It should be noted by LaCieca that Tommassini's review of the Chicago Salome & Iphigenie contained only one "hunky" (referring to Narraboth) and not a single "strapping."
Another cause for optimism is the notable diversification of the repertoire. If you go back fifty years to the "golden age," you find a much narrower selection of operas being performed -- even if these are the "favorites" that are harder to cast nowadays. But no one was doing Clemenza or Idomeneo, there was no Handel at all, the marvelous operas of Janacek were barely noticed, and the integrity of the performances of the great bel canto operas was greatly weakened by cuts, transpositions, and simplifications. Also, until right about that time (notably Bing's Don Carlo, I think) no one ever thought of hiring a stage director for operas. There were hardly any rehearsals at all. Artists knew their core repertoire, showed up, and did what they did. I really think it's a waste of time to go around complaining that there are "no voices" -- because there ARE, there are some wonderful artists out there -- and ignoring how much the standards of operatic performance have improved, even if we may presently be at a loss for artists who will end up on La Cieca's "demented" page. Who knows, fifty years from now, the Met might be trying to produce Rinaldo and there will be a bunch of queens on here (I say that with love) moaning, "Where are the David Danielses? Where are the Bartolis? Where are the von Otters?"
2005 - January 2008 posts for parterre box presents La Cieca. Cher public, here you will find all the classic content and caustic comments you remember so well from those days long gone by.
2 comments:
It should be noted by LaCieca that Tommassini's review of the Chicago Salome & Iphigenie contained only one "hunky" (referring to Narraboth) and not a single "strapping."
Another cause for optimism is the notable diversification of the repertoire. If you go back fifty years to the "golden age," you find a much narrower selection of operas being performed -- even if these are the "favorites" that are harder to cast nowadays. But no one was doing Clemenza or Idomeneo, there was no Handel at all, the marvelous operas of Janacek were barely noticed, and the integrity of the performances of the great bel canto operas was greatly weakened by cuts, transpositions, and simplifications. Also, until right about that time (notably Bing's Don Carlo, I think) no one ever thought of hiring a stage director for operas. There were hardly any rehearsals at all. Artists knew their core repertoire, showed up, and did what they did. I really think it's a waste of time to go around complaining that there are "no voices" -- because there ARE, there are some wonderful artists out there -- and ignoring how much the standards of operatic performance have improved, even if we may presently be at a loss for artists who will end up on La Cieca's "demented" page. Who knows, fifty years from now, the Met might be trying to produce Rinaldo and there will be a bunch of queens on here (I say that with love) moaning, "Where are the David Danielses? Where are the Bartolis? Where are the von Otters?"
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