Hello, Ragazzi! (Part Four)

I’ve noticed (and no doubt my readers have noticed) that I've been mentioning/referring to Robert Carsen productions frequently in recent posts. This realization made me think. If the Met is going to continue importing some of its “new” productions from other venues (I understand it’s a more economical way to bring in new work than to create every new production from scratch), can we convince them to bring in Robert Carsen’s La Fanciulla del West? Since the Met was the site of Fanciulla’s origin, I think it’s about time we get a new production (or any production for that matter. It’s been 6 years since the last time they presented it.)

Maybe we could cast it with Nina Stemme and Jonas Kaufmann (though I understand he’s travelling outside Europe less due to changes in his domestic life). Alternate tenors: is Brandon Jovanovich ready for this role? He acted a good prince in Rusalka and sang a pretty exciting Florestan in concert a few years ago. How about Anja Kampe or Patricia Racette as Minnie? I am sure there are many other dramatic tenors and sopranos (and barihunks)—who also can act—who could fill out this production. Who would you like to see in a new Fanciulla?

Conversation about Carsen's 'Kavalier with Renée Fleming (and others)

We won't see it till next spring, but it's happening now in London. Here is an early preview of another new Met (and ROH) production: Robert Carsen's production of Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier. Kaspar Holten and Renée Fleming (and a host of others, including Andris Nelsons, who is conducting in London, and the Man Himself, Mr. Carsen.) chat about the current performances in London at the Royal Opera House. 

12/09/2016 – In my original post I neglected to credit Anik, who blogs at Eye Bags, for alerting me to this program. Thanks Anik!

Dutch National Opera Rosenkavalier Promo (Ewwww or Hmmmmm?)

So, after learning of HEM's upcoming debut as Sophie, I hopped over to the DNO site to learn more about their upcoming production of Rosenkavalier and found this:

(click this link to see the animated version)

Intriguing or Creepy? You be the judge. 

Alls I'm sayin' is I don't think die alte Marschallin is supposed to be an octogenarian! Who comes up with these ad campaigns? Someone with a minimal knowledge of the opera I guess. Imagine the description the designer was given: "This old broad is messing around with a hot teenage boy... now go design something!" 

Maybe not, but I wonder...

You can also see the video without the text across it. If you wanna..

Heut oder Morgen (or in a week or so) – Der Glyndenkavalier

We can still see the Glyndebourne Rosenkavalier for a few more weeks at concert.arte.tv. It will be gone soon. Not today or tomorrow, but well...March 2. So if you haven't seen it, do make time to do so—today, or tomorrow, or soon. Or, if you've already seen it, watch it again—with French or German subtitles. 

One More Thing About Der Glyndenkavalier...

You can view it on Arte, too, but with no subtitles and (at least on my system) the picture isn't as good. I'm not sure how long it will be available there. 

See it on the Glyndebourne site while it's still online. 

Three Rs: Rosenkavalier, Röschmann, and aRiodante (not together)

Der infamous Rosenkavalier from Glyndebourne (Video available for about 6 days.)

Dorothea Röschmann singing Faure, Liszt (somewhat surprisingly), Strauss, and Wolf (less surprising) in recital from Wigmore on Radio BBC 3 (For about 7 more days.)

Handel’s Ariodante in a 1997 performance from the Concertgebouw on Radio 4 Concerthuis (for about 16 more days) with Anne Sofie von Otter, Richard Croft, Marc Minkowski, and others.

Rosenkavalier and Boheme from Sweden

Check out these 2014 videos from Malmö Opera in Sweden!

[Update 06/29/2014: I was clicking back through these links and found that whoever posted them has made them "private" videos. So we can't look at them again. However, I am sure if we keep an eye out, we'll find them again somewhere.]

Der Rosenkavalier
Act 1*
Act 2
Act 3

I am not sure what I think of this overall production, but I am particularly impressed with both the singing and acting of Dorottya Láng as Octavian (just one of the guys) and Sofie Asplund as Sofie.

La Boheme

Acts 1 & 2

Acts 3 & 4

Ditto about the production, but the guys do a nice job, especially Vladislav Sulimsky as Marcello, Daniel Hällström as Schaunard, and Joachim Bäckström (also heard recently with Dorothea 

Röschmann in Haydn's Seasons) as Rodolpho.

*The posts at YT cannot be embedded, so I am providing links only this time around.

Gratuitous Friday – Anne Sofie von Otter, Barbara Bonney, and the Rose

Our instinct is to look at the person who's singing. But this time, watch Anne Sofie von Otter as Octavian while Sophie (Barbara Bonney) goes on about how pretty the rose smells. ASvO's emotion is electric and honest. I never ever forget that she is a girl playing a boy, but I totally believe she is totally fascinated, turned on, and perhaps even already in love with this lovely girl. And Barbara B. helps by being totally adorable. It sounds cliche, but I actually get chills watching ASvO in this scene. The singers and director make this work!

Carlos Kleiber und Der Rosenkavalier (The Conductorcam Edition)

Anyone can watch what's happening on the stage, including the conductor. But during an opera, the only people who can (or need to) watch the conductor are the musicians—the singers and instrumentalists.

Here are about 90 minutes of the orchestra-eye view of the great maestro Carlos Kleiber in action—not a rehearsal (there are a lot of those clips around, too), but a live performance; not “just” an orchestra concert, but an opera. I am a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. If I can see into the wings from my seat, I watch what’s going on backstage almost as much as what’s on stage. If I am sitting high enough to see into the pit, I watch the orchestra a lot, too.

Post Number 500* – What's Up with Mojca Erdmann?

Yes, she's gorgeous; but 

can she sing (this week)?

This fall, Mojca Erdmann (recently named the "Hottest Female in Opera" by Operagasm) quietly disappeared from two different productions of Der Rosenkavalier (in Vienna and most recently in New York), and I'm wondering: what's up with that? 

I did see one reference to her being "sick" (yes, "sick" in quotation marks).  So, I searched for Mojca Erdmann sick, Mojca Erdmann illness, Mojca Erdmann cancellation, and Mojca Erdmann replacement, with no results. 

Gratuitous Friday – Rosenkavalier Finale (Kirchschlager, Isokoski, and Kühmeier)

A heavenly Rosenkavalier finale with Angelika Kirschlager, Soile Isokoski, and the lovely Genia Kühmeier.  

Angelika Kirchschlager  (Octavian)

Soile Isokoski   (Marschallin)

Genia Kühmeier  (Sophie) 

Georg Tichy  (Faninal)

Wiener Staatsoper Anniversary Gala (5.11.2005)

Christian Thielemann, conducting

Rosenkavalier on Ö1 today, Live Stream Tomorrow - Sophie Sub

Ileana Tonca, scheduled to sing Sophie in the 2014 Wiener Staatsoper performances of Der Rosenkavalier, will be filling in for Mojca Erdmann as Sophie -- tonight on the radio and tomorrow on the live webcast. 

I don’t know why Erdmann is not singing these performances, but I’m not sad. 

Wiener Staatsoper Launches Live Streams with Rosenkavalier

The Vienna State Opera announced its first live streaming event: Der Rosenkavalier with Renée Fleming as the Marschallin, Sophie Koch as Octavian, Mojca Erdmann as Sophie and Peter Rose as Ochs in Otto Schenk’s production, under the baton of Adam Fischer. 

It will cost 14 Euros to watch live; *5 Euros for an on-demand version (viewable for 7 days). It's too bad it's not free, but it's totally understandable why not. I do appreciate their saying, 

... the artists will receive a fair share of the revenue of each stream." 

Reading Reviews of Röschmann's Rosenkavalier

Several fellow bloggers got to see Dorothea Röschmann and Magdalena Kožená in Der Rosenkavalier in Berlin this week. I stayed home and watched a DVD of Lohengrin (Bayreuth 2010).  Rats! Not that I didn't enjoy Lohengrin, but I have to admit I am jealous of my Berlin-visiting colleagues.  Fortunately they've shared their thoughts in their blogs.

Jonas Kaufmann is the Italian Singer (More Richard Strauss)

Only an Ochs would have the audacity to interrupt Herr Kaufmann in mid-phrase! What seems to be turning into Strauss week continues. 

This Rosenkavalier is from the Baden Baden re-staging of the Salzburg production with a stellar cast including Renee Fleming, Sophie Koch, Diana Damrau and Franz Hawlata. (Talk about luxury casting!!)