English Touring Opera are delighted to announce a season of lyric monodramas to tour nationally from October to December. The season features music for solo singer and piano by Argento, Britten, Tippett and Shostakovich with a bold and inventive approach to making opera during social distancing.
This tenth of ten Live from London concerts was in fact a recorded live performance from California. It was no less enjoyable for that, and it was also uplifting to learn that this wasn’t in fact the ‘last’ LfL event that we will be able to enjoy, courtesy of VOCES8 and their fellow vocal ensembles (more below …).
Ever since Wigmore Hall announced their superb series of autumn concerts, all streamed live and available free of charge, I’d been looking forward to this song recital by Ian Bostridge and Imogen Cooper.
The Sixteen continues its exploration of Henry Purcell’s Welcome Songs for Charles II. As with Robert King’s pioneering Purcell series begun over thirty years ago for Hyperion, Harry Christophers is recording two Welcome Songs per disc.
Although Stile Antico’s programme article for their Live from London recital introduced their selection from the many treasures of the English Renaissance in the context of the theological debates and upheavals of the Tudor and Elizabethan years, their performance was more evocative of private chamber music than of public liturgy.
In February this year, Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho made a highly lauded debut recital at Wigmore Hall - a concert which both celebrated Opera Rara’s 50th anniversary and honoured the career of the Italian soprano Rosina Storchio (1872-1945), the star of verismo who created the title roles in Leoncavallo’s La bohème and Zazà, Mascagni’s Lodoletta and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.
Evidently, face masks don’t stifle appreciative “Bravo!”s. And, reducing audience numbers doesn’t lower the volume of such acclamations. For, the audience at Wigmore Hall gave soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn and pianist Simon Lepper a greatly deserved warm reception and hearty response following this lunchtime recital of late-Romantic song.
Collapsology. Or, perhaps we should use the French word ‘Collapsologie’ because this is a transdisciplinary idea pretty much advocated by a series of French theorists - and apparently, mostly French theorists. It in essence focuses on the imminent collapse of modern society and all its layers - a series of escalating crises on a global scale: environmental, economic, geopolitical, governmental; the list is extensive.
For this week’s Live from London vocal recital we moved from the home of VOCES8, St Anne and St Agnes in the City of London, to Kings Place, where The Sixteen - who have been associate artists at the venue for some time - presented a programme of music and words bound together by the theme of ‘reflection’.
'Such is your divine Disposation that both you excellently understand, and royally entertaine the Exercise of Musicke.’
Amongst an avalanche of new Mahler recordings appearing at the moment (Das Lied von der Erde seems to be the most favoured, with three) this 1991 Mahler Second from the 2nd Kassel MahlerFest is one of the more interesting releases.
‘And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven … that old serpent … Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’
If there is one myth, it seems believed by some people today, that probably needs shattering it is that post-war recordings or performances of Wagner operas were always of exceptional quality. This 1949 Hamburg Tristan und Isolde is one of those recordings - though quite who is to blame for its many problems takes quite some unearthing.
There was never any doubt that the fifth of the twelve Met Stars Live in Concert broadcasts was going to be a palpably intense and vivid event, as well as a musically stunning and theatrically enervating experience.
‘Love’ was the theme for this Live from London performance by Apollo5. Given the complexity and diversity of that human emotion, and Apollo5’s reputation for versatility and diverse repertoire, ranging from Renaissance choral music to jazz, from contemporary classical works to popular song, it was no surprise that their programme spanned 500 years and several musical styles.
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields have titled their autumn series of eight concerts - which are taking place at 5pm and 7.30pm on two Saturdays each month at their home venue in Trafalgar Square, and being filmed for streaming the following Thursday - ‘re:connect’.
The London Symphony Orchestra opened their Autumn 2020 season with a homage to Oliver Knussen, who died at the age of 66 in July 2018. The programme traced a national musical lineage through the twentieth century, from Britten to Knussen, on to Mark-Anthony Turnage, and entwining the LSO and Rattle too.
With the Live from London digital vocal festival entering the second half of the series, the festival’s host, VOCES8, returned to their home at St Annes and St Agnes in the City of London to present a sequence of ‘Choral Dances’ - vocal music inspired by dance, embracing diverse genres from the Renaissance madrigal to swing jazz.
Just a few unison string wriggles from the opening of Mozart’s overture to Le nozze di Figaro are enough to make any opera-lover perch on the edge of their seat, in excited anticipation of the drama in music to come, so there could be no other curtain-raiser for this Gala Concert at the Royal Opera House, the latest instalment from ‘their House’ to ‘our houses’.
"Before the ending of the day, creator of all things, we pray that, with your accustomed mercy, you may watch over us."
![Brandon Jovanovich (Luigi) and Patricia Racette (Giorgetta) in Il Tabarro [Photo by Cory Weaver courtesy of San Francisco Opera]](http://www.operatoday.com/Tab_JovRac.gif)
The complexity of staging Puccini's evening of three one-act operas, Il Trittico, has kept this masterpiece from appearing on opera stages as frequently as, say, Turandot or Tosca.
Then there’s the length. Two years ago the Metropolitan Opera had a huge success with a new production in its first year of Live in HD telecasts to movie theaters. Last season Los Angeles Opera also got headlines for hiring Woody Allen to direct Gianni Schicchi, with another film director, William Friedkin, taking on the Suor Angelica and Il Tabarro.
Patricia Racette (Sister Angelica) in Suor Angelica
San Francisco Opera, for the second production of its 2009-10 season, pulled together an admirable cast, while borrowing a New York City Opera production of intriguing, if stark, sets, designed by Allen Moyer. Perhaps the rusted metallic plates that served as wharf and barge for Il Tabarro were more utilitarian than evocative, and setting Suor Angelica in a sanatorium clinic of aquamarine tiles gave that emotionally rich piece a clinical feel. Still, the power of Puccini’s music and the efforts of a talented cast should make for a memorable evening.
Both the Tabarro and Suor Angelica felt flat, as seen on Friday, September 18th. The fault lay with the tepid conducting of Patrick Summers. Plum assignments go to this conductor, and his program essay revealed a keen intelligence aware of the qualities that make the music of Il Trittico so special. But the actual performance he produced with the estimable San Francisco Opera orchestra disappointed. Rhythms were flaccid, transitions awkward. The exquisite opening of Il Tabarro conveyed no sense of either water in motion or the tragedy to come. Suor Angelica had no pathos, and left the audience dry-eyed, despite the fine work of Patricia Racette. By comparison, a year ago James Conlon in Los Angeles and Sondra Radvanovsky in the lead role had their audience choking back sobs. The Schicchi went better, mostly because James Robinson’s direction, sharp and incisive all night, produced so much laughter that it rode over any flaws in the conducting.
David Lomelí (Rinuccio) and Patricia Racette (Lauretta) in Gianni Schicchi
Racette took on all three lead soprano roles, and with Robinson’s help, each was a clearly defined characterization. Her Giorgetta played up the frustrated sexuality of the character, linking her to the Pagliacci Nedda. At times Racette seemed to be holding some power in reserve for the rest of the long evening, but then again Summers let the orchestra swamp other singers at times as well. Racette’s Angelica was a subtle, restrained performance, and in this production, the ending leant toward tragedy rather than miraculous redemption. The highlight of the entire evening was the confrontation between Angelica and the Princess of Ewa Podleś. Podleś’s voice now has two quite separate registers, but the awkward gear shifts between the two only served to make her character more imposing and ominous. Racette returned for the Schicchi Lauretta, where she played up the lovestruck, not to say dumbstruck, teenage sex kitten. Her “O mio babbino caro” worked its manipulative magic even with Paolo Gavanelli’s stubborn papa on the other side of a door.
Gavanelli also had moments of greatness as Michele in Tabarro, although the macho good looks of Brandon Jovanovich’s Luigi made Michele seem obtuse for not guessing that his wife had taken up with the hunky cargo handler. Jovanovich sang with thrust and yet sensitivity - a real tenor to watch. David Lomeli did some nice work later in the evening as Rinuccio in Schicchi. If Lomeli can strengthen his lower range, he too will be on his way to a fine career. Andrea Silvestrelli in both Tabarro and Schicchi grabbed the spotlight with his relaxed but convincing acting and most of all, a huge, dark bass sound. Under many an other conductor, the whole evening would have been a considerable success.
Meredith Arwady (Zita), Catherine Cook (La Ciesca), Paolo Gavanelli (Gianni Schicchi), and Rebekah Camm (Nella) in Gianni Schicchi
The next night saw the fourth of SFO’s telecasts from the War Memorial to the ATT ballpark, home of the Giants. Verdi’s Il Trovatore filled the bill on Saturday the 19th. Your reviewer was one of an estimated 25,000 who kept the concession stand management happy with visits for overpriced treats of doubtful nutritional value. The ballpark turned out to be a surprisingly wonderful way to enjoy an opera on a cool but bearable San Francisco evening. The crowd was mostly quiet, although in the last act the slamming of concession stand windows could be heard, and most unfortunately, during Leonora’s first aria a small girl escaped her guardian and ran around the roped-off infield for a couple of minutes, to the raucous laughter of the crowd.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Count di Luna) and Sondra Radvanovsky (Leonora)
But Trovatore and this cast made for an exciting ball park entertainment. The audio boomed out, sometimes echoing off the stadium heights, but the occasional moments of distortion did not eclipse the pleasures of this visceral performance under the commanding leadership of new SFO Music Director Nicola Luisotti. Stephanie Blythe staked her claim to be the Azucena of her generation - fearless in her attack, emotionally open, and most importantly, strict in never letting the characterization sink into comical extremes. Dmitri Hvorostovsky has received criticism for pushing his lovely baritone in a heavier Verdi role such as Di Luna, and he did bark out some lines, but his gorgeous tone and seamless legato dominated his performance, pushing aside any grumbles.
Marco Berti (Manrico) and Stephanie Blythe (Azucena) [Photo by Terrence McCarthy courtesy of San Francisco Opera]
Sondra Radvanovsky took the honors that evening, with her amazing breath control, agility, and the unique quality to her voice - smoky and yet utterly feminine. Arguably, the slower tempo of “D’amor sull’ali rosee” showed off more of Radvanovsky’s incredible technique than it did Leonora’s desperation, but Luisotti and Radvanovsky set up the challenge and she met it beautifully, earning a tumultuous response. For Marco Berti in the title role, it might be a back-handed compliment, but he does seem to be about the best the opera world can do right now in this role. The tone lacks color, and he brings no particular style to his efforts. But the voice is huge and undaunted by the role’s challenges. Other tenors can do more with “Ah si ben mio,” but for the rest of the role, Berti came through.
Burak Bilgili (Ferrando) and chorus
As seen on the ATT ballpark giant screen, David McVicar’s production caught the hothouse atmosphere of the narrative well, and the revolving set facilitated much appreciated quick scene changes. Why the final scene found Manrico and Azucena imprisoned in a hole in giant rock confused your reviewer, but the darkness of the screen and the chilly lateness of the hour might be at fault there.
David Gockley, General Director of San Francisco Opera, has done very well in selecting Nicola Luisotti as Music Director. If only Luisotti had been at the helm of the Il Trittico performances as well as the Trovatore ones…
Chris Mullins