September 22, 2003: Herodiade in Vienna

2003-09-22 Herodiade (Massenet), Wiener Staatsoper

Herodiade = Agnes Baltsa
Herode = Philippe Rouillon
Jean = José Cura
Salomé = Barbara Haveman
Phanuel = Ferruccio Furlanetto
Vitellius = Markus Nieminen
Oberpriester = Janusz Monarcha
Eine Stimme = Cosmin lfrim

Jun Märkl, conductor




Wiener Staatsoper
Montag, 22. September 2003
31. Aufführung in dieser Inszenierung

Herodiade
Oper in dreizehn Bildern von Paul Milliet, Henri Gremont und Angelo Zanardini
Musik von Jules Massenet

Dirigent Jun Märkl
Szenische Konzeption
und Gestaltung Richard Bletschacher
Hermann Nitsch
Bühnenbild und Kostüme Hermann Nitsch
Chorleitung Ernst Dunshirn


Eine Stimme Cosmin lfrim*

Tempeltänzerinnen und Schwerttänzer Corps de ballet
Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper
Chor der Wiener Staatsoper

Balletteleven der Wiener Staatsoper
Bühnenorchester der Wiener Staatsoper

* Rollendebüt an der Wien er Staatsoper

Cura is sick (he has a fever), but he is a fantastic Jean this night!

First a man came out pronouncing that José Cura is still going to sing Jean, but he has fever, hope for understanding of the audience.

Then the opera starts. Jun Märkl is really good conductor today, the orchestra wonderful. The chorus singing and acting in the opera is not improved and the dancers is not doing very well, at least in the beginning. From the moment Ferrucio Furlanetto appears, it is a much better opera than on the 19th. First of all the members of the chorus and statists is reacting to the coming of Phanuel (Ferruccio Furlanetto) in the right moment. It is logical and natural. Unlike Friday, so I wondered if the chorus had been told anything.

Barbara Haveman sang the aria "Il est doux!" splendidly. She was a wonderful Salome. Philppe Rouillon sang Herode better this day, but he chose just this day when Jose Cura was feverish and sick to be quite brutal with Jean (José Cura) in leashes. I feared very much that Cura would fall, and not be able to continue singing. Agnes Baltsa was a wonderful Herodiade, the interaction between Herodiade and Salome in the end of the opera was quite magic. Since señor Cura was sick, probably because of the heat and being long at the stage door on Friday the 19th, and then coming out in the relatively colder weather outside the opera house after 1,5 hour in the heat, Agnes Baltsa decided to go out to greet her fans, but she (being wise) wanted to do the autographing and such outside. Thank you, Agnes Baltsa!!!

Everybody was better this day. Even José Cura, who no doubt was sick and should have been in bed. But lucky for us, opera-goers, he was on stage, singing and acting wonderfully the role of Jean. But I saw his eyes, the sweat, and his uncompromising force to stay on his two feet, to stay in the role of Jean. His eyes seemed to sparkle, but it was probably the fever. He never touched the walls, or chairs unless it could be musically valid. In the big last act aria, he walked and walked even as if was clear he needed to sit down, to rest, but he would not compromise the role of Jean, by letting the weakness win. And many times he took the audience Bravos, and frenzy. When the opera was over, he came out the stage door. Jose Cura said "I am going straight to bed!". I got to say "Get well !!!" to Jose Cura. BRAVO, Jose Cura!!!

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