatsoper

Nabucco = Anthony Michaels-Moore
Ismaele = Miro Dvorsky
Zaccaria = Alastair Miles
Abigaille = Eliane Coelho
Fenena = Mihaela Ungureanu
Gran Sacerdote di Belo = Goran Simic
Abdallo = Walter Pauritsch
Anna = Renate Pitscheider

Anton Guadagno, conductor



Wiener Staatsoper
samstag, 12. jänner 2002
13. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung

Nabucco
Oper in vier Teilen von Temistocle Solera
Musik von Giuseppe Verdi

Musikalische leitung / Anton Guadagno
Inszenierung / Günter Krämer
Bühne / Manfred Voss und
Petra Buchholz
licht / Manfred Voss
Kostüme / Falk Bauer
Choreinstudierung / Ernst Dunshirn
..


Orchester und Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Bühnenorchester der Wiener Staatsoper
Eleven der Ballettschule der Wiener Staatsoper

New opera for me, so subtitling was good for me, and it fitted the opera very well.

The conductor Anton Guadagna was older and thinner, but a great conductor for Nabucco. I saw a orchestra-member smiling happily at the thought of playing Verdi's music. And really from the pit came wonderful music of Verdi, and that Nabucco is not played more was a mystery. Anthony Michaels-More was a great choice as Nabucco, even Leo Nucci could not do it better. I think that Michaels-Moore gave more pleasure in the role than Nucci, in his voice was enough italienitá, and he was immersed in the role. Here is the baritone for today and the future.

As Brogni in La Juive did not Alastair Miles impress me, as Zaccaria he did fit more into the role. But also here did he in some instances lack some vocal depth, but it didn't do any harm to this interpretation. I think that Miles had learned from Shicoff how to be a proud Jew.

In the role of Ismaele, as once was one of Carreras first opera roles, we saw and heard Miro Dvorsky, the younger brother of Peter Dvorsky. His voice resembled that of Neil Shicoff, but was more beautiful and soft. A likable fellow, Dvorsky (see picture above).

The two sisters and rivals, Fenena (Michaela Urungureanu) and Abigaille (Eliane Coelho), wonderful voices. Fenena, mezzo soprano with some higher notes almost soprano. Abigaille, soprano, but with some depth not possible for true sopranoes. Truly a wonderful and exciting new voice: Michaela Urungureanu !

Eliane Coelho, exciting soprano from Brazil, since long Prima Donna in the Wiener Staatsoper. I have seen her in other roles, but this must be her best. Nabucco without a great singer in this role would be a bore, but Eliane Coelho makes Nabucco a true Masterwork of Giuseppe Verdi.

NABUCCO
Often presented as a political drama, and it is that too, and a story of the conditions of the Jews under Nabucco in Babilonia. But here the emphasis was on the human side, and especially Nabucco relationship to Abigaille and Fenena, his daughters. On the side is the lovestory of Ismaele and Fenena, they not act and react to the things that happen around them. Only Nabucco and Abigaille is playing an active part in making the story happen.

Nabucco is too power-hungry to see what he is doing to his daughters. Abigaille lost her father's love, maybe she never had it. And she loves a man who loves her sister. Deprived of love in family or in a romantic way, her way became the way of destruction. When Nabucco finds out that he, in his madness has signed the death-warrant to not only the Jews but also of Fenena. When he pleas for his daughter's life to Abigaille he forgets and that Abigaille too was his daughter. So his plea can not be of any effect since he only ask the Queen, not the daughter, the human being of Abigaille for salvation.

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