Gratuitous Soprano Duet – Aber der Richtige (aus Arabella)

Sigh! I didn't get to see all of this in the live webcast. I am hoping an enterprising pirate...er...fan might have snagged 'n' shared it. Meanwhile, I found this kindly posted by the Bayerische Staatsoper. Anja Harteros and Hanna-Elisabeth Müller…

Sigh….that’s all…just…sigh!

Well, there is one more thing. I am tempted into a bit of fantasy opera casting. I am thinking, well, AH has sung the Marschallin, and HEM will be a marvelous Sophie (she makes her debut as Sophie in Amsterdam this fall). Who would be your choice of Octavian to place between them?

Arabella from the Bayersiche Staatsoper (Live on July 11)

From the STAATSOPER.TV website:

Bayerische Staatsoper will at 7 p.m. on Saturday, 11 July show the new production of Arabella by Richard Strauss with Anja Harteros in the title role.

With this opera, the film director Andreas Dresen will make his debut at Bayerische Staatsoper. Standing on the podium of Bayerisches Staatsorchester will be the Swiss conductor and musical director of the Paris Opera, Philippe Jordan. Anja Harteros will be participating in a Festival premiere for the fourth time after her premiere performances in Alcina (2005),Lohengrin (2009) and Il trovatore (2013). Singing at her side will be Kurt Rydl (Count Waldner), Doris Soffel (Adelaide),Hanna-Elisabeth Müller (Zdenka) and Joseph Kaiser (Matteo). Thomas J. Mayer, who was heard most recently at Bayerische Staatsoper as Wotan in Der Ring der Nibelungen (2012 and 2015), will be performing Mandryka.

Wiener Staatsoper Live

About a year ago the Vienna State Opera started streaming live broadcasts on the web and to specially equipped Samsung TVs. It seems they've noticed that not everyone who is interested in their programming speaks German. So this fall they broadened their advertising to reach the English-speaking audience. It is now somewhat easier to figure out how works the website. 

Unlike some organizations, the Staatsoper does charge for their streamed performances, but they also offer benefits such as delayed streaming so you can see the opera at 6pm in your own time zone. Right now you can also get a free pass to an opera of your choice just by registering at their website. And there are some goodies coming up just within the coming week:

Sunday, November 2 

Wagner: Tannhäuser

Friday, November 7

Puccini: La Boheme 

Plus:
Le Nozze di Figaro

La Cenerentola

La Traviata

Arabella 

Die Fledermaus

...all before the clock strikes 2015!

Check out the staatsoperlive.com/en webpage, to get the free offer, and go to staatsoperlive.com/en/live to see the full schedule. And click below to see a preview:

I have to add, whether in the interest of full disclosure, or just to brag, that I received an email a few days ago from the Staatsoperlive folks asking me to post this video on my blog. I have posted about their broadcasts before, so I don't feel I am pandering. On the contrary, I am flattered that they found me and thought my little blog was worth their effort!

Weekend at the Opera with Radio 4 Concerthuis

Baroque, Classical, and 20th Century opera are all on the menu at the Netherlands Radio 4 Concerthuis. Each recording will be available for about 2 to 3 months.

Vivaldi's Farnace from June 2012, with a cast that includes Max Emanuel Cencic, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Daniel Behle, and Vivica Geneux with Diego Fasolis conducting.

Vivaldi: Farnace

Die Zauberflöte from 1958, with a young, vibrant Fritz Wunderlich, and an otherwise all-Dutch ensemble that includes the young Elly Ameling as the First Boy, and a young Bernard Haitink at the helm. 

The Magic Flute

Richard Strauss' Arabella, from April 2014 with rising star American soprano Jacquelyn Wagner (who seems to be making a specialty of the title role), Agneta Eichenholz as Zdenka, and Marc Albrecht leading this performance from the Netherlands National Opera.

Arabella

Sunday Brunch – Arabella: Aber der Richtige (della Casa & Rothenberger)

No one could mistake Anneliese Rothenberger for a boy, especially not in this getup. But that doesn't make this clip any less enjoyable. For much of her career she sang operetta, but she also sang major Mozart and Richard Strauss roles, including Sophie, and performed the role of Arabella, at least in concert. Ironically, with all that operetta, Strauss and Mozart in her repertoire  my first exposure to Ms. Rothenberger was as Alban Berg's Lulu (photo in the NYT obit).

Sunday Brunch – Emily Magee & Genia Kühmeier sing Strauss

I found another clip from the recent Vienna production of Richard Strauss' Arabella: The exquisite duet from Act 1:

Aber, der Richtige

Richard Strauss: Arabella – Met, 1995: Back to the Future

McLaughlin and Te Kanawa

This Metropolitan Opera production of Strauss’ Arabella is top-notch, from the bottom of the orchestra pit to the top of the opulent sets. In between there is believable acting and magnificent singing. 

I went back to this DVD after reviewing the Zurich 2007 production; which stars the wonderful Renee Fleming and Julia Kleiter as the two sisters, but overall is not completely satisfying.  This story really seems to work better in its period setting. Somehow the scandal is more scandalous, and frankly (I cannot believe I am writing this) the whole story is more convincing in this über-traditional, über-literal Otto Schenk production. Clearly, the Met had more financial support than the Zurich Opera had for their 2007 production; the set, costumes, and rich casting just leave Zurich in the dust. 

Richard Strauss: Arabella – Zurich, 2007: It's Different for Girls



Fleming as Arabella and Kleiter as Zdenka

Arabella is sometimes considered a poor relation to Strauss’ Rosenkavalier and, to some extent, Capriccio. The title soprano part is actually very similar in character to the Countess and the Marschallin, and most sopranos who sing one of these roles, usually sing the other two, also.  The plot is light: Arabella wants to marry der Richtige (loosely translated as Mr. Right) and her parents want her to marry for wealth, as they are in dire financial straits. Arabella’s sister Zdenka is disguised as a boy Zdenko—because the family cannot afford to formally “present” two daughters to society. Of course, Zdenka is in love with Matteo, Arabella’s most ardent suitor, but cannot admit it since everyone thinks she’s a boy. Confusion and a scandal ensue, and ultimately there is a happy ending. 

Sunday Brunch – Emily Magee is Arabella

I watched two different versions of Arabella this weekend; while looking for clips to go with the reviews, I found this on YouTube. 

Emily Magee recently has become another object of my fanboy affection (See Tosca and Ariadne reviews). Tomasz Konieczny looks like a baritone worth following, too. I hope I can track down this entire performance, especially since it also features Genia Kühmeier and Michael Schade.             

 
               Final scene from Arabella