December 17, 2011: Pagliacci in Copenhagen

2011-12-17 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo), The Royal Danish Theatre (Copenhagen)

Canio = José Cura
Nedda = Sine Bundgaard
Tonio = Fredrik Zetterström
Beppe = Michael Kristensen
Silvio = Palle Knudsen

Stefano Ranzani, Conductor
Director - Paul Curran
Set design - Mia Stensgaard
Costume design - Anja Vang Kragh
Light design - Bruno Poet

I also enjoyed Pagliacci. Yes. José Cura was Canio in this production by director Paul Curran with set designs by Mia Stensgaard and costumes by Anja Vang Kragh. There was so much to enjoy in this production but then there was the bafflements. The Church and the church step with the Virgen Mary statue from Cavalleria Rusticana was now bombed and American flags was everywhere. A depressed Italy? after a the war with nurses, wounded soldats (American?) is present but what are they doing to this Pagliacci production? It is just a blackdrop and it is not utilized in any way that I could see. The cast was wonderful with José Cura being the best Canio ever, Sine Bundgaard was a magnificent Nedda, and Michael Kristensen as Beppe and Palle Knudsen as Silvio was two additional beautiful voices. The prologue with Tonio, Fredrik Zetterström was met with a thunderous applause. The poor guy was so close to losing his voice several times during the prologue, but he was so good an actor one could forget almost everything.


When the prologue started we are looking at a stage curtain of the church and churh steps with the Maria statue and Silvio is painting on it. Then they come on the stage, Beppe, Tonio, Canio and Nedda. They are carrying their stuff. Here we see what a life Nedda is suffering. Always asked to carry more than the rest of the guys. Not respected by Canio or really anyone. She is on the bottom in this troupe.  It is not Tonio who is last and least important, but Nedda. (But without her who would come to see them.) For the first time I could really feel for Nedda and the duet between her and Silvio made even more on Nedda's side. And then there is her voice.... magic. A great Vesti la giubba by Cura, his whole performance was simply gold. In the end Canio kills Nedda by slicing her throat or something, but it is opera so she could still say SILVIO. Then Silvio is killed by the same method. In the end LA COMMEDIA E FINITA, and Canio kills himself too. 3 deaths, and almost an Otello ending.

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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

December 17, 2011: Cavalleria Rusticana in Copenhagen

2011-12-17 Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni), The Royal Danish Theatre (Copenhagen)

Santuzza = Irene Theorin
Turiddu = José Cura
Alfio = Fredrik Zetterström
Mamma Lucia = Randi Stene
Lola = Hanne Fischer

Stefano Ranzani, Conductor
Director - Kasper Holten
Set design - Mia Stensgaard
Costume design - Anja Vang Kragh
Light design - Bruno Poet

I enjoyed Cavalleria Rusticana. I actually did enjoy it. Irene Theorin was Santuzza in this production by director Kasper Holten with set designs by Mia Stensgaard and costumes by Anja Vang Kragh. She was on the stage during the whole opera with just a few seconds off. The director was really good in how the actions of Turriddu, Santuzza, Lola, Mamma Lucia and Alfio really reflected the persons' reality. The chorus did not get the individuel treatment. Here the chorus are mostly just a crowd, a menacing group, that acts with cruelty almost all the time. The director is really using the chorus to hammer us with the cruelty of the situation of Santuzza. This is the modern way of opera production: nothing is allowed to be nuanced, not if one can just hammer it down. Still. I enjoyed it. The music was beautifully played. Irene Theorin was close to an ideal Santuzza, even if one could still notice a wide vibrato. José Cura sang one of his best Turriddus. Hanne Fischer was a joy as Lola, what a voice, lush, beautiful, and full. One could actually believe Turriddu to fall for her, and to be so blind to Lola just being so totally self-sentered. Randi Stene was wonderful as Mamma Lucia. The role doesn't give her much to work on, sadly this production makes her even more invisible. Mamma Lucia is here reduced to a woman who almosts begs the people to buy her wine. Fredrik Zetterström was Alfio. Either he had a cold and could not sing out, or the role was simply beyond his vocal means, but as an actor he owned the role.

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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

September 1, 2012: Tosca in Stockholm

2012-09-01 Tosca (G. Puccini), Operan (Stockholm)


Floria Tosca = Lena Nordin
Mario Cavaradossi = Thiago Arancam
Baron Scarpia = Fredrik Zetterström
Angelotti = Anton Eriksson
Sagrestano = Magnus Kyhle
Spoletta = Daniel Ralphsson
Sciarrone = Michael Schmidberger
Jailer = Alar Pintsaar

Lawrence Renes, conductor

Stage design: Björn Brusewitz Costumes: Ann-Mari Anttila
Light design: Hans-Åke Sjöquist Producer: Knut Hendriksen

It was a pity I was not there when Jose Cura sang even though I had tickets. I had hoped for another tenor to love.

I did not love this tenor, Thiago Arancam. He was good-looking and could act. He was the ideal Mario Cavaradossi except for his voice. I do not like Jonas-Kaufmann-like tenor voices, they are too dark for me.  There was no announcement that the tenor was not well. The weather was bad, lots of rains so it would not have been strange if it had some impact on the opera singers. But with no announcement and with the enthusiasm of the audience I must believe that the voice I heard on September 1, 2012, was his normal opera voice. He had the weakest voice of all in this performance. His voice was dark and so "covered" that he seem to have to fight to get it out. It is great shame when then tenor can be overwon by the Sagrestano. Magnus Kyhle was magnificent and had a big voice. Lena Nordin as Floria Tosca was likewise in all shapes better than the tenor. The duet was less painful to listen to than the Recondita armonia. But it was act 1 so I thought it must get better. This must just be a bad start. Fredrik Zetterström as Baron Scarpia was perfect in all, singing, acting. Fredrik rules!!!

Act 2 and I am really getting to see the production as it is. And that it is nothing too special. It is a traditional opera production and the only thing that differentiates it from other traditional Tosca productions is that in Act 2 the stage floor is lifted up  while they are singing and we see the dungeon where Cavaradossi is tortured. But Cavaradossi has his back to the audience so it is not like we are really getting some gruesome detailed torture scene. It is rather clean and nice. And when Cavaradossi comes up again from the torture there is no blood that I could see. This is beautiful production that is not daring at all. Fredrik Zetterström, Thiago Arancam and Lena Nordin can all act well and they do it well. Only Fredrik Zetterström and Lena Nordin lifts the act up. Zetterström is the closest to the ideal Scarpia. Lena Nordin is a wonderful Tosca and sings the most vulnerable Vissi d'arte and for the first time the audience interrupts the opera with applause. She deserved the long applause of Wiener Staatsoper and many BRAVA shouts.

Act 3 and for the second time an aria ends in applause. But this time with shouts of BRAVO. For me I can only say yes, he did not completely ruin this aria as he did in Recondita armonia. I was sitting there so decidedly underwhelmed and confused by the "whole" audience going wild for Thiago. THEY loved him, I liked him after all he is the dark good-looking man. He can act.  Then the duet. I wonder how did it feel to be Lena Nordin singing with him. Or maybe she just loved it. I don't know. Lena saved the show!!! But I know I prefer to have a great Tosca, Scarpia AND Cavaradossi in Tosca.

Dear Thiago, you can only be better. I hope this was just this time, but if not, please get help with the issues. Love!!



OD Travel + Photos
Original blog post (Norwegian), Second blog post (English)

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