Comments for I HEAR VOICES

Comment on Verdi’s Nabucco, Tokyo New National Theatre, 19.05.2013 by rml

rml — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:31:57 +0000

That’s precisely the point, but I guess you haven’t read it properly. Unless you are suggesting that I am not familiar with a story a 6-year-old child is supposed to know…

Comment on Verdi’s Nabucco, Tokyo New National Theatre, 19.05.2013 by Andy Cordy

Andy Cordy — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:13:20 +0000

I’m not sure, but I think the reviewer might have confused the Hebrews and the Babylonians.

Comment on Wagner’s Siegfried, Metropolitan Opera House, 29.04.2013 by rml

rml — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:11:13 +0000

Hello, Bryan! You are right. That was my impression comparing the telecast of Die Walküre with the opening night, when I saw it in the theatre.

Comment on Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Metropolitan Opera House, 30.03.2013 by rml

rml — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:10:06 +0000

Hi, Cavalier!

Alice Coote’s singing as Sesto was beautiful – touching, stylish and honest. As for Dessay, yes, she was in one of those 6 days in the year when one’s voice is going to work no matter what. I’ve re-read what I wrote and realized I had forgotten Karina Gauvin’s Cleopatra in concert version in Braunschweig. That was impeccably sung. Dessay still keeps the “most interesting” for the acting

Comment on Wagner’s Siegfried, Metropolitan Opera House, 29.04.2013 by rml

rml — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:52:43 +0000

Dear Ralph, I had good seats. So let’s stick with the blocked ears theory…

Comment on Wagner’s Siegfried, Metropolitan Opera House, 29.04.2013 by Ralph R. Guddiddo

Ralph R. Guddiddo — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:54:03 +0000

You obviously had a terrible seat (back orchestra?) or blocked ears as the string tone was plenty warm, rich and balanced throughout from a good position acoustically. The tempos and particularly, the metrical relationships in the difficult first act, were especially well handled so I’d say that M. Luisi had a fine grasp of the score’s needs. At any rate, the Met is notorious for wildly variable acoustics, the back orchestra being especially muffling and ghastly, so you should try to locate a good position before attributing any deficiencies in the timbres to the performers.

Comment on Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Metropolitan Opera House, 30.03.2013 by cavalier

cavalier — Thu, 02 May 2013 00:38:03 +0000

RML seems to have, once again, hit the mark. Coote was great and the conducting (and resultant playing) intensely uninspiring. Unfortunately, Dessay was not, on the night I attended, in anything like the voice described (though I’ve heard her do worse as of late). Still, I’m very glad to learn that she is still capable of singing on this level on given nights, and that RML had the benefit of one such night.

Comment on Wagner’s Siegfried, Metropolitan Opera House, 29.04.2013 by bryan

bryan — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:02:17 +0000

Living in NYC I have heard performances at the house and in HD and my impression is that in the HD broadcasts the sound not only clearly favors the voices but that they are all evened out–you get no idea how big the voices are– either in how they project in the house or in relation to each other. It seems like everyone sings at the same volume. This combined with the awful sound at the theaters where I have seen HD broadcasts (not to mention often awful video directing) has led me to give up on the HD broadcasts

Comment on Verdi’s Otello, Teatro La Fenice (at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall) by rml

rml — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:14:31 +0000

Well, she still has to mature her Desdemona, but you’d be surprised by her potential in this role.

Comment on Verdi’s Otello, Teatro La Fenice (at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall) by Roberto

Roberto — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:45:55 +0000

I am glad to see Leah Crocetto establishing an international career. She was an Adler fellow with the SF Opera and saw her a few times here. Her Liu brought the house down. I am not sure if Desdemona is for her. But I should also say that i don’t think that Desdemona if for anyone except Tebaldi and maybe – I said maybe – Te Kanawa.