Intermezzo

Hoffing with Rolando - UPDATED with more video

It doesn't take long for Rolando Villazón to prove he's not off whatever he's usually on in this Bavarian State Opera video. It's an introduction to Richard Jones's new production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann (the one that's coming to ENO next spring), which opens in Munich tomorrow night.

The title role is the most demanding thing Rolando has done since his recent operation - but even more impressive is Diana Damrau's assumption of all three lady parts.

Production photos by Wilfred Hösl for Bavarian State Opera below.

Angela Gheorghiu, Supersub?

It appears the Karmic Wheel has turned full circle and slapped Angela Gheorghiu upside the face.

Plácido Domingo, long-announced as the main attraction in the Bolshoi's reopening gala, withdrew late on claiming a "scheduling conflict". (A wise if tardy precaution given his past form).

Fortunately the Bolshoi had found another big name to take his place a few days before the big night. Angela Gheorghiu, more experienced at pulling out than stepping in, used a score for her aria from The Queen of Spades and according to viewers sounded underprepared.

Bolshoi Re-Opening Gala - UPDATED

Tonight's Bolshoi Grand Re-Opening Gala celebrates the theatre's controversial renovation- after six years and $750 million.

Tickets for the opera and ballet extravaganza were invitation-only, and allegedly changing hands at up to £40,000 on the black market - but you can watch it live for nothing on the Bolshoi's own YouTube channel.

The all-Russian program includes music by Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Borodin, Khachaturian, Asafiev, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich.

Placido Domingo jets straight from London to join Natalie Dessay, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Violeta Urmana and Angela Gheorghiu on stage in a programme including extracts from Iolanta and Betrothal in a Monastery.

The live stream starts at 4pm UK time.

 

*** UPDATE 29.10.11 - watch the full show below ***

Placido Domingo - thrice

Plácido Domingo Celebration - Royal Opera House, 27 October 2011

This season is, almost unbelievably, Plácido Domingo's 40th at Covent Garden. He generously chose to mark the anniversary with a hot-ticket celebratory evening of three Verdi last acts, and was greeted by the packed audience with flowers, cheers and standing ovations.

I cannot lie, his voice is not untouched by time. But despite the years and the still-punishing workload (he's off to Moscow tomorrow, back in London the next day) he still sounded remarkably fresh, even if he did fumble the odd word.

Wagner Rapped Up

Thank you Zerbinetta for pointing out that Wagner and Rap have already dared to make acquaintance.

Here we have the winner of CBC Radio 2's Remix the Ring contest, Baddd Spellah's Rhyme of the Nibelung featuring MC Frontalot.

Bayreuth 2013 - Wagner goes Rap

The Bayreuth Festival today announced the first details of its programme for 2013, the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner's birth.

The 2013 programme is specifically designed to include young people, said Katharina Wagner. Of the operaphobic variety, it appears. The "Wagner goes rap" project invites teenagers to create a rap based on a Wagner libretto.  A film competition invites entrants to wish Wagner a hpayy birthday. And the Festival's anniversary partner, the Leipzig Opera, has commissioned a biographical musical about Wagner - but it won't include any of his own music.

Also on the bicentenary menu are Wagner's early works Rienzi, Die Feen and Das Liebesverbot. These will be performed not in the Festspielhaus itself (Wagner didn't want them included in the Festival), but in Leipzig and at the Bayreuth Oberfrankenhalle.

First out the bag is Wagner's earliest opera, Die Feen, which will be shown at the Leipzig Opera House in February 2013 under the baton of music director Ulf Schirmer. It's followed on 7 July by Rienzi, with Christian Thielemann conducting, then on 8 July Das Liebesverbot conducted by Constantin Trinks, both in Oberfrankenhalle Bayreuth. Die Feen will be performed in concert in Bayreuth in July, and Das Liebesverbot will travel to Leipzig Opera House. All performances will feature the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig.

On the exact date of the composer's 200th birthday, 22 May 2013, Christian Thielemann and the orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival will join various soloists for a birthday concert at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Afterwards we are promised "a big birthday celebration".

Frank Castorf signs up for Bayreuth Ring - at last

Three months after negotiations were first aired, Frank Castorf has finally signed up to direct Bayreuth's 2013 Ring Cycle, it was announced earlier today.

Jonas Kaufmann's hair hero?

The wild bush of curls atop Jonas Kaufmann's head is attracting as many comments as his singing.

But just who could be his hairspiration?

British pick Bach

Bach walked away with the title of Britain's favourite classical composer in a poll conducted recently by the BPI.

The results were drawn from an online survey of more than 3,600 visitors to the websites of participating classical record companies.

No room for Schubert in the otherwise unsurprising full top ten, selected from a list of 54 names:

• JS Bach                  13.4% 
• Mozart                   11.3% 
• Beethoven            11.0% 
• Mahler                   6.3% 
• Tchaikovsky        3.6% 
• Handel                   3.5% 
• Verdi                      3.3% 
• Wagner                  3.3% 
• Brahms                  2.7% 
• Puccini                   2.6% 

Jonas Kaufmann hits London

Jonas Kaufmann / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra cond.Jochen Rieder  - Royal Festival Hall, 24 October 2011

What's hot, yummy and Bavarian?  No, not Weisswurst.

Drooling as adorably as a basset hound in his recently-fitted braces, Jonas Kaufmann won over tonight's London audience to the tune of four encores.  His programme stretched from verismo cheese to the magnificence of Wagner and he didn't put one foot wrong.

Royal Opera House Ring Cycle – early booking offer

Book for the Royal Opera House's Ring Cycle TODAY - a day before public booking opens - using the following link:

http://www.roh.org.uk/whatson/thering

Be warned that the high prices haven't deterred purchasers and there are currently very few seats left.  I understand more will be released tomorrow, when public booking opens.

Wingela

EMI are offering the opportunity to win Angela Gheorghiu's entire EMI back catalogue simply by signing up to a mailing list. 

Don't forget to read the small print first. You are warned  "By submitting your data you are agreeing to updates about Angela Gheorghiu."

Canadian opera is a load of bollocks

In a bid to attract a new, younger audience, Vancouver Opera claim that trying out one of their productions is like swallowing a pair of lambs testicles.

“Many younger people think opera’s old-fashioned and that it doesn’t connect to their lives, which is actually untrue,” said Vancouver Opera's marketing director. “We want to convince them that they should take a chance on opera. There’s a lot for them to like, and they’ll be surprised that we can talk to them on their own terms."

Roberto chante Faust - oui, vraiment

While we're on the subject of Roberto Alagna's improbable exploits, here he is with an aria from Berlioz's La damnation de Faust.  But not the one you think. No, Roberto has chosen to tackle Méphisto's Serenade - yes, the one that's usually sung by a bass.

If that's whetted your appetite for more Roberto, how about Paris Opera's recent Gounod Faust, where he plays the title role?

Thank you Manou for finding this link where you can watch the whole opera for free.

Once again, the world's most skilled makeup artists were unable to etch the grooves of time upon Roberto's youthful complexion. So you will notice that the Act 1 part of the elderly Faust is played by an actor (with doubtful lip-synching skillz). Roberto himself appears from a giant Kinder egg twenty minutes in. You won't miss it. Just make sure you don't have a mouthful of coffee at the time.

Alagna sings Wagner - yes, really

Check it out above! Roberto Alagna hits the big screen on 9 November in a new film by Jean-Louis Guillermou. Celles qui aimaient Wagner blends contemporary and historical narrative to recount episodes from Richard Wagner's life story through the eyes of a modern day fan.

Muti's $1m secret

Riccardo Muti ruffled a few press feathers earlier today when he refused to tell journalists assembled in Stockholm for the Birgit Nilsson Award how he plans to spend the $1m prize money.  He said he doesn't yet know, and when he does, he won't be telling the world, because it's a private matter.  He dismissed any talk of the money as "vulgar". He also refused to confirm whether he'll use the sum for charitable purposes, as the award's previous recipient Placido Domingo pledged to do.

Muti never actually performed with Nilsson, but he told the press he admired her so much he took a 3 hour train ride to hear her in Fidelio in 1978. Later he heard her as Elektra, Turandot and Isolde and each time was struck by the beauty, power and delicacy of her voice.

**** UPDATE ****

Part of the press conference:

Part of the award ceremony; Sondra Radvanovsky sings:

 

Daniel Barenboim's new hat

Daniel Barenboim is to become music director of La Scala from 1 December, it was announced today. His contract, which runs to 31 December 2016, will see him at La Scala for about 15 weeks per year, and includes opera, concerts and tours.

Barenboim has been the de facto boss at La Scala since 2006, when he agreed a five year working relationship with the opera house to run alongside his other job as general music director of Berlin's Staatsoper. That agreement, which came without a title, involved him conducting at least two opera productions each season for La Scala,  directing concerts and performing as a soloist, as well as sharing productions between the Staatsoper and La Scala. It doesn't appear as if the new agreement will involve a significant increase in that current workload.

La Scala have been without a formally-titled music director since Riccardo Muti's controversial departure in 2005.

Free opera online from the Opera House of the Year

La Monnaie, recently awarded the prestigious title of Opera House of the Year by Opernwelt magazine, is planning to stream all of this season's productions free online.

First up is Krzysztof Warlikowski's Médée, which features Nadja Michael as the Amy Winehouse-styled heroine.

From 12 November you'll be able to see George Enescu's rarely-performed Oedipe in a new production by La Fura dels Baus.

Streaming starts after the last live performance of each opera, and will be available for 21 days only. More season details here.

Operastar to Popstar

Believe it or not, it's been done. 

In 2002, he featured in an award-winning La bohème.  But nowadays his life is filled with chart-topping records and squealing eleven year old girls.

Who is he?

Terry on telly

Terry Gilliam's Damnation of Faust for ENO airs on BBC4 this Friday, 14 October, at 7.30pm.

Hopefully with more straight talk from its director on the side.