January 18, 2004: Tosca in Berlin

2014-01-18 Tosca (Puccini), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Floria Tosca = Tatjana Serjan
Mario Cavaradossi = Marcello Giordani
Baron Scarpia = Sergey Murzaev
Cesare Angelotti = Ben Wager
Der Mesner = Seth Carico
Spoletta = Jörg Schörner
Sciarrone = Andrew Harris
Ein Schließer = Noel Bouley

Matthias Foremny, conductor
Kinderchor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Director - Boleslaw Barlog
Stage-design, Costume-design  - Filippo Sanjust
ChöreThomas Richter

KinderchorChristian Lindhorst

There is this idea that one can see too many performance of one opera. Then there is perfection like on Saturday January 18, 2014 in Deutsche Oper Berlin. This is on of the classic productions that will never be tired, especially when it has been rehearsed so well that it seem to be real here and now. Marcello Giordani was a wonderful Mario Cavaradossi, perfectly sung and acted. Tatjana Serjan was just so right in this role, Tosca was in her bones and airs. Sergey Murzaev was just the perfect Scarpia.

Sergey Murzaev was the perfect Scarpia. Only hardened Thomas Hampson fans would be disappointed by Murzaev. This was a smooth, good-looking Scarpia who just occationally let the inner demon out. His minions looked more intimidating than Scarpia himself. But Roma knew of his reputation. Marcello Giordani made his Mario Cavaradossi a much more noble, politically savvy and screwd mind than most tenors give the role. Tatjana Serjan's Floria Tosca had also a wider pallette to paint than most sopranos. Then add upp a production and regie that takes everything in and draws the right picture all the way. Best Tosca ever!!

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

September 2, 1995: Puritani in Vienna

1995-09-02 I Puritani (Vincenzo Bellini), Wiener Staatsoper

Lord Gualtiero Valton = Goran Simic
Sir Giorgio = Alastair Miles
Lord Arturo Talbot = Marcello Giordani
Sir Riccardo Forth = Roberto Frontali*
Sir Bruno Roberton = Peter Jelosits*
Enrichetta di Francia = Svetlana Serdar
Elvira = Edita Gruberova

Jan Latham-König, conductor






Inszenierung - John Dew

Bühnenbild - Heinz Balthes

Kostüme - Jose Manuel Vasquez

Chorleitung - Dietrich D. Gerpheide

Samstag, 2. September 1995 STAATSOPER
13. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung
Anläßlich des 25jährigen Bühnenjubiläums von Frau Kammersängerin Edita Gruberova
I Puritani
Oper in drei Akten von Carlo Pepoli
Musik vonVincenzo Bellini

Musikalische Leitung Jan Latham-König
Inszenierung John Dew
BühnenbildHeinz Balthes
Kostüme Jose Manuel Vasquez
Chorleitung Dietrich D. Gerpheide


Sir Riccardo Forth Roberto Frontali*
Sir Bruno Roberton, Offizier Peter Jelosits*

Soldaten Cromwells,
Herolde und Waffenträger
Talbos und Valtons,
Puritaner, Hofdamen, Pagen und Diener

Zeit der HandlungMitte des 17 Jahrhunderts
Im ersten und zweiten Akt spielt die Handlung in einer Wehrburg in
der Nähe von Plymouth, im dritten auf einem Feld vor der Burg

* Rollendebüt an der
Wiener Staatsoper



Wonderful to see Edita Gruberova live. in opera. It is exciting to hear a new opera for me. Gruberova is great as Elvira. The other singers are also first class. But in the duel scene it is impossible to see who is the tenor or baritone. They are too alike. I have to know who to cheer.

OD Travel

June 30, 2007: La Boheme in Verona

2007-06-30 La Boheme (Puccini), Arena di Verona

Rodolfo = Marcello Giordani
Mimì = Tamar Iveri
Marcello = Gabriele Viviani
Musetta = Donata D'Annunzio Lombardi
Colline = Marco Spotti
Alcindoro = Angelo Nardinocchi
Schaunard = Fabio Previati
Benoit = Graziano Polidori
Parpignol = Carlo Bosi
A customs official = Federico Longhi

Lü Jia, conductor



La Bohème


Opera in 4 acts by
Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa e Luigi Illica

opera and synopsis


Arena
30 June 2007 at 21.15
Season Tickets


Principal Conductor Lü Jia
Director Arnaud Bernard
Scenographer William Orlandi
Costume Designer William Orlandi
Choir Master Marco Faelli
Lighting Designer Paolo Mazzon
Director of stage design Giuseppe De Filippi Venezia



Orchestra, Chorus and technicians
from the Arena di Verona

Another fine day in Verona, Italy. Problem with Arena di Verona and La Boheme, is that the stage is huge, and that this opera is more of a intimate romance. Of course act 2 is a great, big scene with lots of people. But this problem was a Zeffirelli-like production, huge and the little people got lost. Not being able to find out right a way Rodolfo and Mimi was a disappointment. Zeffirelli would not have made that fault, I believe. he would have a way to highlight the important people in the opera. Act 1 + 4, all action in a tiny bit of the stage, in the middle. But the Arena is so big why did the director not make the attic of the artists, Marcello and Rodolfo, huge using most of the arena stage area.

Other problems was for me all the circus of act2, people blowing fires from their mouth. Just a show that made it difficult to get the real operatic action... And act 3, very bad, hated the bicycles thing. Here we are supposed to see peasant woman at the customs controlling their bread, milk cans etc. The bicycling was just a circus thing... And act 4, when the guys are pretending to be at a ball. Here they were not dancing, they were drying up laundry and playing with that, Gavotta, Pavanella, Fandango... no dance.

The singers, orchestra was all great and the production was not all bad, just not quite right and Arena was not the right place.

OD Travel + Photos

Original blog post

June 2, 2004: I Vespri Siciliani in Zurich

2004-06-02 I Vespri Siciliani (Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich

Elena = Paoletta Marrocu
Arrigo = Marcello Giordani
Procida = Ruggero Raimondi
Montfort = Leo Nucci

Carlo Rizzi, conductor



Mi 02 19.30-22.45 I VESPRI SICILIANI
Rizzi/Lievi/Balò/Raffelsberger
Marrocu, Schmid; Nucci, Raimondi, Giordani, Mayr, Groissböck, Winkler, Christoff, Murga, O'Reilly
Mittwoch-Abonnement B, Preise VI

2.6.2004 Nicolai Ghiaurov is dead! I did not know that he died in the morning when I came to the opera house for Verdi's Vespri Siciliani with Ruggero Raimondi, another star basso, as Procida. After the only intermission (before act 4), the indendant of Opernhaus Zurich Alexander Pereira came out, first he said nobody is sick, but the opera house has just received a call that the great basso Nicolai Ghiaurov is dead, he died this morning. The house sighed at this devastating news. Alexander Pereira then asked the audience to stand up for this great artist. And the house rouse up. And we all sat down as if we were only one body. The indentant told a bit of Ghiaurov's career in Zurich, and he said that the Opernhaus is dedicating this performance to Nicolai Ghiaurov.

The artists was all grieved by the loss, but nevertheless this two last acts was really fantastic sung and acted.

And now back to the beginning. The Overture of I Vespri Siciliani is a truly wonderful piece, and it brought back memories of the first 3 tenors concert, the original in Roma. I could see the images from the TV, and when the overture ended I almost waited that Carreras would come to sing Lamento di Federico. But instead there was another Lamento for Federico, Elena is mourning her brother. Paoletta Marrocu as Elena, maybe it was my ears that needed getting used to her voice or she sang better as the evening progressed, or both. Leo Nucci, Guido di Monforte, was really making a tremendously fine job in Vespri. It was a perfect role for him, his voice was really beautiful and his presence was tremendous. Marcello Giordani, Arrigo, was in the first 3 acts not in the best voice, but luckily in act 4+5 he was fantastic. Ruggero Raimondi, Giovanni da Procida, was wonderful but unfortunately in this opera all the characters is one-dimensional so it was only one side of RR, he was all revenge and patriotic. Before the intermission I thought that only the overture was highlight but luckily there were more "juicy" stuff in act 4+5.

All day long the skies were threatening with rain but the rain held until after the opera. Then the rain poured down. No waiting at the stage door for me, no umbrella and after all tomorrow I will have to get up early in the morning for a early flight to VIENNA and my second Italiana.

OD Travel + Photos