Intermezzo

Manon at the Royal Opera House

Manon - Royal Opera House, 22 June 2010 (first night)

Anna Netrebko and Vittorio Grigolo were, deservedly, a huge hit with the audience at last night's Manon premiere (sole sleb-spot, Rhydian, in barman-style white shirt and waistcoat).

Netrebko's saucy, knowing Manon is the architect of her own fate, and if she overdoes the eyelash-batting in the first act, she makes up for it later with a truly affecting performance. She sang strongly, the voice fuller and darker than ever before, looking gorgeous in a succession of lush Belle Époque frocks and a chestnut wig.

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mais oui Manon

Perhaps the budget cuts are really biting at the Royal Opera House. Anyone expecting the sort of detail Laurent Pelly brought to his now-classic production of La fille du régiment will be disappointed by his new Manon, as unveiled at Saturday's general rehearsal. Whether it looks elegantly minimal or half-finished is a matter of opinion - but those sets sure are spare, in contrast to the acres of cloth lavished on the lush period costumes. 

Jesus comes for Renee Fleming - Thais in concert at Covent Garden

Thaïs (in concert) - Royal Opera House, 27 June 2007

It was good to hear the Royal Opera House orchestra back on form tonight after some recent poor showings (and interesting to see them out of their troglodyte burrow and up on stage too). It was a shame though that Andrew Davis chose not to give their well-oiled machine a good run out but instead stuck to cautious pedestrian tempi and limited shading. Only in the final dramatic death scene did they really sound at full stretch. In between there were some moments of fun with the 'oriental' effects, and of course the famous Meditation violin solo, coolly and sensitively rendered.

The role of Thaïs, an Egyptian courtesan converted to Christianity by the monk Athanaël, who then falls in love with her, was a great display piece for Renée Fleming. I'm not a huge Flemingista, but even I have to admit this performance was in some danger of turning into a big damp squib till Renée took the stage towards the end of the first act. She glided on in the most spectacular scarlet taffeta strapless gown/stole combo and took command. Her intonation wasn't always flawless but her energy and joie de vivre immediately lifted everybody. Especially Simone Alberghini, the last minute Athanaël drafted in to replace the sick Thomas Hampson. I missed the gravitas and sense of purpose that I think Hampson would have been able to bring. I think Alberghini was going for solemnity, but until Fleming came on and put a rocket up him, it largely came across as plain ole dull despite his rich mahogany tone.

Fleming changed tack (and frock -- see pics) for the third act. As the freshly converted Christian, she switched from the earlier froth and sparkle to an exquisite purity. Alberghini came more into his own here, and in the impassioned final scene where he declares his love for Thaïs as she lies dying he displayed a previously unsuspected range of expression.

The other big success of the evening was Joseph Calleja in the secondary role of Nicias. A huge voice and an easy confident presence, it's easy to see why he got such raves recently in Vienna standing in at short notice for a sick Villazon in La Traviata.

The smaller parts were generally sung with more competence than panache, the exceptions being Clare Shearer's Albine and the two slaves (Ana James and Liora Grodnikaite), who made the most of some of Massenet's most sparkling vocal writing.

Some more curtain call pics:

Simone Alberghini, Renée Fleming

Renée Fleming talks (but not much)

Thomas Hampson's illness has forced his replacement by Anna Netrebko's ex, Simone Alberghini, in the concert performance of Thaïs at Covent Garden this week. But star Renée Fleming remains in the rudest of health, and ready to tackle the monumental role of the 4th century Egyptian ho who finds God. She spoke briefly on Friday to BBC Radio 3's In Tune programme, available online for a week (the interview starts around the 65 minute mark).

She finds Thaïs an "incredibly glamorous role", musically speaking. Although most people imagine she's very familiar with Thaïs because of her well-known recording, in fact she's only sung it once on stage, 4 years ago, before the current mini tour (which started in Paris and Vienna and will move on to Barcelona next month). She joked that this suits her, because she finds the more she repeats a role, the more she finds something wrong with her performance. In 2009 she's scheduled for a fully-staged John Cox production at the Met.

With her opera and touring commitments these days scaled back so that she can spend more time at home with her children, the low rehearsal format of the concert performance attracts her. She also thinks that the imagination can invest a great deal in a piece, which a production can take away. She goes on to talk a little about the stresses of touring, musical values in opera and her recent work with Gergiev (who "brings magic to the podium").

Not a hugely revealing interview, but at least it's a relief to hear she hasn't caught the throatus cancellitus bug that's going round. And talking about sopranos with sore throats, does Alberghini have a let's-stay-friends arrangement with Netrebko (currently pawing the oiled pecs of Erwin Schrott nightly - for artistic purposes of course - in Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House)? Or has some poor ROH lackey been assigned the thankless task of keeping them apart?