February 7, 2015: Macbeth in Berlin

2015-02-07 Macbeth (Verdi), Staatsoper im Schiller Theater (Berlin)

Macbeth = Plácido Domingo
Lady Macbeth = Liudmyla Monastyrska
Macduff = Rolando Villazón
Banco = René Pape
Malcolm = Florian Hoffmann
Dama di Lady Macbeth = Evelin Novak
Medico = Jan Martiník
Un Sicario = Jan Martiník

Daniel Barenboim, conductor

NACH EINER INSZENIERUNG VON

Peter Mussbach

Tenor Placido Domingo is now a baritone (just like he is sometimes the conductor. Tenor Rolando Villazon was in good shape as Macduff.

The production was good. It was one of the productions where the witches is really spot on. This was a believable theater. Scenography was just to give a emotional feeling. Colors and lights was also done to make us feel the reality in stead of just seeing it in a realistic setting. Placido Domingo's baritone was dark and heavy and he was a very much believable Macbeth. Ludmila Monastyrska was an amazing Lady Macbeth. Her voice has the most velvety, beautiful quality and at the same time she gives the role all the rage and all the other feelings. Beautiful and dangerous woman. Rene Pape as Banquo is naturally a solid choice and does this role well. Rolando Villazon was Macduff and in this production Macduff gets a little lost not strange when we Birnam forest move (Fangorn!!!! - Tolkien, dude).


Small things, sometimes Macbeth sings about something he sees but the production team misses to make the audience see it. Was it it misses or did they decide to do it like it.

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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 20, 2014: I due Foscari in Vienna

2014-01-20 I due Foscari (Verdi), Theater an der Wien

Francesco Foscari = Plácido Domingo
Jacopo Foscari = Arturo Chacón-Cruz
Lucrezia Contarini = Davinia Rodriguez
Jacopo Loredano = Roberto Tagliavini
Barbarigo = Andrew Owens
Pisana = Gaia Petrone
Fante = Ioan Hotea
Servo del Doge = Marcell Attila Krokovay

James Conlon, conductor'
ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien
Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Ltg. Erwin Ortner)

Inszenierung - Thaddeus Strassberger
Bühne - Kevin Knight
Kostüme - Mattie Ullrich

Licht - Bruno Poet

I DUE FOSCARI by Giuseppe Verdi. Different from La Gioconda in many ways. Verdi's music sings of the waters surrounding Venice, the production tells of a cruel world filled up with torture and the unlucky souls caught up in the power games of the Counci of Ten. The lauded Fairness of Venice is that even a son of the current Doge can be caught in the web. Fairness, they call it, and pity as cruel verdicts is given both father and son Foscari.

La Gioconda is a Venice of later centuries than the story of the two Foscari. Whether or not Jacopo Foscari is guilty his treatment is too cruel to be fair. To our eyes Torture is never acceptable and we should never be willing to trade that truth. In the century of Foscari torture was used often, but was it thought acceptable then? Due Foscari had a lot of torture going on onstage. I hated that, but it was not put there on a whim, it was telling the story. I am just not a fan of cruelty onstage but even more do I object to the cruelty of torture and courts of law where the law is followed in such a way that it is a mockery of human lives and their sanctity. It is an important lesson but are we willing to see it as it happens now somewhere on the planet and work against the ills of our world.

Arturo Chancun-Cruz was able to justice to Jacopo Foscari, singing as a god as Jacopo was tortured on stage. That must have taken a lot of will power. Behind the scenes and onstage people must have really been learning a lot of safety features unssen by the audience as all that torture happened.

Davinia Rodriguez as Jacopo's wife, Lucrezia Contarini, had so many different palettes of sounds. In the end she would win the audience heart. The hardest role was hers and she was amazing.

Placido Domingo as the old Doge Francesco Foscari. Unhappy father and now he was to lose his last son. The implacable enemy wanted all Foscaris gone and dealt with and with the power of the Council of Ten in his hands he had the power, The Doge dies utterly unhappy with no shame spared. Loredano  uses a mock pity is used to knife his victims.

Foscari has not yet drawn fully his last breath before the new Doge in crowned. Loredano' justice has been served.


I DUE FOSCARI is a masterpiece just like La Gioconda. The story of Foscari is part of the history of Venice. La Gioconda is a story that happens to be in Venice.

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January 13, 2002: Parsifal in Vienna

2002-01-13 Parsifal (R. Wagner), Wiener Staatsoper

Amfortas = Bernd Weikl
Titurel = Peter Wimberger
Gurnemanz = Kurt Rydl
Parsifal = Placido Domingo
Klingsor = Wolfgang Bankl
Kundry = Violeta Urmana

Peter Schneider, conductor





Peter Schneider was the right conductor for Parsifal.
Kurt Rydl was great as Gurnemanz, but not as tall as Matti Salminen, and that was a pity. Because in Madrid where M. Salminen sang Gurnemanz, he was always the tallest onstage, and that is almost a requirement in this role. Bernd Weikl too was great, as Amfortas, but I think Madrid's Grundheber was better. As in Madrid: Wolfgang Bankl was Klingsor, and he was great, too.

And this Parsifal was great, but now we come to the center of the question, Parsifal and Kundry. Plácido Domingo and Violeta Urmana. It was the Placido Domingo who sang the best German, without a false word, the Spaniard was better than the German-speaking singers in the language test of Parsifal. Violeta Urmana, in her attempt to sing correct German, seem to loose out meaning in the search of pronounciation.

The Kundry of Violeta Urmana was unexciting, boring in both act1 and 3. Only in Act 2 did she manage to be any thing called exciting because of the beautiful dress she was wearing. Where Agnes Baltsa gave heart and soul into Kundry, only belcanto from Urmana.

Plácido Domingo, the final judgment: he is a great Parsifal. still young. Forever young.


13.JANUARY 2002 17:00


-----
Parsifal
Ein Bühnenweihfestspiel von Richard Wagner

DirigentPeter Schneider
Inszenierung August Everding
Ausstattung Jürgen Rose
Choreographie Ray Barra
Chorleitung Ernst Dunshirn
" ..

Kundry - Violeta Urmana*
Erster Knappe - Cornelia Salje*
Zweiter Knappe - Michelle Breedt
Dritter Knappe - Walter Pauritsch
Vierter Knappe  - Michael Roider
Erster Gralsritter - Benedikt Kobel
Zweiter Gralsritter - Peter Köves
Blumenmädchen 1 Gruppe - lngrid Kaiserfeld
Judith Halász*
Stella Grigorian
2 Gruppe - Simina Ivan
Renate Pitscheider
Michelle Breedt
Stimme von oben - Michelle Breedt
* Rollendebüt an der Wiener Staatsoper


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January 12, 2015: Luisa Fernanda in Valencia

2015-01-12 Luisa Fernanda (Moreno Torroba), Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia (Valencia)

Luisa Fernanda = Davinia Rodríguez

Vidal Hernando = Plácido Domingo

Javier = José Bros

Carolina = Isabel Rey

Mariana = María José Suárez

Saboyano = Emilio Sánchez

Rosita = Sandra Ferrández

Nogales = Miguel Sola

Aníbal / Vareador = Vicenç Esteve

Don Florito = Juansa Lloret

Bizco Porras = David Rubiera

Don Lucas = David Fruci *

Capitán = Germán Olvera*

Jordi Bernàcer, conductor

Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana

Francesc Perales, director

Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana

Director - Emilio Sagi

Vestuario - Pepa Ojanguren

Iluminación - Eduardo Bravo

Producción - Teatro Real de Madrid

* Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo

Placido Domingo sounded fresher in this second performance of Luisa Fernanda. I have seen again the  DVD of the same production from Teatro Real in Madrid in 2006. Naturally with 9 more years Placido sound different now. Placido Domingo, the great tenor, is now singing baritone roles in full force. He is obviously dreaming of conquering all Verdi Baritone roles just like he did Verdi Tenor roles. Verdi baritone roles is very far from the lighter zarzuela even if he is singing Vidal Hernando, a baritone role. Still, Placido can still win people over. Is it the Magic of the Legend or does he still have It.

Jose Bros as Javier Moreno just as in 2006 (DVD), but in Valencia he was even better. I am a big fan of Nancy Fabiola Herrera so I assumed I would prefer her in the 2006 DVD, but I found that Davinia Rodriguez gave the role more personality. In the DVD recording Mariola Cantarero was the Duchess Carolina, but also there did I find more personality and depth in Isabel Rey's intepretation.

It is strange that or maybe it isn't, that the dvd feels more stuffed than the live performances in Valencia. Maybe it is that Valencia had the more superb cast also in the small parts and even chorus and dancers was more alive and real than in Teatro Real. I never saw this zarzuela in Teatro Real so I can only say what I see, feel and hear from the recording.

DVD
Torroba: Luisa Fernanda 

Plácido Domingo (Vidal Hernando); Nancy Herrera (Luisa Fernanda); José Bros (Javier Moreno); Mariola Cantarero (Duchess Carolina); 

"The production at the Teatro Real in Madrid was a top-of-the-range version...Vidal is a peach of a role for Domingo: his voice easily commands its baritone range and he dominates the action, convincingly heroic in voice and figure and still able to project a greying virility in the style of Sean Connery. Nancy Herrara as Luisa and Jose Bros as Javier gave fine support." (The Independent)

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 9, 2015: Luisa Fernanda in Valencia

2015-01-09 Luisa Fernanda (Moreno Torroba), Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia (Valencia)

Luisa Fernanda = Davinia Rodríguez
Vidal Hernando = Plácido Domingo
Javier = José Bros
Carolina = Isabel Rey
Mariana = María José Suárez
Saboyano = Emilio Sánchez
Rosita = Sandra Ferrández
Nogales = Miguel Sola
Aníbal / Vareador = Vicenç Esteve
Don Florito = Juansa Lloret
Bizco Porras = David Rubiera
Don Lucas = David Fruci *
Capitán = Germán Olvera*

Jordi Bernàcer, conductor
Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana
Francesc Perales, director
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana

Director - Emilio Sagi
Vestuario - Pepa Ojanguren
Iluminación - Eduardo Bravo
Producción - Teatro Real de Madrid


* Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo

It was the perfect way to end a day. I came for Isabel Rey, soprano from Valencia, And she was wonderful as La Duquesa Carolina. Davinia Rodriguez was known earlier because she sang in I Due Foscari with Placido Domingo as Doge Foscari in Theater an der Wien. Luisa Fernanda is very different from Lucrezia Contarini still Davinia Rodriguez showed she could be the perfect Luisa Fernanda, too. In December Celso Albelo was Javier but I chose Josep Bros and for me that choice paid very well off. Placido Domingo was Vidal Hernando, of course. This time he came of as a bit hoarse at times, but he is still the Placido, Placidissimo! Maria Joae Suarez was Mariana and she was just such a delight to see and hear.

OD Travel & Photos

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It was the perfect way to end a day. I came for Isabel Rey, soprano from Valencia, And she was 
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

August 3, 1996: The 3 tenors in Munich

1996-08-03 The 3 tenors, Olympia Stadium (Munich)

Josep Carreras, tenor
Placido Domingo, tenor
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor
Philharmonia Orchestra
James Levine, conductor

From tenorissimo.
MUNICH Olympia Stadium, August 3, 1996
Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor James Levine
on tv

Solos:

Carreras: Musica proibita (Gastaldon), Lamento di Federico (È la solita storia del pastore) from Cilea's 'L'Arlesiana', Granada (Lara), Improvviso (Un dì all'azzurro spazio) from Giordano's Andrea Chenier

Domingo: No puede ser from Sorozabal's 'La Tabernera del Puerto', O souverain, o juge, o père from Massenet's 'Le Cid', Dein ist mein ganzes Herz from Lehar's 'Das Land des Lächelns', E lucevan le stelle from Puccini's 'Tosca'

Pavarotti: La mia canzone al vento (Bixio/Mancini), Addio alla madre (Mamma, quel vino è generoso) from Mascagni's 'Cavalleria Rusticana', Mamma (Bixio/Mancini), Nessun dorma from Puccini's 'Turandot'

Together:
Medley I: Because, La Danza, Be my love, Marechiare, Muñequita linda, Torna a Surriento

Medley II: Maria, Tonight, Ò paese d'ò sole, Cielito lindo, Moon River, Caminito, Mattinata, Amapola, O sole mio

Encores: La donna è mobile, O sole mio

UPDATE 2009-08-07:
I remember it was raining and some people used umbrellas. People were encouraged to use raincoats and such instead in interest in other who wanted to use not just hear The 3 Tenors. I was disappointed to hear just the same songs and arias as in Gothenburg especially since they had said in documentary of earlier 3 Tenors' concert that with their vast repertory they could have had 10 concerts in a row and not repeat a single song. But that was a naïve dream. I should have known better.

My seat was not a very good one so without the big screens I would have seen virtually nothing. My parents sat outside the arena in pouring rain and enoyed the sounds from the arena. I was the only one with tickets. More about how I got the tickets and such is forgotten...

OD Travel

July 26, 1996: The 3 tenors in Gothenburg, Sweden

1996-07-26 The 3 tenors, Ullevi Stadium (Gothenburg)

Josep Carreras, tenor
Placido Domingo, tenor
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor
Philharmonia Orchestra

James Levine, conductor

From tenorissimo.com
GOTHENBURG Ullevi Stadium, July 26, 1996
Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor James Levine
on tv

Solos:

Carreras: Lamento di Federico (È la solita storia del pastore) from Cilea's 'L'Arlesiana', Improvviso (Un dì all'azzurro spazio) from Giordano's 'Andrea Chenier', Granada (Lara)

Domingo: O souverain, o juge, o père from Massenet's 'Le Cid', No puede ser from Sorozabal's 'La Tabernera del Puerto', Dein ist mein ganzes Herz from Lehar's 'Das Land des Lächelns', E lucevan le stelle von Puccini's 'Tosca'

Pavarotti: Addio alla madre (Mamma, quel vino è generoso) from Mascagni's 'Cavalleria Rusticana', La mia canzone al vento (Bixio/Mancini), Mamma (Bixio/Mancini), Nessun dorma from Puccini's 'Turandot'

Together:
Medley I: Because, La danza, Be my love, Marechiare, Muñequita linda, Torna a Surriento

Medley II: Maria, Tonight, Ò paese d'ò sole, Cielito lindo, Moon River, Caminito, Mattinata, Amapola, O sole mio

Encores: La donna è mobile, Torna a Surriento, O sole mio

OD Travel

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!!!

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May 31, 1998: Le Prophete in Vienna

1998-05-31 Le Prophete (Meyerbeer), Wiener Staatsoper

Fidès = Agnes Baltsa
Jean = Placido Domingo
Berthe = Viktoria Loukianetz
Le Comte d'Oberthal = Davide Damiani
Zacharie = Franz Hawlata
Mathisen = David Cale Johnson
Jonas = Torsten Kerl

Marcello Viotti, conductor

Preparation is everything, especially if an opera that are new for me. First live Meyerbeer opera. The only Meyerbeer I knew was the opera L'Africaine (from the video of the opera with Plácido Domingo and Shirley Verrett in San Francisco Opera. I went to the Theatermuseum, after buying Le Prophete (CBS Masterworks), it was a Meyerbeer expedition. Then it was time to go to Vienna State Opera for Le Prophete with Agnes Baltsa and Plácido Domingo. Having read the CD-libretto made me see what should have been onstage. Hans Neuenfels was the director, and his job was to make this Grand Opera unto a big messy spectacle. It was not too bad, the singers was excellent, and some of his ideas was good. One thing was absolutely not agreeable by me, the dancer who was another Jean, a modern one with heroin abuse and hanging, coming unto the stage, and the monkeys (probably belong to the 3 Anabaptists or even representing them). Too much was happening on the stage. Making you lose moments of the opera, confusing you.

Plácido Domingo was a superb Jean, very charismatic and strong. Agnes Baltsa was Fidès, very charismatic and in splendid voice. Le Prophete needs both a Jean and Fides that are in good voice and have charisma. Viktoria Loukianetz was Berthe, wonderful soprano. Acting was not easy in this overcrowded stage so filled with the directors own ideas of making Le Prophete his, but still Agnes and Plácido was strong enough to give enormous pleasure both in the singing and acting. Even if one loathed the production, one would like to go again to experience both Plácido and Agnes in roles that suited them so well, and Meyerbeer's opera is so wonderful in the melodies. Just focus on Plácido Domingo or Agnes Baltsa and the rest would cease to exist.

Sonntag, 31. Mai 1998 STAATSOPER
4. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung

Le Prophète
Oper in fünf Akten
von Eugène Scribe
Musik Giacomo Meyerbeer

Musikalische Leitung Marcello Viotti
Inszenierung Hans Neuenfels
Bühnenbild und Kostüme Reinhard von der Thannen
Choreinstudierung Johannes Meister
Einstudierung der Tänze Renato Zanella


Offizier Johann Reinprecht
Bürger Hasik Bayvertian
Anabaptist Peter Tuff
Ballettsolisten Marialuise Jaska
Ludwig Karl
Christian Musil
Gregor Hatala
Bühnenorchester der Österreichischen Bundestheater
Eleven der Ballettschule der Österreichischen Bundestheater
Amadeus Knabenchor Bewegungschor

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