The Opera Tattler

Il Matrimonio Segreto at Teatro Regio di Torino

* Notes *
A run of Cimarosa's Il Matrimonio Segreto is currently being held at Teatro Regio di Torino. Francesco Pasqualetti conducted last night's performance, and the overture went nicely, but there were some raw, blurry moments in the pit.

Likewise with the singing, which was often quiet compared with the sound of the orchestra. Emanuele D'Aguanno (Paulino) seemed particularly strained. Barbara Bargnesi (Carolina) was cute, but her acting was on the dull side. Only Chiara Amarù, as aged aunt Fidalma, shone. Her sense of comic timing sparkled, and her voice is strong.

The singers were not helped by the bland production, which featured a generic set that could have been used for any number of operas or plays. All the action happens in a single symmetrical room, with three large doors up stage, and doors left and right.

* Tattling * 
A woman in Box 12 talked the entire performance. Apparently someone was explaining the libretto for a person who was unable discern what the words were from either listening to the singing or reading the super-titles.

La Cambiale di Matrimonio at La 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.

Věc Makropulos at La Fenice

* 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.

Lucerne Festival zu Ostern 2013 Sinfoniekonzert 2

* 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.

Isabelle Faust at Lucerne Festival

* 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.

Lucerne Festival zu Ostern 2013 Sinfoniekonzert 1

* 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.

SFCM's 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.

Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 2013

The 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

Boston Lyric Opera's 2013-2014 Season

October 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

Washington National Opera's 2013-2014 Season

September 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

Met Opera National Council Auditions 2013 Finalists

The ten finalists of the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions are bass Matthew Anchel (Eastern Region; New York, NY); tenor Michael Brandenburg (Central Region; Austin, IN); bass-baritone Brandon Cedel (Middle Atlantic Region; Hershey, PA); soprano Tracy Cox (Western Region; Dallas, TX); soprano Sydney Mancasola (New England Region; Redding, CA); bass-baritone Musa Ngqungwana (Middle Atlantic Region; Port Elizabeth, South Africa); bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba (Upper Midwest Region; Tempe, AZ); soprano Rebecca Pedersen (Rocky Mountain Region; Bountiful, UT); bass-baritone Thomas Richards (Central Region; Burnsville, MN); and baritone Efraín Solís (Western Region; Santa Ana, CA). They perform next Sunday, March 10 at 3pm with the Met Orchestra conducted by Marco Armiliato.

Official Site

World Premiere of The Secret Garden

* Notes *
San Francisco Opera and Cal Performances presented the world premiere of Nolan Gasser's The Secret Garden (Act II pictured left, photograph by Betsy Kershner) last night in Berkeley. The music features a tiny ensemble of ten instrumentalists, lead by conductor Sara Jobin. The rhythms employed are of interest, particularly in the prologue, which is set in India. Carey Harrison's libretto has some awkward moments, somehow the narrative of the book does not always work well as sung text. This is evident in the Cholera scene and when Colin sings about how he will live to adulthood. Other parts are more successful. The letter scene between Susan Sowerby and Archibald Craven is quite beautiful. The production, directed by José Maria Condemi, moves along nicely. The costumes are of the period, and are perfectly serviceable. Naomie Kremer's hallucinatory visual designs range from cartoonish to Impressionistic.

The singing has much to recommend it. Ao Li (Ben Weatherstaff), Erin Johnson (Mrs. Medlock), and Laura Krumm (Martha Sowerby) all made charming contributions to the performance, both vocally and dramatically. Tenor Scott Joiner was a winsome Dickon, but had some trouble with the high notes in his first duet with Mary. Philippe Sly impressed as Archibald Craven, and his aforementioned duet with Marina Harris (Susan Sowerby) was splendid. Boy soprano Michael Kepler Meo convinced as spoiled, sickly Colin Craven. His voice is pretty, but the amplification used was obvious and slightly distracting. Bright-voiced Sarah Shafer deftly portrayed Mary Lennox. Her sound is pleasant and her acting was not overwrought.

* Tattling *
There were many children in attendance, and for the most part, they were more well-behaved than the adults. Two women in Row P Seats 5 and 7 of the Orchestra Level talked repeatedly during the music when there was no singing. Oddly, they knew the maestra, and vehemently cheered her when she took her bow.

One of the boys in Row N was the son of either the composer or the librettist and he was absolutely delighted to see his father during the ovation. His enthusiasm was adorable.

William Bennett Dies

San Francisco Symphony's principal oboist William Bennett (pictured left) has died of a brain hemorrhage. Mr. Bennett had been hospitalized since Saturday, February 23, 2013, after collapsing onstage during his performance of the Strauss Oboe Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall.

SF Symphony Press Release | Caring Bridge Site

The Met's 2013-2014 Season

September 23- December 12 2013: Eugene Onegin
September 24 2013- May 8 2014 : Così fan tutte
September 28- October 26 2013: The Nose
September 30- November 1 2013: Norma
October 11-31 2013: A Midsummer Night's Dream
October 21- November 14 2013: Two Boys
October 29- December 28 2013: Tosca
November 7-26 2013: Die Frau Ohne Schatten
November 11- December 7 2013: Rigoletto
November 22- Dember 13 2013: Der Rosenkavalier
December 6 2013- January 11 2014: Falstaff
December 16 2013- January 4 2014: The Magic Flute
December 31 2013- February 22 2014: Die Fledermaus
January 9- February 1 2014: L'elisir d'Amore
January 14- April 18 2014: La Bohème
January 16- May 9 2014: Madama Butterfly
January 23- February 15 2014: Rusalka
February 6- March 8 2014: Prince Igor
February 18- March 15 2014: Werther
February 26- March 20 2014: The Enchanted Island
March 6-22 2014: Wozzeck
March 14- April 1 2014: La Sonnambula
March 24- April 12 2014: Andrea Chénier
April 3-24 2014: Arabella
April 17- May 10 2014: I Puritani
April 21- May 10 2014: La Cenerentola

The Met announced the 2013-2014 season today. The 6 new productions are Eugene Onegin, Nico Muhly's Two Boys, Falstaff, Die Fledermaus, Prince Igor, and Werther.

Online 2013-2014 Brochure | Official Site

Zheng Cao Dies

Mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao died of cancer yesterday at age 46 in San Francisco. Cao was a participant of the Merola Opera Program in 1994 and was an Adler from 1995 to 1996. Cao was seen in 16 productions at San Francisco Opera including roles in The Bonesetter's Daughter (pictured left as Ruth Young Kamen, photograph by Terrence McCarthy), Madama Butterfly, The Mother of Us All, The Rake's Progress, Parsifal, Idomeneo, Le Nozze di Figaro, Elektra, Salome, Rusalka, and Faust.

SF Chronicle Article | Official Site | San Francisco Opera Press Release