December 15, 2012: Carmen in Berlin

2012-12-15 Carmen (G. Bizet), 

Deutsche Oper Berlin

Carmen = Anita Rachvelishvili

Don José = José Cura

Escamillo = Bastiaan Everink

Micaëla = Martina Welschenbach

Zuniga = Seth Carico

Moralès = Zheng Zhong Zhou

Dancairo = Jörg Schörner

Remendado = Matthew Pena

Frasquita = Hulkar Sabirova

Mercédès = Rachel Hauge

Jacques Lacombe, conductor

Regie (Søren Schuhmacher)

nach der Inszenierung von Peter Beauvais

Bühne, Kostüme - Pier Luigi Samaritani

Überarbeitung der Ausstattung - Norbert Bellen

Chöre - William Spaulding

Kinderchor - Dagmar Fiebach

I just saw my 19th Carmen in theatre. I loved it. And I just realized that this was my first and only Cura performance this year. That was unsuspected. But it was also my 99th to see José Cura. It was the 4th time I saw José Cura as Don José. First time at all with Anita Rachvelishvili. This CARMEN was special mostly because of her. Cura sang well, too. And I liked the old production.

12 years ago, or closer to 13 years ago I saw this production with Agnes Baltsa, Alberto Cupido, Michaela Kaune and Ludovic Tezier. It was a better production then without the new addiction.

The children is fighting as they singing in their angelic voices the soldiers coming and going. Now that is stupid and completely against the words they are singing. The children steals the hat from Don Jose and he has to play and plead to get it back. Now what are that about? And in the 4th act Carmen is now dress like a female matador and Frasquita and Mercedes has black dresses with wings. Black wings like death or something.  The stets for Act 3 was from another Carmen production but that was unnoticeable.

Other than that it was great. It was a lot more dialogue than usual and in what I believe to be superb French.

I saw Carmen in Berlin in 2004 too, with Agnes Baltsa, Julian Gavin, Michaela Kaune and Laurent Naouri.

Anita Rachvellishvili was the perfect Carmen. Huge voice, great personality and great actress. José Cura did his best Don José ever. Then it was the question of Escamillo (Bastiaan Everink) and Micaëla (Martina Welschenbach). Bastiaan Everink looked the part but his singing was stiff. Martina Welschenbach looked very young, very thin, the first Micaela that looks 17. Great voice but I wanted more, not sure what.

Great CARMEN!

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Original blog post

December 15, 2006: Agnes Baltsa in Munich

2006-12-15 Opera Concert, Munich Herkulessaal der Residenz

Agnes Baltsa, mezzo
Münchner Symphoniker
Nikos Athinäos, conductor

1:
Verdi: Ouvertüre zu „La forza del destino“
The concert started in a grand way with the ouverture from the opera La Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi. Wonderfully played by the orchestra.

Verdi: La canzone del velo aus „Don Carlo“
Agnes Baltsa had the most thunderous applause from the audience even before a single note was sung. To start with the Veil Song from Don Carlo was a bold decision. What a coloratura!! Unfortunately the part of the aria that Eboli sings with Tebaldo was not so glorious sung but that is what sometime happen when an opera aria becomes a concert piece. If Baltsa had sung Tebaldos line it would
have sounded better, I think. Major applause for Agnes Baltsa. BRAVA!!!

Massenet: Vorspiel zum 1. Akt aus „Werther“
Massenet: Va! Laisse couler mes larmes aus „Werther“
The orchestra plays the Prelude very well. And when Baltsa sings Charlotte's aria, we just love it, it is Agnes Baltsa at her best. But we want more of Charlotte, The music stops too sudden, "Sudden death". It just takes us with total surprise. Please do a better work when opera arias are to be changed to concert pieces. BRAVA, Agnes!!!!

Bizet: Zwischenspiel zum letzten Akt aus „Carmen“
Bizet: Carreau, pique... la mort! aus „Carmen“
Too much "sudden death", Entr'acte to 4th act of Bizet's Carmen, would have loved to hear a bit A dos cuartos, too.
Agnes Baltsa sang a wonderful Carreau, pique! but it ends too abruptly why not a bit of the ending with Mercedes and Frasquita in the orchestra. BRAVA, Baltsa!!

Berlioz: Ouvertüre zu „Die Trojaner“
Berlioz: Ah! Ah! Je vais mourir aus „Die Trojaner“
For the first I hear the ouverture to Berlioz Les Troyens and quite frankly that made me want to hear the whole opera (on CD first, naturally). And finally a piece that stands on it own. Makes it the perfect ending for the first part of this concert. Again Agnes Baltsa is absolutely wonderful, again totally in role and of course the audience just can't have enough of her. BRAVA!!!!

2:
Rossini: Ouvertüre zu „Italiana in Algieri“
Rossini: Cruda sorte aus „Italiana in Algieri“
Another very well known ouverture as opening, this time it is L'Italiana in Algeri by Gioacchino Rossini. The orchestra is very good but it sound better in an opera house with an orchestra who really get into the part that this is a comic opera. As a concert piece they played it well. I wished I were at an opera house... Agnes Baltsa on the other hand was totally Isabella. There are other arias I would also have liked her to sing, but the singing was too glorious to have any complains like that. BRAVA, Bravissima!!

Saint-Säens: Bacchanale aus „Samson und Dalida“
Saint-Säens: Amour, vienne aus „Samson und Dalida“
Wonderful played and sung. A very good bacchanale from Samson et Dalila. Agnes Baltsa is super as Dalila but I don't think anyone will think badly of me for wishing she sang Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix. That said, she sang it with all her heart and passion. And we just loved her. BRAVA!!

Mascagni: Intermezzo aus „Cavalleria rusticana“
Mascagni: Voi lo sapete, o mamma aus „Cavalleria rusticana“
The Intermezzo was wonderful. And it was really one of the best Voi lo sapete, o mamma I had ever heard. Stupendous! Baltsa is the best Santuzza ever!!!

extra:
Puccini: O mio babbino caro aus "Gianni Schicchi"
Bizet: Habanera & Seguidilla aus „Carmen“
No shock this time that Die Baltsa would choose O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi. I am not even surprised that she sings it better than most if not all sopranos. And as "always" Habanera and Sequidilla from Carmen as encores. And this time I really got it, why Agnes Baltsa would sing the Seguidilla as last encore. She just absolutely adores to sing it. Agnes Baltsa's happiness was just echoed in the house. How we applauded, wanting even more!! Myself was really wishing for O don fatale from Don Carlo... But even if that never happened it was just a remarkable opera evening with Agnes Baltsa!!!!!
BRAVA! Bravissima!!! more more more.


Münchner Symphoniker
Nikos Athinäos LEITUNG
Freitag, 15. Dezember 2006
20 Uhr, Herkulessaal Abo

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December 15, 2002: Samson et Dalila in London

2002-12-15 Samson et Dalila (C. Saint-Saëns), Barbican (London)

Samson = José Cura
Dalila = Marina Domashenko
Grand Pretre de Dagon = Juha Uusitalo
Abimelech = John Relyea
Un Vielliard Hebreu = Robert Lloyd
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis, conductor



Saint-Saëns Samson and Delilah

This was just the concert version of the opera. And the Barbican Hall is air-conditioned, something that I think contributed to the drier sound of the singers than on the dress-rehearsal Dec13th.

This time the hall was full and the chorus was onstage also on the second act, even though they had nothing to sing, but they probably just wanted to see José Cura, Marina Domashenko and Juha Uusitalo sing the wonderful act 2 of Samson et Dalila.

The soloists was all dressed in black except Marina Domashenko who was in a shimmering grey dress. Even more acting in this premiere-night than on the dress-rehearsal, especially as it concerns José Cura and Marina Domashenko. Both have sung their roles in opera houses, so they knew exactly what was happening.

It was a wonderful opera-night, even if only a concert. Unfortunately I got real sick when I came back to my hotel, I was nearly not well enough to get to Heathrow and to take my plane back to Norway. Then in Norway I found out that I naturally had gotten a cold, presumably in London.

So a wonderful concert turns into a blues, but not because of the soloists, the chorus, the orchestra and the conductor.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, all !

SAMSON = Jose Cura, tenor
DALILA = Marina Domashenko, mezzo-soprano
(replaces Carolyn Sebron, mezzo-soprano)
(replaces Olga Borodina)
The High Priest of Dagon = Juha Uusitalo, baritone
Abimelech = John Relyea, bass
And Old Hebrew = Robert Lloyd, bass
London Symphony Chorus

OD Travel

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com
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