March 3, 2012: Turandot in Berlin

2012-03-03 Turandot (Puccini), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Turandot = Maria Guleghina
Liu = Manuela Uhl
Calaf = Roy Cornelius Smith
Timur = Stephen Bronk
Ping = Alexey Bogdanchikov
Pang = Jörg Schörner
Pong = Yosep Kang
Althoum = Peter Maus
Mandarin = Hyung-Wook Lee
1st voice  = Kathryn Lewek
2nd voice  = Rachel Hauge

Jesus Lopez Cobos, conductor

Director - Lorenzo Fioroni
Stage-design - Paul Zoller
Costume-design - Katharina Gault
Choir Conductor - William Spaulding

Giacomo Puccini
TURANDOT
Online-Karten: € 28,- | 48,- | 69,- | 86,-
[zuzüglich € 2,- Service-Gebühr]

Samstag, 03.03.2012, 19:30 Uhr
Dauer: ca. 2 Stunden 30 Minuten | Eine Pause
Dramma lirico in drei Akten
Libretto von Giuseppe Adami und Renato Simoni, nach dem Schauspiel von Carlo Gozzi
Uraufführung am 25. April 1926 in Mailand
Premiere an der Deutschen Oper Berlin am 13. September 2008

BRAVA, Manuela Uhl!
BRAVO, Roy Cornelius Smith!
BRAVA, Maria Guleghina!!!!!!



I saw this production in 2010 with Maria Guleghina and Jose Cura as Turandot and Calaf. The Regie was the same, offensive nonsense. In 2010 I said not even Maria Guleghina could save it. But she was the saving grace now. She sang the most wonderful IN QUESTA REGGIA and her duets with Roy Cornelius Smith (Calaf) was also pure magic. Manuela Uhl was a fantastic Liu vocally but this was not the best production to showcase her talent. She did well as she acted like the director wanted her too, but that meant she was not able to really be Liu at the same time.

Remembering this Turandot from 2010 made it possible for me just to take in what was right about this Turandot and ignore the nonsense. The singers was in their best form. The chorus sang well. Jesus Lopez Cobos is a wonderful conductor.

It was an amazing operatic evening. Roy Cornelius Smith was just great as Calaf. Maria Guleghina simply was a great Turandot. Biggest surprise for me was Manuela Uhl in her great scene, it was simply unbelievable singing. BRAVA!!!!

OD Travel + Photos
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February 22, 2008: Nabucco in Vienna

2008-02-22 Nabucco (G. Verdi), Wiener Staatsoper

Nabucco = Alberto Gazale
Ismaele = Marian Talaba
Zaccaria = Giacomo Prestia
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Elisabeth Kulman*
Il Gran Sacerdote di Belo = Goran Simic
Abdallo = Benedikt Kobel
Anna = Caroline Wenborne*

Pier Giorgio Morandi, conductor

Two * role-debuts in Vienna State Opera. My sympathy lies with Abigaille. One could play her as just a power-hungry bitch. But then she is incomplete and you would oversee vital clues. She is Nabucco's daughter, or so she believes. She loves her father who all the time shows his affections is only for Fenena. Abigaille want to be loved. But even her love-interest love Fenena. But Abigaille is the daughter who really steps in Nabucco's shoes. For both Nabucco and Ismaele (the man she loves) she is willing to let go of power and instead of being Queen/Princess to be loved and love. If you really listen to what Abigaille says to Ismaele and Nabucco then you can hear a lot of compassion and love. But naturally Abigaille is really a complicated woman.

In the duet between Nabucco and Abigaille when Nabucco longs for Fenena, she says "You have another daughter" and runs towards him, and he rewards her with you are just a slave's daughter. Later he tries to save Fenena but Nabucco misses vital clues. Had he listened he would have understood to try to give Abigaille the kingdom (You shall be the Queen) is the wrong move, had he offered her "give me my daughter Fenena back and then then you too will be my daughter, and I will be you father) then I think things would be different. But he only sees the power-hungry woman and not a woman who wants her father's affection.

I see all the other characters in Nabucco as more fanatical and dangerous. Nabucco is a blood-hungry lion and so is Zaccaria even if Zaccaria is more religious. Ismaele and Fenena is also hard-hearted towards Abigaille and a bit fanatical. Of course the high-priest of Belo is fanatical. So Abigaille is the only one that is human and when Maria Guleghina sings Abigaille who cannot love her...

The Vienna production of Nabucco:
Inszenierung: Günter Krämer
Bühne: Petra Buchholz
Bühne: Manfred Voss
Kostüme: Falk Bauer
Licht: Manfred Voss
Musikalische Studienleitung: Jendrik Springer


I never quite liked it.
1- During the overture children acted like they were Abigaille, Fenena, Ismaele and Zaccaria in the children's room. That play did not give me anything.

2- This production uses the Holocaust in a way that I really don't think fits, not to the opera, and not at all, it seem like abuse of that great tragedy.

3- And the Holocaust reference would not be universally understood unless you have seen photos of Jews waiting with their luggage at the train station and read enough to understand what terrible places they were really going to.

Otherwise the production works very enough.

THE SINGERS

Maria Guleghina was a wonderful Abigaille. Her singing and acting was superb. She showed all the nuances of Abigaille. GREAT!

Alberto Gazale was really coming to be a Nabucco to be listening too. A bit weak in the beginning but then he really found his voice and was from that point on a Nabucco to be counted on. Leo Nucci, Renato Bruson, Juan Pons was great as Nabucco and now a new Nabucco has arrived. And I loved it how he when Abigaille came in dying to the stage I saw compassion in this last scene of the opera. GREAT!

Elisabeth Kulman sang Fenena. A beautiful voice, did her part wonderfully, one really hopes she gets a role she can shine into. Fenena is a small part. But she did it well!!

Marian Talaba was Ismaele. He really did sing and act well. A great part for Marian Talaba!

Goran Simic as the Great Priest of Belo (Baal) was really impressing this time. Full-bearded and full-voices. Great!!

Abdallo = Benedikt Kobel (did well)

Caroline Wenborne as Anna was a disappointment. Such a small role and she managed to be so very late in her most important moment "Oh fratelli, perdonate! Un'Ebrea salvato egli ha."

Giacomo Prestia as Zaccaria was really impressing. Rich voiced and acting well. GREAT!!

And after the opera: Maria Guleghina talked to her fans in fluent Italian and was the sweetest person. I even got to talk to her. WOW, I got even more a fan of her after that encounter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VIVA MARIA GULEGHINA!!!!!!!!

OD Travel + Photos

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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

January 30, 2010: Nabucco in Zurich

2010-01-30 Nabucco (Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich

Nabucco = Juan Pons
Ismaele = Boiko Zvetanov
Zaccaria = Carlo Colombara
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Stefania Kaluza
High Priest of Belo = Cheyne Davidson
Abdallo = Miroslav Christoff
Anna = Liuba Chuchrova

Nello Santi, conductor

NABUCCO by Giuseppe Verdi. Maria Guleghina was a fantastic Abigaille. Juan Pons was suddenly much thinner but still made a great Nabucco. Boiko Zvetanov was looking like a small Dennis O'Neill. But he was great as Ismaele. One could easily forget his heavy and small look and understand why two women were in love with him. Stefania Kaluza was singing Fenena, she was great in the ensembles, duets, etc. but strangely did not make such a great impression in her aria. Chorus was great. Nello Santi conducted.

Obviously Jonathan Miller had been thinking too much about history. Would really the women and men be separated when they were about to be executed.

Inszenierung
Jonathan Miller

Ausstattung
Isabella Bywater

Lichtgestaltung
Hans-Rudolf Kunz

Choreinstudierung
Jürg Hämmerli


Orchester der Oper Zürich

Chor der Oper Zürich

OD Travel + Photos

OD Travel - January: Nabucco and travel from Zurich

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January 29, 2011: Andrea Chenier in Berlin

2011-01-29 Andrea Chenier (Giordano), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Andrea Chenier = Salvatore Licitra
Carlo Gérard = Seng Hyoun Ko
Maddalena de Coigny = Maria Guleghina
Bersi = Diana Axentii
Comtessa de Coigny = Katarina Bradic
Madelon = Liane Keegan
Roucher = Ben Wager
Pietro Fléville = Krzysztof Szumanski
L'abbé = Peter Maus
Fouquier Tinville = Hyung-Wook Lee
Mathieu = Nathan De’Shon Myers
L'Incroyable = Burkhard Ulrich
Schmidt = Seth Carico
Majordomo = Sergio Vitale
Dumas = Sergio Vitale

James Allen Gähres, conductor

Inszenierung - John Dew
Spielleitung - Anja Nicklich
Bühne - Peter Sykora
Kostüme - Jose-Manuel Vazquez
Chöre - Thomas Richter
Choreographische Mitarbeit - Klaus Beelitz

Maria Guleghina sang a wonderful Maddalena di Coigny. It was brave to do so when suffering from bronchitis. But I really wish she would take better care of herself and not think too much about her fans. We do love her well enough to see her healthy and sound even if we must suffer not see her onstage but another soprano. Get well and sleep well!

I worried about Salvatore Licitra as Chenier and about the baritone who sang Gerard but they only got better and better. The tenor used his lyrical instrument to the fullest. He gave a really beautifully sung Andrea Chenier. The baritone did not seem to have the right powerful voice in act 1 but that soon changed. He gave a really thrilling Nemico della patria. It was a truly believable duet between Gerard and Maddalena.

I loved the Regie. It was traditional and naturalistic at the same time as it was innovating using the space to maximize the history at the same time as it was minimalistic.

After the opera I got the change to give Maria Guleghina my get well wishes. Sleep well, my favorite Diva! Take care!!!!

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January 19, 2013: Macbeth in Genova

2013-01-19 Macbeth (Verdi), Teatro Carlo Felice, Genova

Macbeth = George Gagnidze

Lady Macbeth = Maria Guleghina

Macduff = Rubens Pelizzari 

Banco = Roberto Scandiuzzi

Malcolm = Vincenzo Costanzo

Dama di Lady Macbeth = Sara Cappellini Maggiore

Medico = Francesco Verna

Domestico di Macbeth = Francesco Sorichetti

Un Sicario = Alessandro Pastorino

Un Araldo = Alessio Bianchini

Andrea Battistoni, conductor

Regia - Henning Brockhaus

Scene - Josef Svoboda

Ricostruzione allestimento scenico - Benito Leonori

Costumi - Nanà Cecchi

Allestimento in coproduzione con:

Fondazione Teatro Lirico G. Verdi di Trieste

Fondazione Pergolesi Spontini di Jesi

Maria Guleghina was the reason I had come to Genova to see Verdi's Macbeth. She was wonderful. This was a dark vision of Macbeth and his lady. Not much reason to like this two persons. In the scene of the prophecies Macbeth almost beheads Banco before he returns to reason. Lady Macbeth is one of the witches. This production is the only one that I have seen that is really successfull with the witches. This production is thoroughly thought out. Video projection is used but one never think "ah, video" it is integrated in the theatrical forms. Video is used as partt of the scenography and part of the regie. Rubens Pellizario was wonderful as Macduff. As part of this dark vision Macduff almost crowns himself but then cries of VITTORIA and Malcolm is crowned. 

O
OD Travel & Photos

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December 30, 2010: Tosca in Oslo

2010-12-30 Tosca (G. Puccini), Den Norske Opera & Ballett

Floria Tosca = Maria Guleghina
Mario Cavaradossi = Miroslav Dvorsky
Scarpia = Greer Grimsley
Sakristanen = Ketil Hugaas
Angelotti = Yngve André Søberg
Sciarrone = Andreas Franzén
Spoletta = David Fielder
Fangevokter = Øystein Skre
Gjetergutt = Henrik Enger Holm
Dommer = Steinar Zahl
Roberti = Øivind Solberg4

John Helmer Fiore, conductor

Regie - Paul Curran
Scenography / costumes - Kevin Knight
Light design - David Jacques
Cooperation with Canadian Opera Company

Music Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: Giuseppe Giacosa og Luici Illica

This production premiered by Canadian Opera Company 26. January 2008, Norwegian National Opera 26. August 2010.


Almost New Year's Eve in the Opera. Tosca is one of my favorite operas, and Maria Guleghina is one of my favorite opera singers. I sat in 3rd Balcony almost in the middle. I could see the whole stage all the time.

Paul Curran had the Regie for this Tosca. It was a traditional production with much attention to the details. Puccini's music had already decided much of the timing and the action. Naturally it is hard to get all the details right in every performance. But for the first time I noticed that Puccini had put Angelotti's heavy breathing when he finally was in the church and could relax, when he composed it. It is unfortunately that many directors seem to overlook these clues in the music when they make their "regie". What we now often call Regie-Theater is neither Regie nor Theater, it is a director creating his own play while ignoring most of what would make the opera or theater a living breathing truth appearing before our eyes. So this Tosca production proves that a tradional setting of an opera, where one put it in context and in its own time need not be Old and Boring.

Attention to detail made Tosca real and interesting. From the beginning when Angelotti came in exhausted and till Tosca leapt to her death it was all believable and interesting. And the music was excellent, singers, orchestra was all together to make it opera-magic. Not one person on stage was un-real. But only in the movies could you make sure that everything would happen on the right Puccini note. This was real theater, no editing of false moves was possible. I think it must be absolutely impossible in a theater to close the door at the precise time at the cantata in act 2. Impossible! But it was so close that I would say that the impossible was achieved.

It is seldom one really feel that Cavaradossi and the Sagrestano is really preparing the colors when Cavaradossi sings "Recondita armonia" but of course here one knows it. Miroslav Dvorsky was a Cavaradossi who was really a painter, a revolutionary, a lover of Tosca, a smart man. The interaction of Cavaradossi with Angelotti was also interesting with Angelotti recognizing Cavaradossi and hugs him, but the painter does not recognized him and rejects him to the floor. So real... But then Cavaradossi understands that it is Angelotti who has escaped prison and promise to help him even it can mean his death, which in the end it does.

Mario Cavaradossi still has his head with him even if Angelotti looses his wits and his bags of women's cloths. He picks the bag up but misses the fan. Again something we seldom see so clearly as in this production. Tosca comes. Maria Guleghina is Tosca and one does fall for her spell. Paul Curran had made his choices in how to portray the relation of Cavaradossi and Tosca. I might disagree about making Tosca a little too fickle but when it works and really has foundation in the opera, then it can be true, too. This production is the first production I have seen where Tosca not only comes with flowers but also lays jewels at the Madonna. Attention to details is everywhere in this production. How happy I am to see a Tosca performance where the timing of when Tosca notices la Marchesa Attavanti is the Maddalena that Cavaradossi is painting, is correct.

It was a lovely love duet between Miroslav Dvorsky and Maria Guleghina.

The situation that Angelotti is in, is grave. It is serious business, and when Tosca has left and Angelotti and Cavaradossi meets again, Cavaradossi is taking care of things not like it is only theater but as a life and death situation. They leave. The Sagrestano comes in with a lot of people. And there is a Baccano in chiesa. As a lively scene play out with children, priests, nuns, men and women, the stage is prepared for the Te Deum with women taking the paper bits that Tosca teared up the Cavaradossi drawing of Attavanti, and priests takes away the painter's things. Everything that happens on the stage seem natural and organic... Then Scarpia and his minions appears. It is true as the opera says that this Scapia is feared by Rome's inhabitants. Even the children knows that this is a dangerous man. His minions is also recognized as unfriendly and to be feared. They are all relieved to be allowed to go. But the poor Sagrestano must stay. When Scarpia seem to forget him for a moment, he tries to escape, but the Scarpia's minion's punished the Sagrestano with violence in a corner of the church. Scarpia care not for him. Then Tosca comes in looking for Cavaradossi and the Sagrestano mocks her and is seized by Scarpia's men and pulled away. Scarpia stalks her, pretending to want to offer her Holy Water. Scarpia had planned this since he understood that Cavaradossi, Tosca's lover, was involved in the Angelotti affair. Tosca's jealousy was roused by Attavanti's fan that Scarpia supposedly found with the painter's things. When Tosca leaves Scarpia arrange for 3 spies and one vehicle to follow Tosca. The Te Deum is in progress, an impressive affair. This Scarpia leaves then by almost crashing the whole procession.

Act 2. The best Vissi d'arte ever.

Act 3. A wonderful E lucevan le stelle and a perfect Love Duet by Miroslav Dvorsky and Maria Guleghina.

What can I say? It was perfect.

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December 28, 2010: Tosca in Oslo

2010-12-28 Tosca (G. Puccini), Den Norske Opera & Ballett

Floria Tosca = Maria Guleghina
Mario Cavaradossi = Miroslav Dvorsky
Scarpia = Greer Grimsley
Sakristanen = Ketil Hugaas
Angelotti = Yngve André Søberg
Sciarrone = Andreas Franzén
Spoletta = David Fielder
Fangevokter = Øystein Skre
Gjetergutt = Henrik Enger Holm
Dommer = Steinar Zahl
Roberti = Øivind Solberg

John Helmer Fiore, conductor

Regie - Paul Curran
Scenography / costumes - Kevin Knight
Light design - David Jacques
Cooperation with Canadian Opera Company

Music Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: Giuseppe Giacosa og Luici Illica

Cooperation with Canadian Opera Company.

This production premiered by Canadian Opera Company 26. January 2008, Norwegian National Opera 26. August 2010.

Both Greer Grimsley (Scarpia) and Miroslav Dvorsky (Cavaradossi) seemed to have been affected by the cold weather but Maria Guleghina (Tosca) was as her usual self. I was sitting on 3rd balcony on the right side. I could see more of the stage than on December 19 when I sat on Parkett right. From the beginning I could hear that Miroslav Dvorsky was not in his best form but that did but that did not hinder him from singing a fine Recondita armonia and an exceptional E lucevan le stelle. Only in the last duet it happened he lost his voice painfully. Luckily at his side a great collegue, Maria Guleghina who grasped his hands and comforted the tenor with her presence and her big voice and as a miracle the tenor found his voice back and that made the last duet even more moving. Tenor and soprano make it part of the opera. It was a happy opera night for Maria Guleghina who sang one of he finest Vissi d'arte. Maria Guleghina's interpretation of Tosca is always something to admire. She put her heart and soul into every part she sings. At this moment it is her Tosca and her Abigaille that I most admire.

After the opera I found the stage entrance and I went in to wait for my idol. I was alone, people left the opera house and there she was, the Diva with her beautiful assistant. Maria Guleghina and I are friends on Facebook but I never thought the Diva would look at me and say "it is your birthday, isn't it?". And then she sang me Happy Birthday in a natural, un-operatic way. And her assistant took a photo of me with Maria on my Birthday. O lucky day!

OD Travel + Photos

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December 19, 2010: Tosca in Oslo

2010-12-19 Tosca (G. Puccini), Den Norske Opera & Ballett

Floria Tosca = Maria Guleghina
Mario Cavaradossi = Miroslav Dvorsky
Scarpia = Greer Grimsley
Sakristanen = Ketil Hugaas
Angelotti = Yngve André Søberg
Sciarrone = Andreas Franzén
Spoletta = David Fielder
Fangevokter = Øystein Skre
Gjetergutt = Henrik Enger Holm
Dommer = Steinar Zahl
Roberti = Øivind Solberg

John Helmer Fiore, conductor

Regie - Paul Curran
Scenography / costumes - Kevin Knight
Light design - David Jacques
Cooperation with Canadian Opera Company

Music Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: Giuseppe Giacosa og Luici Illica

Cooperation with Canadian Opera Company.

This production premiered by Canadian Opera Company 26. January 2008, Norwegian National Opera 26. August 2010.

On December 19th, 2010 it was matinee at 1500. It was Maria Guleghina first time as Tosca at Norwegian National Opera, Oslo. It was the fourth time for me since I have earlier seen her as Tosca at Vienna State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Opernhaus Zurich.

I loved the production by regisseur Paul Curran. It was as historical as an opera can be. I sat on right so I could not seen the whole stage but that did not prevent me from enjoying this Tosca. Paul Curran used minor characters and statists to liven up things but never at the expense of the opera.

Maria Guleghina was the perfect Tosca even though she sometimes sang too quietly but I always felt she did it to be true to the person she acted. Miroslav Dvorsky sang and acted a fine Cavaradossi. It was sad that the conductor only stopped the music for applause for the aria in the first act and not for the 3rd act bacause his E lucevan le stelle was really great where Recondita armornia he was more like he was still warming up a bit. The audience really yearned to applaud so it applauded Maria Guleghina and Miroslav Dvorsky in the middle of their 3rd act duet.

The applause for Recondita armonia seemed to be an automatic response to the conductor pausing the orchestra. The act 1 duet applause came more from the heart of the audience. But the applause after Vissi d'arte had the feeling of the audience going wild for Maria Guleghina, and the applause after the opera was "endless".

Greer Grimsley was Baron Scarpia. Just perfect. Maybe too perfect. Or maybe I have seen too many Tosca performance. The chorus, orchestra, statists and the other singers were also wonderful. Paul Curran must be so proud. Maria Guleghina clearly loved the production and Paul Curran.

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November 19, 2011: Oberto in Paris, France

2011-11-19 Oberto (Verdi), Theatre des Champs-Elysees (Paris)

Riccardo = Valter Borin
Cuniza = Ekaterina Gubanova
Leonora = Maria Guleghina
Oberto = Michele Pertusi
Imelda = Sophie Podjiclis

Carlo Rizzi, conductor

Orchestre National de France
Chœur de Radio France
direction Kalman Strausz

Oberto by Verdi in Theatre des Champs-Elysee. Concert version. From the first notes of the ouverture it was definitely Verdi. The first opera by Giuseppe Verdi, so of course it was young Verdi that some times sounded a bit like the older opera composers. Valter Borin sang Riccardo as Fabio Sartori was unwell. He sang Riccardo's two arias beautifully. In Oberto the tenor (Riccardo) is the villain and the bass (Oberto) is the hero.

Maria Guleghina with blond hair and glasses, she looked wonderful. Unfortately she was not well so sometimes the planned execution of notes did succed, but she was still able to make this Leonora a special treat. For those that simply does not like Maria Guleghina even tried to pin the the cutting of caballettas to the soprano, but it was more Radio France etc.

Ekaterina Gubanova sang the role of Princess Cuniza. The mezzo-soprano was in great shape and showed the noble Cuniza in all her glory.

Michele Pertusi was Oberto, father of Leonora and the enemy of Riccardo. Oberto is obsessed with honour. For modern eyes Oberto is too into himself and his own feelings to think what actions would mean for his daughter. Riccardo on the other hand only realize how wrong he has acted after he kills Oberto. Michele Pertusi was wonderful as Oberto, naturally.



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September 25, 2014: L'Opera e la grande Bellezza in Arena di Verona

2014-09-25 L'Opera è la grande bellezza, Arena di Verona

Maria Guleghina

José Cura

Carlo Guelfi

Presentatore Michele Mirabella

Orchestra Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini

Massimo Zanetti, conductor

Coro Teatro Regio di Parma, Coro Università degli studi di Perugia, Coro dell’Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia e le Voci Bianche Adamu

Regìa e progetto scenografico di ENRICO STINCHELLI

Coreografie di “Modulo Factory

Almost 7 minutes of talk by presenter before and then a lot of talk later on too.

Orchestra & ballet

"1. Terzo ballabile Macbeth"

Carlo Guelfi, baritone

2. Pietà, rispetto, amore (Macbeth) "

Jose Cura & Maria Guleghina

"3. Già nella notte densa (Otello)"

Jose Cura

"4. E lucevan le stelle (Tosca) "

Maria Guleghina

"5. Vissi d'arte (Tosca) "

Orchestra & ballett & chorus

"6. La Traviata - matadori & zingari"

Carlo Guelfi, Maria Guleghina

"7. Donna, chi sei? (Nabucco) "

Chorus & Orvhestra

"8. Patria oppressa (Macbeth) "

Jose Cura, Carlo Guelfi

"9. Desdemona rea...Sì pel ciel (Otello)"

PAUSE

fanfara dei carabinieri (2 minutes)

"10. korpsmusikk"

fanfara dei carabinieri

"11. Gloria all'Egitto, Aida con marcia trionfale e balletto"

fanfara dei carabinieri (2 minutes)

"12. ukjent korpsmusikk"

Maria Guleghjina

"13. Nel dì della vittoria (Macbeth)"

Jose Cura

"14. Vesti la giubba (Pagliacci) "

Carlo Gulefi, Chorus

 "16. Te Deum (Tosca)"

Maria Guleghina, Jose Cura & Chorus

 "17. In questa reggia (Turandot) "

Carlo Guelfi

"18. Nemico della Patria (Chénier) "

Chorus

"19. Va’, pensiero (Nabucco)"

Jose Cura, Chorus

"20. Nessun dorma (Turandot)"

Maria Guleghina, tutti

"21. Finale Turandot TUTTI"

Jose Cura, tutti

22. National Anthem of Italy "Fratelli d'Italia"

   

Verona, il tenore argentino Josè Cura incanta l’Arena

Momenti di grande emozione quando l'artista ha intonato il nostro inno nazionale cantando "Fratelli d'Italia"

---

My review would be almost the same except that I did not know that the last item was the National Anthem of Italy "Fratelli d'Italia"

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 11, 2010: Tosca in Zurich

2010-09-11 Tosca (G. Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Floria Tosca = Maria Guleghina

Mario Cavaradossi = Marcelo Alvarez

Baron Scarpia = Ruggero Raimondi

Angelotti = Valeriy Murga

Mesner = Giuseppe Scorsin

Spoletta = Andreas Winkler

Sciarrone = Morgan Moody

Nello Santi, conductor

Iszenierung - Robert Carson

Spielleitung - Aglaja Nicolet

Austattung - Anthony Ward

Lichtgestaltung - Davy Cunningham

Regiemitarbeit - Alexander Lowde

Maria Guleghina is feeling better (TOSCA 11.9.2010)

- and so was I. After a week with back pain on and off finally Friday I felt good again. It became a normal Friday except that I was really going to Zürich to see TOSCA with Maria Guleghina, Marcelo Alvarez and Ruggero Raimondi.

Without Facebook I would not have known that Maria Guleghina had sung one Tosca against the doctor's order. Before the the performance there was an announcement by the management about the Grippe that was going on in the opera house. It was affecting Spoletta, the tenor had had the voice of a bass in the morning but was going to sing anyway. Had I not heard the word Spoletta I would have thought it was Cavaradossi who was affected. Marcelo Alvarez did seem to be very careful in his singing in act 1 but so was Maria Guleghina and Ruggero Raimondi. Marcelo Alvarez sang a precious "Recondita armonia" and showed himself to be an excellent actor. Maybe it was because Alvarez was so careful in his singing that Maria Guleghina was mimicking him or perhaps she still was not completely well. My only real complaint about the duet was the audience reactions, laughing at the jealousy of Tosca. Here one hear the wonderful act 1 duet and people are laughing. How rude it is! The interaction between Ruggero Raimondi (Scarpia) and Maria Guleghina (Tosca) was amazing. Real acting. And then act 1 ended with "Tre sbirri" and Te Deum. With act 1 the opera did not take flight, not yet, the singers were far too careful for that. PAUSE

Act 2 and with the first note that was sung the opera flying high. Ruggero Raimondi used his age to the advantage to create his menacing Baron Scarpia. This was an old and dangerous Scarpia. Marcelo Alvarez was the noble and aristocratic Cavaliere, proud and in defiance. Maria Guleghina was the Diva and Woman in Love. Act 2 was high drama, wonderfully acted and sung. I loved her "Vissi d'arte", it was so pure and true. For me there are no Tosca like Guleghina and how she sang acted to Cavaradossi and Scarpia was amazing. And unforgettable it was when Tosca realized after the fury and fear that she has really murdered someone.

Act 3 gave a wonderful "E lucevan le stelle" by Alvarez and of course the duet with Guleghina was a wonderful, too. Strange as it seem I still cannot say it was the best Tosca performance that I have seen. I have seen Marcelo Alvarez, Maria Guleghina and Ruggero Raimondi making better Tosca performances but never together. This performance came close to be the best TOSCA performance.

Still, the shouts of Brava and Bravo was highly deserved. And after the performance Marcelo Alvarez came first out the stage door, then Ruggero Raimondi and lastly Maria Guleghina. Then I got the chance to ask Maria Guleghina if she was feeling better. And she said yes, and that made me so very, very happy. And I used the opportunity to tell her how I enjoyed the way she sang "Vissi d'arte". And then we were both free to go, each over way.

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

July 30, 2009: Turandot in Barcelona

2009-07-30 Turandot (Puccini), Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona

Turandot = Maria Guleghina
Liu = Ainhoa Arteta
Calaf = Marco Berti
Timur = Stefano Palatchi
Ping = Gabriel Bermúndez
Pang = Eduardo Santamaría
Pong = Vincenc Esteve Madrid
Althoum = Josep Ruiz
Mandarin = Philip Cutlip

Giuliano Carella, conductor

It ends with a suicide.

First I thought the whole opera ended with Liu's death. Then came a curtain of the sky filled with stars in the night. A wonderful duet started. And Turandot killed herself after "I know his name. His name is LOVE". And Turandot killed herself because he was Love, and she was Death. A night filled with horror had drowned her white dress with the blood of inhabitants of the city. Nessun dorma, he sang dreamily of glory and love, not caring that his nobody shall sleep would mean torture and death to others. Calaf only cared when his own father and Liu was threatened. And Turandot herself: fascinated by Calaf and by the sacrificial love of Liu, but in the end not willing/capable to step out of her death cult and into becoming a loving woman.

Vocally it was never any doubt about Marco Berti's Calaf. A clarion voice with both Non piangere, Liu and Nessun dorma with the closest to perfection I ever heard live. He was no tempted to hold the last tone in Nessun dorma as long as possible I am certain he would have won that contest. But it is opera and no contest. Ainhoa Arteta was wonderful as Liu. Stefano Palatchi as Timur was not so demanding a voice as he should. But acted wonderfully. Ping, Pang and Pong was Ok when one got over the costumes in the act 1 and start of act 2. Ping was Gabriel Bermundez who sang Silvio in Zurich on July 8. Sadly he was often the weak link. But in the 3rd act he was wonderful.

Maria Guleghina as Turandot, what can I say about her. She is definitely more of a Tosca than a Turandot. But maybe it was the production and director's fault. I wonder how it had been had Guleghina been able/allowed to put all her energy and acting skills in the role. She was best vocally and all when she could step free from the robotic Chinese choreography.

But other than that, I liked the production and the choreography (of the dancers).

OD Travel + Photos

Original blog post: Turandot in Barcelona July 2009

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 17, 2008: Nabucco in Munich

2008-07-17 Nabucco (G. Verdi), Bayerische Staatsoper

Nabucco = Paolo Gavanelli
Ismaele = Mikhail Agafonov
Zaccaria = Giacomo Prestia
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Heike Grötzinger
Il Gran Sacerdote = Steven Humes
Abdallo = Kevin Conners
Anna = Lana Kos

Paolo Carignani, conductor

Musikalische Leitung Paolo Carignani
Inszenierung, Bühne und Kostüme Yannis Kokkos
Licht Michael Bauer
Chöre Andrés Máspero
Dramaturgie Anne Blancard-Kokkos

Das Bayerische Staatsorchester
Der Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper



Termin
Münchner Opernfestspiele 2008
Donnerstag, 17. Juli 2008
Nationaltheater
19.00 - ca. 21.40 Uhr
Dauer: Ca. 2 Stunden 45 Minuten

Mikhail Agafonov sprang in for Aleksandrs Antonenko as Ismaele with short time to prepare. But he sang and acted really well.

This time I sat on the best side for this opera, on the left, so I saw better the action. There were hammering sound during the opera even as the singing resumed it did not stop, it was simply disrespectful to the audience such noises. And then there was all this changes on stage that had often seemingly no reason to happen. And then Nabucco is an opera where the chorus play a great role in itself. The singing was OK but the acting simply wrongheaded.

This time Zaccaria (Giacomo Prestia) was well and the new Ismaele was an improvement. Paolo Gavanelli simply in my opinion has the wrong kind of voice for Nabucco, too sweet is his voice and not commanding in the voice. And then it was his looks, a big belly (his own or was it the directors idea) seemed to take even more command away from his appearance one could hardly image him riding tough and hard on a horse.

This was the better Nabucco is one sense, the overture was in anyway better played than on July 14th. Maria Guleghina was perfect as Abigaille. Heike Grötzinger was good as Fenena. But still as the opera ended and the singers bowed to the audience, the singers with Maria Guleghina as their head seem more tired than on July 14th. It was the last Nabucco of the season... Sadly it made me long for Vienna's Nabucco although there was things I did not like about that production.

BRAVA, Maria Guleghina!!!

OD Travel + Photos

Original blog post: Again Nabucco from Munich, another Ismael (July 17, 2008)


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 14, 2008: Nabucco in Munich

2008-07-14 Nabucco (G. Verdi), Bayerische Staatsoper

Nabucco = Paolo Gavanelli
Ismaele = Aleksandrs Antonenko
Zaccaria = Giacomo Prestia
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Heike Grötzinger
Il Gran Sacerdote = Steven Humes
Abdallo = Kevin Conners
Anna = Lana Kos

Paolo Carignani, conductor

Inszenierung, Bühne und Kostüme Yannis Kokkos
Licht Michael Bauer
Chöre Andrés Máspero
Dramaturgie Anne Blancard-Kokkos

Das Bayerische Staatsorchester
Der Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper



Termin
Münchner Opernfestspiele 2008
Montag, 14. Juli 2008
Nationaltheater
19.30 - ca. 22.10 Uhr
Dauer: Ca. 2 Stunden 45 Minuten

Parte 1
01 Ouverture conducted by Paolo Carignani
Not the best NABUCCO ouverture that I have heard. Rather unimpressive.

02 Gli arredi festivi Chorus sang Ok, but the acting was so obviously staged. I did not get any feeling that the persons on stage felt anything out of the ordinary.

03 Sperate, o figli Giacomo Prestia, chorus. Giacomo Prestia did well as Zaccaria, obviously not in the best voice that evening. Not surprising since we were told that he was not well. The corus responded better with Giacomo Prestia as their chief voice.

04 Furibondo.... Aleksandrs Antonenko, Giacomo Prestia, chorus. Aleksandrs Antonenko was Ismaele and Giacomo Prestia as Zaccaria did their best to impress.

05 Fenena, mia diletta Aleksandrs Antonenko, Heike Grötzinger. Ismaele and Fenena. Heike Grötzinger was good as Fenena, but Ismaele was kind of boring

06 Prode Guerrier Maria Guleghina, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Heike Grötzinger. Finally some great singing and acting, Maria Guleghina as Abigaille.

07 Lo vedeste Chorus

08 Viva Nabucco! Maria Guleghina, Giacomo Prestia, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Paolo Gavanelli. Most unepressive Nabucco was Paolo Gavanelli, unfortunately, but he has a beautiful voice.

09 Tremin gl'insani.... Paolo Gavanelli, Maria Guleghina, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Heike Grötzinger, ensemble. As always wonderful to hear Mria Guleghina.

10 O vinti, il capo al terra! Paolo Gavanelli, Giacomo Prestia, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Maria Guleghina,
Heike Grötzinger.

Parte 2
11 Ben t'invenno, o fatal scritto Maria Guleghina. Another highlight from Maria Guleghina.
12 Anch'io dischiuso un giorno Maria Guleghina as sweet a sound as never before

13 Salgo gia Steven Humes, Chorus, Maria Guleghina. Would have been even better if Steven Humes (Gran sacerdote di Belo) and chorus had been more on par with Maria Guleghina.

14 Vieni, o Levita Giacomo Prestia. He does so well that one marvels at how he would do had be been well.

15 Che si vuol Chorus, Aleksandrs Antonenko.

16 Deh fratelli, perdonate. Lana Kos, Giacomo Prestia, Kevin Conners, Heike Grötzinger, Guleghina, Gavanelli

17 S'appressan l'instante Paolo Gavanelli, Maria Guleghina, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Heike Grötzinger, Prestia.

18 S'oda or me. Paolo Gavanelli, Giacomo Prestia, Heike Grötzinger, chorus.

19 Chi mi toglie.. Paolo Gavanelli...

Parte 3
20 E l'assria una Regina ... Chorus. Good singing but no acting,

21 Eccelsa Donna... Steven Humes, Maria Guleghina, Paolo Gavanelli, Kevin Conners

22 Donna, chi sei? Paolo Gavanelli, Maria Guleghina. Wonderful duet....
23 Oh, di qual onta.... Paolo Gavanelli, Maria Guleghina
24 Oh qual suon .... Paolo Gavanelli, Maria Guleghina
25 Deh perdona .... Paolo Gavanelli, Maria Guleghina

26 Va, pensiero Chorus. OK

27 Oh, chi piangi. Giacomo Prestia, chorus. Again Giacomo Prestia is the only one that can make the chorus be more alive.

Parte 4
28 Son pur queste mie membra Paolo Gavanelli is more Nabucco here is this part.
29 Dio di Giuda Paolo Gavanelli. Great aria
30 Porta fatal Paolo Gavanelli, Kevin Conners
31 O prode miei. Chorus, Paolo Gavanelli

32 Va la palma del martirio Giacomo Prestia, Heike Grötzinger. Finally an aria for Fenena. Wonderful.

33. Ah torna Israella Paolo Gavanelli, ensemble.

34 Immenso Jeovha Ensemble

35 Su me, morente Maria Guleghina. Fantastic Maria Guleghina!!!!!


My favorite opera, NABUCCO by G. Verdi and one of my favorite sopranos, Maria Guleghina as Abigaille. When the manager went out to announce something I got scared maybe it was something about my favorite Abigaille. But no, Giacomo Prestia was not well but was still singing.

Even as Giacomo Prestia was not well I still enjoyed his Zaccaria more than Paolo Gavanelli's Nabucco. Paolo Gavanelli was simply quite wrong as Nabucco in my opinion. He did quite well in Nabucco's great aria and was quite good in the great duet with Maria Guleghina. Ismaele was Aleksanders Antonenko who was not the best tenor for this role, but then which top star tenor would want to sing Ismaele. It is usually a role for the young tenor in the beginning of his career like it was for Josep Carreras and José Cura.

Maria Guleghina was a wonderful Abigaille. But the production was not a great one. The chorus sang well but felt nothing. It was much use of the possibilities on the stage to move stars and so on. But seldom did that add something to the opera. It was a lot of lost opportunities. Fenena was also great. Heike Grötzinger.

OD Travel

Original blog post: A weak Nabucco in Munich (July 14, 2008)

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 29, 2007: Nabucco in Verona

2007-06-29 Nabucco (Verdi), Arena di Verona

Nabucco = Leo Nucci
Ismaele = Fabio Sartori
Zaccaria = Carlo Colombara
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Nino Surguladze
High Priest of Belo = Carlo Striuli
Abdallo = Carlo Bosi
Anna = Patrizia Cigna

Daniel Oren, conductor



Nabucco


Dramma lirico in 4 acts by
Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Temistocle Solera

opera and synopsis


Arena
29 June 2007 at 21.15
Season Tickets


Principal Conductor Daniel Oren
Director Denis Krief
Scenographer Denis Krief
Costume Designer Denis Krief
Choir Master Marco Faelli
Director of the Corps de Ballet Maria Grazia Garofoli
Lighting Designer Paolo Mazzon
Director of stage design Giuseppe De Filippi Venezia

Orchestra, Chorus and technicians
from the Arena di Verona

Now Nabucco. Not the same production as two years ago. Leo Nucci was also then Nabucco and Susan Neves was Abigaille. Disappointment, two-fold; the production in 2005 was better, and my seat was better: I could hear better then, and no-one was talking during the show. Having read some review of the production with their pointing out disappointment towards Carlo Colombara and Maria Guleghina, they loved Leo Nucci, of course... so I knew something. And it was announced at the loud-speaker, that Colombara although slightly ill he was still singing. And you could tell he was not in top form but he was steadily better. Maria Guleghina was also weak sounding, but I think that was because of my seat. Had I been sitting in Poltronissimo God section and not (just) poltronissimo then I think my feeling had been better about this production, but I would still have found the ballet thing stupid and wondering why did they put such a boring costume on the wonderful soprano, Maria Guleghina. Fenena and Anna got something beautiful to wear. White for Fenena, red for Anna, but for Abigaille, dark earth colors.

And then singers did not come out where I was standing.

Must have more Maria Guleghina live. Especially as Abigaille....

OD Travel + Photos

Original blog post

June 20, 2009: Tosca in Berlin

2009-06-20 Tosca (Puccini), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Floria Tosca = Maria Guleghina
Mario Cavaradossi = Neil Shicoff
Baron Scarpia = Franz Grundheber
Cesare Angelotti = Krzysztof Szumanski
Der Mesner = Roland Schubert
Spoletta = Jörg Schörner
Sciarrone = Hyung-Wook Lee
Ein Schließer = Tomislav Lucic

Emmanuel Villaume, conductor

Tuesday I got the news from Parsifal's blog, that Angela Gheorghiu canceled her Tosca in Berlin, and that Maria Guleghina was singing instead. So I bought tickets to the opera and air ticket for the travel. I am so lucky that the price was reasonable at Norwegian Air. Because Angela Gheorghiu was supposed to sing the price was 118 Euro. Really 120 Euros.

So thanks to Parsifal's was I in Berlin to see an extraordinarily fine performance. Maria Guleghina is a fine actress. The perfect Tosca. Neil Shicoff sang the role of Mario Cavaradossi ardently. His voice sounded like always only a little bit grainier. His Recondita armonia and E lucevan le stelle was applauded very much. Maria Guleghina sang a wonderful Vissi d'arte. Franz Grundheber was an excellent Baron Scarpia. He used his age to his advantage. As many older opera singers who have learnt how to use everything to their advantage even their faults, Grundheber know all about how to project the character via voice and gestures...

The production was Tosca, plain and simple. Tosca in Rome in the right historical time. But isn't it time that the sagrestano lets go of the hunchback and being some kind of comic relief. Luckily Roland Schubert who sang this role had a great sonorous voice. Loved his voice. Cesare Angelotti was sung by Krzysztof Szumanski, also a bass, acted well together with Neil Shicoff. Of course, the opera only took on form and real life when Maria Guleghina came in. Wonderful duet followed. After the Tosca in Vienna (April 25, 2009) I was interested in how Sciarrone and Spoletta was in this production. From Vienna I recall the Sciarrone but not Spoletta. Here there was a different interaction between Sciarrone and Spoletta was different, more competitive. I liked Jörg Schörner as Spoletta and Hyung-Wook Lee as Sciarrone. And Tomislav Lucic was a sympatric jailor. A perfect TOSCA!!!!

Sat, 20.06.2009, 19:30 h
duration: 2 hrs 45 mins | 2 intervals

D Category: 35,- | 60,- | 85,- | 118,- Ticket online kaufen
[A service fee of Euro 2,- per ticket will be charged]

Giacomo Puccini
Tosca
Melodramma in 3 acts
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica based on the drama LA TOSCA by Victorien Sardou
First performed on 14th January, 1900 in Rome
Premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 13th April, 1969

In Italian with German surtitles


conductor
Emmanuel Villaume

director
Boleslaw Barlog

stage-design, costume-design
Filippo Sanjust

chorus-master
William Spaulding




Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Knabe des Staats- und Domchores

Kinderchor der Deutschen Oper Berlin

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 10, 2011: Il Corsaro in Dortmund

2011-06-10 Il Corsaro (Verdi), Konzerthaus Dortmund

Medora = Elena Mosuc
Gulnara = Maria Guleghina
Corrado = Zvetan Michailov
Seid = Sebastian Catana
Giovanni = Adrian Sampetrean
Selimo / Un Eunuco Negro / Schiavo = Florian Simson

Carlo Montanaro, conductor

Chor der staatlichen Musikakademie Minsk, WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln

Il corsaro

Maria Guleghina (Gulnara), Elena Mosuc (Medora), Giuseppe Varano (Corrado), Sebastian Catana (Seid), Adrian Sampetrean (Giovanni), Chor der staatlichen Musikakademie Minsk, WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln, Carlo Montanaro (Dirigent)



WDR Köln



Maria Guleghina and Elena Mosuc impressed in Dortmund. Zvetan Michailov substituted for Giuseppe Varano.


The conductor Carlo Montanaro made the WDR radio orchestra play with love this vigorous music of Young Verdi. One could see how the orchestra members really enjoyed themselves. The smaller roles Seid (Sebastian Catana), Giovanni (Adrian Sampetrean), Selimo / Un Eunuco Negro / Schiavo (Florian Simson) was sung and acted brilliantly.

The older Bulgarian tenor Zvetan Michailov sang, not the younger Italian tenor Giuseppe Varano. To see Michailov sing was like you were in a recording studio. He looked at the notes and used his arms to force music out in the right moments. His voice was always a bit special, a dry voice and also a voice that you not easily would believe another tenor to be master of. His acting was more a singer struggling for perfection than acting as Corrado. I have a DVD with Michailov as Corrado from Parma opera. He was older now, but still a good Corrado.

Then it was Elena Mosuc. Elena Mosuc was a super delicate Medora. This was another mannerism than Zvetanov. Where Zvetanov went deep to find voice and a perfect attack to the notes, Elena Mosuc went deep into herself to find the intepretetative depth for Medora.

Finally it was Maria Guleghina as Gulnara. The dramatic powerhouse of a diva. She played two roles: one as Maria Guleghina DIVA, another as Gulnara, the favorite slave of Pascha Seid. In an newspaper it was commented that this duality was a little bit ironic but I believe that Maria Guleghina was completely aware of this and played that game also. A powerhouse as Gulnara, yes, that is the right approach. Gulnara is maybe a slave but she is still not subdued. She can stand on her own feet against the powerful pascha. She is fierce, just like Maria Guleghina's voice and appearance. No helpless heroine like Medora but as powerful as Corrado. In a way she got more guts and intelligence than Corrado. She takes her oppurtunities. No need to fear that Gulnara will choose death and not life after the death of Medora and Corrado.

It was Maria Guleghina and Elena Mosuc who won. BRAVA, Maria! BRAVA, Elena! So different and both so perfect in each of their roles.


After 2 speeches Verdi's opera Corsaro was played. Zwetan Michailow was singing Corrado in stead of the original tenor who was sick, I guess. He did a fine job. But it was the women that ruled. Elena Mosuc was sensational and so was Maria Guleghina. Then men was fine but Elena Mosuc and Maria Guleghina was in another stratosphere. The conductor was also great. He made the orchestra play with a singular clarity and put forward all the wonders that lays in this score. The orchestra members seemed to love playing this music, one could almost look at then to see that to they had taken the music to their heart. The chorus was young and clear.

Now if only this had been staged too.

Brava, Maria! Brava, Elena!

OD Travel + Photos
First impression from Dortmund and IL CORSARO (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

May 28, 2012: Nabucco in Bilbao

2012-05-28 Nabucco (Verdi), Palacio Euskalduna (Bilbao)

Nabucco = Roberto Frontali
Ismaele = Alejandro Roy
Zaccaria = Carlo Colombara
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Rosanna Rinaldi
High Priest of Belo = Silverio De la O
Abdallo = Eduardo Ituarte
Anna = Ana Otxoa

Massimo Zanetti, conductor
  Orquesta del Teatro Regio di Parma
Coro de Ópera de Bilbao

Director de escena - Daniele Abbado
Scenography - Luigi Perego
Light  design - Valerio Alfieri

It was the best Nabucco production with the best singers. Only one thing stood out for me as problematic and that was the golden hair of Zaccaria. Golden hair in the Middle East what was that about? Carlo Colombara has dark hair and could have been more authentic as Zaccaria without fake hair. This production of Nabucco was one that seemed to be about authenticity as history goes. Ismaele is clearly marked by his cloths as a Prince of Judea. Zaccaria is also similarly marked an important person. There is no doubt that Nabucco is an Assyrian King. All clearly marked except that one is never shown the chorus in Assyrian cloths. They are always dressed in Jewish cloths. This can be explained by the fact that Jerusalem is taken by Assyrians pretending to be Jews. But that is just true in the first act.

This is a beautiful production, intelligent and wants to be truthful to the libretto. Roberto Frontali, who I have seen as Stankar in the ROH Stiffelio production, was a truly fine Nabucco. Alejandro Joy was wonderful as Ismaele. Strong singing, wonderful acting. Rosanna Rinaldi was also great as Fenena. But the star was Maria Guleghina as Abigaille.

Abigaille can be boring since she is sometime acted as just a one-dimensional villain. Maria Guleghina shows all the different emotions that is Abigaille. She is weak sometimes. In this production one sees Abigaille hesitate in some crucial moment. How ambitious is she? She vacillate between power and love. Most of all she wants to be accepted as Nabucco's daughter and to be loved by Ismaele. Her feelings for her sister Fenena is also torn. Love and envy. So Nabucco changes into a believer of the God of Judea. As Abigaille loses her life she is also going to her redemption and I personally believe more in Abigaille change. Nabucco is just about his daughter Fenena.

I love Abigaille! And Maria Guleghina as Abigaille is just amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

May 13, 2010: Turandot in Berlin

2010-05-13 Turandot (Puccini), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Turandot = Maria Guleghina
Liu = Manuela Uhl
Calaf = José Cura
Timur = Arutjun Kotchinian
Ping = Nathan De’Shon Myers
Pang = Jörg Schörner
Pong = Yosep Kang
Althoum = Peter Maus
Mandarin = Lucas Harbour
1st voice = Heidi Melton
2nd voice = Jana Kurucová

Laurent Campellone, conductor

Thu, 13.05.2010, 18:00 h
duration: approximately 2 hrs 30 mins | 1 interval

C-prices: 26,- | 46,- | 67,- | 84,-

Giacomo Puccini
Turandot

Dramma lyrico in three acts
Libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, after the play by Carlo Gozzi
First performed on 25th April 1929 in Milan
Premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 13th September 2008

In Italien with German surtitels


Conductor
Laurent Campellone

Director
Lorenzo Fioroni

Stage-design
Paul Zoller

Costume-design
Katharina Gault

Choir Conductor
William Spaulding


Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Schöneberger Sängerknaben
Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

World class singing could not hide that this Regie did not work. It didn't make sense. The big arias, In questa reggia and Nessun dorma, was hidden by the going-on's onstage. How well did Maria Guleghina sing her aria? It was difficult to tell to much was covered by having Turandot's servants and naturally what is an updated opera without somebody acting as journalist/photographer. It was a mess that Maria Guleghina could not save. The directors ideas was against her. Jose Cura's Nessun dorma was wonderful. But as wonderful the aria sung, it was a missed moment for the director. Instead of a film of children unable to sleep in a palace and walking scared about it could have been a moment between Calaf and Turandot. The 3rd act starts with Turandot onstage sleeping/waking and here we have Nessun dorma with Calaf but we got a stupid film.

Where 1st act was nonsense, act 2 had its moments (the Riddle scene was OK), but act 3 was the best because the director could not destroy too much here.

The director's idea was, I think: Violence + Love = Good. But it made bad theatre.

Act 1: We are in a theatre. All the people in Beijing (think: old DDR) is waiting for the spectacle. A Riddle scene is played out complete with the beheading of the Prince. Imagine my surprise when in act 2 I understand that it was really Ping playing the Prince, Pong Turandot and Pang the executioner. This is supposed to be a tyranny but these 3 "ministers" is allowed to act out something so negatively to the imperial princess. In the same act the director does much out of a person rejecting singing a hymn to the Emperor. But a parody of Turandot is accepted. Ping, Pong and Pang are always a misogynist lot, but t\in this production it was a step further. I recognized Calaf with his leather jacket and Cura's height made him easy to see. Liu and Timur was almost impossible to see. The director did not really understand that Timur is supposed to be blind and that Liu has to be near him to help him. Timur was instead a drunkard who was occasional blind too. In the theatre there is an emperor's balcony of course. That is where Turandot appears to give thumb down to the Prince of Persia. Then the director makes the usual mistake: there is no way that Calaf could see Turandot to fall in love. It is not only that she has a black veil in her face. He is not looking at her. (Maybe he did, and I missed those seconds). Liu sings sweetly to her Prince, she has made up a table so that they can eat. The idea must be that we the audience should understand that she is dreaming of domestic happiness with her beloved Calaf. We don't need that. We have the aria already. Calaf answered by throwing the table cloth with all that Liu has put the on the table at the same time as he sings the most sweetly sung "Non piangere, Liu". His father Timur, Liu and the 3 pranksters they all try to dissuade him from hitting the gong-gong. But Calaf wants Turandot.

Act 2: Ping, Pong and Pang is feeling sorry for themselves. They are slightly suicidal when their costumes are brought to them. Usual this is the light moment in Turandot. But in this production it was impossible for me to feel any sympathy for the 3 "ministers". The Emperor's balcony is filled up with officers and diplomats worthy as if any European Royal Family could be proud of. The Emperor is there trying to persuade Calaf to give up his quest. When Calaf refuses for the 3rd time then it is time for the Riddle scene. The aria In questa Reggia is drowned by the going-on's. Especially is the journalist/photographer annoying. Turandot's great aria has no unity in it as Maria Guleghina as Turandot has to accept the presence of the press and so cannot give full attention to the moving story of her ancestor. This aria is showing the whole motivation behind Turandot's actions but the director butchered it. But as the Riddle Scene starts finally we are brought to understand and enjoy the interaction between Calaf and Turandot. For the first time this is not played out as a crowd moment but as an intimate encounter. Reading the director's comments in the program I find out that his idea is that this is really a Love Duet. And that Turandot is in reality falling in love with Calaf as they sit down. This exciting idea is not being realized in the scene. Still Maria Guleghina and Jose Cura is really exciting in this duet. Calaf wins by guessing the right answer to the 3 riddles. The Emperor loves his new son-in-law and Turandot is given her wedding gown. She rejects it, of course. Sadly the director has decided to make Turandot, the Princess, into a whiny girl when she rejects the wedding plans. The Emperor and Calaf ignores Turandot. Calaf is the celebrity du jour and the crowd wants him. Finally he sees Turandot and in a way to save her embarrassment/win her over completely he challenges her with a riddle of his own. "Tell me my name, and by dawn I will die".

Act 3 is the act where nothing can go wrong. But the director decide to put a film about a boy and a girl who can't sleep and walk about fearfully in a palace. That is what is happening when Jose Cura sings Nessun dorma. The film is just a distraction from a wonderful rendition of Nessun dorma. Instead of a film the director could have made something out of having Turandot sleeping in her white dress onstage as Calaf sings Nobody shall sleep. Another opportunity lost for the director and the opera. Then Ping, Pong and Pang again tries to persuade Calaf to give in. It is only natural since Turandot has decreed that nobody shall sleep until the name of the stranger is found, death will be the reward for the people if they don't comply. In wanders Timur and now they are going to pry the name out of his mouth (torture). Turandot sleeps with her dagger, threatens Ping and then assumes her usual composure to order torture of the old man. Liu steps in defending Timur: She is the one with the Name. Of course, Calaf doesn't understand and threatens Liu. Another lost opportunity for the director was to give more insight into Turandot's mind when meeting Liu and her sacrificial love. Liu is tortured while singing Tu che in gel sei cinta. Liu kills herself with the executioner's knife. Incredible that she could just take the knife from him and incredible that she could have the strength to kill herself since a finger has been cut from each hand (that is my intepretation of the torture). One of the ministers, Pong?, hangs her dead body up. Timur cries up when he understands that Liu is dead. As Liu hangs suspended in the air, Timur sits down and take up his bottle and drinks. Traditionally Turandot and Calaf is alone when they sing the final duet. It is hard for me to find what to say about this duet because the singing/acting is simply glorious. Calaf tells Turandot her name and she proclaims she knows his name. The Emperor is there. Ping, Pong and Pang are dressed as Calaf, Turandot and priest making a mock wedding. Emperor gives Calaf a rich crown. Turandot hides her dagger, smiles to her father and stabs him. Calaf takes the dagger, goes over to his father and stabs him. Turandot sees Ping, Pong and Pang doing their mockery and Calaf gallantly walks up the stairs and stabs them. It is happy ending for Turandot and Calaf. They really loves each other.

Actually the father murders made sense.

BRAVO, Jose Cura!
BRAVA, Maria Guleghina!
Director, learn your craft...

Blog posts: Turandot in Berlin on May 13th, 2010 (part 1)
Turandot in Berlin on May 13th, 2010 (part 2)

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

May 10, 2011: Nabucco in Vienna

2011-05-10 Nabucco (Verdi),Wiener Staatsoper

Nabucco = Alberto Gazale
Ismaele = Teodor Ilincai
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Zoryana Kushpler
Zaccaria = Ain Anger
Il Gran Sacerdote di Belo = Janusz Monarcha
Abdallo = Carlos Osuna
Anna = Elisabeta Marin

Jesús López-Cobos, conductor
Regie - Günther Kramer
Bühne - Manfred Voss und Petra Buchholz
Kostüme - Falk Bauer
Licht - Manfred Voss

After a wonderful Jenufa on May 9th, another wonderful opera on May 10th: Nabucco in Wiener Staatsoper. Alberto Gazale sang Nabucco in stead of Leo Nucci who was still recovering from an illnes. At the beginning of the opera he sang Nabucco as if he was trying to be Leo Nucci singing the role. Luckily he as the evening progressed he came more into himself and showed himself as a Nabucco to admire.

Maria Guleghina was Abigaille. With body and soul she was Abigaille, singing as forceful and as quiet as the role demands with her voice ready to any high thrill or low note. What an actor an singer she is! The most amazing aspect was how well she sang in the duet with Nabucco and in her last moment: Su me morente esanime. No weakness showed that the great singer was suffefing from the blow of the theater curtain falling on her forehead when the singers took their first applaus after act 2. How could Wiener Staatsoper accept such an accident to happen? And to add insult to injury to call it a head-ache as the official did that talked to the audience. I had an head-ache, she had a trauma to her head, that is a very different matter. I sat in row 2nd and I heard only "schwere kopf-schmerzen aber trotzdem singen", I could not hear which singer but for me it sounded as if was Teodor Iloncai, Ismaele, who was sick. Big difference!!

Teodor Ilincai was Ismaele. Good-looking and wonderful voice so no wonder two women both wanted him. This was one of the few times I understood Abigailles passion for this man, Ismaele. I loved his voice and acting and wish him all the luck further. I hope that he will still look good when I see him in bigger roles. Eat well and exercise as we all should!

Ain Anger was another new recruit to this production and made a good figure lf his role. It was another great night at the opera. But because of the accident Maria Guleghina could not go to Kazachtan as the Unicef Goodwill Ambassador to sing a benefit concert... Wiener Staatsoper should make a compensation for all this. Get well, Maria, and thank you for a wonderful night at the Opera!!!
Head-ache and curtain calls - Nabucco in Vienna (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