Just a quickie from the openimg night of Lucia di Lammermoor at the San Francisco Opera, where after a wobbly start Natalie Dessay stormed through the title role, every note in place, with exquisite poise and total control. If she (surprisingly) wasn't 100% convincing dramatically, that was down to the production, curiously static, rather undirected, set entirely on a heather carpeted 'Scottish moor' that looked more like the rough end of a car park. Jean-Yves Ossonce's sluggish pacing hardly helped. Giuseppe Filianoti as Edgardo pushed like he was about to lay an egg, sounding severely strained and compressed rather too often, but his tail-wagging enthusiasm lifted the production every time he came on stage.
An entertaining evening, but with nothing else up to La Nata's standard, it made me appreciate just how good David Alden's much less starry recent production at the ENO really was. Full report and pictures later.
Giuseppe Filianoti as Edgardo pushed like he was about to lay an egg??? Haaaahahahahaa.... So, was the Alden production so good???
Posted by: Parsifal | 18 June 2008 at 12:24 PM
Alden captured the (literally) manic energy of the score. LdL is after all a study in madness. Vick OTOH nearly sent me to sleep at some points.
Posted by: inter mezzo | 18 June 2008 at 03:17 PM
Wow, I'm impressed that you traveled this far to see opera! Will you be seeing Ariodante as well?
Posted by: Sarah | 19 June 2008 at 01:45 AM
to be fair, the opera isn't the only reason I'm here :)
But I'm off to Ariodante tonight, to make the most of my visit - report later!
Posted by: inter mezzo | 19 June 2008 at 01:58 AM
Welcome to San Francisco. Looking forward to your takes on "Ariodante" and "Das Rheingold."
Posted by: sfmike | 22 June 2008 at 07:36 PM
Many, Many thanks for your compliment. By the pusher Edgardo
Posted by: The pusher | 01 July 2008 at 07:30 AM