The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

Recent posts

  • La Cambiale di Matrimonio at La Fenice


    Cambiale-matrimonio-2013-fenice* Notes *
    This month Teatro La Fenice is performing Rossini's first opera, La Cambiale di Matrimonio, in Teatro Malibran. The opera is only one act and director Enzo Dara certainly makes the most of the scant 75 minutes it takes to perform. The sets and costumes, from Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, feature the city of Venice in the background and on the clothing of the singers. The production also involves reams of textiles and Commedia dell'Arte supernumeraries. The opera itself is completely absurd, and has not a few jokes about the Americas, as the marriage contract of the title concerns a Canadian merchant.

    Last night Stefano Montanari conducted the very cheerful orchestra, which sounded fairly clean and mostly together. The singing all sounded great from Ordine 2, Palco 19, since we were essentially above the pit and almost on top of the stage. The singers were fine actors and pulled off the slapstick humor in a charming manner. Omar Montanari (Tobia Mill) and Marco Filippo Romano (Slook) were particularly adept. Marina Bucciarelli sounded sweet as Fannì.

    * Tattling * 
    Teatro Malibran could use a good airing out, as the musty smell is pronounced and somewhat nauseating.

    There was much talking and noise from electronic devices. At least one mobile phone rang. A man in the middle of the first row was texting during the performance and was scolded by the maestro.

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  • Věc Makropulos at La Fenice


    Fenice-makropulos-2013* Notes *
    La Fenice is currently presenting the Robert Carsen production of Věc Makropulos. Carsen sets much of the action in an opera house, starting with Emilia Marty on stage during the overture, switching in and out of various opera costumes. Act II is clearly backstage after Turandot, and Act III is simply in Marty's dressing room. This is a pleasant enough effect and it was entertaining to try to guess which costumes were for which operas.

    Gabriele Ferro conducted an enthused orchestra. The playing was not particularly clean, but was spirited. The singing too was somewhat lacking, some pushed the edges of their voices a good deal. Ángeles Blancas Gulín acted and sang the lead role with strength, and only sounded slightly shrill near the end.

    * Tattling * 
    There was some talking during the music.

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  • Lucerne Festival zu Ostern 2013 Sinfoniekonzert 2


    Orchestra-mozart2* Notes *     
    Claudio Abbado and Orchestra Mozart Bologna (pictured left, photograph by Marco Caselli Nirmal) played a second concert at Lucerne Festival last night. The program started with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 2, played with a smooth lucidity. Martha Argerich returned to the KKL Konzertsaal stage to play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20. Both soloist and the orchestra played with a remarkable intensity. Argerich plays with such wonderful dexterity and economy of movement, yet with great vitality as well. Excerpts from the incidental music to Rosamunde opened the second half of the concert. The woodwinds sounded verdant. The pianissimo moments in the orchestra were particularly gorgeous. The evening was rounded out by a stunning rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. The sound was marked by a singular clarity of line and phrasing. The dynamic contrasts were clear. The strings played beautifully in the Allegro ma non troppo.

    * Tattling * 
    The galleries can be quite nice to sit in, as there are fewer audience members about to misbehave. The view of Martha Argerich’s hands from where we were sitting was rather good.

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  • Isabelle Faust at Lucerne Festival


    Faust-isabelle-felix-broede_01* Notes *     
    Violinist Isabelle Faust (pictured left, photograph by Felix Broede) played Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas BWV 1001–1006 at Hotel Schweizerhof yesterday evening as part of Lucerne Festival zu Ostern. Faust’s playing is fluent, her technique secure. Her tempi tend to all be rather rapid, and her slower, quieter playing sounded anemic. The Presto of Sonata No. 1 in G minor was breathtakingly speedy, while the Andante of Sonata No. 2 in A minor was a bit tedious. In Faust’s performance, it was also difficult to tell that the various movements were based on dance forms, despite the certain light airiness to her playing.

    The Allemanda of Partita No. 2 in D minor was wonderfully verdurous, and the Ciaccona also came off well. I felt her Sonata No. 3 in C Major was weakest, though her playing was refined, and the Allegro assai showed off how quickly she can play. Faust managed to play Partita No. 3 in E Major in under twenty minutes. It did not feel rushed, just efficient and effortless. As a performer, Faust is not overly flashy and seemed quite comfortable.

    * Tattling * 
    Several beeps were heard at the beginning of the first piece. The person in Row 3 Seat 8 Right coughed a great deal during Sonata No. 2, but tried her best to muffle herself. She did not return after intermission. It was challenging to exit the hall, as there was only one method of egress. The entryway is narrow and right by the garderobe, so it took nearly 15 minutes to get out the door.

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  • Lucerne Festival zu Ostern 2013 Sinfoniekonzert 1


    Abbado* Notes *     
    Lucerne Festival opened its Jubiläumsjahr yesterday with Claudio Abbado and Orchestra Mozart Bologna (pictured left, photograph by Marco Caselli Nirmal). The early evening performance began with a vibrant rendition of Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3. The woodwinds played with particular exuberance. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 followed with Martha Argerich, who missed her previous engagement with the orchestra a few days ago. Argerich played articulately, and with a wonderful sense of breath. After the intermission the orchestra played the Coriolan overture and Mozart’s Symphony No. 33. The sound was clear and lively, and Abbado can get a light, dancing quality out of the orchestra, but has fine dynamic control as well.

    * Tattling * 
    Before Abbado appeared on stage, someone had to go out and remove the music stand at the podium, as it was not needed. In the first piece there was one minor brass error just before the soloist exited the stage to play the trumpet call, and it was almost as if he had left in disgust.

    The person in Row 3 Seat 10 of Balcony 4 Right had a prolonged coughing fit during the piano concerto. Many of his fellow audience members gave him pointed stares and he was even (silently) offered cough drops. This person did not have the good sense to leave at the break, and coughed still more in the last piece.

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  • SFCM’s Ariodante


    Partitura_aria_ariodante* Notes *
    San Francisco Conservatory Baroque Ensemble presented two semi-staged performances of Händel's Ariodante last weekend. Corey Jamason conducted the orchestra, and the period instruments sounded full in Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall. Staying in tune proved rather challenging at times, at least on Sunday afternoon. The musicians did play with much spirit and zest.

    The singing was rather good all around, the students fit their parts. Many of the singers were quite loud, especially bass Christopher Filipowicz. Others had difficulties at the edges of their ranges, whether it be uncontrolled high notes, or low notes that did not sit nicely in the voice. Nonetheless, the performance was delightful. Elena Galván was a bright-voiced, diffident Dalinda. Nikola Printz made for a threatening, sensual Polinesso. Johanna Bronk was impressive in the title role, her "Scherza infida" was beautiful.

    * Tattling * 
    The audience was fairly silent. A hearing aid was rather loud in Act I, but was not heard in Acts II or III. I learned that the person sitting to my right has the exact same birth date as mine. Later that day I learned that I would hear the sister of the person to my left play next week in Switzerland.

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  • SF Opera Audited Financial Results 2011-2012

    Xerxes-set-act-1San Francisco Opera's 89th season started on September 9, 2011 and finished on July 8, 2012. Nine operas were held at the War Memorial Opera House in 72 performances. The Company concluded Fiscal Year 2011-12 (FY 12) with a a deficit of $1,561,074 on an operating budget of $70,027,011. Total operating revenue for FY12 fell from $35,947,397 to $32,955,687, with income from ticket sales consistent with FY11 at $24,302,997. Contributions to the FY12 Annual Fund reflected a 6.5% increase over the previous year and hit a record level of $35,510,250 in financial support from approximately 8,300 donors.

    Press Release | Official Site

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  • Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 2013


    Met_opera_auditorium_3848The 2013 winners of the Metropolitan Opera (pictured left, photograph by Jonathan Tichler/Metropolitan Opera) National Council Auditions are sopranos Sydney Mancasola and Rebecca Pedersen; tenor Michael Brandenburg; bass-baritones Brandon Cedel, Musa Ngqungwana, and Thomas Richards.

    Official Site

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  • Boston Lyric Opera’s 2013-2014 Season


    BloOctober 4–13 2013: Die Zauberflöte
    November 20–24 2013: Jack Beeson’s Lizzie Borden
    March 14–23 2014: Rigoletto
    May 2-11 2014: I Puritani

    Official Site

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  • Washington National Opera’s 2013-2014 Season


    Kennedy Center Opera House, photograph by Tony BrownSeptember 15-27 2013: Tristan und Isolde
    October 12-26 2013: La Forza del Destino
    December 14-22 2013: The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me
    February 22- March 8 2014: Moby-Dick
    March 20-29 2014: L’Elisir d’Amore
    May 3-18 2014: Die Zauberflöte

    The 2013-2014 season at WNO was announced today.

    2013-2014 Season | Official Site

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