Opera News articles from December 2000

Opera News archives from December 2000

A VOTE FOR THE ARTS.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 1, 2000... By the time this issue of OPERA NEWS reaches you, we will know who will follow Bill Clinton into the White House. What we probably won't know, however, is what impact the election will have on support for the arts. "Very little" is the most...

OPERA WATCH.(Calendar of Events)
December 1, 2000... 1 On Friday; December 15, the winners of PLACIDO DOMINGO's eighth annual Operalia competition will perform with the maestro and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra in "The Gala Concert" at UCLA's Royce Hall in Westwood, CA. Operalia 2000 was held...

ON THE BEAT.
December 1, 2000... Racette moves from Luisa Miller to Jenufa; big noise at City Opera; evergreen Te Kanawa to sing Vanessa, Met Turandot riddle; Podles goes operatic "This will go down in my memoirs as my best opening night!" PATRICIA RACETTE is speaking by...

HOLIDAY AUDIO.(audio equipment suggested as gifts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Playing Santa to audiophiles isn't easy. So, as a holiday gift for our harried readers, we at OPERA NEWS have assembled the following list of goodies any "sound hound" would be thrilled to receive. GRADO RA-1 ($350) It's the great...

A Double Life.(baritone William Sharp)(Interview)
December 1, 2000... From time to time, baritone William Sharp needs to be a quick-change artist. No sooner has he unpacked upon returning on a Sunday to Washington, D.C., after a weekend of concerts, than it's time to repack so he can be in Boston the next morning...

DESKTOP COLLECTING.(opera memorabilia)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... BROOKS PETERS scopes out opera memorabilia on the Web Are you one of those morbidly obsessed collectors who would kill for a first edition of The Metropolitan Opera Murders, the camp 1951 mystery thriller by Helen Traubel? Do you scour the...

REUNION: Delia Rigal.(Interview)
December 1, 2000... In 1956, a group of Columbia College undergraduates, myself included, formed a fan club for the glamorous opera star Delia Rigal. She volunteered to sing for us -- pro bono -- at the annual choir concert but had to cancel because of a serious...

Passaggio.(opera singers and retirement)
December 1, 2000... WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SINGER DECIDES IT'S TIME TO STOP? In October 1985, in the late afternoon of the day she sang her farewell performance at the Metropolitan Opera, Evelyn Lear was sitting in a dentist's chair. The curtain would rise on Der...

CHERYL STUDER: CHAPTER TWO.(Interview)
December 1, 2000... Not so long ago, the gifted American soprano was everywhere -- then, suddenly, she seemed to drop from sight. Now she's back at the Met, after a six-year absence, in Der Rosenkavalier. Had it not been for Georg Solti, I would not have...

ROMANTIC ENCOUNTER.
December 1, 2000... Is Der Fliegende Hollander the ultimate German Romantic opera? Or of that Phantom Ship, whose form Shoots like a meteor through the storm; When the dark scud comes driving hard, And lower'd is every topsail yard, And...

MAGICIAN OF THE MARIINSKY.
December 1, 2000... The legend of the happily quite visible phenomenon of Valery Gergiev and of the not-quite-maiden Mariinsky Theater continues apace. (I trust that I need not apologize to the shade of Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, since Gergiev and his Mariinsky are...

BORN TO BE Brunnhilde.
December 1, 2000... fifty-nine years ago this month, on December 6, 1941, one of the most remarkable debuts in the history of the Metropolitan Opera took place. The drama of the event would turn out to be a portent for an astounding career that lasted -- against...

The Merry Mogul.(operetta and classical music composer Franz Lehar)
December 1, 2000... FRANZ LEHAR MODERNIZED OPERETTA WITH THE MERRY WIDOW -- AND CREATED A FINANCIAL EMPIRE FOR HIMSELF It was the Cats of its day, and for decades thereafter. Operetta had been successful long before The Merry Widow, born in 1905, broke new...

METROPOLITAN OPERA BROADCASTS.(soprano Frieda Hempel and early casting practices in Strauss operas)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Richard Wagner Der Fliegende Hollander Franz Lehar The Merry Widow Giuseppe Verdi La Traviata So associated is FRIEDA HEMPEL with flights of coloratura fancy that it is always a bit...

DER ROSENKAVALIER.(Metropolitan Opera broadcast and libretto)
December 1, 2000... BROADCAST OF DECEMBER 9, 2000 SPONSORED BY TEXACO OVER THE TEXACO-METROPOLITAN OPERA INTERNATIONAL RADIO NETWORK, 1:00 P.M. Music by Richard Strauss Libretto by Hugo Hofmannsthal DER ROSENKAVALIER THE CAST (in...

DER FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER.(Metropolitan Opera broadcast and libretto)
December 1, 2000... BROADCAST OF DECEMBER 16, 2000 SPONSORED BY TEXACO OVER THE TEXACO-METROPOLITAN OPERA INTERNATIONAL RADIO NETWORK, 1:30 P.M. Music and Text By Richard Wagner DER FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER THE CAST (in order of vocal appearance) ...

THE MERRY WIDOW.(pre-Metropolitan Opera broadcast libretto and cast)
December 1, 2000... Vicomte Cascada baritone, MEL ULRICH Baron Mirko Zeta bass-bar., JOHN DEL CARLO Valencienne soprano, JENNIFER WELCH-BABIDGE Silviane soprano, YVONNE GONZALES Olga mezzo, REVEKA...

LA TRAVIATA.(pre-Metropolitan Opera broadcast libretto and cast)
December 1, 2000... THE CAST (in order of vocal appearance) Violetta soprano, RUTH ANN SWENSON Flora Bervoix mezzo, MARY ANN MCCORMICK Marquis d'Obigny bar., DAVID EVITTS Baron Douphol bass-bar., MICHAEL DEVLIN Dr. Grenvil ...

WHAT TO READ AND HEAR.(pre-Metropolitan Opera broadcast libretto and cast)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... DER ROSENKAVALIER Michael Kennedy's Richard Strauss: Man, Musician, Enigma (Cambridge University Press) scrutinizes Strauss's Nazi-era activities. Kurt Wilhelm's Richard Strauss: An Intimate Portrait (Thames & Hudson) contains personal...

TEXACO-METROPOLITAN OPERA INTERNATIONAL RADIO NETWORK: 2000-2001 SEASON.(Directory)(Illustration)
December 1, 2000... STATION AM FM ALABAMA Birmingham WBHM 90.3 Dothan WRWA 88.7 Gadsden WSGN 91.5...

PROKOFIEV: Semyon Kotko.(Review)
December 1, 2000... PROKOFIEV: Semyon Kotko [] Pavlovskaya, Solovieva, Savova, Filatova, Markova-Mikhailenko; Lutsiuk, Akimov, Bezzubenkov, Chernomortsev, Nikitin, Karasev, Gassiev, Laptev; Kirov Chorus and Orchestra, Gergiev. Text and translations. Philips 289...

MASSENET: Thais.(Review)
December 1, 2000... MASSENET: Thais [] Fleming, Devellereau, Cals, Shkosa; Sabbatini, Hampson, Palatchi; Choeur de l'Opera de Bordeaux, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Abel. Text and translation. Decca 289 466 766-2 (2) This recording originally was...

VERDI: La Traviata a Paris: The Soundtrack.(Review)
December 1, 2000... VERDI: La Traviata a Paris: The Soundtrack [] Gvazava, Farman, Leger; Cura, Panerai, Gabriel, Rivenq; Solisti Cantori, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Mehta. No text or translations. 2 CDs. Teldec 8573-82741-2 Does opera need...

LOESSER: The Most Happy Fella.(Review)
December 1, 2000... LOESSER: The Most Happy Fella [] E. Loesser, N. Shade, Ziemba; L. Quilico, Muenz, Stephenson; National Symphony Orch., Edwards. JAY CDJAY 3 1306 (Allegro, dist.) Whether categorized as opera or (as its composer, Frank Loesser, maintained)...

SARTI: Giulio Sabino.(Review)
December 1, 2000... SARTI: Giulio Sabino [] Prina, E. Monti, Palomba, Lombardi, Dilcheva; Filianoti; Accademia Bizantina, Dantone. Libretto and translation. Bongiovanni GB-2246-2 (Qualiton, dist.) Not only is Giulio Sabino historically interesting and...

VERDI: Simon Boccanegra (1857 version).(Review)
December 1, 2000... VERDI: Simon Boccanegra (1857 version) [] Raspagliosh Mok, Vitelli, Mijailovic, Ellero D'Artegna; Bratislava Chamber Choir, Choir of Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari; Orchestra Internazionale di Bari, Palumbo. Texts and translations. Dynamic...

MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde.(Review)
December 1, 2000... MAHLER: Das Lied von der Erde [] W. Meier; Heppner; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Maazel. Text and translation. BMG/RCA 74321-67957-2 Does the world need another recording of Das Lied von der Erde? Possibly, but not this one. ...

Francois Le Roux.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Francois Le Roux [] "LES FEUILLES MORTES" Chansons by Joseph Kosma. Cohen, piano. Decca 400 050-2 With today's retail classical record bins overrun as usual by more Bohemes and Beethoven Fifths than any of us could ever need or want,...

Anne Sofie von Otter.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Anne Sofie von Otter [] "FOLKSONGS" Songs of Dvorak, Grainger, Lars-Erik Larsson, Gunnar Hahn, Reynaldo Hahn, Koddly and Britten; Forsberg, piano. Texts and translations. Deutsche Grammophon 289 463 479-2 Folk songs are supposed to be...

Magdalena Kozena.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Magdalena Kozena [] "LOVE SONGS" Songs of Dvorak, Janacek, and Martinu. Johnson, piano. Texts and translations. Deutsche Grammophon 463 472-2 Mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena makes an equivocal impression in her new Deutsche Grammophon...

Marcelo Alvarez.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Marcelo Alvarez [] "SINGS GARDEL" Calandrelli, music director and conductor. Texts and translations. Sony Classical SK61840 The Argentinian tenor Marcelo Alvarez claims that "tangos were never really my thing," but one wouldn't know...

Jose Carreras.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Jose Carreras [] "RECITAL" 1988. Scalera, piano. No texts or translations. Q Records 75679291622. This live recording celebrates a triumph -- a concert given in 1988, after Jose Carreras underwent successful treatment for leukemia....

GLUCK: Orfeo ed Euridice.(Review)
December 1, 2000... GLUCK: Orfeo ed Euridice [] Stevens, Della Casa, Peters; Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Monteux. 1957. Text and translation. RCA Victor 09026 63534-2 This 1957 recording, led by Pierre Monteux, had a relatively brief shelf life; in...

MASSENET: Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame (excerpts).(Review)
December 1, 2000... MASSENET: Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame (excerpts) [] Garden; Friant, Allard, Billot, Bourdin, Marechal, Fugere, Soulacroix, de Trevi, Devries, Couzinou, Vanni-Marcoux, Journet; various conductors and orchestras. No texts. Malibran-Music CDRG...

LAZZARI: La Tour de Feu (excerpts).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... LAZZARI: La Tour de Feu (excerpts) [] Ferrer; Fronval Beckmans, Froumenty; Chorus and Orchestra, Ruhlmann (1944). No libretto; English synopsis. Malibran-Music CDRG-155 (Qualiton, dist.) Italian name notwithstanding, Sylvio Lazzari...

The Edison Trials: Voice Audition Cylinders of 1912-13.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... The Edison Trials: Voice Audition Cylinders of 1912-13 [] Various artists. Marston 52025-2 (Harmonia Mundi, dist.) This is a historical find: the hitherto lost "Edison Trial Cylinders" that, for record collectors, can be ranked with the...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: NEW YORK CITY.(Review)
December 1, 2000... This season's Met opening (Sept. 25) brought back Franco Zeffirelli's production of Don Giovanni with new casting and to some extent a new look. Details of the stage picture have been modified, and the principals got handsome new costumes,...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: GLIMMERGLASS.(Review)
December 1, 2000... A touch of Broadway is hardly what one associates with Acis and Galatea, but Glimmerglass Opera applied it to last summer's new production. In a program note, director Mark Lamos intimated that the rolling countryside around Cooperstown seemed...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: SAN FRANCISCO.(Review)
December 1, 2000... In staging Verdi's Luisa Miller to open San Francisco Opera's 2000-2001 season, on September 9, director Francesca Zambello and set designer Michael Yeargan clearly struggled to congeal some highly imaginative ideas that ultimately broke loose...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: LOS ANGELES.(Review)
December 1, 2000... With Placido Domingo much in evidence, not only as a conductor and performer but as the company's new artistic director, Los Angeles Opera launched its 2000-01 season in a dizzying flurry of activity: multiple performances of two fully staged...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: MADISON, WI.(Review)
December 1, 2000... The University of Wisconsin's Music Hall was packed on August 25 for the world premiere of Esperanza, based on the script for the 1954 film Salt of the Earth. It is the story of a successful strike by immigrant Mexican mine-workers seeking...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: CARDIFF.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Welsh National Opera began its season on September 16, at the New Theatre, with a staging of Tchaikovsky's phantasmagoric The Queen of Spades, the first to be given by the company in the original Russian. The controversial language choice --...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: EDINBURGH.(Review)
December 1, 2000... The opera centerpiece of the 2000 Edinburgh International Festival was a new Das Rheingold, the first installment of Scottish Opera's Ring. The company last staged a complete cycle in the 1970s; a more recent attempt foundered, for lack of...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: GENEVA.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Alberto Ginastera's Beatrix Cenci may not be a masterpiece, but it is an often potent piece of music theater that did not deserve to wait twenty-nine years for its European premiere. It was appropriate, however, that this premiere should have...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: CONCERTS AND RECITALS: ZURICH.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Every Fidelio program book mentions Ferdinando Paer's Leonora, ossia l'Amor Coniugale -- like Beethoven's Fidelio, based on Pierre Gaveaux's 1798 opera comique Leonore, ou l'Amour Conjugal -- but has anyone ever heard it or seen it onstage?...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: SYDNEY.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Opera Australia's Sydney Olympics season produced some fine singing, but the company's international reputation was enhanced by revivals of La Traviata and Tosca rather than by the brand-new Simon Boccanegra (seen Sept. 23), staged by retiring...

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: NEW YORK CITY.(Review)
December 1, 2000... The New York Philharmonic's season-opener, a simulcast pension-fund benefit on September 20, in Avery Fisher Hall, spotlighted the veteran but still glamorous soprano Kiri Te Kanawa. The concert was never less than respectable but not...

Joan Sutherland: The Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances.(Review)
December 1, 2000... Joan Sutherland: The Complete Bell Telephone Hour Performances [] VAI VHS 69708 (Vol. I), 50 mins. (approx.); VAI VHS 69709 (Vol. II), 50 mins. (approx.) When a beloved artist has as long a career as Joan Sutherland did, it is a special...

MOZART: Don Giovanni.(Review)
December 1, 2000... MOZART: Don Giovanni [] James, Vaness, Rost; Allen, Sandve, Furlanetto, Holle; Gurzenich Orchester Cologne, Conlon. Arthaus 100 021 Arthaus Musik's Don Giovanni, the first on DVD, joins a long list of available videos. There is nothing...

Requiem (with two arias for soprano).(Review)
December 1, 2000... Requiem (with two arias for soprano) [] Mattila, Mingardo (Requiem), Harnisch (soprano arias); Schade, Terfel. Berlin Phil-harmonic, Swedish Radio Choir, Abbado. Arthaus Musik 1 00 037 Arthaus Musik's Don Giovanni, the first on DVD, joins a...

STANDING ROOM LONELY.(La Scala discontinues standing-room section)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2000... Who would ever have thought that Katharine Hepburn would outlive La Scala's loggione? The loggione, the company's infamously brutal standing-room section, which has made and broken the careers of countless artists over the years, is dead -- for...