THE MAGIC FLUTE AT THE DEUTSCHE OPER IN BERLIN

Posted on March 15, 2014 by editoreusa

Deutsche Oper Berlin Presents

MagicFlute4The Magic Flute

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)

Opera in two acts; Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder; First performed on 30. September, 1791 in Vienna; Premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 24. September, 1991

In German with German surtitles

Sun 16. March 2014 18:00h
Fri 11. April 2014 19:30h
Fri  2. May 2014 19:30h  last performance this season

3 hrs / 1 interval

MagicFlute1 MagicFlute2 MagicFlute3

Cast

Conductor Moritz Gnann
Director Günter Krämer
Stage-design, Costume-design Andreas Reinhardt
Choir Conductor Thomas Richter
Sarastro Tobias Kehrer
Tamino Yosep Kang
Speaker Stephen Bronk
1st priest Stephen Barchi
2nd priest Jörg Schörner
Queen of the Night Hulkar Sabirova
Pamina Siobhan Stagg
1st lady Martina Welschenbach
2nd lady Christina Sidak
3rd lady Ronnita Miller
Papagena Alexandra Hutton
Papageno Simon Pauly
Monostatos Gideon Poppe
1st armoured man Matthew Newlin
2nd armoured man Andrew Harris
Three boys Solisten des Tölzer Knabenchores
Chorus Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Orchestra Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

MagicFlute5 MagicFlute6 MagicFlute7

Information

Prince Tamino is menaced by a wild dragon. At the last moment he is saved by three mysterious women, who have been sent by the Queen of the Night. When the bird catcher Papageno appears and boasts of his heroic deed as dragon slayer, the three ladies punish him. They present the Prince with a picture of Pamina, the Queen’s daughter, who has been imprisoned by Sarastro, Regent of the Sun Temple. Tamino falls in love with her. The Queen appears in person and orders him to join forces with Papageno to save Pamina. They give Tamino a magic flute for protection and the reluctant Pagageno receives a glockenspiel of magical chimes. Led by three boys, the two heroes begin their journey to Sarastro’s castle. Tamino is twice prevented from entering by the gatekeepers. At the third attempt they inform him that Sarastro is nothing like the cruel tyrant that the Queen of the Night has made him out to be. Papageno finds Pamina and tries to escape with her. He is able to stall her guard Monostatos with the help of the chimes, but the appearance of Sarastro puts an end to all attempts to flee. Papageno, Pamina and Tamino are compelled to stay in Sarastro’s temple and submit to a series of life-threatening trials. First of all they have to learn to be silent, which is especially difficult for Papageno. When an old woman passes, Papageno cannot restrain himself and asks her what her name is. She disappears in a clap of thunder. Papageno consoles himself with the food that is so miraculously served to them. Tamino keeps silent, playing on his flute. Pamina appears, in deep despair that Tamino is no longer talking to her. Her mother has already entreated her in vain to murder Sarastro. When she decides to end her life the three boys seize her dagger and lead her to Tamino. Protected by the flute, both of them pass the ordeals of fire and water, and have now successfully completed all the trials. Meanwhile Papageno, in his great loneliness, conjures up the old woman again and promises to marry her, »if there’s nothing better to be had«. All of a sudden she is transformed into a beautiful young girl, but their time has not yet come and she is taken from him again. In his despair he decides to end his life, but the three boys remind him of the magic chimes. Their tinkling brings back Papagena, and the reunion sets them both dreaming of a happy future together. The other pair is happy, too: Tamino and Pamina are inducted into the Society of the Enlightened, which celebrates the ideals of Nature, Wisdom and Reason. Only for the Queen of the Night does the story take a turn for the worse: when she attempts to enter the temple along with her entourage she is devoured by the spirits of darkness.
Mozart’s MAGIC FLUTE is the most frequently performed opera in the German-speaking world. This variegated masterpiece straddling Viennese popular theatre, fairytale, myth and the mystery of freemasonry is a puzzle even today: did Mozart and his librettist Schikaneder switch horses in mid-stream, changing allegiance from the Queen of the Night to Sarastro? Should one not distrust the holier-than-thou world of the priests and an ideology that divides the world into good and evil? Are there not traces, even, of discrepancies between text and music, as many a Mozart expert has suggested? Whatever the facts of the matter, it is the music that smooths the contradictions of the plot, elevating them to a worldly realism. The music does not denounce the characters but rather confers on the conflicts an existential dimension. Without this dimension the opera would come over as an irrational fairytale.

Supported by Förderkreis der Deutschen Oper Berlin e.V. and Deutschen Philips Unternehmen

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Nikolai Rimski-Kórsakov’s “The legend of the invisible city of Kitezh” in Barcelona

Posted on March 13, 2014 by editoreusa

logoliceu

Presents:

Kitege1_02The legend of the invisible city of Kitezh

Nikolai Rimski-Kórsakov

13, 16, 22, 26 and 30 April 2014

The eternal dream of the Slavic soul

An innocent country girl named Fevroniya saves her town from a Tartar attack: she makes a wish, the wish comes true, and Kitezh becomes invisible.  But there is a secret gate into the city… Rimsky-Korsakov composed a veritable musical monument to the Slavic soul dreamed of by Tolstoy. In the eternal debate between West and East, he opted clearly for the latter, complete with its mysteries and its ancestral legends.  The score, which has Wagnerian ambitions, draws on the heritage of the Russian musical tradition, both popular and religious, and the true leading role belongs to the people (the chorus). Somewhat surprisingly, the opera has close links with the Liceu: the first production outside Russia was staged here and for a whole decade (1926-36) it was by far the Barcelona audience’s favourite work. 

Four-act opera. Libretto by Vladimir Ivanovich Belsky based on I. S. Meledin’s Kitezh Chronicle, the novel In the forests by Pavel Ivanovich Melnikov, songs and epic poems collected by Kirsha Danilov, and various popular tales. Music by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. Premiered on 20 February 1907 at the Mariinski Theatre in Saint Petersburg. First performance at  the Gran Teatre del Liceu on 2 January 1926. Most recent performance  at the Gran Teatre del Liceu on 25 January 1970.

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Award for the staging of “The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh”

The staging of The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, which won the award for best production of the year 

The jury of the International Opera Awards 2013 considered that the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Nederlandse Opera and the La Scala of Milan co-production of the opera The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh was the year’s best staging of an opera. The production premièred in Amsterdam last year and will be performed at the Liceu in April 2014. Dmitri Tcherniakov, stage director of the production, also won for best stage director. The winners were revealed on Monday at a ceremony held at London’s Hilton Hotel on Park Lane which was attended by stars including Dame Janet Baker, Dame Anne Evans and tenor Jonas Kaufmann, who won for best male singer. The award for best female singer went to Nina Stemme. 

Other winners included the musical director of the Royal Opera House, Antonio Pappano, set designer Anthony McDonald, wardrobe designer Buji Shiff, lighting designer Paule Constable, the orchestra of the New York Metropolitan Opera, the chorus of the Cape Town Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Frankfurt Opera, the opera Written on Skin by George Benjamin, Sir Peter Moores, Sir George Christie and the arrangements of Handel’s “Alessandro” conducted by George Petrou, the “Romantic Arias” by Christian Gerhaher and the DVD of “Il Trittico” by the Royal Opera House.  

The first edition of the International Opera Awards was organised by Harry Hyman and the jury was chaired by John Allison, editor of the Opera journal. Jury members were David Gockley, director of the San Francisco Opera; Joan Matabosch, artistic director at the Gran Teatre del Liceu; Peter Alward, director of the Salzburg Easter Festival; Guus Mostart, director of the Enschede Opera; Nicholas Payne, director of Opera Europa; sopranos Anne Evans and Katherine Harris; and critics Hugh Canning (Sunday Times), Rupert Christiansen (Daily Telegraph) and Andrew Clements (The Guardian).

Conductor
Josep Pons

Stage direction and Scenography
Dmitri Tcherniakov

Costume
Elena Zaitseva and Dmitri Tcherniakov

Lighting
Gleb Filshtinsky

New Co-production
Gran Teatre del Liceu / De Nederlandse Opera (Amsterdam) / Teatro alla Scala (Milan)

Cast 
Svetlana Ignatovitx, Maksim Aksenov, Eric Halfvarson, Dimitris Tiliakos, Vladimir Ognovenko, Margarita Nekrasova, Jennifer Check, Mayram Sokolova, Guennadi Bezubenkov, Josep Fadó, Albert Casals and others 

Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu

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L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI at the “Palau des Arts Reina Sofia” in Spain

Posted on March 13, 2014 by editoreusa

italiana

logo_palauL’ITALIANA IN ALGERI

Gioachino Rossini

23rd, 26th February 2014 · 1st, 11th, 13th, 15th March 2014 – The performances start at 8:00 pm. Sundays and holidays, at 7:00 pm

Sala Principal

Approximate Duration:  2 h 50 min

L’italiana in Algeri

CAST

Mustafà Burak Bilgili (23rd, 26th February; 1st March); Simón Orfila (11th, 13th March); Ricardo Seguel (15th March)

Elvira Anabel Pérez Real *

Zulma Cristina Alunno *

Haly Germán Olvera *

Lindoro Antonino Siragusa

Isabella Silvia Tro Santafé

Taddeo Giulio Mastrototaro

Dancers and extras Yester Mulens (Tiger), Alejandro Amores, Gianluca Battaglia, Laura Bruña, Joan Crespo, Diana Huertas, Jonathan López, Cristina Reolid, Marine Sánchez, Fatima Sanlés, Liza Taberner, Marta Toledo, Ismael Turel

Extras: Víctor Montesinos, Javier Romero

* Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo

PRODUCTION TEAM

Conductor Ottavio Dantone

Stage Director Joan Font (Comediants)

Set Designer and Costume Designer Joan Guillén

Lighting Designer Albert Faura

Choreography Xevi Dorca

Co-production Teatro Real/Maggio Musicale Fiorentino /Houston Grand Opera /Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux/Ballet de la Generalitat

Inmaculada Gil-Lázaro, director

Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana

Francesc Perales, chorus master

Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana

SYNOPSIS

L’italiana in Algeri

Act I

Palace of the bey Mustafà in Algiers. Elvira complains that her husband Mustafà no longer loves her. Tired of her and the women in his harem, he has asked Haly, his captain, to find him an Italian woman. Anxious to get rid of his current wife as soon as possible, Mustafà intends for her to marry Lindoro, a young Italian who was captured by his pirates and since then has been a slave at the palace. Lindoro, who longs to return to his country some day to meet his sweetheart Isabella again, sees the bey’s proposal as the only chance for him to be free, even though he has to take Elvira with him to Italy.

Meanwhile, there is a shipwreck very near the coast. Haly and his men don’t take long in making off with the plunder and capturing the survivors. Amongst the survivors is Isabella, a brave young woman with a strong character who is travelling the seas in search of her fiancé Lindoro. She is accompanied by old Taddeo, a friend in love with her whom the pirates want to sell as a slave. To avoid this fate, and following a quarrel caused by Taddeo’s jealousy when he sees she does not feel the same for him, Taddeo and Isabella agree to say that they are an Italian uncle and niece.

This is a relief for Haly, as he has now found an Italian woman as the bey asked of him. At the palace, Mustafà tells Lindoro that he has prepared a ship for him and Elvira to set sail for Italy as soon as possible. Despite her husband’s contempt, Elvira still loves him and does not want to lose him. When Haly bursts in with the news that he has already found a beautiful Italian woman, Mustafà enthusiastically leaves to get ready to meet her. Lindoro consoles the unhappy Elvira and tries to make her see that it is best for her to leave her heartless husband. In the main hall of the palace, a ceremony is being prepared to welcome Isabella. When introduced to the bey as “the Italian woman”, she has to stop herself from bursting out laughing when she sees such a ridiculous person, and she has a feeling that it won’t be too difficult to manipulate him and take control of the situation. Elvira and Lindoro interrupt the reception to say goodbye to the tyrant before they leave for Italy. At that moment Isabella and Lindoro recognise each other, although they decide not to show it. Taking advantage of the fact that Mustafà is enraptured by her, Isabella asks him not to banish Elvira and let Lindoro be her personal servant.

Act II

Surprised by how easy and quick it has been for “the Italian woman” to make Mustafà submissive, Elvira harbours some hope of regaining her husband’s love. The bey orders a hall to be prepared for him to have coffee alone with Isabella. Isabella meets up with Lindoro and reproaches him for trying to marry Elvira. But he explains to her that that was his only chance to be free from Mustafà, and he promises her that he will think of a plan for them to run away together. Mustafà offers Taddeo the title of Kaimakan (the equivalent of deputy), which Taddeo feels he has no choice but to accept so as not to annoy Mustafà. Furthermore, the bey agrees with him that he will sneeze as a sign for Taddeo to leave him alone with Isabella. The time of their meeting arrives and Mustafà introduces Taddeo as his Kaimakan to win the young woman’s affection. After a short time he sneezes, but his Kaimakan pretends not to understand and does not leave. To top it all, Isabella has also invited Elvira for coffee, which infuriates the bey. Alone with Taddeo, Lindoro explains his escape plan. Taddeo then confesses he is not Isabella’s uncle, but her lover. Lindoro stops himself from laughing, as he needs Taddeo’s help to trick Mustafà, who bursts in that moment, still annoyed by what happened when having coffee. Lindoro explains to the bey that Isabella wants to show him how much she cares for him by calling him her pappataci (eat and be quiet). When Mustafà asks them about such an honour,

Taddeo and Lindoro tell him that it is a position given to Italian husbands, meaning that they caneat, drink and sleep as much as they want, and not take any notice of what occurs around them. The bey is delighted to receive such an honour. Isabel prepares the investiture ceremony of Mustafà as a pappataci, which all the Italian slaves in the palace attend. The bey sits down to eat. Isabella flirts with Lindoro to Mustafà’s annoyance, but Taddeo reminds him he must ignore what is going on: he must only eat and keep quiet. The bey obeys, convinced he is doing the right thing, as he understands perfectly that this forms part of the ceremony. A ship is being prepared outside and all the Italian slaves embark, followed by Isabella and Lindoro. Taddeo, realises he is also being tricked and warns the bey that they are about to escape, but Mustafà, like a good pappataci, pays no attention and continues eating in silence. When he finally responds it is too late to stop them. Mustafà has learnt his lesson and goes back to his wife Elvira. Everyone is happy and they praise the virtues of the resourceful Italian woman who managed to dominate Mustafà.

BIOGRAPHIES: click on link below

litaliana_in_algeri_biographies

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MANON LESCAUT in Baden Baden

Posted on March 12, 2014 by editoreusa

Festspielhouse Baden Baden Presents:

Puccini: MANON LESCAUT

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra & Sir Simon Rattle

  • Sat., 12. April 2014, 18:00 o’clock
  • Wed., 16. April 2014, 18:00 o’clock
  • Mon., 21. April 2014, 18:00 o’clock
 lescautbadenEva-Maria Westbroek © pr

A rococo beauty who ultimately drags everything into the abyss, Puccini’s Manon Lescaut is never fully satisfied. She becomes addicted to the admiring glances she receives from others, and the luxury and diamonds in which she bathes don’t warm her for long. In this, his first successful opera, the composer paints a portrait of a woman who has everything, only to lose it because she is incapable of holding on to anything. Likewise Puccini, who identified closely with his heroine, helping himself to many things. He took the orchestra from Verdi, expanding it with phrases and themes he found in Wagner and the French people. To all of this he added something from within himself – a melody more breathless than that of Verdi, but in many ways, sweeter. Add to that an ingenious fire in which ideas flow and the themes are inspired. The fact that the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra turn to Puccini – this beloved yet ostracized composer – is symbolic. Here is someone who was thought to be outmoded for a long time, but there is really so much more to be discovered about him and his work. The tale of one who becomes a model but remains a girl, is very contemporary.

In Italian with German and English surtitles.CAST AND ARTISTIC TEAM:

Sir Simon Rattle Musical direction
Richard Eyre Direction
Robert Howell Stage

Fotini Dimou Costume Design

Peter Mumford Light Design

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Philharmonia Choir Vienna

Eva-Maria Westbroek Manon Lescaut
Lester Lynch Lescaut, her brother
Massimo Giordano Renato Des Grieux
Liang Li Geronte de Ravoir
Bogdan Mihai Edmondo
Magdalena Kožená Singer

Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut – Opera in four acts

A coproduction between the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and the Metropolitan Opera New York.

 
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The “Magic Flute” in Minnesota

Posted on March 12, 2014 by editoreusa

Komische Oper Berlin "DIE ZAUBERFLOETE"

MINNESOTA OPERA PRESENTS:

The Magic Flute

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Performances

  • Sat. 4/12/14 at 7:30pm
  • Sun. 4/13/14 at 2pm
  • Tues. 4/15/14 at 7:30pm
  • Wed. 4/16/14 at 7:30pm
  • Thur. 4/17/14 at 7:30pm
  • Fri. 4/18/14 at 7:30pm
  • Sat. 4/19/14 at 7:30pm
  • Wed. 4/23/14 at 7:30pm
  • Sun. 4/27/14 at 2pm

Love conquers all.

Mozart’s masterful comedy is richly reimagined in a boundary-busting production created by director Barrie Kosky and British theatre group 1927. Connecting the tale’s enduring meaning with modern metaphor, this extraordinary staging has thrilled audiences with its stunning interaction between film animation and live performance.

A production of the Komische Oper Berlin. Presented in co-production with LA Opera.

Sung in German with English translations projected above the stage.

Synopsis

Act I

Pursued by a serpent, Prince Tamino falls faint from exhaustion. Three Ladies in the service of the Queen of the Night slay the monster, then admire Tamino’s beauty. They fight over who will remain with him while the others fetch the Queen. Not coming to any resolution, all three depart.  
Tamino revives and observes the approach of Papageno, who catches birds for the Queen. In the course of becoming acquainted, Papageno claims he killed the serpent. The Three Ladies return and seal his mouth for telling the lie. They show Tamino a portrait of the Queen’s daughter, Pamina, and Tamino immediately falls in love with her visage. The Queen of the Night appears and asks he rescue Pamina from the temple of the tyrant Sarastro, where she is being held captive. As a reward, the young couple will be wed. Tamino agrees enthusiastically, and the Three Ladies give him a magic flute for protection. Restoring Papageno’s power of speech, they order him to accompany Tamino. He receives a set of magic bells. Three Spirits will guide their journey.

At Sarastro’s temple, Monostatos is charged with guarding Pamina, whom he treats harshly. Papageno enters, and both men startle one another with their unusual appearance and momentarily flee. Papageno is the first to return, recognizes Pamina as the Queen’s daughter and tells her of the ardent young prince who has been sent to her rescue. She takes pleasure in the prospect of love, and Papageno too pines for his perfect mate.

Elsewhere in the temple, Tamino comes upon the inner sanctuary, but is barred entrance. A priest tells him he has been deceived by a mother’s tears – Sarastro is not the evil person she described. Feeling lost, Tamino plays his magic flute and hears Papageno’s pipe in response; he then follows its sound. Back in Monostatos’s lair, Pamina and Papageno face recapture, but Papageno plays his magic bells, charming Monostatos and his slaves and allowing their escape.

Sarastro enters magnificently, and Pamina admits her attempt to flee, but only to escape Monostatos’ amorous advance. Still, she misses her mother, but Sarastro proclaims there is still much for her to learn from his tutelage. Tamino is brought in and embraces Pamina, while Monostatos is punished for his dereliction.

 

Act II

Sarastro announces before the Speaker and the priests Tamino’s wish to enter the sanctuary of wisdom and his willingness to undergo the trials of initiation. Papageno is more reluctant, but is promised a pretty wife, Papagena, as his reward. The first test is one of silence, a task Papageno has some difficulty achieving, especially when tempted by the Three Ladies.

Elsewhere, Monostatos continues his lusty pursuit of Pamina, but is deterred by the arrival of the Queen of the Night. The Queen pleads with her daughter – the seat of power rests with the all powerful Circle of the Sun, which was wrongly taken from her and given to Sarastro. Pamina must kill him and take the Circle back – if she doesn’t, her mother will disown her. After the Queen’s angry departure, Monostatos offers to help in exchange for Pamina’s love. When she refuses, Monostatos again threatens her but is interrupted by Sarastro, who knows of the Queen’s plot. He forgives Pamina’s part in it, and Monostatos is banished from the Brotherhood.

Tamino and Papageno continue to wait out their oath of silence, augmented by thirst and fasting. An old woman offers Papageno water and soon admits that her boyfriend’s name is “Papageno.” Before her identity is revealed, she is sent away with a clap of thunder. The Three Spirits then pay a visit and offer refreshments. Papageno eats heartily while Tamino plays his flute. The music brings forth Pamina, who is distressed when Tamino does not respond to her inquiries. She fears his love has vanished and considers taking her own life.

Papageno tries to catch up to Tamino but is denied entry to the inner temple. The Speaker denounces him, stating that he will never know true enlightenment, yet Papageno is hardly bothered, for all he wants is a wife. He plays his bells, and the old woman reappears. Under threat of imprisonment, he begrudgingly agrees to be her husband. She is immediately transformed into a beautiful young woman, Papagena, but is whisked away by the Speaker – Papageno is not yet worthy.

Demented by Tamino’s seemingly broken vow, Pamina wanders aimlessly, dangerously clutching a dagger. The Three Spirits take her to Tamino, who is about to undergo the trials of water and fire. Pamina and Tamino reaffirm their love, and she resolves to go through the ordeals at his side.

Missing Papagena terribly, Papageno is about to hang himself, but is saved by the Three Spirits. He is told to play the magic bells, and to his great joy, Papagena is soon restored to him. They rejoice in a future together.

Now in league with the dark side, Monostatos leads the Queen and her ladies in one last attempt against Sarastro, but all are vanquished. Dressed in priestly robes, Tamino and Pamina usher in a new era of truth, beauty and wisdom.

Cast & Creative Team

Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder

World premiere at the Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna September 30, 1791

Creative Team

Conductor Aaron Breid
Production Suzanne Andrade and Barrie Kosky for Komische Oper Berlin
Animation Designer Paul Barritt
Concept 1927 (Suzanne Andrade and Paul Barritt) and Barrie Kosky
Set and Costume Designer Esther Bialas
Stage Director Tobias Ribitzki

The Cast

Tamino, a prince Julien Behr*
Aaron Blake
Pamina, daughter of the Queen Layla Claire*
Christie Hageman
Papageno, a birdcatcher Andrew Wilkowske*
Jesse Blumberg
Sarastro, High Priest of the Sun Christian Zaremba
The Queen of the Night Jennifer O’Loughlin
Three Ladies, attendants to the Queen Rebecca Krynski, Shannon Prickett, Victoria Vargas
Monostatos, overseer at the temple John Robert Lindsey
Papagena Tricia Van Ee
First Priest/Man in Armor Robb Asklof
Second Priest/Man in Armor Matthew Opitz
Three Spirits tba

* Performs on April 12, 13, 15, 17 and 19

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

b Salzburg, January 27, 1756; d Vienna, December 5, 1791

Child wonder, virtuoso performer and prolific creative artist, Mozart is the first composer whose operas have never been out of repertory. His prodigious talents were apparent very early in his life; by the age of four he could reproduce on the keyboard a melody played to him, at five he could play the violin with perfect intonation and at six he composed his first minuet.

A musician himself, Wolfgang’s father, Leopold, immediately saw the potential of his son’s talents. With the mixed motives of religious piety and making a tidy profit, Leopold embarked on a series of concert tours showing off the child’s extraordinary talents. Often playing with his sister Maria Anna (“Nannerl”), herself an accomplished musician, young Wolfgang charmed the royal courts of Europe, from those of Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, French king Louis xv and English king George iii, to the lesser principalities of Germany and Italy.

As Mozart grew older, his concert tours turned into a search for permanent employment, but this proved exceedingly difficult for a German musician in a market dominated by Italian composers. Although many of his early operas were commissioned by Milanese and Munich nobles (Mitridate, Ascanio in Alba, Lucio Silla, La finta giardiniera), he could not rise beyond Konzertmeister of the Salzburg archbishopric. When the new prince archbishop, Count Hieronymus Colloredo, was appointed in 1771, Mozart also found he was released for guest engagements with less frequency. Though his position improved and a generous salary was offered, the composer felt the Salzburg musical scene was stifling for a man of his enormous talent and creativity.

Things came to a head in 1781 immediately after the successful premiere of Mozart’s first mature work, Idomeneo, in Munich. The archbishop, then visiting Vienna, insisted the composer join him there. Never did Mozart better understand his position in the household than during that sojourn, when he was seated at the dinner table below the prince’s personal valets and just above the cooks. He requested to be permanently discharged from his duties, and after several heated discussions his petition was granted, punctuated by a parting kick in the pants.

Now completely on his own for the first time, Mozart embarked on several happy years. He married Constanze Weber, sister to his childhood sweetheart Aloysia, and premiered a new work, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), at the Burgtheater. Mozart also gave concerts around Vienna, presenting a number of new piano concertos and symphonies. His chief concern was to procure a position at the imperial court. A small commission came his way from the emperor for a one-act comedy, Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario), given in the same evening as Antonio Salieri’s Prima la musica, e poi le parole (First the music, then the words), to celebrate the visit of the emperor’s sister, Marie Christine, and her husband, joint rulers of the Austrian Netherlands.

The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart’s first true masterpiece for the imperial court, premiered at the Burgtheater in 1786 and went on to Prague the following year where it was a huge success. Don Giovanni premiered in Prague in 1787 to great acclaim, but its Vienna premiere in 1788 was coolly received. By this time, Mozart had received a minor Imperial posting, Kammermusicus, which required him to write dances for state functions. The position was hardly worthy of his skills and generated only a modest income, a weighty concern now that debts had begun to mount. Joseph ii commissioned another opera from Mozart, Così fan tutte, which premiered January 26, 1790. The emperor was too ill to attend the opening and died the following month. His brother, Leopold ii, assumed leadership, and Mozart hoped to be appointed Kapellmeister – instead he merely received a continuance of his previous position.

Crisis hit in 1791. Constanze’s medical treatments at Baden and the birth of a second child pushed their finances to a critical point. Mozart’s friend and fellow Freemason, the impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, suggested he try his luck with the suburban audiences at his Theater auf der Wieden. Composition of The Magic Flute began early that summer but had to be halted when two generous commissions came his way: a requiem for an anonymous patron (who hoped to pass it off as his own composition), and an opera seria to celebrate the new emperor’s coronation as King of Bohemia. La clemenza di Tito premiered September 6, and The Magic Flute was completed in time to open September 30. The Requiem, however, remained unfinished, and as Mozart’s health began to fail, the composer feared he was writing his own death mass. In December Mozart died at the age of 35 and was given a simple funeral by his impoverished widow, then buried in a mass grave on the outskirts of Vienna.

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Simon Boccanegra in Valencia with Placido Domingo

Posted on March 12, 2014 by editoreusa

simonBoccanegra

logo_palauSIMON BOCCANEGRA

Giuseppe Verdi

27th, 30th March 2014 · 3rd, 6th, 9th April 2014 – The performances start at 8:00 pm. Sundays and holidays, at 7:00 pm; Sala Principal

Opera with a prologue and three acts · Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave revised by Arrigo Boito, Antonio García Gutiérrez. Premieres: Venice, Teatro La Fenice, 12th March 1857 (original version). Milano, Teatro alla Scala, 24th March 1881 (final version)

Conductor Evelino Pidò Jordi Bernàcer (9)
Stage Director Lluís Pasqual
Set Designer Ezio Frigerio
Costume Designer Franca Squarciapino
Lighting Designer Albert Faura
Production Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
Ballet de la Generalitat Inmaculada Gil-Lázaro, directora
Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana Francesc Perales, director
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
27th, 30th March 2014 3rd, 6th, 9th April 2014 Sala Principal

Simon Boccanegra Plácido Domingo

Amelia Grimaldi Guanqun Yu

Jacopo Fiesco Vitalij Kowaljow

Gabriele Adorno Ivan Magrì

Paolo Albiani Gevorg Hakobyan

Pietro Sergey Artamonov

S Y N O P S I S

 

Prologue A square in Genoa, near the palace of Jacopo Fiesco and the Church of San Lorenzo. Around 1339. The silversmith Paolo Albiani obtains support from Pietro for the election of the pirate Simon Boccanegra as the new doge, in exchange for some kind of recompense. Reluctantly Boccanegra accepts this position, hoping it will enable him to become reconciled with his enemy Jacopo Fiesco, as he is in love with his daughter Maria. The couple has a daughter, whom old Fiesco intends to bring up.
Simon runs into Fiesco and tries to convince him that they should forget the confrontations they have had in the past. Fiesco, visibly mourning Maria’s sudden death (which he hides from his rival), is inflexible to any reconciliation. Only if Simon gives him his granddaughter will he agree to it. The pirate explains that the little girl has disappeared and therefore he cannot do as he asks. Fiesco leaves and Simon enters the palace to meet Maria. He is horrified when he discovers Maria’s body. Dawn breaks. The crowd proclaims Simon Boccanegra doge of Genoa.

Act I Scene I Twenty-five years have passed. Jacopo Fiesco has changed his name to Andrea Grimaldi to hide his identity, and has brought up and adopted an orphaned girl -of unknown origin- with the name of Amelia Grimaldi. The girl is really Maria Boccanegra, the daughter of Simon Boccanegra and Jacopo Fiesco’s granddaughter.
In the gardens of the Grimaldi  Palace, overlooking the sea, Amelia has an amorous rendezvous with the nobleman Gabriele Adorno. She tells him that the doge is about to arrive at the palace to ask for her hand in marriage on behalf of Paolo Albiani, a man trusted by the doge who finds Amelia attractive. So Gabriele gets in before the doge and asks Fiesco for permission to marry Amelia, to which the old man agrees. The doge arrives with Albiani. During his conversation with Amelia, Simon discovers to his surprise that she is his daughter, and that she is in love with Gabriele. He understands the young girl’s feelings and decides not to go ahead with the marriage proposal he had in mind. Albiani is not at all pleased and begins to plot to kidnap Amelia.

Scene II A chamber in the doge’s Palace in Genoa. The doge, sitting on his throne, presides over a meeting attended by advisers, consuls and condestables from the military. Gabriele bursts into the room, accuses the doge of being responsible for Amelia being kidnapped, and confronts him. But the young girl has managed to escape and she interrupts the meeting to tell her side of the story, clearly proving that Simon has had nothing to do with the matter. All eyes turn to Albiani. The doge brings order to the disrupted meeting and orders for Fiesco and Gabriele to be sent to prison. At the same time, he exhorts Albiani, who has been his right-hand man up until then, to curse the person guilty of kidnapping Amelia (who is none other than himself).

Act II A chamber in the doge’s Palace. Albiani, who is planning to kill Simon, offers to set Fiesco and Gabriele free from prison if they help him commit the crime. Fiesco refuses and goes back to prison. Albiani pours poison into the doge’s drink in case his initial plan fails. Really, he wants Gabriele to kill the doge, so he locks him in the chamber so that he will surprise Simon when he enters and kill him. He has previously led Gabriele to believe that Amelia and Simon are lovers. Amelia enters and tries to convince her sweetheart that his suspicions are unfounded. The doge is heard approaching and Gabriele hides on the balcony. Amelia begs her father to forgive Gabriele, the man she loves. The doge agrees and, feeling tired, drinks from the poisoned bottle and falls asleep. Gabriele takes advantage of the situation and tries to kill him. But Amelia stops him, telling him that Simon is her father. The doge forgives his future son-in-law and they go out together to calm the rebellious mob that is gathering at the palace gates.

Act III The doge has managed to calm the mob and forgives all the conspirators, except for Paolo Albiani, who is sentenced to death. Albiani tells Fiesco that the doge will die within a few hours because he has poisoned him. Simon enters weak and ill. Fiesco reveals his identity and is pleased he can get his revenge at last. When the doge tells him that Amelia Grimaldi is his granddaughter, Fiesco becomes emotional and is reconciled with him. The poison has taken effect, however, and the doge dies, but first he is able to bless the union between his daughter Amelia and Gabriele, and name his son-in-law as the new doge of Genoa. Fiesco goes onto the balcony and tells the crowd that Gabriele Adorno is the new doge, while they all join in prayer for the death of Simon Boccanegra.

 

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MADAMA BUTTERFLY at the Opera National de Paris

Posted on March 12, 2014 by editoreusa

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MADAMA BUTTERFLY

GIACOMO PUCCINI

March 12, 2014
MADAME BUTTERFLY, JAPANESE TRAGEDY IN THREE ACTS (1904)
MUSIbutterflyC BY GIACOMO PUCCINI (1858-1924)

LIBRETTO BY LUIGI ILLICA AND GIUSEPPE GIACOSA BASED ON THE PLAY BY DAVID BELASCO, ADAPTED FROM A SHORT STORY BY JOHN LUTHER LONG
PERFORMED IN ITALIAN

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and most comprehensive portraits of a woman in the history of opera—but also one of the most terrible, since it is a tale of humiliation and deceit which ultimately leads to death. From its advent in the 1890s, “verismo” had relied on excessive, melodramatic librettos and effective, uncompromising theatricality. It had also relied on a power of expression that transformed the slightest word into imprecation. This was true for a work like Cavalleria rusticana or Tosca, Puccini’s preceding work. In “Butterfly” though, there is nothing of the sort: there is little or no action, just the slow poetry of the soul. Certainly, there are words but they are pared down to perfection to become almost incidental. Compared to the devouring passion expressed in each intonation of Santuzza or Manon Lescaut, Butterfly contrasts silence and heartrending song with an unearthly modesty. Svetla Vassileva, who gained fame in Paris in Francesca da Rimini, plays the distraught young woman in this sensitive and flawless production by Bob Wilson.

Daniele Callegari Conductor
Robert Wilson Stage director and sets
Frida Parmeggiani Costumes
Heinrich Brunke et Robert Wilson Lighting
Suzushi Hanayagi Choreography
Holm Keller Dramaturgy
Alessandro Di Stefano Chorus master
Svetla Vassileva
Cio-Cio San
Cornelia Oncioiu
Suzuki
Teodor Ilincai
F. B. Pinkerton
Gabriele Viviani
Sharpless
Carlo Bosi
Goro
Florian Sempey
Il Principe Yamadori
Marianne Crebassa
Kate Pinkerton
Scott Wilde
Lo Zio bonzo
Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus

Video Preview:  Madama Butterfly in Paris

The composer

Giacomo Puccini — born in 1858 in Lucca, died in 1924 in Brussels. Born into a family of organists from Lucca (his father was a theoretician and a famous teacher), Puccini studied at the Milan Conservatory under Ponchinelli, amongst others. He wrote around ten operas, most of which have become pillars of the operatic repertory (Manon Lescaut, La Bohème, Tosca, La Fanciulla del West, Il Trittico, Turandot) and several religious works (Salva regina, Messa di Gloria). Considered as one of the principal representatives of the verismo movement, which was the extension into music of naturalism in literature, Puccini stands apart because of the sophistication of his musical style and the rejection of the brutality that often characterized the movement.

The work

The libretto of Madama Butterfly is drawn from a novella by John Luther Long, which had already given rise to a play by David Belasco seen by Puccini in English in London in 1900. Through the story of the seduction and abandonment of a Japanese girl by an American officer, it presents the confrontation between two worlds. The first, Japanese, is anchored in its customs and traditions, and the second, American, all-conquering and carefree, the symbol of the new world. In a first two-act version, which was not a success, the character of Pinkerton is vulgar, uncouth, selfish, disdainful of Japanese customs and above all cowardly. It was when he came to revise the opera, extending it from two to the three acts that had initially been envisaged, that Puccini transformed the character, making him more human and less cynical, and, in a short air added at the last moment, giving him feelings of remorse.
Before composing his « Japanese tragedy », Puccini did research into traditional Japanese music and into the timbres of female voices in that country. The work is centred on the character of Cio-Cio-San, whose aria « Un bel dì, vedremo » is one of the most famous and most intense in the repertory.
Of all his operas, Madama Butterfly is the one Puccini preferred, the one he could listen to without wearying of it, considering it his « most sincere and most expressive ».

The first performance

The first two-act version was created on 17 February 1904 at La Scala in Milan ; the second, in three acts, on 28 May of the same year at the Teatro Grande in Brescia.

The work at the Paris Opera

After numerous performances at the Opéra-Comique, the integral version ofMadama Butterfly was first given at the Palais Garnier on 23 June 1978 in a la Scala di Milano production, directed by Jorge Lavelli (scenery and costumes by Max Bignens) and conducted by Georges Prêtre. It was interpreted by Teresa Zylis-Gara (Cio-Cio-San), Jocelyne Taillon (Suzuki), Franco Tagliavini (Pinkerton) and Tom Krause (Sharpless). In 1983 Massimo Bogianckino presented both versions of the work in alternation in a production directed by Pierluigi Samaritani (who was also responsible for sets and costumes). Alain Lombard conducted the three-act version and Miguel Angel Gomez-Martinez the two-act one. The principal performers were Raina Kabaivanska / Hélène Garetti (Cio-Cio-San), Christa Ludwig / Anna Ringart (Suzuki), Ernesto Veronelli / Maurizio Frusoni (Pinkerton) and Giorgio Zancanaro / Alessandro Corbelli (Sharpless). Madama Butterfly entered the repertory of the Opéra Bastille in November 1993, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung, and with Diana Soviero, Nicoletta Curiel, Johan Botha and William Stone in the principal roles. It is this production which is being presented today.

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Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” at the Royal Opera House in London

Posted on March 10, 2014 by editoreusa

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Die Frau ohne Schatten

Music by Richard Strauss, libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

14 March–2 April 2014
Main Stage
Director Claus Guth reveals the darker elements of Strauss’s exotic fairytale in a striking new production.

A co-production with Teatro alla Scala, Milan

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Generous philanthropic support from

Sir Simon and Lady Robertson, Hamish and Sophie Forsyth, The Friends of Covent Garden and an anonymous donor

Running time

About 4 hours 10 minutes | Including two intervals

Language

Sung in German with English surtitles

Credits

Director
Claus Guth
Designs
Christian Schmidt
Dramaturg
Ronny Dietrich
Lighting design
Olaf Winter
Video design
Andi A. Müller

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CAST

Bychkov Orchestra           Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

The Emperor       
Botha
The Empress       
Magee
The Nurse       
Schuster
Barak       
Reuter
Barak’s Wife       
Pankratova
One-Eyed Brother       
Clarke
One-Armed Brother       
White
Hunchback Brother       
Francis
Spirit Messenger       
Holland
Voice of a Falcon       
Hovhannisyan
Guardian of the Threshold       
Bijelic
Voice from Above       
Carby
Apparition of a Youth       
Butt Philip
First Nightwatchman       
de Souza
Second Nightwatchman       
Kim
Voice of Unborn Child       
James
Voice of Unborn Child       
Howarth
Voice of Unborn Child       
Karyazina
Chorus       
Royal Opera Chorus

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Background

Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow) was conceived by Richard Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal with the model of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in mind: a fairytale with a strong moral dimension. Although the narrative was largely Hofmannsthal’s invention, he drew on a diverse range of sources, from The Arabian Nights to Grimm’s fairytales. The opera was completed during World War I and received its premiere in 1919.

Die Frau ohne Schatten is one of Strauss’s mightiest and most demanding scores. It draws on the resources of a huge orchestra that includes extensive percussion, an organ, thunder and wind machines, as well as a glass harmonica. Musical highlights include a tender, yearning duet for the dyer Barak and his wife, an impassioned solo scene for the Empress as she struggles to maintain her integrity rather than steal a mortal woman’s shadow, and the opera’s ecstatic finale. Claus Guth’s striking production emphasizes the dark undercurrents of Strauss’s opera and powerfully evokes the Empress’s plight as a woman trapped between two repressive worlds.

Opera Essentials: Die Frau ohne Schatten

A quick guide to Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s mystical masterpiece.

By Kate Hopkins (Opera and Music Publications Officer)

The Story Begins…

The Emperor has married a woman from the spirit world, who, as a supernatural being, casts no shadow. After a year, the Empress is told that if she cannot obtain a shadow within three days she will be forced to return to the spirit world and her husband will turn to stone. To what extremes will she go to acquire a mortal shadow?

Strauss’s Fairytale Opera

Strauss and Hofmannsthal began work on Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1911. They intended it to be their answer to Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; a fairytale with a strong moral and spiritual dimension. Hofmannsthal became so excited by the subject that he wrote a full prose narrative to accompany the opera. The story was largely Hofmannsthal’s invention, though he drew on a wide range of material to inspire him, including passages from the Arabian Nights, Grimms’ fairytales, other German fairytales and Goethe’s Faust.

Troubling Emotions

Claus Guth’s psychological production, originally shown at La Scala, Milan, brings out the darker aspects of Hofmannsthal’s fable, asking questions about female independence and repression. It movingly depicting the plight of the Empress trapped between two repressive worlds.

A Singers’ Showpiece

The five principal roles in Die Frau ohne Schatten are among the most challenging in all of Strauss’s operas. All have exquisite music, including two mighty monologues for the Emperor, several dramatic dialogues and a tender, yearning duet in Act III for Barak and his Wife. Another highlight is an impassioned solo scene for the Empress in Act III, as she struggles to maintain her integrity rather than steal a mortal woman’s shadow.

A Richly-Coloured Score

Strauss employs a massive orchestra for Die Frau ohne Schatten – including divided violas and cellos, quadruple winds, extensive percussion and an organ, thunder machine, wind machine and glass harmonica. However, there are also passages of extremely delicate scoring that depict the characters’ more tender emotions. Particularly striking passages include the singing of the Nightwatchmen at the end of Act I and the final, joyous ensemble of Act III.

Die Frau ohne Schatten runs from 14 March–2 April 2014.

The production is staged with generous philanthropic support from Sir Simon and Lady Robertson, Hamish and Sophie Forsyth, The Friends of Covent Garden and an anonymous donor.

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La Bohème in Helsinki

Posted on March 10, 2014 by editoreusa

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FINNISH NATIONAL OPERA- HELSINKI

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La Bohème

Giacomo Puccini

It is a frigid winter in Paris; the moon shines over the roofs of the city. But the virtues of art and romance warm the hearts of the young bohemians, just like the music of Puccini feeds the audience’s soul.

The cold hands of Mimì light a fire in Rodolfo’s heart, but their moments of happiness are soon over and tubercular Mimì’s hands never warm again. The incandescent melodies of Puccini wrap the young band of artists in their loving arms. One of the world’s most beloved operas, La Bohème is presented as a fresh new production under the direction of Katariina Lahti

Duration 2 h 30 min, 1 intermission
Performed in Italian, with Finnish, Swedish and English surtitles.
  • Conductor Michael Güttler / Mikhail  Agrest
  • Director Katariina Lahti
  • Choreography Riikka Räsänen
  • Sets Mark Väisänen
  • Costumes Anna Sinkkonen
  • Projection Jenni Valorinta
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CARMEN IN BERLIN WITH GASTON RIVERO, DIRECTED BY GIUSEPPE FINZI

Posted on March 10, 2014 by editoreusa

Deutsche Oper Berlin Presents

Carmen1Carmen

Georges Bizet (1838 – 1875)

Opéra comique in four acts by Georges Bizet; Libretto by Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella by Prosper Mérimée; First performed on 3rd March 1875, in Paris; Premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 11th May 1979; Revised version on 8th March 2008
In French with German surtitles

Thu 10. April 2014 19:30h  Family performance / Family Day
Sun 13. April 2014 18:00h
Thu  1. May 2014 18:00h
Sun  4. May 2014 18:00h  last performance this season

3 hrs 15 mins / 1 interval

Photographs Carmen © 2010, Bettina Stöß

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Cast

Conductor Giuseppe Finzi
Stage direction Søren Schuhmacher
based on a production by Peter Beauvais
Stage design, Costume design Pier Luigi Samaritani
Setting, revised version Norbert Bellen
Choir Conductor William Spaulding
Children’s choir Christian Lindhorst
Carmen Kate Aldrich
Frasquita Siobhan Stagg
Mercédès Katarina Bradic
Micaëla Elena Tsallagova
Don José Gaston Rivero
Moralès Stephen Barchi
Zuniga Ben Wager
Escamillo Bastiaan Everink
Remendado Paul Kaufmann
Dancairo Jörg Schörner
A citizen Marek Picz
Andres Sungjin Kown
Chorus Kinderchor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Orchestra Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

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Information

Sensuous, offensive and devoid of all civic sense of morality: CARMEN, Georges Bizet’s story of a fatal love triangle, scandalised the audience at its premiere at the Paris Opéra Comique in 1875 and spent years playing to small, fringe audiences as a result – unimaginable today, the work being the household name among operas. The tale of Carmen and Don José, at once banal and existential, ends with an inevitably tragic murder. Carmen’s absolute need for freedom and her insistence on relationships based on complete independence and equality make her irresistible to Don José, who nonetheless proves unable to tolerate her urge to defend her liberty. A victim of his own desire, he is finally driven to destroy his lover and himself with her.
To convey this tragic material Bizet succeeded in using the medium of an opéra comique that presents us with all the emotions and traits of the human condition – levity, drabness, silliness and stoniness, seduction and playfulness, cruelty and destiny. Of all the familiar features of the work, perhaps the best known is the original Cuban »habanera« used by the tobacco worker Carmen to attract the attention of Don José. The music of the opera, filled with catchy melodies, is dominated by dance routines and Spanish rhythms. The savage, romantic country beyond the Pyrenees enthralled Georges Bizet among many others, and »Carmen« is today considered the central work expressing French yearnings for their unknown, idealised neighbour to the south. In 19th-century Paris this operatic depiction of fated lovers, with its erotic overtones and its tension between absolute devotion and undiluted liberty, could only be performed where bourgeois boundaries, both spatial and ideological, had been rejected.

The Children’s Chorus is supported by Berliner Volksbank and Berliner Morgenpost

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