The Passion of Opera

This was my first time attending Beethoven's Missa Solemnis  in a live performance, a work so often overshadowed by the Beethoven's Sympthony No. 9 , not only throughout history, but on the very night the two premiered simultaneously. Once again, Anne Midgette of the Washington Post offers an insightful review that focuses a great deal on the nature of the work itself; I will focus more on the performance. General information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missa_solemnis_(Beethoven) Missa solemnis | Ludwig van Beethoven Soprano | Julia Sophie Wagner Mezzo-Soprano | Daniela Mack Tenor | Vale Rideout Bass | Kevin Thompson Violin | Nurit Bar-Josef Conductor | Julian Wachner Washington Chorus & Orchestra Presented in the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The ensemble for the evening was led by Julian Wachner, who conducted with an eco...

Having seen film versions of Beethoven's Fidelio  and seen it live in Vienna in a fairly traditional if not period-specific production I was intrigued by the abstract production being offered at the English National Opera. I have no problem with abstract productions but I do tend to think it is easier to do more traditional productions well, or at least acceptably, whereas the bar is higher for abstract productions. Oddly, therefore, I was surprised to find that this production of  Fidelio would have been more pleasing had it actually played on its abstract strengths rather than going to those extremes only at certain moments and falling into complacency between them. This review will be a bit unusual in that I will touch on the performers first before the production, almost in opposite order of my normal order. Synopsis and general information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidelio Fidelio | Ludwig van Beethoven Credits: Director | Calixto Bieito Set Designer |...

Just wanted to throw out there quickly that I've been a bit slow in getting through the mass of blogging I have to do between this and  To Float on a Wayward Wind  while also trying to do stuff and travel while in London in addition to classes and work. It's a bit crazy. Still, I have been to Strauss' Elektra at the Royal Opera House and to English National Opera's production of Beethoven's Fidelio . Both had their highs and lows and reviews will be coming out shortly. I may shortly be at ENO's Madama Butterfly  and would love to see ROH's Les vêpres siciliennes , though scheduling this has been difficult. Meanwhile, The Passion of Opera has broken 30,000 lifetime views and keeps going strong. Thank you for your support and I'll have new reviews up shortly!!

I am very pleased to see to see that the blog has surpassed 20,000 lifetime views and sits as of this moment at 20,005. I am looking forward to continuing to post into the future. It's been up and down at points with my school commitments and sometimes a lack of things about which to write. Still, the reviews of operas in Vienna, the profiles of versatile singers, and recent reviews in Virginia have definitely been highlights. Looking forward I will be putting up a review of Leonardo [not da] Vinci's Artaserse , performed in Köln by an all-star cast of countertenors and other male vocalists,  as well as hopefully reviewing a few other DVDs or broadcasts by the end of September. Once I arrive in London I will definitely be reviewing opera performances that I see at the ROH. I am definitely committed for the future! In the meantime, I will leave you with this performance of 10,000 people singing Ode to Joy from Beethoven's Symphony #9  in Japan as a reaction the 2...

Ah, Fidelio . Beethoven's one and only opera. Beethoven's frustration with the art form, expressed in letter form,  "I assure you, dear Treitschke, that this opera will win me a martyr's crown. You have by your co-operation saved what is best from the shipwreck. For all this I shall be eternally grateful to you," is fascinating given his status as one of the most renowned composers in history. I had always thought, prior to seeing this opera here for the first time in full, that the music was amazing (as can only be expected from Beethoven), but that the drama was static and not particularly moving throughout most of the work. I, at least in part, attribute this to the libretto , despite the fact that three different operas have been based on the same story. An interesting comparison here is the fact that, if we expect Beethoven to have successful operas to his name due to his status as an all-star composer, we expect Schubert to have them because of his stat...

It's not opera but here's a description of a concert I had the opportunity to attend in Vienna's Haus der Musik, a museum of music history and instruments. The concert was part of a free summer series. The concert focused on the life and work of Franz Liszt, played by a violinist and a pianist. The violinist explained that when he first set out to do this project and considered Liszt's life, he was struck by the fact that at the height of his popularity and ability, Liszt decided to retire from stage performance. He therefore lectured us through Liszt's life as he played. He began with  Un sospire  but gave it little introduction. Afterward, he discussed Liszt's childhood: Liszt outpacing his teacher, his father's attempts to woo Beethoven into assistance, his move to France, his status as a "wunderkind," etc. For comparison, he played a Mozart piece as an example of what Parisian audiences would have been "used to." He proceeded  to de...