March 28, 2010: La Boheme in Zurich

2010-03-28 La Boheme (Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Rodolfo = José Cura
Mimì = Barbara Frittoli
Marcello = Gabriel Bermudez
Musetta = Christiane Kohl
Schaunard = Cheyne Davidson
Colline = Andreas Hörl
Benoit = Davide Fersini
Alcindoro = Valeriy Murga
Parpignol = Carl Hieger
A customs official = Matthew Leigh
Sergeant = Falvio Matthias

Massimo Zanetti, conductor

Inszenierung - Philippe Sireuil

Bühnenbild - Vincent Lemaire

Kostüme - Jorge Jara

Lichtgestaltung - Hans-Rudolf Kunz

Choreinstudierung - Ernst Raffelsberger


LA BOHEME by Giacomo Puccini. Opernhaus Zurich 1400-1630


It was the better performance. Since it was my second time of this La Boheme nothing came as a surprise. Barbara Frittoli had it all, voice and acting, just like our José. 4 times I have seen them as Otello and Desdemona and now once as La Boheme. Verdi and Puccini singers De Luxe. It not only had the best Mimi but the conductor seemed be better too. Jose Cura sang even better, he sang a superb "Che gelida manina"and of course since now we had Frittoli it was a great singing of "Si. Mi chiamano Mimi" and in ended in a marvellous "O soave fanciulla". Act 2 started before the audience was finished applauding act 1. Even Musetta's aria was better now. After the interval it was act 3 where the only imperfection was that the dress Mimi was wearing was unflattering for the singer. But when Barbara Frittoli started to sing all such ideas was forgotten. It was another superb act with Jose Cura and Barbara Frittoli in great voices and the acting was great. Act 4 was really emotional and for once tears started to roll when this Rodolfo understands that his Mimi was dead. Even hardened opera fans would be brought to tears by this ending. The applause from the audience was by every act and aria more intense especially for Cura and Frittoli.

OD Travel + Photos

Original blog post: OD Travel in March: Once more to La Boheme in 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

November 9, 2013: Otello in Berlin

2013-11-09 Otello (Verdi), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Otello = José Cura
Desdemona = Barbara Frittoli
Jago = Marco Vratogna
Emilia = Katarina Bradic
Cassio = Matthew Newlin
Rodrigo = Clemens Bieber
Lodovico = Seth Carico
Ein Herald = Andrew Harris

Donald Runnicles, conductor

Director - Andreas Kriegenburg
Stage-design - Harald Thor
Costume-design - Andrea Schraad
Dramaturgie - Katharina John
Choir Conductor - William Spaulding
Children's Choir - Christian Lindhorst
Choreography - Zenta Haerter

I had forgotten how much I disliked this production when I saw it at the premiere, 30.05.2010. I felt no outrage this time just boredom. It was the female ballet dancer in the back of the stage that annoyed me. The dancing was as a comment to Jago's narration of the Cassio's dream. In one way a good idea. But the placement of the dancer in the stage room meant that I could either watch the dancer or the singers, and that made it a bad execution of an idea that could have been good. I wanted to see and understand the dynamics between Jago and Cassio but the movement of the dancer forced my eyes away from my goal. Putting distractions onstage is not good theatre. And do untimately this is the failing of the director Andreas Kriegenburg, the production itself works as a distraction against Verdi's Otello.

In midst of it all, here comes Otello, Jose Cura. Placido Domingo used to be the ultimate Otello, now we have Cura. From the moment Jose Cura comes in it becomes a better show, finally it is possible to throw oneself into the work. I have seem him several times as Otello before and in different productions but this was the best performance with the most beautiful and sublime phrased singing and a overwhelming acting. He was good before too but here is the matured Otello, the excellence that comes from being Otello in so many different productions.

In one way we could say Cura singlehandedly a dull production to an exciting experience. To be fair I must say that Donald Runnicles conducting was a great part of the success. Marco Vratogna was singing and acting as if the role of Jago was tailormade for him. Barbara Frittoli was excellent as Desdemona, so warm. The vibrato was heavy in the first minutes but then the nervousness left and the lush, warm tones shone from Barbara Frittoli. Katarina Bradic sang and acted Emilia wonderfully. She made fine portrait of her role. Matthew Newlin made an excellent debut as Cassio. He was a joy to see and listen to.

After such a fine opera evening what can be better than to meet afterwards "backstage" with fans from  the Nordic Countries, Germany, Austria, Hungary, France, USA to name a few places. I guess Marco Vratogna was the MC-guy, Barbara Frittoli was also soon off. Jose Cura talked to his fans while the photos was flashing.

OD Travel & Photos
Original blog post

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

July 5, 2005: Otello in Munich

2005-07-05 Otello (Verdi), Opern-Festspiele, Munich

Otello = José Cura
Desdemona = Barbara Frittoli
Jago = Sergei Leiferkus
Emilia = Hannah Esther Minutillo
Cassio = Raymond Very
Rodrigo = Kevin Conners
Lodovico = Maurizio Muraro
Montano = Steven Humes
Ein Herald = Matthias Wippich

Zubin Mehta, conductor



Otello

Giuseppe Verdi
Arrigo Boito



Conductor Zubin Mehta
Regie Francesca Zambello
Scenography and costumes Alison Chitty
Choreography Alphonse Poulin
Light Mimi Jordan Sherin
Chorus Andrés Máspero


This time I did not have just a standing room ticket, but I sat on the first row. And I could see everything. Naturally having seen this Otello before on July 2nd meant that there were no surprises. But this time I could see the whole stage and see what was happening deep down on the stage. It was a wonderful Otello on July the 2nd, and it was actually even better this time. Jose Cura's interpretation of Otello's agony is very physical even at the edge of portraying Otello as a psychological unstable person, very much in the way Cura did Don Carlo in Zurich. But nevertheless, it works. The Regie works, Francesca Zambello did another masterwork of Verdi's great Masterpiece Otello based on Shakespeare's Masterpiece. This would not have been surprising had one not seen so many of the masterpieces of Opera destroyed by the scandal- or ego-driven directors. This time Otello was Otello.

The conductor Zubin Mehta held everything in his hands, and Orchestra & Chorus and the whole Ensemble responded magnificently. Barbara Frittoli had her eye-twitching movements but sang and acted as the great Desdemona she is. Hannah Esther Minutillo was equally a total Emilia, blending and acting well in duets, ensembles etc. Raymond Very as Cassio did a very well indeed. I have read some criticism of Sergei Leiferkus' Jago but I do not think that is fair. He was a very good Jago, someone who you could believe that others would think him honest and true, his malice subdued.

Sadly I had to go before all the applause was ended because I had a train to catch, since this was my last opera in my Summer Opera Holiday 2005.

OD Travel + Photos

July 3, 2012: Simon Boccanegra in Zurich

2012-07-03 Simon Boccanegra (Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich

Simon Boccanegra = Plácido Domingo
Maria Boccanegra (Amelia) = Barbara Frittoli
Jacopo Fiesco = Carlo Colombara
Gabriele Adorno = Fabio Sartori
Paolo Albiani = Cheyne Davidson
Pietro = Giuseppe Scorsin
Ein Hauptmann der Bogenschützen = Ilker Arcayürek
Eine Dienerin Amelias = Julie Bartholomew

Carlo Rizzi, conductor

Producer/production - Giancarlo del Monaco
Set design - Carlo Centolavigna
Costumes - Maria Filippi
Lighting - Hans-Rudolf Kunz

STANDING OVATION FOR PLACIDO DOMINGO IN ZURICH 2012-07-03

Placido Domingo as Simon Boccanegra. The tenor as baritone. The multi-talent Placido Domingo is loved by many but many think he is over-reaching himself. I found him wonderful as Simon Boccanegra but I must accept that had I only listened to him then I might have been more skeptical. The Magic of Placido Domingo was in his abilty not only to sing each note but to do so while acting. Placido Domingo was Simon Boccanegra that night in Zurich. Pure baritones may sing it more beautiful but in acting Placido is a gigant.

Cheyne Davidson sang Paolo Albiani in stead of earlier mentioned Massimo Cavalletti. Cheyne Davidson and Giuseppe Scorsin sanf Paolo and  Pietro. Something made me feel that they were not quite up to par. Paolo lacked his bite and bile. Pietro was a deep-voiced but no depth. Luckily they are not that important except that done properly they do give some extra depth to the story. Otherwise it would just be a family drama and not a political drama.

Placido Domingo clad in brown in the Prologue and he looked just like an old photo of Placido as Otello. So young he was as he lept on stage. And it was with Placido Domingo the opera really started to energize. Next energy burst came with Carlo Colombara as Jacopo Fiesco. The great Italian bass owned the stage during his great aria. Then two gigants Fiesco and Boccanegra, Colombara and Domingo, and wow, what an amazing duet. A duel between the fury of Fiesco and the compassion of Boccanegra.

Act 1 and finally Barbara Frittoli as Amelia. She was stunning. Her voice and acting was amazing. I found her jsut perfect as Amelia. Beauty and style in every ounce. Fabio Sartori was her lover Gabriele Adorno. (This tenor is not a thin man but for once the costume people had chosen cloths that looks good on the not-so-thin people. I hope this is a trend that one will create costumes that looks good on all body-types. But I fear this is knowledge that is forgotten, REVIVE IT PLEASE.) Fabio Sartori has a wonderful tenor voice and was an amazing Adorno.

And what to say more. Act 2 and 3 was wonderful. The sets are beautil and the costumes too. It is a stilistic Genoa we see with the blue sea in the background. During the duet between Boccanegra and Amelia I cried and the end made me cry too. I am sure was weepy during other times of the opera. For me it meant that this SIMON BOCCANEGRA  was great. It touched me. Placido Domingo touched me.

BRAVI, tutti!! BRAVO, Placido!!!

OD Travel + Photos

Original blog post

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

July 2, 2005: Otello in Munich

2005-07-02 Otello (Verdi), Opern-Festspiele, Munich

Otello = José Cura
Desdemona = Barbara Frittoli
Jago = Sergei Leiferkus
Emilia = Hannah Esther Minutillo
Cassio = Raymond Very
Rodrigo = Kevin Conners
Lodovico = Maurizio Muraro
Montano = Steven Humes
Ein Herold = Matthias Wippich

Zubin Mehta, conductor



Regie Francesca Zambello
Scenography and costumes Alison Chitty
Choreography Alphonse Poulin
Light Mimi Jordan Sherin
Chorus Andrés Máspero



From Verona, Parma, and Torino when I had seen Aida, Werther and Nabucco I was on my way to Berlin. Had planned to take the night train to Berlin from Munich. But knowing that Jose Cura would sing Otello in Munich I decided to try my luck for a ticket in Munich, knowing that it was all sold out, hoping that somebody would be having an extra ticket. And I was at the Theatre 10 minutes before Otello was starting. 5 minutes before 19 I had my ticket for standing room only. It was a hot day and I was already quite tired, but luckily it was a bar to hang on there and I was so happy it had one pause of 30 minutes to sit and drink a little. It was heavy air to stand there and hot. It was a wonderful Otello and I could see the whole stage of course something's was not so visible if I bent down a bit I could see the subtitles.

It was a Francesca Zambello production and it was a the most wonderful Otello production seen until then. All in splendid form. Jose Cura, Barbara Frittoli was wonderful as Otello and Desdemona. Leiferkus was great as Jago. Cassio was also wonderful. Emilia was a dream. It was a dream Otello.

And after the opera Jose Cura was signing. Long was the wait, and unruly the queue. But he came and so many JCx friends were there. And after all this, a late dinner for JCx in a nearby Stube. At 1 the Stube had to close and so I had to find a hotel for the rest of the night, and I found it close to Hauptbahnhof.

OD Travel + Photos

July 2, 2005: Otello in Munich

2005-07-02 Otello (Verdi), Opern-Festspiele, Munich

Otello = José Cura
Desdemona = Barbara Frittoli
Jago = Sergei Leiferkus
Emilia = Hannah Esther Minutillo
Cassio = Raymond Very
Rodrigo = Kevin Conners
Lodovico = Maurizio Muraro
Montano = Steven Humes
Ein Herold = Matthias Wippich

Zubin Mehta, conductor



Regie Francesca Zambello
Scenography and costumes Alison Chitty
Choreography Alphonse Poulin
Light Mimi Jordan Sherin
Chorus Andrés Máspero



From Verona, Parma, and Torino when I had seen Aida, Werther and Nabucco I was on my way to Berlin. Had planned to take the night train to Berlin from Munich. But knowing that Jose Cura would sing Otello in Munich I decided to try my luck for a ticket in Munich, knowing that it was all sold out, hoping that somebody would be having an extra ticket. And I was at the Theatre 10 minutes before Otello was starting. 5 minutes before 19 I had my ticket for standing room only. It was a hot day and I was already quite tired, but luckily it was a bar to hang on there and I was so happy it had one pause of 30 minutes to sit and drink a little. It was heavy air to stand there and hot. It was a wonderful Otello and I could see the whole stage of course something's was not so visible if I bent down a bit I could see the subtitles.

It was a Francesca Zambello production and it was a the most wonderful Otello production seen until then. All in splendid form. Jose Cura, Barbara Frittoli was wonderful as Otello and Desdemona. Leiferkus was great as Jago. Cassio was also wonderful. Emilia was a dream. It was a dream Otello.

And after the opera Jose Cura was signing. Long was the wait, and unruly the queue. But he came and so many JCx friends were there. And after all this, a late dinner for JCx in a nearby Stube. At 1 the Stube had to close and so I had to find a hotel for the rest of the night, and I found it close to Hauptbahnhof.

OD Travel + Photos

June 10, 2015: Simon Boccanegra in Hamburg

2015-06-10 Simon Boccanegra (Verdi), Hamburgische Staatsoper

Simon Boccanegra = George Gagnidze
Maria Boccanegra (Amelia) = Barbara Frittoli
Jacopo Fiesco = John Tomlinson
Gabriele Adorno = Giuseppe Filianoti
Paolo Albiani = Robert Bork
Pietro = Alin Anca
Un Capitano dei Balestrieri = Daniel Todd
Un' Ancella di Amelia = Anat Edri

Simone Young, conductor
Philharmoniker Hamburg
Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper

INSZENIERUNG: Claus Guth
BÜHNENBILD UND KOSTÜME: Christian Schmidt
LICHT: Wolfgang Göbbel

CHOR: Florian Csizmadia 

How are we supposed to understand this opera in this production? Modern costumes but it is not an update really. The people are not modern. We are in Genua at the time of Boccanegra. At the prelude is Simon Boccanegra dead by poison surrounded by his daughter and her husband Gabriele Adorno. And the we go back in time to the Prologue where Simone will become Doge and his Maria is dead...

It is a hard role to play Simon Boccanegra. This time even harder since the director wants us to see it as though Simon is just reliving it with a double playing his part. The double do most of his acting in the room that we are to think is the mirror. In the end the second Boccanegra double is needed too. The singer has to react as though the other person is there in his mind, while the double is the one acting with the other singers. There is an opening in the ceiling for the comet to come clashing down. First we have a whole (prologue), then we the stone in the whole, then half to the floor and in the scene where Boccanegra dies, the stone is on the floor (disaster has struck).

In all the other versions of this opera, Maria Fiesco is in her father's palace, she is sick and in the end dying. Here she is a mother desperate for her child but her father caring is suffocating for her so she escapes her prison by suicide just before her lover coulf rescue her. Fiesco is not a benevolent father here, he is seriously misguided in his "love". Maria, the ghost, lives on. She is on stage, too.

Interaction in this production is often more symbolic than realistic. But all the singers and acters do well. John Tomlinson was Fiesco using his own age also as acting and singing well. George Gagnidze was amazing as Boccanegra. Barbara Frittoli was a great Amelia. Giuseppe Filanoti was a wonderful Gabriele Adorno. And so on.

Simone Young conducted.


Bravi, tutti!

OD Travel & Photos
Original blog post


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

June 5, 2004: Otello in Hamburg

2004-06-05 Otello (Verdi), Hamburgische Staatsoper

Otello = José Cura
Desdemona = Barbara Frittoli
Jago = Lado Ataneli
Emilia = Yvi Jänicke
Cassio = Peter Galliard
Rodrigo = Ho-yoon Chung
Lodovico = Alexander Tsymbalyuk
Montano = Carl Schultz
Herold = Moritz Gogg

Philippe Auguin, conductor



Chorus: Florian Csizmadia


5.6. Shopping in Hamburg, finding out where to go. Following the crowd most of the time. And then it was opera-time. This time was a better Otello performance. From the first note of the orchestra I knew it would be great. The orchestra and chorus was together. I thought that all the singers was better. It was really dramatic and wonderful. None of the former critical remarks of this production bothered me. And audience was totally committed to applauds and Bravos, and the singers seemed forever to go out and great the applauds.

And I saw Lado Anteli and Jose Cura afterwards and got some nice photos of them. And then 25(?) JCx-members enjoyed Restaurant Opera until it was 0130.

OD Travel + Photos

May 29, 2004: Otello in Hamburg

2004-05-29 Otello (Verdi), Hamburgische Staatsoper

Otello = José Cura
Desdemona = Barbara Frittoli
Jago = Lado Ataneli
Emilia = Yvi Jänicke
Cassio = Peter Galliard
Rodrigo = Ho-yoon Chung
Lodovico = Alexander Tsymbalyuk
Montano = Carl Schultz
Herold = Moritz Gogg

Philippe Auguin, conductor



Chorus: Florian Csizmadia



Otello (G. Verdi) 1930. Jose Cura, Barbara Frittoli and Lado Ataneli.

Act 1 The conductor was Philippe Auguin. From the first note of Otello I was disappointed. I blame the conductor. The musical dynamics was missing. All emotions and situations on the stage was conducted alike. The orchestra was loud and quiet, loud and quiet without any musical reason. The chorus suffered and the principals suffered too. Otello's "Esultate!" came to me as a three-parted voice of Cura, it was not together. I missed a greater scene-presence when Lado Ataneli sang, he sang well, but lacked the zeal of Ruggero Raimondi. The love duet was wonderfully sung and acted by Cura & Frittoli. Because of the slow tempi when BF sang Amen in "Amen risponda" she had trouble getting her full voice in specifically in the "A---men". The act ended with the couple on the beach, with the pier and and the red full moon behind them

Act 2. Jago's Credo was wonderfully sung by Lado Ataneli, but the menace that Ruggero Raimondi had was not there, I missed that. The beautiful quartet ended act 2, but it had couple of inaccuracies in timing, or rather almost inaccuracies. (forgot: that after the quartet followed "Tu, indietro!", and narrating the "dream" that he says Cassio had, and of course, "Si pel ciel marmoreo giuro")

First real intermission between act 2 & 3.

Act 3. The action in on the stairs of the castle. It was all truly great. For me the only thing is that I found that Otello was falling down too many times for me. But the singing and acting of Jose Cura was a first class act. BRAVO, CURA!

Act 4. Barbara Frittoli is a great Desdemona. The idea of seeing the wind blow in the curtains (we could actually see that there were hands moving the white curtains) was rather stupid, I find. It was not necessary at the beginning of first act and not even when Emilia sang "E il vento!" (It's the wind) was it necessary, the audience is not stupid. Then Otello, Jose Cura, came. The tension is high, and they are just great, Cura & Frittoli. But when Emilia cries Murder so very few comes, just the key players, and before Cura sings "Niun mi tema" they are gone, only the dead Desdemona and Otello is left on stage. "Niun mi tema" - "Nobody be afraid", but there is nobody there!? And when Otello sing "Un bacio!" and the music reminiscence of the love duet in act 1, the stage darkens, and we see the pier and the full moon of act 1. Cute, but we are not stupid. The Music tells it all much better.
After the opera a lot of JCx is waiting for Cura to come backstage, Lado comes first, then it is finally Cura. And when the crowd is satisfied. Ten JCx ends the day in the restaurant Opera with a drink and some salad.

At 0100 in bed.

OD Travel + Photos

May 27, 2016: Simon Boccanegra in Vienna

2016-05-27 Simon Boccanegra (Verdi), Wiener Staatsoper

Simon Boccanegra = Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Maria Boccanegra (Amelia) = Barbara Frittoli
Jacopo Fiesco = Ferruccio Furlanetto
Gabriele Adorno = Francesco Meli
Paolo Albiani = Adam Plachetka
Pietro = Sorin Coliban
Un Capitano dei Balestrieri = Carlos Osuna
Lydia Rathkolb = Anat Edri

Marco Armiliato, conductor
Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper
Chor der Wiener Staatsoper

Peter Stein | Regie
Stefan Mayer | Bühne
Moidele Bickel | Kostüme

It was Dmitri Hvorostovsky's day, it was Francesco Meli's day.

For many people in the opera this was Hvorostovsky's day as he triumphed in the title role of Simon Boccanegra. For me it was the triumph of Francesco Meli. Ferruccio Furlanetto was also great. Adam Plachetka was an amazing Paolo and I would love to experience him as Simon Boccanegra himself.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Barbara Frittoli was soft and suave. They were perfect together but vocally their voices did not had the strength of Ferruccio Furlanetto or Francesco Meli. Furlanetto was the perfect Fiesco and Francesco Meli was the most wonderful and strong Gabriele Adorno. Adam Plachetka was the luxury of Simon Boccanegra.

I am now a fan of the marvellous tenor Francesco Meli. Bravo, Francesco Meli!

And I adore the magificient bass of Ferruccio Furlanetto. Bravo, Ferrucio Furlanetto!!

This production of Simon Boccanegra in Wiener Staatsoper was just stupendous, perfect.

Original blog post
OperaDuets Travel & Photos

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

April 23, 2011: La Boheme in Zurich

2011-04-23 La Boheme (Puccini),Opernhaus Zurich

Rodolfo = José Cura
Mimì = Barbara Frittoli
Marcello = Massimo Cavalletti
Musetta = Eva Liebau
Schaunard = Cheyne Davidson
Colline = Andreas Hörl
Benoit = Davide Fersini
Alcindoro = Morgan Moody
Parpignol = Christopher Hux
A customs official = Arjen Veenhuizen
Sergeant = Flavio Mathias

Carlo Rizzi, conductor

Producer/production Philippe Sireuil
Set design Vincent Lemaire
Costumes Jorge Jara
Lighting Hans-Rudolf Kunz
Choir rehearsal Ernst Raffelsberger

La Bohème Puccini
In Italian with German and English surtitles





Opera in four scenes
by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
after “Scènes de la vie de Bohème” (1845–49)
by Henri Murger and the drama “La Vie de Bohème” (1849) by Murger and Théodore Barrière
Première: 1 February 1896, Teatro Regio, Turin



April 23, 2011 at 20hrs LA BOHEME in Opernhaus Zurich. It was a wonderful performance with Jose Cura and Barbara Frittoli as Rodolfo and Mimi. All singers were excellent. And tears when Mimi dies, the hallmark of a great La Boheme performance. Loved it. And I meet severals JCx members after the performance. Some of us got together for a drink at the restaurant to Hotel Europe. At midnight it was time to retire to bed. Happy to bed I went.

Conclusion of Easter - La Boheme in Zurich (original blog post)
OD Travel + Photos

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