Die Walkure, 8/18/09 ( Read more... )

Monday night's Rheingold exceeded my high expectations ( Read more... )

The Marriage of Figaro (New Production ( Read more... )

I went (with my brother) to Wednesday evening's performance of Bluebeard's Castle and Erwartung at Seattle Opera. I was just as impressed with the production as I was on opening night. After hearing the singers again, it's clear that John Relyea's voice was gorgeous but small, Malgorzata Walewska's voice is loud but strident, and Susan Marie ( Read more... )

I really like how Seattle Opera has been scheduling an opera by a living composer every season recently: Marvin David Levy's Mourning Becomes Electra two years ago, Daniel Catan's Florencia en el Amazonas last season, and now Jake Heggie's The End of the Affair.

Between this work and Dead Man Walking, Heggie is getting quite a lot of stage time ( Read more... )

The 2005 Ring is now history: it will return again in 2009. Between now and then there will probably be at least one or two Wagner operas in Seattle, possibly Meistersinger, Tannhauser, and/or Der fliegende Hollander.

The current Ring production impressed me with its surprising complexity. After Das Rheingold, I was afraid that the production ( Read more... )

Well, chapeauxchick was right... the "end of the world" scene was very impressive. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who may at some point in the future watch this production, but I was amazed at how cinematically the director handled it.

Jane Eaglen did sound much better in this opera than in the previous two: as her Ortrud in last summer's Lohengrin ( Read more... )

Alan Woodrow is the voice I've been waiting for... he is the heldentenor. Strong, fearless, never flagging, deep baritonal low notes, ringing high notes, playful stage persona... he was an ideal Siegfried and made that oft-tiresome opera enjoyable. Jane Eaglen made the most of the duet (although those missing low notes are still missing), Thomas ( Read more... )

Tuesday night was Die Walkure. Like the first opera, the sets were extremely realistic and naturalistic, unlike the fairly abstract and symbolic 1985-1995 Seattle production ( Read more... )

Just got back from Seattle and the first part of the Ring.

Singing honors in Das Rheingold go to Stephanie Blythe (a tower of strength as Fricka), Richard Paul Fink (an uncommonly beautifully sung Alberich), and Eva Podles (who was absolutely stunning vocally in her brief performance as Erda). Thomas Harper was an excellent Mime, Stephen Milling ( Read more... )