Comments for I HEAR VOICES

Comment on Volcanic diva by Gi

Gi — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:28:53 +0000

Thank you, RML. I’ve been reading your blog for some time now, and it is always illuminating.

Now I felt like looking up Simone Kermes and am finding interesting stuff.
She reminds me of Nigel Kennedy.

Comment on Es klinget… so komisch, es klinget… so jäh by Roberto

Roberto — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:36:57 +0000

I am one of these readers…

“Soloists appearing in choral parts and chorus appearing in solo parts”

Zauberflote with fortepiano??? Disgusting. Totally disgusting.

Although I like a lot his Figaro’s recording, I lost totally my interest in Jacobs after the Don Giovanni recording. It is just idiocracy at its best.

I agree with you on the lack of Mozart voices. Although, Piotr Beczala was a fine Tamino on a performance that I saw a couple of years ago. But these Mozart tenor roles (Tamino, Don Otavio, Belmonte, etc.) are often boring characters (with great music). They are princes, but tenors often sing them as if they were undetermined. Mozart women’s roles are far more interesting.

With a few exceptions, I also prefer Mozart with non-period instruments. Maybe because period instruments conductors tend to be too fast. I don’t know what Mozart’s intentions was. Jacobs says that Mozart’s tempos are the ones the he uses. But my ear got used to the Mozart’s from the familiar recording industry conductors from the 50s through the mid 80s, when we could get a feel of a legato.

Comment on Solemn, but not formidable by Kostas

Kostas — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:15:03 +0000

For solemn AND formidable one goes to this:

MISSA SOLEMNIS, for four solo voices, chorus, orchestra and organ in D major op. 123

Cheryl Studer
Jessye Norman
Plácido Domingo
Kurt Moll

Leipzig Radio Chorus, Swedish Radio Chorus,
Eric Ericson Chamber Choir,
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: James Levine

Live recording: Großes Festspielhaus, Salzburg, August 1991

DG 435 770-2 (2)

Comment on “Why didn’t she sing __?” x “Why did she?!” by sandrar

sandrar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:56:15 +0000

Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. Cheers! Sandra. R.

Comment on Wings of desire by rml

rml — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:07:50 +0000

Thank you very much – you are most welcome!

Comment on Wings of desire by puritymccall

puritymccall — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:22:00 +0000

Just stumbled on your site and wanted to say thank you for all these great reviews… such a rich site, I suspect I’ll be visiting often judging by the huge amount of material you have created. Really appreciate your thoughtful balancing of criticism with humanity! So unlike a lot of the stuff in the opera blogsphere.

Comment on Wings of desire by rml

rml — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:37:57 +0000

You know I’ve written the Margaret Price thing to tease you – but the truth is that Waltraud Meier’s vocal tonal quality was very (maybe too) lyric for the role that evening. Instead of forcing it, she just “surrendered” to that fact and opted for a “cantabile” rather than declamatory style, with detours involved in almost every exposed dramatic note, especially in act I. On the other hand, we agree about Barenboim, but I will say “definitely” after I have seen Thielemann conduct that live.

Comment on Wings of desire by Carol

Carol — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:51:04 +0000

Wie so “a Margareth-Price like approach” ???? Great review, though (except for the Margareth Price comparison)… I envy you profoundly right now. Tristan with Baremboim is as good as it gets these days. Hope I will have the same luck in April, when the same cast (almost the same, anyway) is schedule for the Festwochen.

Comment on Once more with feeling by Kostas

Kostas — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:17:13 +0000

Fair enough. But the problem is that nowadays if you have the voice and artistic acumen of a mosquito but happen to look like Jolie or Pitt you’ll get hired and hyped too, often by people who ought to and know better. Such is the vacuity and sham of our days. As for Studer, I’ll take her Kundry and Countess (Capriccio) any day over and above any mosquito, whether she looks the part or not or wears a pretty gown or not or, etc, etc.

Comment on Once more with feeling by rml

rml — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:36:13 +0000

I agree that a double standard exists – but the gap beween them is getting narrower and narrower. I don’t think audiences in opera houses expect singers to look like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, but that a minimal level of credibility be respected. Of course, someone like Lisa della Casa or Anna Moffo is beautiful for any standards, but I would say a Mirella Freni or a Renata Scotto, even from an orchestral seat, did not put themselves to shame playing the leading romantic role in an opera, even when they were near 50. The same applies to someone like, say, Plácido Domingo. You cannot say the same of Johann Botha, Jane Eaglen or Sharon Sweet.

If I were forced to produce a thumbnail rule, it would be – one has to look good in his or her costume. From a distance, under the lighting and with the help of make-up and wigs – and of course of his or her artistry – the trick will work.

You say that opera is about the voices – maybe 75%, but 25% have to do with acting and those 25% make all the difference of the world. If someone’s physique is too cumbersome, acting will be simply impossible. Of course, every rule has exceptions. Some people are so impressively gifted that you finally forget any drawback. Jessye Norman’s Kundry and Ariadne, for example. At lease for me, she made it work in such a way that in the end she was Kundry or Ariadne and she even “looked” convincing. On the other hand, some voices have such outstanding charm that you willingly renounce to any satisfaction in the acting department – but those have to be the voices of a Pavarotti or a Caballé. And how many of them appear every generation?