Five Flute Friday (Magic Flutes, that is!)

ROH, 2008

Salzburg, 2006

Royal Concertgebouw, 1995
Act 1

Act 2



Hamburg Oper, 1971

Kenneth Brannagh Film, 2006
Act 1

Act 2

Watching the Radio – Gösta Winberg (and others) on Ö1 Radio

Apropos Musik on Ö1 Radio remembers Swedish tenor Gösta Winbergh just a week before what would have been his seventieth birthday, in a program called: Not just a Mozart Tenor – Gösta Winbergh.  This may come as a bit of a surprise for those of us who do think of this Swedish tenor primarily as a Mozart singer who dabbled in Wagner (notably Lohengrin). In between, he sang music of Donizetti, Bizet, and Puccini (!), to name a few others. Sadly, he died of a heart attack at the early age of 58, right after a Vienna performance of Fidelio. See! Singing Beethoven is hazardous to your health.

In this hour-long program, we get to hear him in arias from Fidelio, Carmen, Tosca, and of course, Die Zauberflöte. The program also includes duets from Die Entfürhung aus dem Serail* with Edita Gruberova, L'elisir d'amore with Barbara Bonney (BB’s Adina is another pleasant surprise!), and The Pearl Fishers.

Wo ist Wozzeck? (And Other Videos We'd Like to See)

Simon Keenlyside

So, it's been three days already, and no sign of the Wozzeck webcast. Come on, people! Of course, it might have hit the Toob and already been snatched offline by the vigilant Staatsoper folks. But I won't give up hope. 

Meanwhile, here is a photo from a Don Giovanni performance (also at the BSO) I'd like to have seen/heard. It was taken by Kyle Ketelson and posted at his Skydrive site, along with a whole bunch more photos from the production. If DR in a ski jacket and mask isn't enough for you, you're sure to find something else intriguing when you check out the rest of the photos. 

Dorothea Röschmann 

Here's the enticing cast list:

Don Giovanni Simon Keenlyside
Der Komtur Goran Jurić
Donna Anna Elza van den Heever
Don Ottavio Bernard Richter
Donna Elvira Dorothea Röschmann
Leporello Kyle Ketelsen
Zerlina Laura Tatulescu
Masetto *Tareq Nazmi

(Unfortunately, this was a very short-lived revival: only three performances!)

Meanwhile, there still is time to see a few other operas that are available online. Here are six to choose from:

Watch Bayerische Staatsoper Performances Live Online

Keenlyside and Denoke as Wozzeck and Marie, 2009

© R. Walz, Opera National de Paris

In 2013/14, the Bayerische Staatsoper will present its second season of selected performances as live streams, free of charge online via STAATSOPER.TV– and, for the first time, in full HD. These will include all of the new productions by the new General Music Director Kirill Petrenko. 

2013/2014 Season

October 6, 2013

7.00 P.M. (C.E.T.)

Alban Berg

Wozzeck

Conductor Lothar Koenigs

Director Andreas Kriegenburg

With Simon Keenlyside, Angela Denoke a.o.

December 1, 2013

6.00 P.M. (C.E.T.)

Richard Strauss

Die Frau ohne Schatten

New production
Conductor Kirill Petrenko

Director Krzysztof Warlikowski

With Johan Botha, Adrianne Pieczonka, Deborah Polaski, Wolfgang Koch, Elena Pankratova a.o.

Keenlyside, Stoyanova, Breslik in Eugene Onegin on BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3 broadcasts the Royal Opera House production of Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin today at 1:00 PM New York time; 6 PM London time. If, like me, you're not able to listen today, the recording should be available for replay for about a week.

Tatyana ..... Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano)

Eugene Onegin ..... Simon Keenlyside (baritone)

Madame Larina ..... Diana Montague (mezzo-soprano)

Filipyevna ..... Kathleen Wilkinson (mezzo-soprano)

Olga ..... Elena Maximova (mezzo-soprano)

A Peasant Singer ..... Elliot Goldie (tenor)

Lensky ..... Pavol Breslik (tenor)

Monsieur Triquet ..... Christoph Mortagne (tenor)

A Captain ..... Michel de Souza (baritone)

Zaretsky ..... Jihoon Kim (bass)

Prince Gremin ..... Peter Rose (bass)

Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Robin Ticciati, conductor

Eugene Onegin Rehearsal at the ROH

Mr. Breslik is in
the production
but does not
appear in this clip.

On Monday 7 January 2013, the Royal Opera House streamed live rehearsals, interviews and master classes. In addition to showing us behind the scenes at a Wagner performance, they shared rehearsals for the upcoming Eugene Onegin. In this clip, Kasper Holten directs Simon Keenlyside and Krassimira Stoyanova as they rehearse a scene for the first time. 

At the YT site, the ROH adds this warning: 

Guidance - please note this film contains strong language.

(Oh no!! Opera singers swearing!??!?)

Find out more about the production and the upcoming broadcast at the ROH website.

Sunday Brunch – Keenlyside & Breslik are Onegin & Lensky

Pavol and Simon
rehearsing at the ROH.

Simon Keenlyside is Onegin, and Pavol Breslik is Lensky. They will be performing together at the ROH this month, but it's not the first time they've sung Eugene Onegin together.  The clip below [removed per request of the Bayerische Staatsoper, but I'm sure it will turn up again somewhere!] is from their performance in Munich. The director had an interesting (and not unconvincing) take on the relationship between these two friends. Sadly, the production was rather unattractive. And if you're going to have cowboys two-stepping to the Polonaise, at least find cowboys who know how to two-step. But that's in a different clip.

I've a feeling their ROH friendship will be much more platonic! 

Meanwhile, here is the official ROH trailer:

See an ROH rehearsal clip here and find out more about the new production and the upcoming broadcast at the ROH website.

Also, see a clip of PB singing Kuda kuda in Vienna

Post updated 02/12/2013

Don Giovanni – Zurich 2006 (Part 2: Never Put Your Hand Inside a Singing Statue)

Simon Keenlyside
as Don Giovanni
as Leporello

As I noted yesterday, I didn't like this Don Giovanni much the first time I watched it. But reading the Earworm's recent reviews encouraged me to revisit the performance. The mirrors and drapes and other nice touches in the production emphasize the ambiguity that one often feels about this opera. Donna Anna sings her Act 2 aria (Non mi dir) supposedly to Ottavio, but she is wearing Giovanni's red velvet jacket, and holding the hand of her dead father (or the hand of a representation of her dead father.) Her heart belongs to Daddy, and she feels obligated to Ottavio, but I think she wants Giovanni. As Ottavio moves towards her, she steps downstage, waves her hand to bring down a curtain behind her, blocking Ottavio. She sings the bravura ending of her aria "in one", downstage in front of the curtain.

Don Giovanni – Zurich 2006 (Part 1: The Music and The Mirror)

After reading the Earworm's recent review(s) of this performance, I decided watch it again. The first time (seems like ages ago, but was only a few months), I had trouble finding a way into the director's concept. I just didn't care that much. It's still not a top favorite Don Giovanni, but I like it better and I understand more of it now.

What's the difference between fanboy (or girl) and stalker?

             

   

Fanboy of the Opera*

Contrary to the opinion of certain people, I am not stalking Luca Pisaroni. 

Not real-life stalking, nor cyber-stalking. 

Yes, I track down any performance broadcasts I can find. 

Yes, I check for updates on his webpage. 

Yes, I "liked" his Facebook page. 

Yes, I even "liked" Lenny and Tristan's Facebook page. (Their lives are a lot more interesting than a lot of humans I know!)  

Monteverdi Monday – Simon Keenlyside is Orfeo

Here is a young-ish Simon Keenlyside in a beautiful (if slightly strange) production of L'Orfeo, choreographed and directed by Trisha Brown and conducted by Rene Jacobs in 1998. The singing is lovely, the dancing is lively, and you gotta admire all the singing while leaping about. 

                                                                Orfeo is happy 'cause he just married Eurydice.

                                                                We are happy 'cause he is singing & dancing!

Gratuitous Friday – Dorothea Röschmann is Pamina

...and Simon Keenlyside (no vocal slouch either) in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte:

From David McVicar's 2003 production at Covent Garden.