Yes, that did puzzle me -- I saw her in the role at the Met in 1972 (on Yom Kippur -- am I going to hell? without supper?). In fact that may be the last time I ever went to a Butterfly. I notice AT didn't even mention Aida in his article.
Hans: Aida seems to be more easily cast than Butterfly, no? Maybe marginally so. In any case the Met does seem to put it on about every other year, and they've fielded some perfectly acceptable if not stellar Aidas like Norma Fantini and Angela Brown.
Not the leading lady. I've only heard one tolerable one at the Met since Price retired -- Hasmik Papian. Looking forward to Urmana. Fantini and Brown were out of their fach.
hans lick, I'll have to disagree with you on Angela Brown. I saw her as Aïda in Milwaukee this past summer, and if she wasn't exactly demented in the role, her voice was built for it. She didn't blast all that many high notes, but it was obvious she could (I imagine she was being careful to not wear out her voice).
Maybe it has to do with the size of the Met, but I thought Angela Brown was an excellent Aida here in Philly a few years ago. Not that the Academy's acoustics are exactly a picnic.
Whatever happened to Nina Rautio? I saw her as Aida in Rome in 94 and she had it all. Spinto tone and Russian acting and commitment. DG finally released the Vishnevskaya/ Rostropovich Tosca over here a few months ago, and hearing Galina's Tosca made me nearly weep that I never heard her as Aida. And while we're on the subject- the young Fassbaender on Orfeo's 70's Munich Aida is the best Amneris I will ever hear. And Tomowa-Sintow, although it's not really her repertory, sings the best 'O Patria Mia' you'll ever hear.
As for the rest of the article, Some of the examples he uses to make his point are just wrong.
He states that (and really, I do hate to bring Fleming into this but...) had Fleming come into prominence in the 1950s, she would have been nurtured as a Verdi singer. I seriously doubt it. She would have probably made her mark as a Mozart and Strauss singer, just like it worked out in the 1990s. And her Violetta, while it had many merits -- passionately sung and acted, vocally luxurious -- was not "vocally elegant" as he puts it. Sorry! There are other ways to praise her Violetta but "elegant" is not the way to describe her approach to the role.
Also, Voigt was not born to sing Brünnhilde as he suggests. He seems to think that she's cancelling her upcoming Brünnhildes and Isoldes because she's afraid to be compared to the old legends. It probably has more to do with the fact that she's still testing out how much heft her voice has since her weight loss. Either way, weight loss or no, Brünnhilde was never a good fit for her.
I had real issues with his claim that there are NO Butterflys around. Hello? Anyone heard of Pat Racette? She IS today's greatest Butterfly. I've seen her in the role twice, each time, she pinned me to the back of my seat. Why the hell is she only singng Nedda and Elisabeth this season? SOMEBODY GIVE HER THAT ROLE!!!
The long-term complication rate for the surgery Voigt had is very, very high - 60% or something like that. We won't know for five years or more how it's going to work for her.
I saw most of the Cio Cio Sans at San Francisco in the last decade, and the singer who tore me up was Miriam Gauci. I was wrecked from "Un bel di" on, and usually don't actually lose it until somewhere aroun "Tu, tu piccolo iddio." (It's not my favorite opera. :-) I skipped Racette (major family-fu this past year...) and am sorry; she was a shattering Jenufa and got great reviews in Butterly.
You know how good a Butterfly Racette is? I saw her in a Robert Wilson production, and not only did she sing ravishingly, she was the only member of the cast to have her character come through the robotic shifting Wilson had them doing. So it was a real revelation to see her in a traditonal production.
Baritenor -- I would certainly be a lot more eager to see this production if Racette were singing it. Like Villarzon, she always seems to be in something I don't want to hear. (Sort of inverse-Eaglen.)
"Leontyne's Butterfly not a dramatic tour de force? That recording with her and Tucker was my introduction into opera recordings"
It was my first full length recording and I'm totally not objective about it, I love it to pieces. I also liked the Tebaldi, Freni and Scotto commercial recordings but Price remains my absolute preference.
Yea - whatdaymean Leontyne's Butterfly not a tour de force? Your gramaphone needle needs changing Paddypig. For many years it was said by many that Scotto was the definitive Butterfly- and she was certainly very very good- but in the recording I had of her, she laboured under Barbaroli who dragged it (as he tended to drag everything).
price's live trovatore from the 1962 salzburg festival is a testament to what she could do on a good night--full of drama! however, i do agree that price's butterfly, while thrillingly beautiful, could never quite move me in the same way that scotto's does. Price just doesn't have the subtlety of scotto, but at the same time i wouldn't call her just another beautiful voice. She certainly didn't portray faceless heroines, but dramatically i agree she was much more suited to verdi and puccini only on occassion.
paddypig - re the gramaphone - I was just being silly- no offence intended and I sure am envious over your "performance record." How fortunate to have seen those performances- I'm green! :)
I looked this evening and realized that I own eight Butterflys. I think one of the reasons (aside from really loving the music) is that I don't think any of the are entirely there. I listen the them for different things.
I love the Scotto recording that I have. She is so artistic and has such a wonderful way with the language. But, she doesn't sound like a vulnerable, young girl to me. And, she is a little mannered. Price's Butterfly is just beautiful from a singing point of view. The problem with the big voices is that they don't sound innocent to me, and if she doesn't sound innocent, the drama doesn't make any sense. The bigger voiced Butterflys sound like they could/would really kick the shit our of Pinkerton, given the opportunity. Or, like deluded old women.
The two I listen to the most are De Los Angeles and Moffo. They both sing the part well and are able to project that innocent girl-like quality. I also like Leinsdorf's conducting.
Absolutely, Teddy Bear. I saw the Scotto TRITTICO in the house as well as the telecast. I have never been so moved in an opera house as I was by Scotto's Suor Angelica...the last moments are shattering in their emotional impact. Her TABARRO was also splendid. Bring out that DVD!!
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.
22 comments:
Yes, that did puzzle me -- I saw her in the role at the Met in 1972 (on Yom Kippur -- am I going to hell? without supper?). In fact that may be the last time I ever went to a Butterfly. I notice AT didn't even mention Aida in his article.
Hans: Aida seems to be more easily cast than Butterfly, no? Maybe marginally so. In any case the Met does seem to put it on about every other year, and they've fielded some perfectly acceptable if not stellar Aidas like Norma Fantini and Angela Brown.
Not the leading lady. I've only heard one tolerable one at the Met since Price retired -- Hasmik Papian. Looking forward to Urmana. Fantini and Brown were out of their fach.
hans lick, I'll have to disagree with you on Angela Brown. I saw her as Aïda in Milwaukee this past summer, and if she wasn't exactly demented in the role, her voice was built for it. She didn't blast all that many high notes, but it was obvious she could (I imagine she was being careful to not wear out her voice).
Maybe it has to do with the size of the Met, but I thought Angela Brown was an excellent Aida here in Philly a few years ago. Not that the Academy's acoustics are exactly a picnic.
She's singing Bess here in February.
Whatever happened to Nina Rautio? I saw her as Aida in Rome in 94 and she had it all. Spinto tone and Russian acting and commitment. DG finally released the Vishnevskaya/ Rostropovich Tosca over here a few months ago, and hearing Galina's Tosca made me nearly weep that I never heard her as Aida. And while we're on the subject- the young Fassbaender on Orfeo's 70's Munich Aida is the best Amneris I will ever hear. And Tomowa-Sintow, although it's not really her repertory, sings the best 'O Patria Mia' you'll ever hear.
As for the rest of the article, Some of the examples he uses to make his point are just wrong.
He states that (and really, I do hate to bring Fleming into this but...) had Fleming come into prominence in the 1950s, she would have been nurtured as a Verdi singer. I seriously doubt it. She would have probably made her mark as a Mozart and Strauss singer, just like it worked out in the 1990s. And her Violetta, while it had many merits -- passionately sung and acted, vocally luxurious -- was not "vocally elegant" as he puts it. Sorry! There are other ways to praise her Violetta but "elegant" is not the way to describe her approach to the role.
Also, Voigt was not born to sing Brünnhilde as he suggests. He seems to think that she's cancelling her upcoming Brünnhildes and Isoldes because she's afraid to be compared to the old legends. It probably has more to do with the fact that she's still testing out how much heft her voice has since her weight loss. Either way, weight loss or no, Brünnhilde was never a good fit for her.
I had real issues with his claim that there are NO Butterflys around. Hello? Anyone heard of Pat Racette? She IS today's greatest Butterfly. I've seen her in the role twice, each time, she pinned me to the back of my seat. Why the hell is she only singng Nedda and Elisabeth this season? SOMEBODY GIVE HER THAT ROLE!!!
Speaking of Voight, the reviews of SALOME are starting to come out: San Fransisco Chronicle loved her. So did the Daily Herald.
The long-term complication rate for the surgery Voigt had is very, very high - 60% or something like that. We won't know for five years or more how it's going to work for her.
I saw most of the Cio Cio Sans at San Francisco in the last decade, and the singer who tore me up was Miriam Gauci. I was wrecked from "Un bel di" on, and usually don't actually lose it until somewhere aroun "Tu, tu piccolo iddio." (It's not my favorite opera. :-) I skipped Racette (major family-fu this past year...) and am sorry; she was a shattering Jenufa and got great reviews in Butterly.
You know how good a Butterfly Racette is? I saw her in a Robert Wilson production, and not only did she sing ravishingly, she was the only member of the cast to have her character come through the robotic shifting Wilson had them doing. So it was a real revelation to see her in a traditonal production.
Baritenor -- I would certainly be a lot more eager to see this production if Racette were singing it. Like Villarzon, she always seems to be in something I don't want to hear. (Sort of inverse-Eaglen.)
I agree about the Freni Butterfly. The whole recording is lush, sweeping and full of drama.
"Leontyne's Butterfly not a dramatic tour de force? That recording with her and Tucker was my introduction into opera recordings"
It was my first full length recording and I'm totally not objective about it, I love it to pieces. I also liked the Tebaldi, Freni and Scotto commercial recordings but Price remains my absolute preference.
Yea - whatdaymean Leontyne's Butterfly not a tour de force?
Your gramaphone needle needs changing Paddypig.
For many years it was said by many that Scotto was the definitive Butterfly- and she was certainly very very good- but in the recording I had of her, she laboured under Barbaroli who dragged it (as he tended to drag everything).
price's live trovatore from the 1962 salzburg festival is a testament to what she could do on a good night--full of drama! however, i do agree that price's butterfly, while thrillingly beautiful, could never quite move me in the same way that scotto's does. Price just doesn't have the subtlety of scotto, but at the same time i wouldn't call her just another beautiful voice. She certainly didn't portray faceless heroines, but dramatically i agree she was much more suited to verdi and puccini only on occassion.
I can't believe that no one's mentioned my favorite Cio-Cio San of all time: Anna Moffo.
paddypig - re the gramaphone - I was just being silly- no offence intended and I sure am envious over your "performance record." How fortunate to have seen those performances- I'm green! :)
I looked this evening and realized that I own eight Butterflys. I think one of the reasons (aside from really loving the music) is that I don't think any of the are entirely there. I listen the them for different things.
I love the Scotto recording that I have. She is so artistic and has such a wonderful way with the language. But, she doesn't sound like a vulnerable, young girl to me. And, she is a little mannered. Price's Butterfly is just beautiful from a singing point of view. The problem with the big voices is that they don't sound innocent to me, and if she doesn't sound innocent, the drama doesn't make any sense. The bigger voiced Butterflys sound like they could/would really kick the shit our of Pinkerton, given the opportunity. Or, like deluded old women.
The two I listen to the most are De Los Angeles and Moffo. They both sing the part well and are able to project that innocent girl-like quality. I also like Leinsdorf's conducting.
Something I'm curious about is why Eleanor Steber's name never comes up when people talk about the great singing at the Met?
There was an lp of Butterfly, starring-of all divas-Annaliese Rothenberger. Has anybody heard it, and how did she do, with such a heavy role?
Absolutely, Teddy Bear. I saw the Scotto TRITTICO in the house as well as the telecast. I have never been so moved in an opera house as I was by Scotto's Suor Angelica...the last moments are shattering in their emotional impact. Her TABARRO was also splendid. Bring out that DVD!!
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