Although I have already seen live transmissions from the Met of productions I had actually seen live, I don’t remember having ever watched one so close after seeing it there at the Met before this evening. The opening night, as reported below was eventful to say the least – Kaufmann was nervous, Westbroek was in very poor voice and nervous (or ill, as officially announced), Voigt had an accident with “the machine” in the day she decided to sing Brünnhilde for the very first time… Of course, in the last performance of the run most of this initial problems have been dealt with and my impression is that the audience this evening had a far better show than I had last month. I am not only sure if those who saw only the transmission really got a faithful idea of what happened live.
To start with, the way microphones have recorded it all voices sound more or less the same size. And this is somehow unfair to Stephanie Blythe and Hans-Peter König, for the volume and power of those voices were very much an important part of the thrill of their singing. Today in the movie theatre Kaufmann sounded as loud as Blythe – while my recollection is that even the ailing Westbroek was substantially louder than him. In any case, although Siegmund still sounds a bit low for him, free from the pressure of a role debut, he sang more spontaneously today and far more smoothly in act I. As for Westbroek, will it sound mean if I say that I preferred Margaret Jane Wray’s 3rd act? She is a good, solid singer – but considering that she is not a dramatic soprano and that, as a lyric soprano, she lacks flexibility and dynamic variety, I wonder what kinds of roles she intends to sing in the future. Her Elisabeth at the Covent Garden was more about vigor than subtlety.
In my original post, I have already praised Bryn Terfel’s detailed interpretation, but during the run it has developed into something sharper and even more perceptive. Although I can think of a couple of richer-voiced Wotans these days, none of them really offer something as complex and so revelatory in terms of comprehension of the text. I still dislike Deborah Voigt’s unappealing tonal quality in the middle register, absolute lack of variety and imagination, but I must acknowledge that she too is now more comfortable than in the opening night, when she often had to brace for her high notes. That said, this evening, with the help of close up, one could feel how emotionally engaged she was in her last scene and how efficient her chemistry with Terfel is. Their father/daughter relationship was particularly palpable – and that is quite rare.
Although James Levine’s has his disturbingly slow moments (Todverkündung will probably end next week…), the orchestra – at least with the help of microphones – produced a more positive sound. I confess I found that, while the live performance mostly left me cold, the transmission had a couple of beautiful moments. On the other hand, the camerawork was fussy, we were often showed unnecessary things (Kaufmann fighting to untie his hair* or slobbering, stagehands etc), close ups in moments when a larger angle would show the scenery more advantageously etc.
* I know it is silly, but why is it not Sieglinde who unties his hair? This would make more sense while she says that he is like spring for her etc than having Siegmund worried about his hairstyle while someone says all this to him.
I HEAR VOICES 
How do you feel about camerawork? I rarely go to Met in HD because I find their broadcasts have too many unnecessary closeups, fast-moving camera shots, eccentrically positioned cameras (I remember during Don Pasquale a camera was placed so we could see under Netrebko’s skirt). Distracting at best, nauseous at worst.
As I’ve said, it tries too hard to be different and it ends on being just poor: the angles are unnatural and do very little favor to the productions by showing singers’ dental fillings instead of the full effect of the complete staging with its various elements. Considering that, in opera, distance just adds to credibility, I really don’t see the point. Please note that I’m not against the occasional close up in the context of especially convincing acting from one singer or other, but rather as having this as default, as often happens in transmissions from the Met.
rml,
Were you too rigorous with Westbroek? There is a rumor that she may be pregnant. She is evidently not 100%. I believe that she cancelled most of her performances. I think she really wanted to sing that Saturday.
I saw her live on this role last year and you probably saw her many more times than me. She is the only Sieglinde that impressed me more than Crespin.
When I saw her on stage I remembered a review you wrote a while ago. Remember? I couldn’t agree more:
“The first thing I should say is that it is really refreshing to see such gimmick-free, no-tricks approach to dramatic singing. This is a voice honestly and healthily produced by the gift of nature and by means of good old solid technique. As a result, nothing sounded strained or pushed or forced. Her top notes are particularly round. She also has an intense stage presence and eschewed exaggerations.”
I will never forget the first sentence you wrote about her. That’s really Westbroek. Gimmick-free and no-tricks.
As for Kaufmann, I believe I am the exception. He doesn’t tell me anything.
Hi, Roberto!
I have thought about that too. The fact is that Cassandre was the best ever I’ve seen from her. The Elisabeth was not in the level – and the Sieglinde is below the Elisabeth level. And she cannot have been pregnant for more than 9 months… Of course, if she is pregnant, it is almost reckless to insist with singing a Wagner opera, especially in a big theatre as the Met. And Cassandre is a role that requires more intensity than attention to detail.
I am not dismissing her – she has a really remarkable voice – but I worry about her future. Is her repertoire going to be strictly Sieglinde and Cassandre for ever? I don’t really see where she is going to. Elisabeth, which shouldn’t be a big deal for a big-voiced lyric soprano as she is, was basically Sieglinde as Elisabeth: very limited control of dynamics, very little flowing quality in high-lying passages etc. If she is not ready to deal with lyric roles and she is not by nature a dramatic soprano, will she be contented by being a variable dramatic soprano wannabe? Is this what she really wants? That is my question.
As for Crespin. REALLY?????!!!!! I know that Crespin was everything but gimmick-free and no-tricks, but I would rather be tricked by such a lovely tonal quality, voluminous abundance and variety of expression. I have been saying this for ever, but do you know the famous Karajan broadcast from the Met with Nilsson’s Brünnhilde, Crespin’s Sieglinde and Vickers’s Siegmund?
If Cassandre is the best you’ve ever seen of Westbroek, I can only conclude you haven’t seen very much of her. Lacking flexibility and dynamic variety? Her Minnie tells me otherwise. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with you about Westbroek not being a dramatic soprano, by the way. I think Roberto is right. Westbroek has cancelled all of her performances for the next few months, due to health issues. Possibly pregnancy. She has sung Sieglinde all over the world and I don’t really think, for obvious reasons, her MET performance is exemplary for her way of singing Sieglinde. She is indeed a more impressive Sieglinde then Crespin, at least to my ears. She has such a rich and powerful voice. The YouTube clip with Clifton Forbis is great and her performance in the Aix Walkure is nothing short of sensational. Not just my opinion. In fact there isn’t one review on the internet that would suggest otherwise. But, as always, it’s all about a personal way of experiencing things. So, no offence meant.
Hello, Rob! As I have written, I’ve seen Westbroek live only three times: as Cassandre in Amsterdam, as Elisabeth in London and 1/3 Sieglinde at the Met. So, yes, I haven’t seen much of her. I haven’t seen her Minnie – not necessarily a dramatic soprano role for that matter. Eleanor Steber, Renata Tebaldi, Carol Neblett, for instance, have successfully sung it.
I take no offense in what you say – I actually don’t understand why people are so often angry when someone does not agree with them. I understand she was not at her best at the Met – she is indeed in far better shape in the video from Aix (but I still prefer Crespin’s Sieglinde 🙂 ) – but then her Elisabeth in London in December was also below the level of the excellent Cassandre and the very very good Sieglinde from the video. I can’t help seeing a pattern in all this – and I hope that this does not mean deterioration in her voice. I wish her all the best – she has a great voice and stage presence and also a lovely personality.
I’ve seen comments about her last Elisabeth performance that suggest her voice has matured or developed in such a way that it has become less suited to sing Elisabeth, as strange as it may sound. It seems to be somewhat out of line, in a certain way, with the character of Elisabeth. I haven’t heard her Elisabeth myself. But there are also many people that very much liked the more ferocious (full-voiced) way of singing Elisabeth. A lot of people thought Westbroek just happened to be ill at her MET debut and then, after that, she had made a full recovery. That doesn’t seem to be the case, we now know. Also in the HD broadcast she had problems, with breathing technique, and she couldn’t go all the way. Even her acting wasn’t the way it usually is. She didn’t even manage to sing O herhstes Wunder in one go, because of breathing problems. I wouldn’t be surprised if she turns out to be pregnant. I saw Anna Nicole the opera again yesterday and I noticed a ‘suspicious’ belly (and she didn’t wear her fatsuit at that time). Eva-Maria does have a voice that is more flexible then you would have thought hearing her sing Wagner. You can hear that in numerous YouTube clips, also with Minnie. She doesn’t necessarily need a dramatic soprano voice to sing Minnie, but most of the times on the internet she is being described as (jugendlich) dramatic soprano. Speaking of Tebaldi, listening to her made Eva-Maria decide to go singing. She adores her.
Yes, Rob, some people have enjoyed the Elisabeth with an attitude. I didn’t – I don’t think it goes with what Wagner wrote and composed for her and it spoils the dramatic effect of the scene in act II in which she courageously makes a stand for Tannhäuser.
Yes – the breathing issue at the Met you mentioned called my attention and makes sense if she is pregnant.
I didn’t know about Tebaldi. A good model, that’s for sure. I’ll look for Westbroek’s Minnie. Thanks.
Are the Met going to produce a DVD or Bluray from their Walkure – does anyone know?