La Hong was announced only a couple of days ago as a substitute for the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro on October 2, 6, 10, 13 and 18, replacing Dorothea Röschmann "who has cancelled all engagements for three months for health reasons," per the Met's press office. Less officially, Ms. Swenson is rumored for the 2008-09 season as Musetta in La bohème as a followup to next spring's Violettas, which were at one point assumed to be her farewell to the company.
07 September 2007
Not a comeback, a return!
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23 comments:
So glad to hear it. They really are lovely.
Hong is one of the finest, most interesting Countesses I have ever seen. I especially remember the way she sang "Dove sono" -- not standing diva-like stage center, performing, but leaning back in a chair (in what looked like a difficult physical pose to sing in), as if in reverie, daydreaming -- which is what that aria happens to be about.
Eternally ravishing divas.
Auntie Gelb, give Swenson a brand new production of LUCREZIA BORGIA, which was only done once at the MET some 100 years ago, with Caruso! (1905). DO IT NOW.
The voice is dark enough for the role and she still has those glorious Ds to finish the prologue and the two acts, just like La Stupenda. Perfect fit for La Swenson.
I'm very glad to hear that Hong is coming back to the MET. I saw her live as Micaela, and while it's not a demanding role, I've never heard or seen a more convincing rendition of Je dis and at the end, she simply folded up into her dress... magnificently ethereal, and the audience responded with the largest ovation of the evening.
I've heard her in other roles too, and she's a very beautiful and elegant singer, if not particularly profound. A wonderful purity to the tone.
I have less experience with Swenson, but she most definitely wasn't worth the axe either!
After reading about the purported problems during rehearsals between Dessay the stage director I thought how delicious it would be if Dessay cancelled and the Met had to ask Swenson to take her place.
As for Hong, I'm totally delighted that she'll be back where she belongs.
Hong was the best thing (and one of the few good things) about the Met Turandot last March. Her Liu was simply sublime.
I always think of Hong as my insurance policy. No matter who or what is onstage, she always leaves me the most satisfied. Her Liu this past spring was lovely and am elated to know it wasn't her farewell.
Um, Lucrezia Borgia is a part for a great *singing actress*.
Granted Sutherland managed a pretty good job of it, but I find it hard to imagine someone lacking the presence, declamatory ability and gravitas for Maria Stuarda suddenly finding it for Lucrezia.
Great score, though; they should bring it back for Antonacci, Blythe and Filianoti.
Hong is indeed one of the best Countesses the Met has seen in the last decade so that is good news, though I have great respect for Roeschmann. (Yet to think they might have had Susannah Glanville back!) The leaning back in the chair "Dove sono" was a trademark of Eleanor Steber, BTW.
Krunoslav: Great minds, etc. almost. Pendadchantska I think would make more sense than Antonacci, though either would easily top Swenson. (All is moot, of course, since you-know-who surely regards Lucrezia Borgia as her personal property!)
Voldemort?
MY choice for Lucrezia would be Krassimira Stoyanova, with Dmitri Konchak (d), Blythe and Kowaljow to fill out the cast. Stoyanova sings gloriously but she can also act -- with voice and face -- and portrays rage, suppressed or overt, better than any other coloratura soprano.
That opera needs FOUR great singers. The Met flopped because they did it with one (Caruso) and the City Opera did it with half of one (Sills). OONY at least had Blythe. And AOS had Caballe, Verrett and Kraus.
well I am glad you are all so happy...I am upset about all these developments....I think Netrebko and Villazon should have been asked to fill those roles...Villazon as the Countess would sell out the Met...did anyone in the administration think about THAT?
Herr Lick--
I'd be happy to hear Stoyanova sing anything, and Korchak would be great as Gennaro too.
But *RCA* had Caballe, Kraus and Verrett ( and Ezio Flagello, very impressive too). AOS had Caballe, Vanzo in his NY debut, Jane Berbié in hers, and Kostas Paskalis.
In the Voldemort version, Lucrezia laughingly holds up a Huge Rolex while Botox is injected in Gennaro, Orsini and their pals.
And by the way, in 1904 (not '05) Edyth Walker ( "Dyke, ya know!") drew better reviews from Richard Aldrich than did Caruso::
"Mme. Walker as Maffio Orsini had an opportunity for her beautiful voice. In the "brindisi" of the last act, "Il segreto," she is given a number that has for three-quarters of a century never failed of its effect, and she, too, had her success in it. Mr. Caruso seemed to have little interest in the proceedings that fell to his share in the opera, till the last act, and indeed, was at first far from being in his best voice. His air, "Come Soave," he had to repeat."
Granted Caruso was still :"a great singer", so too in his way was Antonio Scotti, who was even more miscast in this idiom.
So Lucrezia Borgia is a part for a great singing actress? Every female lead part in opera is for a great singing actress.
And: "I find it hard to imagine someone lacking the presence, declamatory ability and gravitas for Maria Stuarda suddenly finding it for Lucrezia" is utter bull.
Tommasini wrote of Swenson's Maria Stuarda (and that was only a concert version) "From her first entrance, when the imprisoned queen sings a wistful cavatina about freedom, Ms. Swenson's singing was ravishingly tender, lyrically pliant and luscious. She could render a service to opera by going from conservatory to conservatory and letting young singers clasp their hands about her diaphragm as she sings, for a demonstration of perfect breath support. As always, Ms. Swenson's sound, especially in her floated, sustained, high-range singing, resonated throughout the hall without a trace of effort."
Swenson's Lucrezia Borgia would blow away the Lucrezias of Antonacci, Pendadchantska and Stoyanova COMBINED.
I am sorry, but one does *not* need to be a great singing actress to sing Marguerite, Mimi, Liu, Tatiana or similar lyric parts that essentially perform themselves if acceptably sung and tolerably well acted-- not that it isn't nice when you have a Soviero or Stratas who will go the extra mile.
Nor do you have to be a great singing actress to sing Aida. You need to sing the music well. Neither Rethberg, Milanov, the young Tebaldi, L. Price nor Arroyo would be accounted a great singing actress ( they were all great sopranos, and that is something very diffferent) but they were great Aidas. There are many similar parts: BALLO, ERNANI, etc.
Maybe you are unaware of the resonances of the term "singing actress", but it would not include Miss Swenson even in her most apt youthful parts (she was superb if unvarying from show to show for many years playing ingenues, and she still sings remarkably well.)
That you would choose to quote the approving comments of someone who obviously had never heard MARIA STUARDA before-- it hadn't been done in Boston, after all-- as evidence speaks volumes. And note he says NOTHING about her acting, or her ( bland) use of words.
My advice: go listen to five minutes of Sills or Gencer in MARIA STUARDA and you will hear what it means to be a singing acrtess in the role.
Sorry, fandom is not enough to convince here.
I sat through a phenomenally dull performance of Lucia by Swenson in the nineties, and have never really enjoyed her since. The notion that she would remotely suffice currently in that role (which Dessay owns, IMHO) is most peculiar.
Swenson always sings all the notes, sometimes ravishingly. But she is a cipher in terms of stage presence and characterization.
Bring her back, by all means, for the sake of her decent soprano.
but I can't be particularly excited about it.
Hong, on the other hand, still has something to say (and sing).
Dessay owns it until Damrau sings it. Damrau has it all. I predict she will totally eclipse Dessay in this role.
Swanson--Swenson? In all the discussion about can sing better than someone else, remember that Desmond the Divina said " We didn't need talk[singing?]; we had Faces!!
Anonymous -
We are in total agreement. Damrau WILL ROCK!!! Both of the ladies mentioned above do have wonderful voices, but in my ear they are prime examples of that bland American sound that was prominent late '80s & throughout the '90s in this country. After Ruth Ann's Lucia a few seasons back I vowed never to see her perform again. Though I will say that I was interested to see her in the scheduled Agrippina at NYCO. I liked the production when it was new a few seasons back.
Damrau takes her voice/acting to the edge without ever giving up that beautiful sound. Her technique is fabulous. She was the best thing about that wretched Aegyptische Helena last season...and this is coming from a serious Voigt fan. Damrau's Konstanze will be a WOW-er this season as well.
Swenson was flat out amazing as Marguerite in Faust this summer in Cincinnati Opera's production. It was a moving performance, sung with accuracy and poignance. She was riveting.
Ever the cock-eyed optimist, La Cieca eschews unpleasantness on her blog again! There is another "red-haired three-named sopranos d'un certain âge" who has most definitely NOT received an invitation to return to the Gelb Met: "NYC Opera Fanatic".
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