Taminophile

Ah yes. The man at intermission who I began talkin...

2012-05-08T16:58:04.982-04:00

Ah yes. The man at intermission who I began talking to couldn't help but point out Britten, Forster, Pears etc. Well, I guess it's a gay ol' time. I really enjoyed the ship and the chorus as well. But if you were thinking about the plot a lot during the opera, maybe you are a fan of the book and not the music? o:)

I was in the choir and I can assure you that we mu...

2012-04-23T18:18:39.092-04:00

I was in the choir and I can assure you that we must not have seen the same performance. I had no trouble following him and neither did any of the soloists. There was one instance with the bassoon's intonation (during the blues-like solo), but otherwise the coordination was not an issue. I really don't see what you were talking about.

You'll recall Jennifer Rowley was the cover wh...

2012-04-23T14:16:41.816-04:00

You'll recall Jennifer Rowley was the cover who took over the lead in Maria di Rohan on very brief notice at Caramoor in 2010.

I'd trust your instincts and expertise over th...

2012-04-23T09:11:52.014-04:00

I'd trust your instincts and expertise over the evening's vox populi. Sorry to hear of these coordination issues, but glad to hear good things of the singers. I've heard Harold Wilson as a sit-up-and-take-notice gaoler in Tosca, but have yet to discover the others.

Go, Grammar Guy, go! Somebody paid attention in fr...

2012-04-11T06:56:36.475-04:00

Go, Grammar Guy, go! Somebody paid attention in freshman English.

Thanks for this post; lovely to discover some more...

2012-04-05T09:37:17.104-04:00

Thanks for this post; lovely to discover some more of Stich-Randall's work. The Rosenkavalier you mention is "my" Rosenkavalier, with Schwarzkopf and Ludwig to complete the dream casting.

good post...

2012-03-12T08:46:17.412-04:00

good post...

I'm feeling crabby. Sorry. I do feel that Aria...

2012-03-04T00:04:02.691-05:00

I'm feeling crabby. Sorry. I do feel that Ariadne is not a fully developed character. This is possibly a logical place for park and bark.

My impression watching the characterization is tha...

2012-03-01T22:36:32.352-05:00

My impression watching the characterization is that she was overdoing everything, seemingly intentionally. I didn't get the same impression you did, though, about the telegraphing of movements. Just slight exaggerations.

She said in an interview that she still had trouble seeing Ariadne as much more than an archetype. And I think that's how she played her. I also got the same sense of exaggeration from everyone, so it may have been directorial intention overall.

I thought it was very risky for her, this kind of role. Very unusual, especially the campy humor moments. She probably wasn't entirely comfortable, but I really do think it was supposed to be overdone.

I thought she was great, actually, even though the production was problematic for me. I'm glad she decided to give this a try.

I do like a bigger voice like Voigt in it, generally.

Thank you, Dr. B, for shedding light on the holy m...

2012-02-29T18:26:25.399-05:00

Thank you, Dr. B, for shedding light on the holy mysteries of opera production. In my innocence, I somehow thought that, between the actor, the director, and night watchman, someone might have an idea for why a cross or a turn is made, and might consider conveying that to the audience. The optimal approach might be through acting, although there are other methods available.

I am curious about your comments about the blockin...

2012-02-29T15:22:53.623-05:00

I am curious about your comments about the blocking. You seem to actually be under the impression that the singer decides where they go. Which of course they don't. There's this guy called the director who decides that. Some of them are idiots, but they are in charge and can get quite nasty if you don't do what they say.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. She must have he...

2012-02-28T21:25:39.228-05:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you. She must have heard the one by ES. Ausgezeichnet.

I love Barbara Bonney! That is all.

2012-02-28T15:00:34.793-05:00

I love Barbara Bonney! That is all.

Lucy, If you are interested in seeing the entire p...

2012-02-28T09:43:35.038-05:00

Lucy, If you are interested in seeing the entire performance, I believe it is available for free at medici.tv until May 24. It's well worth seeing.

I'd missed the Ariadne stream; thanks f...

2012-02-28T09:32:08.713-05:00

I'd missed the Ariadne stream; thanks for sharing this. I think Fleming is at her best in Strauss (or at least, I like her best in it.) The comparison with Ariadnes past is fascinating. It's been too long since I've heard the Sinopoli recording for me to guess whether the Voigt is taken from that or her "Obsessions" CD.

she gave it as much as she had,and then some, I re...

2012-02-27T11:49:59.440-05:00

she gave it as much as she had,and then some, I remember many years ago when the studio recording first came out one reviewer said "all icing and no cake" which although rather harsh, is quite justified. I was only lucky enough to see her once live in performance, and sadly that was late in her career, but there was still the "Bubbles" magic much in evidence

And deservedly so. A true servant of the arts!

2012-02-08T11:54:12.732-05:00

And deservedly so. A true servant of the arts!

A favorite buddy on Bear-World (whose name I won&#...

2012-02-07T15:32:10.802-05:00

A favorite buddy on Bear-World (whose name I won't mention) also loves Ms. Meade. I hope to actually hear hear - sadly I keep missing her performances. One day, I may even hear her live!

And then there’s Brünnhilde sung by the vivacious ...

2012-01-31T02:18:00.598-05:00

And then there’s Brünnhilde sung by the vivacious Nina Stemme. In her first appearance in the story we see all the signs of a promising classification impetuous passionate and ferociously loyal to those whom she loves.

Great music.rest in peace..

2012-01-25T03:23:03.762-05:00

Great music.rest in peace..

Well done. Thank you for such a well-detailed (and...

2012-01-22T08:57:39.096-05:00

Well done. Thank you for such a well-detailed (and fun-to-read) review. "...big ol' church music queens" A stitch.

The online excerpts I saw/heard in execrable Engli...

2012-01-18T11:51:48.935-05:00

The online excerpts I saw/heard in execrable English made me second your feelings... once upon a time I was excited to see this because of the pageantry as much as anything else.... the promise of really good singing of course lured me too. But singing that stuff in English-- so difficult and so unfulfilling-- has made me reconsider...... Alas...I'll save my Met dollars for something else.

At least he's still able to recover. Accidents...

2012-01-17T05:07:01.723-05:00

At least he's still able to recover. Accidents do happen anytime.

Excellent interview. I think you and I attended th...

2011-12-14T21:11:17.089-05:00

Excellent interview. I think you and I attended the same performance of Anna Bolena. I will admit I was a little disappointed when I learned that I would not being a certain Other Anna that day. Well, from her first note to her last, I was never disappointed. A thrillingly talented performer and artist. Your interview was a wonderful way to learn more about someone I who I like to hear more! Bravo Taminophile.

Nice job David. Enjoyed the thoughtful questions y...

2011-12-06T11:21:13.324-05:00

Nice job David. Enjoyed the thoughtful questions you asked as much as the answers you got!