February 27, 2004: Jose Carreras Gala in Vienna

2004-02-27 Carreras Gala, Wiener Staatsoper

Part 1: Recital

José Carreras, tenor
Lorenzo Bavaj, piano

Part 2: Sly (act 3)
by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari

Sly = José Carreras
Dolly = Isabelle Kabatu
Diener = Boaz Daniel

David Giménez, conductor

Part 3: Carmen (act 4)
by Georges Bizet

Don José = José Carreras
Carmen = Agnes Baltsa
Escamillo = Boaz Daniel
Mercédès = Stella Grigorian
Frasquita = Bori Keszei

David Giménez, conductor



27. February 2004
José Carreras Benefit Gala,
Wiener Staatsoper.
Leukemia Foundation
30 years since Carreras made his debut in Wiener Staatsoper as the Duke in Rigoletto (1974).

Part 1:
Lieder & Arias by
Puccini, Verdi, Massenet, Cilea & Tschaikowsky.

Part 2: Sly (act 3)
by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari


Part 3: Carmen (act 4)
by Georges Bizet


(Firma Peter Kupfer Kulturmanagment & Media.)
José Carreras Benefiz-Gala zugunsten der Leukämiestiftung

-------------A Fantastic Night at the Opera--------------------------
Traveling had given my a bit of a head-
ache, but this was a magic day, Carreras in Wiener Staatsoper again, my head-ache just had to be cured in time. After a few tablets I was almost ready for Carreras and Opera. With my new camera I came to Vienna State Opera ready for a new meeting with Carreras' voice.

The first part was Carreras and Bavaj (piano) and songs of Tosti, Leoncavallo and Puccini. I found Carreras voice a bit heavy now for the lovely love songs, but in the French songs by Leoncavallo, and finally in Puccini he was much more in his right element. His voice is definitely right for opera.

The second part was Sly, last act. You really need to have seen the whole opera to really understand the agony Sly is in and what kind of person Sly is. Carreras was a wonderful Sly. But when Isabelle Kabatu came in that was when the level started to be ethereal. God, what a divine voice, and Carreras and Kabatu was just magic together. Sly dies and Dolly rages towards the cowards that have destroyed something really beautiful. It was a really heart-wrenching scene. And Giménez does make Wolf-Ferrari´s music really into the most fantastic music.

Giménez conducted Carmen with Baltsa & Carreras, last act. What can I say other than it was fantastic? Only this, I really wanted the whole opera with Carreras and Baltsa singing conducted by David Giménez.

Of course the Vienna audience was wild with excitement and love. There were speaks by Ioan Holender in the end, and a thank-you- speech from Carreras. And after the first part a big pay-check was given to Carreras.

OD Travel + Photos

June 25, 2006: Verismo Gala in Miskolc

2006-06-25 Verismo Gala, Miskolc Operafestival

Agnes Baltsa, mezzo
Mirolav Dvorsky, tenor
Natasa Kátai, soprano
Paolo Gavanelli, baritone

Miskolc Symphonic Orchestra
János Ács, conductor



7 pm, Grand Theatre

Verismo Gala


Miskolc Symphonic Orchestra

Host: Ferenc Baranyi
Conducted by: János Ács
Directed by: Imre Halasi



Verismo Gala, Miskolci Nemzetközi Operafesztivál

Agnes Baltsa, mezzo
Miroslav Dvorsky, tenor
Paolo Gavanello, baritone
Natasa Kátai, soprano

SO I guess you want to know was it worth it: YES. Agnes Baltsa was great she sang, of course the Santuzza aria (Voi lo sapete, o mamma) and the duet with Turriddu (no surprise there) but it did not end there, when Turriddu (Miroslav Dvorsky) went out, the music continued and then Paolo Gavanello came it and then it became the duet Santuzza/Alfio (not often a concert piece). IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!

First part was the Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci arias, duets. It started with Pagliacci Prolog which was very appropriate. The second part was the more unknown operas/arias. Started with what was probably something from the opera L'Amico Fritz, then Paolo Gavanello sang aria (CILEA?), it was the aria from Catalani's LA WALLY, Lamento di Federico. Gavanello sang Nemico della Patria (ANDREA CHENIER).... and finally Baltsa came and it was CARMEN, Seguedilla, Miroslav Dvorsky sang the flower aria, and the Verismo Gala ended with the Carmen duet, and when Carmen died it was over.

No extra numbers, nothing. But then my friend told me that it was something happening inside the house, an reception. So we went there. Eva Marton was there, and soon came Agnes Baltsa, Dvorský etc. Of course there was wine, food, and many other people. It was speeches, and naturally Agnes Baltsa was the toast. And I even got a chance to talk to her. I never got a chance to take a photo. Not in the theatre, the usher turned me down. And in the reception it never seemed to be the right thing to do. I could naturally just have asked Agnes Baltsa, I think she might have said yes. But it was enough somehow to be near.

BRAVA, AGNES BALTSA!!


PROGRAMME

1. Leoncavallo: PAGLIACCI - Prologo - "Si puo?" - PAOLO GAVANELLO, baritone

Hungarian
2. Leoncavallo: PAGLIACCI - "Qual fiamma avea nel guardo!" - "Stridono lassù" - Natasa Kátai, soprano

3. Mascagni: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA - "Voi lo sapete, o mamma" - Agnes Baltsa, mezzo


4. Mascagni: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA - "Mamma, quel vino è generoso" - Miroslav Dvorsky, tenor


Hungarian
5. Mascagni: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA - Intermezzo

6a. Mascagni: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA - "Tu qui, Santuzza" - Miroslav Dvorsky, tenor
& Agnes Baltsa, mezzo
6b. Mascagni: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA - "Iddio vi manda, compar Alfio" - Agnes Baltsa, mezzo & Paolo Gavanello, baritone


interval

7. Mascagni: L'AMICO FRITZ - Intermezzo

Hungarian
8. Ponchiello: LA GIOCONDA - "O monumento" - Paolo Gavanello, baritone


9. Catalani: LA WALLY - "Ebben! Ne andrò lontana" - Natasa Kátai, soprano

10. Puccini: IL TABARRO - "Nulla! Silenzio!" - Paolo Gavanello, baritone


Hungarian
11. Cilea: ADRIANA LECOUVREUR - "Io son l' umile ancella" - Natasa Kátai, soprano

12. Cilea: L'ARLESIANA - "E' la solita storia del pastore" - Miroslav Dvorsky, tenor

13. Giordano: ANDREA CHENIER - "Nemico della patria" - Paolo Gavanello, baritone


Hungarian
14. Bizet: CARMEN - "Près des remparts de Seville" - Agnes Baltsa, mezzo

15. Bizet: CARMEN - "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" - Miroslav Dvorsky, tenor

Hungarian
16. Bizet: CARMEN - "C'est toi? - C'est moi" - Agnes Baltsa, mezzo & Miroslav Dvorsky, tenor

OD Travel

May 3, 2015: Neil Shicoff Gala in Vienna

2015-05-03 Neil Shicoff Gala, Wiener Staatsoper

NEIL SHICOFF - 40 JAHRE BÜHNE

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Jacques Offenbach) – Prolog 
Hoffmann: Neil Shicoff
Lindorf: Paolo Rumetz
Nicklausse: Stephanie Houtzeel
Andres: Thomas Ebenstein
Luther: Marcus Pelz
Hermann: Clemens Unterreiner
Nathanael: Carlos Osuna

Pique Dame (Peter I. Tschaikowski) – 2. Akt, 2. Szene 
Hermann: Neil Shicoff
Lisa: Krassimira Stoyanova
Gräfin: Anja Silja
Mascha: Hyuna Ko 

La Juive (Jacques Fromental Halévy) – 4. Akt
Eléazar: Neil Shicoff
Kardinal Brogni: Ferruccio Furlanetto
Rachel: Krassimira Stoyanova
Eudoxie: Simina Ivan

Carmen (Georges Bizet) – 4. Akt 
Carmen: Elena Maximova
Don José: Neil Shicoff
Escamillo: Clemens Unterreiner
Frasquita: Simina Ivan
Mercédès: Juliette Mars

Frédéric Chaslin, conductor

What a disappointment, coming to Neil Shicoff 's Gala and no Agnes Baltsa as Carmen to his Don Jose. From the greatest Don Carlo of Rolando Villazon et co. in Berlin. Had I known that Baltsa would not sing I would have seen Don Carlo for the 2nd time on this day instead I got the cold in Vienna and Neil Shicoff.

Having just seen Les Contes d'Hoffmann with Rolando Villazon in a great production seeing the prolog was nothing much. Shicoff can act and sing, but he is not my guy.

Pique Dame - Shicoff was great as Hermann. Anja Silja was not that audible. Krassimira Stoyanova was having an Off day, or maybe it was just that I was OFF.

Interval

La Juive - not the whole end but we got the Aria from Eleazar. Simina Ivan and Krassimira Stoyanova could have been the Duet of the Ages but they had aged since I saw them in the of Eudoxie and Rachel. Ferruccio Furlanetto as Brogni, he only gets better with age but then he is a bass.

CARMEN - the end
Elena Maximova is the new CARMEN on the block. Neil Shicoff acts but he is no Carreras, Domingo, Cura & Alvarez. Clemens Unterreiner was Escamillo and a good, solid one.

Frederic Chaslin conducted it all.

Then  when we thought it was over we got 45 minutes or so with speaches. Shicoff ended it with his I am so nervous, the most nervous if them all. The audience gives us the energy not the other way around. And thank god for my wife, Dawn Kotoski.


And I am still not cured. Kleenex forever!!!

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