March 11, 2003: La Favorite in Vienna

2003-03-11 La Favorite (G. Donizetti), Wiener Staatsoper

Léonor de Guzman = Violeta Urmana
Fernand = Giuseppe Sabbatini
Alphonse XI = Carlos Alvarez
Balthazar = Giacomo Prestia
Don Gaspar = John Dickie
Inès = Genia Kühmeier

Fabio Luisi, conductor



Wlener Staatsoper
dienstag, 11. märz 2003
6. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung

La Favorite
Oper in vier Akten
Text von Alphonse Royer und Gustave Vaëz
in Zusammenarbeit mit Augustin Eugène Scribe
Musik von Gaetano Donizetti

Dirigent Fabio Luisi
Inszenierung John Dew
Bühnenbild Thomas Gruber
Kostüme José-Manuel Vazquez
Choreinstudierung Marco Ozbic

Orchester der Wien er Staatsoper
Chor der Wiener Staatsoper

To start an opera evening by coming to the opera house 10 minutes before the opera starts is not the best way, but I soon calmed down to enjoy this, for me almost unknown opera. Knowing only "Spirto gentil" and "O mio Fernando" of this opera. But here they sang in French.

Having read the critic on beforehand, I was not too disappointed by the tenor singing of the top notes, they hurt my ears. After the tenor first aria, polite applause from the audience, they respects very much Giuseppe Sabattini. First act is in the convent where Fernand is a novice, the abbed wants Fernand to take the vows, but Fernand has met a very beautiful woman and is in love. Baltasar throws Fernand out of the convent, since F. does not want to forget the unknown woman. Next scene. An island where Leonor and her maids is enjoying life, Fernand comes there. He wants to marry Leonor, but she refuses, says she cannot and beseeches Fernand to forget her. He will not. Wonderful duet.

Act 2. The king and Leonor, with Ines and Don Gaspar in the royal garden of the moor king that Fernand have helped King Alphonse to win over. The king understands not that Leonor can be unhappy with being his mistress. The court despise Leonor, but the King sings of his great love, and Leonor tells that he deceived her to think that she was following her husband, when she left her father castle. Bah, I want to make you my queen. Then Don Gaspar, the courtier, has found out that a love letter to Leonor was given Ines, he gives the king the letter, who gets very angry with Leonor, especially since she refuses to give him the name of her lover. Then Baltasar comes with an urgent message from the pope, if the King and his mistress does not depart for ever, by the next day, they are excommunicated. In vain Alphonse tries to threaten Baltasar, King against the Church. The queen is there, thinking she can win over Alphonse to her side, just by evicting Leonor.

Act 3. The kings palace. Aphonse wants revenge. Fernand comes as a hero, and he wants a noble woman as a bride, suddenly A. finds out that F. is his rival. The perfect revenge is clear, marrying of his mistress to the hero, who does not know that this is a clear way to loose his honor, something Leonor knows perfectly. "O mon Fernand", wonderfully sung by Violeta Urmana. She orders Ines to tell Fernand all, but Ines is taken prisoner by Don Gaspar on the command of the king. She thinks Fernand know it all and still wants to marry her. But know this only gets cleared when the contempt of the court, and Baltasar is told about the wedding. Fernand you have lost your honor, marrying the mistress of the King. F. is furious. And they all see Fernand was innocent he REALLY did not know.

Act 4 in the monastery, Fernand is finally convince of making his vows, even though the thought of Leonor still haunts him "Ange si pur". Then Leonor has followed Fernand. She hears him taking to vows, and then she collapses and so they meet. She asks desperately for forgiveness before she dies. When at last Fernand give in, he tells her that he still loves her, and that he is willing to sacrilege to have her. To leave the monastery to marry her, and live in another country. Leonor is forgiven, and happy to have Fernands love again, and that her own death saves Fernand from the sacrilege.

Wonderful and sad end. Even though Sabbattini lacked the top notes to make it really remarkable (bel canto), he still gave Fernand the verve and poignancy that made it a great performance (verismo!)!!

OD Travel

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


ODTravel

December 8, 2013: Tristan und Isolde in Vienna

2013-12-08 Tristan und Isolde (Wagner), Wiener Staatsoper

Tristan = Robert Dean Smith
König Marke = Albert Dohmen
Isolde = Violeta Urmana
Brangäne = Elisabeth Kulman
Kurwenal = Matthias Goerne
Melot = Clemens Unterreiner
Ein Hirt = Carlos Osuna
Ein Steuermann = Marcus Pelz
Stimme eines junges Seemanns = Sebastian Kohlhepp

Peter Schneider, conductor

Regie - David McVicar
Ausstattung - Robert Jones
Licht - Paule Constable
Choreographie - Andrew George

TRISTAN UND ISOLDE.
"Love" at first note. Loved the orchestra with conductor. Wagner the composer is great. Too many words all the time. But one does get into it. I no longer oppose the idea of Jose Cura as Tristan. But really Wagner heroes vs Verdi heroes, Verdi wins every time. Loved Elisabeth Kulman as Brangäne. Highlight in love duet between Tristan and Isolde = Brangäne singing. Robert Dean Smith is a great singer, once in a long while one hears he is not German but still amazing singer. Violeta Urmana as Isolde, great work, a great singer but she was not able to mesmerize me as she did as La Gioconda in Paris. Albert Dohmen was so great that I wished his part was bigger. Matthias Goerne as Kurwenal was just luxus. Clemens Untermeier as Melot was also very good. Carlos Osuna as the shepherd was also wonderful.


The production with David McVicar as director, scenography by Robert Jones, was great. Sadly it was Isolde's Liebestod that ruined the perfect Tristan. Tristan is the one the who dies of love, and King Marke appearing with Tristan dead that is truly sad. I actually cried. Then Isode's Liebestod, who would have guessed that was the disappointment of the evening. Violeta Urmana was singing her heart out. But instead of dying there, she was going slowly out in her red dress. For the applause Urmana appeared with the black dress and was then more like Isolde then in Liebestod. Bravi, tutti!!

OperaDuets 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

November 20, 2011: La Forza del Destino in Paris

2011-11-20 La Forza del Destino (Verdi), Opera National de Paris (Opera Bastille)

Il Marchese di Calatrava = Mario Luperi
Donna Leonora = Violeta Urmana
Don Carlo di Vargas = Vladimir Stoyanov
Don Alvaro  = Marcelo Alvarez
Preziosilla = Nadia Krasteva
Padre Guardiano = Kwangchul Youn
Fra Melitone = Nicola Alaimo
Curra = Nona Javakhidze
Mastro Trabuco = Rodolphe Briand

Philippe Jordan, conductor

Stage director - Jean-Claude Auvray
Sets - Alain Chambon
Costumes - Maria Chiara Donato
Lighting - Laurent Castaingt
Choreography - Terry John Bates
Chorus master - Patrick Marie Aubert
Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus
COPRODUCTION WITH THE GRAN TEATRE DEL LICEU, BARCELONA

If only La forza del destino at Opera Bastille started in the evening then I could have time to play the tourist in Paris. But the opera started 1430. I had read a review of it so I was prepared for a minimalistic version. I was surprised it was very colourful and vivid. I was also prepared for perhaps Marcelo Alvarez would not be singing. But he sang. And he was great as Don Alvaro. I was prepared to be underwhelmed by Violeta Urmana as Leonora, but she was amazing. Vladimir Stoyanov was also much better as Don Carlo di Vargas than the review said.

The production had a lot that was good. The biggest surprise was that it did not start with the ouverture this time the opera started in the Calatrava castle. After this scene came the ouverture, one of the best performances of the iconic piece. The only thing I would critize Urmana is her use of her arm to show despair, 3 times the same gesture and it gets old. Nadia Krasteva was a wondeful Preziosilla but unfortunately her role was vulgarized by the director. That Preziosilla would walk off with "Pereda" after the scene in the taberna, was not to my liking and not how I understood Preziosilla. Nicola Alaimo was Fra Melitone, too comic and extreme, maybe. Kwangchul Youn was simply wonderful as Padre Guardiano. Mario Luperi was a fine Marchese di Calatrava.

I loved it, even if it had some weakness. After the opera I waited at the stage door, and I saw Kwangchul Youn, Violeta Urmana, Marcelo Alvarez and Nadia Krasteva.

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

November 6, 2004: La Forza del Destino in London

2004-11-06 La Forza del Destino (Verdi), Royal Opera House London

Don Alvaro = Salvatore Licitra
Leonora = Violeta Urmana
Don Carlo di Vargas = Ambrogio Maestri
Padre Guardiano = Ferruccio Furlanetto
Preziosilla = Marie-Ange Todorovitch
Fra Melitone = Roberto de Candia
Marchese di Calatrava = Brindley Sherratt
Mastro Trabuco = Peter Bronder
Curra = Liora Grodnikaite
Alcalde = Jonathan May

Antonio Pappano, conductor

The Royal Opera 2004 - 2005
La forza del destino
Giuseppe Verdi

NEW PRODUCTION

16 October at 6pm
18 | 26 | 29 October at 6.30pm
1 | 3 November at 6.30pm
6 November at 6pm


Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Running time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Supported (2004) by The Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House
Fund

La forza del destino reappears in the Royal Opera repertory after nearly 30 years. When Leonora's elopement with her lover Don Alvaro is interrupted by her father, the result is death and a curse: and so begins a fate-driven story of unknown identities, accidental reunions and dark confrontations.

This grand and traditional production is presented at Covent Garden with an exciting cast of singers both familiar with and new to this staging. Salvatore Licitra makes his House debut as the ill-fated Alvaro, the most difficult of tenor roles, opposite Violetta Urmana as the tragically cursed Leonora. Ambrogio Maestri makes his House debut as Don Carlo di Vargas, Leonora's brother who unwittingly rescues Don Alvaro, the man he has sworn to kill. With the returns of Ferruccio Furlanetto (Padre Guardiano), Marie-Ange Todorovitch (Preziosilla) and the Company debut of Roberto de Candia (Fra Melitone), Verdi's high melodrama is once more set to thrill.

Conductor:
Antonio Pappano

Staging:
Patrizia Frini

Lighting:
John B Read

Based on a production from
La Scala, Milan

WOW, the ouverture of Forza was extremely well played and conducted by the ROH Orchestra and Antonio Pappano. Unfortunately the high quality was not continuing the whole opera. Just simply to operatic, this opening of the curtain and the Marquis of Calatrava in freeze position until the opera singing started. Wrong, this opera starts
with us seeing what in a middle of a scene of a father and daughter together talking. The opera starts when the father is going from his daughters room. (not a BIG fault, you know, but irritating). Violeta Urmana is singing and at time also acting Leonora wonderfully, but she look too solid and not young enough as I see Leonora. The father
looked younger than his daughter. Luckily Salvatore Licitra as Don Alvaro saves act 1 from being a complete bore. Heavy-built Licitra with his energy and this man can also run so you can believe that he can be a brave soldier and handsome seducer. Wonderful tenor voice, sometimes it seems strained. Salvatore Licitra seem to be a very good-natured man, as Don Alvaro a man destiny hates, it seems strange mix.

I think it was totally wrong to use ballet dancers into Forza. All those posing, making the dancing and musicality of the chorus moments into strange things put into the opera and they did not seem to belong there. With less obvious choreography and more real people like chorus members etc singing and dancing and not those skinny
ballet dancers and it would have been more a natural integrated part of the opera, the dancing in the tavern, in the open... This Preziosilla, Marie-Ange Todorovich, acted and sang wonderfully, but the voice looses against the orchestra and I don't hear a true mezzo/alto voice as I longed for. Knowing that Ambrogio Maestri is singing Don Carlo means that you know that the student is Don Carlo, he is just so big and tall. He is not a bad Don Carlo but he is not a great Don Carlo, you can easily forget him, only a big man, the physical shape of Maestri remains.

But Ferruccio Furlanetto as Padre Guardiano was wonderful. Wonderful sonorous voice, commanding presence. Fra Melitone was too much, to much bass, too little humor.

This production from La Scala, or based on it, yes it was a traditional production but as it seem to be asking for realism, it forgot to be truthful to realism, that need real people doing thing thing to real reasons. It was too operatic, stupid even. Why was Fra Melitone so heavy-handed in humor, if Melitone had been considered as a
real human being and not a caricature, the humor would have come through much more efficiently, I think.

I think the radio viewers was much more lucky than us, even though Roberto Alagna and his wife Angela Gheorghiu was there. BBC radio 3 was lucky they could he a wonderfully sung Forza and see the perfect performance in their imagination. In stead of La Scala production with its promises never to be met.

Loved Salvatore & Ferruccio, not La Scala's Forza....

OD Travel + Photos

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October 19, 2013: Don Carlo in Vienna

2013-10-19 Don Carlo (Giuseppe Verdi), Wiener Staatsoper

Philipp II = Ferruccio Furlanetto
Don Carlo = Ramón Vargas
Rodrigo = Ludovic Tézier
Elisabeth von Valois = Tamar Iveri
Prinzessin Eboli = Violeta Urmana
Großinquisitor = Eric Halfvarson
Mönch = Dan Paul Dumitrescu
Tebaldo = Ileana Tonca
Lerma = Xiahou Jinxu
Herold = Xiahou Jinxu
Stimme vom Himmel = Valentina Nafornita

Franz Welser-Möst, conductor

Daniele Abbado | Regie
Graziano Gregori | Bühnenkonzeption
Angelo Linzalata | Bühne
Carla Teti | Kostüme
Alessandro Carletti | Licht
Boris Stetka | Regiemitarbeit
Simona Bucci | Choreographie

DON CARLO (ITAL.)
Giuseppe Verdi
19. Oktober 2013
19:00-22:30|1 Pausen|Preise G

Did I like the production? Well, it was OK but nothing new and interesting. The stage was just like how do we move this walls around. The effect was nothing really. Costumes good but not amazing. Modern kind of historic. It was the majesty of Ferruccio Furlanetto, the vulnerality of Ramon Vargas, the vigor of Ludovic Tezier, the sweetness of Tamar Iveri, the passion of Violeta Urmana, these singers made the opera real.


Xiahou Jinxu as Lerma/Herold was just wonderful!! A wonderful voice, a skilful presention and a singer for the future. Loved him!!! Of course I adored Ramon Vargas who is a great singer and actor. I found the interaction between Vargas and Ludovic Tezier as Don Carlo and Rodrigo, just perfect. Tezier was a really wonderful Rodrigo. The interaction between Ferrucio Furlanetto and Tamar Iveri as Fillip II and Elisabeth was another high. Vargas as Iveri also very good. I really liked Violeta Urmana and her Eboli.

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

May 17, 2013: La Gioconda in Paris

2013-05-17 La Gioconda (Ponchielli), Opera National de Paris (Opera Bastille)

La Gioconda = Violeta Urmana
Enzo Grimaldo  = Marcelo Alvarez
Laura Adorno = Luciana d'Intino
Alvise Badoero = Roberto Scandiuzzi
Barnaba = Claudio Sgura
La Cieca = María José Montiel

Daniel Oren, conductor

Stage director, sets and costumes - Pier Luigi Pizzi
Lighting - Sergio Rossi
Choreography - Gheorghe Iancu
Chorus master - Patrick Marie Aubert

Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus

MAÎTRISE DES HAUTS-DE-SEINE⁄ Paris Opera Children's Chorus

Violeta Urmana as La Gioconda and Luciana d'Intino as Laura Adorno. Two singers I have often wanted to really love but found it hard to do. AND so in LA GIOCONDA they were both in the role of the their life. To hear their duet, oh, it was pure magic. Violeta Urmana, I thought I could never love you after you changed fach from mezzo to soprano, you were divine as La Gioconda. Luciana d'Intino, I finally do absolutely love and adore you. Laura, Laura, sei tu!!

Maria José Montiel as La Cieca. Amazing. Wonderful. The singing, the acting. BRAVA! A giant at the stage. Truly with you as La Cieca, La Cieca is one of the major roles in La Gioconda.

Claudio Sgura as Barnaba. My villain, voice and acting!! Grande Claudio! Bravo!

Marcelo Alvarez as Enzo Grimaldo. Another perfect role for Marcelo. BRAVO!!!

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Opera Duets 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