Block

[robingoh]

I'm frustrated. I've been trying to write about the concert version of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro by the Vienna State Opera which I have just come home from, and it is proving impossible. I'll just say for now that it was a wonderful evening and try to elucidate my thoughts and feelings tomorrow. Argh!

Comments

[idle_banter]

What did you think of the glaring excision of some of the recitatives? Spoilt the second half for me...

[robingoh]

The most glaring I thought was in the first half, in act 2, when they didn't explain why the Count and Countess were walking off after singing," Giudizio! Giudizio!" to one another. The count has gone off to get tools to break down the door and insists that the countess accompany him, and that's when Susanna comes in to let Cherubino out of the closet. That must have been a wee bit confusing for the audience if they were not following the libretto at hand and just reading the surtitles which were all over the place anyway. The end of end two was an absolute mess as far as the titles were concerned. I thought that beginning with the count/Susanna duet( Verrai? Non manquerai?) at the beginning of the second half worked surprisingly well. I guess it being a concert performance, they wanted to do away with some of the recitatives to move things along. What they did sing, they sang sublimely, don't you think? Superkudos to the singers of Figaro and Cherubino, and Susanna's final aria, "Deh vieni, non tardar" was ever more meltingly

[idle_banter]

I actually missed that one in Act 2, for I was waiting with bated breath for "Esci, ormai, garzon malnato" to herald the start of the roller-coaster ride of the climax. But now that you mentioned it, I do recall feeling a little lost when the couple returned and I thought to myself that I seemed to have missed something.

Yes, Luca Pisaroni is undeniably charming and Michaela Selinger's curtain call must have received the loudest applause. Ildiko Raimondi is a dream isn't she? Sigh...

[robingoh]

I remarked to my friends that from where we were sitting, Pisaroni looked like Rupert Everett( actually he's even better-looking, judging from his headshot) and sang like a god. I confess that I may have been the one to lead the "Brava"s which greeted Selinger's curtain call( at least mine was the first one I heard). I was so bowled over after her two arias. Her voice had this wonderful quality that just CARRIED in that concert hall! I wasn't particularly impressed with Raimondi when she first started the opera, but she's so steady and so consistent and just grew from strength to strength from act to act. Her "Deh, vieni" was really just to die for. It was while listening to that aria that I thought to myself that I really could get addicted to listening to voices like these LIVE. If I lived in Europe, I would go broke going to the opera.

[idle_banter]

I was in the seat nearest to the stage on Balcony E and even then had brought my binoculars for assurance, and being the voyeur that I am, it was double the pleasure of "seeing" them sing.

Pisaroni is in the Gylndebourne Cosi as Guglielmo and Salzburg Don Giovanni as Masetto and Raimondi's in the Vienna State Opera 50th Anniversary concert as a charming Zerlina with a strong cast including Isokoski, Gruberova, Hampson and Furlanetto. Both available on DVD.

As for Europe and opera and going broke, count me in! And let's not forget the Met. Well, if and when abroad, all the more reason not to miss catching performances. And the pockets don't necessarily have to be deep with last-minute rush or standing room tickets.

See you around at Isokoski's recital in November then!