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 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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November 2, 2013: Aida in Paris

2013-11-02 Aida (Verdi), Opera National de Paris (Opera Bastille)

The King = Carlo Cigni
Amneris = Luciana D’intino
Aida = Oksana Dyka
Radamès = Marcelo Alvarez
Ramfis = Roberto Scandiuzzi
Amonasro = Sergey Murzaev
A messenger = Oleksiy Palchykov
High Priestess = Elodie Hache

Philippe Jordan, conductor

Stage director - Olivier Py
Sets and costumes - Pierre-André Weitz
Lighting - Bertrand Killy
Chorus master - Patrick Marie Aubert

"Commissioned to celebrate concord between the nations, Aida is essentially about conflict. Hieratic and flamboyant, spectacular and introspective, Verdi's masterpiece returns to the Paris Opera after an absence of more than half a century."

Philippe JordanConductor
Olivier PyStage director
Pierre-André WeitzSets and costumes
Bertrand KillyLighting
Patrick Marie AubertChorus master
Carlo Cigni Il Re
Luciana D’intino (A) ⁄Elena Bocharova (B) Amneris
Oksana Dyka (A) ⁄ Lucrezia Garcia (B) Aida
Marcelo Alvarez (A) ⁄ Robert Dean Smith (B) Radamès
Roberto Scandiuzzi  (10, 12, 15, 20, 29 oct., 2, 6, 9, 12, 14 et 16 nov.) / Alexei Botnarciuc (25 oct.) Ramfis
Sergey Murzaev Amonasro
Elodie Hache Sacerdotessa

Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus


(A) 10, 15, 25 OCTOBER, 2, 9, 14 NOVEMBER
(B) 12, 20, 29 OCTOBER, 6, 12, 16 NOVEMBER

So Opera Bastille and Marcelo Alvarez as Radames in Verdi's AIDA. The sets was in gold. The costumes was black or golden or camouflage. We all know that Verdi was an Italian patriot and that his name was used to say discreetly that they wanted Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia. Etiopia became Italy, and Egypt became Austria and that did not make sense here. The director improvements of Aida was distractions and in bad taste.

The singing was glorious, the conductor magnificent. I was happy in the beginning, no blackface. Alas, that was not to last...

The opera started with man waiving a big, Italian flag behind the big golden building. Then soldiers dressed in camouflage caught him and beat him severely. Aida in black dress and blonde whig tried to help him. Amneris was also in a black dress with sparkly spots and blonde whig. Blond and white was name of Amneris followers. Aida rebelled and soon the whig was off. Radames was dressed in black as a general with gold streaks. Ramfis and his men was dressed as Catholic priests and monks. Ramfis was dressed in gold as Archbishop or Pope.

Soldiers in camouflage, some times off with shirt, flexing muscles, eager always to use machines against anyone. OK. We get it, Austria was bad to Italians. Ballet meant a chance for bad taste to unfold. The blackest blackface to one of the dancers and then a red "egypt hat" with black, curly hair AND dancing in a kind of monkey type dance AND beating of two camouflage soldiers. I had to look over the stage towards Amneris and friends and just avoid the stage floor. And what did it do for the opera NOTHING except BAD TASTE in whole body. Then there was the Holocaust looking like scene with lots of Dead, White Bodies and Radames strolling there with his water bottle. Also something in Bad Taste and Not Necessary.

This production was distracting when it should not be and it did not speak to me. All that wonderful musical talent and then we got a Golden, but Empty AIDA. Oksana Dyka was wonderful!!! Marcelo Alvarez wonderful!!!

When I left Opera Bastille I was SOOO happy I did not have to see it again. My number 10 Aida and sadly not one of the good ones. The Aida in Verona this summer does not seem so bad now.

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

July 6, 2015: Adriana Lecouvreur in Paris

2015-07-06 Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea), Opera National de Paris (Opera Bastille)

Adriana Lecouvreur = Angela Gheorghiu
Maurizio = Marcelo Alvarez
La Principessa di Bouillon = Luciana D’intino
Il Principe di Bouillon = Wojtek Smilek
L’Abate di Chazeuil = Raúl Giménez
Michonnet = Alessandro Corbelli
Quinault = Alexandre Duhamel
Poisson = Carlo Bosi

Daniel Oren, conductor

Stage director - David McVicar
Sets - Charles Edwards
Costumes - Brigitte Reiffenstuel
Lighting - Adam Silverman
Choreography - Andrew George

Chorus master - José Luis Basso

Bravi, tutti! And I did not have head-ache this time. So this time I waited for the artists to come out. Ihad to give up waiting for Angela Gheorghiu.

I can only repeat myself that this was a wonderful, traditional production. I think Angela Gheorghiu was better this day. I think that since I am deaf on one ear it is hard to me get the right sound in my head and something was slightly off in the sound this day but I think it was probably just my deaf ear and that problem.

The audience was definitely different, they were laughing more something I do not like when I am in an opera house enjoying opera. Not that it was malicious the laughter I just found it out of place.

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

July 4, 2015: Gala Anna Netrebko & Friends in Versailles

2015-07-04 Gala Anna Netrebko & Friends, Versailles

Anna Netrebko, soprano
Ekaterina Gubanova, mezzo
Yusif Eyvaziv, tenor
Ildar Abdrazakov, bass

Orchestre National d’Île-de-France

Marco Armiliato, conductor

♦ PROGRAMME
Giuseppe Verdi • I vespri siciliani
Sinfonia – Orchestre
Giuseppe Verdi • Aida
“Se quel guerrier io fossi… Celeste Aida” – Y. Eyvazov
Giuseppe Verdi • Aida
“Qui Radamès verrà… O patria mia” – A. Netrebko
Giuseppe Verdi • Ernani
“Infelice!… e tuo credevi… Infin che un brando vindice” – I. Abdrazakov
Francesco Cilea • Adriana Lecouvreur
“Acerba voluttà” – E. Gubanova
Giuseppe Verdi • Otello
“Gia nella notte densa” – A. Netrebko, Y. Eyvazov
Giuseppe Verdi • La Force du destin
Sinfonia – Orchestre
Giuseppe Verdi • Don Carlo
“Nel giardin del bello saracin ostello”– E. Gubanov
Ruggero Leoncavallo • Pagliacci
“Recitar ! Vesti la giubba” – Y. Eyvazov
Arrigo Boito • Mefistofele
“L’altra notte in fondo al mare” – A. Netrebko
Giacomo Puccini • Manon Lescaut
Intermezzo – Orchestre
Giuseppe Verdi • Attila
“Mentre gonfiarsi l’anima parea dinanzi a Roma… Oltre quel l’imite t’attendo” - I. Abdrazakov
Giuseppe Verdi • Don Carlo
“O don fatale” – E. Gubanova
Gioachino Rossini • Le Barbier de Séville
“La calunnia è un venticello” – I. Abdrazakov
Ernesto De Curtis • “Non ti scordar di me” (arrangement Julian Reynolds)
A. Netrebko, E. Gubanova, Y. Eyvazov, I. Abdrazakov

Yusif Eyvazov is a wonderful tenor! A new name for, Yusif Eyvazov, to adore.

Ildar Abdrazakov. What a great voice he has!! It was like abrakadabra great! He is just the most amazing bass. I love his impossible low, strong voice. From the old da Silva in Ernani to Attila, La Calunnia and extra number Mephisto from Faust. BRAVO!!

I had no time to read the programme so I was amazed when The Tenor was so amazing in Celeste Aida and in the love duet from Otello with Netrebko. I bought my program in the interval but still did not read it. So still believing him to be A. Antonenko I loved his Vesti la giubba, then Nessun dorm as extra number. But now I known name of the Unknown Prince, it is Yusif Eyvazov!!! My new tenor love! BRAVO, Yusif!!! I wish you to have a great opera career!! Adore him all!

Ekaterina Gubanova as the Princess of Bouillon in Adriana Lecouvreur is my next wish to see her. I loved Luciana D'Intino as she sang this role in Opera Bastille the day before as so that was the reason I recognized the first aria Gubanova sang and I just loved it. She was just everything you can dream of in this aria. I love Don Carlos and wants to see Gubanova as Eboli, so I loved her singing the two arias from Don Carlo in part 2.

Anna Netrebko sang O Patria mia from Aida, the love duet from Otello with the tenor, but she did not sing the aria from Mefistofele, she sang Un bel di vedremo from Madama Butterfly. As extra number she sang Barcarolle from Hoffmann with Gubanova, and she sang an operetta aria.


They all sang NON TI SCORDAR DI ME both in program and as last extra. And we will not forget!!

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

July 3, 2015: Adriana Lecouvreur in Paris

2015-07-03 Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea), Opera National de Paris (Opera Bastille)

Adriana Lecouvreur = Angela Gheorghiu
Maurizio = Marcelo Alvarez
La Principessa di Bouillon = Luciana D’intino
Il Principe di Bouillon = Wojtek Smilek
L’Abate di Chazeuil = Raúl Giménez
Michonnet = Alessandro Corbelli
Quinault = Alexandre Duhamel
Poisson = Carlo Bosi

Daniel Oren, conductor

Stage director - David McVicar
Sets - Charles Edwards
Costumes - Brigitte Reiffenstuel
Lighting - Adam Silverman
Choreography - Andrew George

Chorus master - José Luis Basso

It was wonderful and rare to see a truly traditional opera production but for Adriana it is so right.
Loved the production and did warm up to this opera rather quickly. I loved Alessandro Corbelli as Michonnet. He was so right for the role. He loves Adriana and he is the decent type of a fellow someone to trust interely. Raul Gimenez as L'Abate was also wonderful as this not so trustworthy man, not so much of a man of the Church as a man of the flesh. Wojtek Smilek as the Prince of Bouillon was impressive, too.

Angela Gheorghiu was not impressive as she started with "Io son l'umile ancella", mostly because I have heard the likes of Montserrat Caballe singing it, and with MC it is most impressive and impressionistic. The rest of the audience, however, went wild for Angela Gheorghiu. Luciana D'Intino was her rival the Princess of Bouillon and Luciana was great. Luciana has everything passion and La Voce and her voice can go through all and everything. Marcelo Alvarez was just the most adoringly, wonderful Maurizio. What a beautiful voice? He could use to loose some weight but NOT if it changes his voice because the Voice is Perfect.


Daniel Oren conducted and the orchestra was just wonderful. Angela Gheorghiu became better and better. Luciana wins on power, Angela wins on sweetness. Marcelo Alvarez has it all! BRAVO tutti!

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