The Best and the Worst of 2013

Following in the footsteps of so many bloggers, tweeters and opera critics I offer my own thoughts on the highs and lows of the live performances I attended in the year 2013.  I've restricted myself to five categories - as inspired by Opera Britannia's own review of the year.

Outstanding New Production

Amongst some lean pickings, my very first experience of a staged Parsifal won by a long margin. Apparently I may be going against the grain, but for a Parsifal virgin such as I, this was the ideal production to start with. It wasn't perfect by any means...but then I don't seek perfection in live performances.  Amongst the many glories was Gerald Finley as Amfortas, surely one of the greatest singing actors we currently have.

Best Revival

Of course it must be Don Carlo -  hardly surprising I hear you cry.  But quite apart from my predilection for Jonas Kaufmann, I must admit that Don Carlo is rapidly becoming my favourite Verdi opera. This revival, with a top notch cast was a real treat - if only the production itself was a little more inspiring but that is a minor cavil when you have such superb musical values on display.

Best Male Performance

All things considered this has to be Gerald Finley for his amazing performance as Amfortas in Parsifal. Simply stunning.  Close contenders were Erwin Schrott in Les Vepres Siciliennes (almost clinched by the infamous black dress) and Jonas Kaufmann in Don Carlo.

Best Female Performance

Another difficult choice but in the end I was so blown away by Lise Lindstrom's performance as Turandot that she emerged as the outright winner.  While I found the production itself a little disappointing (surely time for a new one?) she took the role by the throat and made her house debut in very fine style indeed.  I can't wait until I get the chance to see her again.

Honourable mention must go to Joyce di Donato in La Donna del Lago - again while I didn't love the production, she could do no wrong in my eyes.

Biggest Disappointment

Oh dear - where to start?  I suppose my biggest disappointments (apart from Anja Harteros cancellations) have been with most of the new productions I have seen at ROH - especially Nabucco and Eugene Onegin. Uninspiring, dreary and sometimes just plain weird, I have had some of my most disappointing evenings when attending a new production - with the honourable exception of the new Parsifal and I do hope that is an encouraging start to the 2013-14 rosta of new productions.  I'm certainly looking forward to Don Giovanni, Manon Lescaut and Maria Stuarda and Die Frau ohne Schatten but only time will tell if there has been an improvement.

So there it is - my highlights and lowlights of 2013.  It only remains for me to wish you a very Happy New Year and to wish you happy opera-going wherever you may be.

Parsifal, Wagner and other assorted ramblings...

Its been a while since my last blog post...mainly due to real life getting in the way of opera-going but also a slow down in my operatic activity at ROH. My last excursion was to see my first Wozzeck with Karita Mattila and Simon Keenleyside.  It was a disturbing but yet invigorating experience but one that I didn't feel remotely qualified to blog about except to say that I want to see it again.  Its the sort of peice you need to see more than once before commenting on!

I'm going to apologise in advance about the rambling nature of this post which has been provoked by my first experience of a fully staged Parsifal at the ROH. Let me make this clear - this is absolutely not a review of the production.  For even though the first night has come and gone, the 'performance' I saw was in fact the final rehearsal and the ROH have asked me nicely not to blog about it...and on reflection they are probably right.  Although nice to know that my blog is being read in high places.

I had absolutely not intended to see this new production at all. Regular readers and Twitter followers will know that I'm not exactly the world's biggest Wagner fan although I have been making a distinct effort in this anniversary year - especially as there were so many riches on offer at this years BBC Proms.  But still, even after some great concert versions at the Albert Hall, I felt frustrated that I still didn't really 'get' Wagner in the way that I do Verdi or even Puccini.

So it was in the spirit of adventure that I snapped up a last minute rehearsal ticket to Parsifal and sallied forth. While not exactly reviewing the detail of what I saw on stage, I can say that I was utterly overwhelmed, intrigued and finally won over by the 'evil genius' that is Wagner.  I will explain 'evil genius' in a while but my reaction to this opera really puzzled and intrigued me.  What was it about this particular work that finally won me over? After all this is not an easy work....surely Lohengrin and Tannhauser are more accessible? Certainly it terms of length (5 and half hours including intervals) its the sort of thing that usually has me running for the exit.  And yet....

And yet this is where Wagner's evil genius kicks in.  There is something in the music of this work, in the story and in the absolute totality that reaches out and resonates with audience if only they let it.  Let me explain. Normally when I go to the opera I go for the emotional hit rather than the intellectual high, although both is good of course.  But if I don't get the emotional impact of a piece then you've lost me and I come away disappointed.  And most of the time the emotional high comes from a specific situation i.e. tragic love story gone wrong, combined with sublime music etc..  Verdi, Puccini et al are masters of this, and in years of opera going/listening I more or less know exactly where my own personal 'lump in the throat' moments occur, for example, Mimi's death, 'Amami Alfredo' in Traviata, end of Otello, etc etc.  Big emotional wallop moments.

Now this is where the evil genius of Wagner kicks in for me.  For he doesn't really do those obvious tear-jerking moments in opera.  So why did I find myself with tears running down my cheeks in the second act of Parsifal?  It did catch me rather by surprise as there was nothing really obvious going on in the music or on stage that I thought would warrant such a reaction.  And yet I believe that in this opera Wagner and his music just suck you in, make you slow down and give in...and that whatever is uppermost in your mind is given voice.  Sorry if that sounds bizarre and sentimental but that is the only explanation I have.  I finally figured out that what had triggered my emotional reaction was the scene with  Kundry talking about Parsifal's mother.  I lost my own mother to cancer this time last year but I wasn't really aware of that being a trigger until the tears were running down my face.  Like I said, 'evil genius'.

Now that the official first night of this production has been and gone, I'm also intrigued by the many and varied reactions to it, and it got me to thinking about how we experience live performance, what we compare it to and how we critically appraise it...not only for those who blog or those get paid to critique for a living, but just the audience in general.  Most of the time I like to pride myself that I don't pre-judge a performance and take each new or old production on its own merits.  But I now ask myself....is that really possible?

I came to this Parsifal with no previous preconceptions of performance history or even vocal history.  The only experience I've had is a few YouTube clips with Jonas Kaufmann and half of a concert performance at the Proms this year....and I really didn't like it enough to stick around for the second half.  So I was a fairly blank canvas.  Now with the best will in the world, if you are turning up for your 20th performance of Boheme or Traviata, it is very difficult NOT to compare with previous singers or productions, and this does colour your perception of what you are seeing on stage TODAY!.  For me, seeing my first staged Parsifal was almost like seeing a brand new opera - I had no history, no idea of what had gone in the past, but only a total involvement in what was happening on stage, right here, right now.  It was thrilling.

And so if nothing else, this Parsifal has given me a determination to experience opera differently if at all possible, to mentally wipe clean those memories of vocal and production's gone by, and just experience the performance in the here and now.  It might still be a disappointment or it might be a triumph, but at least I hope I will be judging it on its own merits.

And a final word about this particular production - please go see it, the cast are wonderful, committed and thrilling and the production, even if it doesn't succeed on all levels, is certainly one that will get the brain ticking.  I loved it.

Brilliantly Bonkers - Les Vêpres Siciliennes – First Night, Royal Opera House, 17th October 2013

I don’t normally do first nights.  While the great and the good (and the not so good) like to see and be seen, and critics of course need to be first off the block to publish their thoughts, by and large I much prefer to wait and let the performance ‘bed in’ first.  I already had a ticket booked for mid-run so what on earth made me run to the box office to secure another?

Well, many things as it happens, but primarily the announcement that the first three performances (at least) were to be sung by Lianna Haroutounian due to the indisposition of Marina Poplavskya.  I was lucky enough to catch Lianna singing Elisabetta in Don Carlos (standing in for another indisposed soprano) last year and was impressed by secure, rich-toned voice and the sensitive acting.  A first class Verdi soprano in the making.  Not willing to take a gamble on Ms Poplavskya’s non-return (and I’d quite like to hear her too) I decided to go for a first night ticket.  I managed to bag one of my favourite stalls circle bench-seats  and so I had a nice clear view of most of the proceedings.

As has been written about ad-infinitum elsewhere, Les Vepres Siciliennes is one of Verdi’s neglected masterpieces and even more rarely performed in the original French.  Another good reason to don the glad rags and head off to Covent Garden for the unreasonably (but necessary) early start of 6pm.  I also spotted a few familiar faces amongst the crowds; Norma Major, David Mellor, Mark Elder and Kasper Holten.

So it was with a really keen sense of anticipation that I finally settled into my seat and waited for the overture to begin and the curtain to rise.

Things did not start well – for me at least. 

One of my pet peeves is having some sort of dumb show on stage during overtures, as though the director cannot trust the audience to let the music do the explaining or that he cannot abide music having primacy over drama perhaps? For whatever reason a dumb-show we were treated to.  Which quickly brings me to my second pet peeve and that is the gratuitous depiction of rape on the opera stage – and this all before the overture was even finished.  But for some strange reason I was in a forgiving mood and I decided to give Stefan Herheim a pass for both transgressions just this once.  Given the rarity with which this opera is performed, a little back story for those in the audience who had come rushing in straight from work did not go amiss.

Ah yes, Stefan Herheim, one of the 'enfant terribles' of the operatic ‘regie-theatre’ world.  The audience must have been half-afraid, half-hoping that some shocking piece of lèse-majesté would be let loose upon the stage.  I for one was just hoping for excellent music making and hopefully a coherent piece of story-telling.  Well I'm happy to report that I certainly got my first wish – and nearly all of my second.

If you did not happen to know that the original opera was set in the 13^th century  then on the surface it looked as traditional as they come.  But the action had been transposed to the time of the opera’s composition – a not entirely original idea it has to be said, but the sets and costumes were gorgeous indeed.  Also included was the ‘stage with in a stage’ concept, this time the stage was the Paris opera house where this opera first debuted. Apparently all of this was supposed to illustrate the ‘rape of art’.  I'm not sure that it entirely succeeded but it didn't interfere with the actual story being played out in music and words so I went with it.  The final act is where Herheim lost me completely, but so completely and utterly bonkers was it, that really you just couldn't help smiling.

If the production values were of the highest, then so was most of the singing.  The four cast principles were pretty evenly matched with perhaps Michael Volle standing out as a dramatically and vocally superb de Montfort.  Erwin Schrott was a hoot as an especially effete but essentially dangerous Procida – here played as a Ballet Master. I though that the chemistry with Lianna Haroutounian was especially close.  Lianna started off well with gorgeous dark-toned and luscious singing but to my ears at least, she audibly tired towards the end  - which is unfortunately where Verdi placed her big aria of the night.  Trills and coloratura were approximate in ‘Merci jeunes amies’  but it was never unmusical.  I was trying to think who would be up to the task of this role today and must admit I can’t really think of anyone – not even Anja Harteros who seems to be the pre-eminent Verdi soprano of today.  However I really enjoyed Lianna’s singing and I hope the Royal Opera has signed her up in her own right, rather than as a replacement for ailing sopranos.

Now, anyone who knows me, or reads this blog, will know that my favourite voice type is tenor.  I have heard Bryn Hymel before in Les Troyens where he stepped in for Jonas Kaufmann and did a very competent job indeed.  And while he did another sterling job here (in a very demanding role) I still can’t say that I enjoyed his singing.  There’s nothing wrong with it, indeed there is much to admire, including his facility in the upper ranges of the tenor voice.  It is simply that the basic tone doesn't really appeal to me.  There’s a lack of ‘glamour’ in the voice – vocal glamour I hasten to add, not personal.  Indeed Mr Hymel is a good looking chap who obviously knows his way around the stage and is a decent actor to boot.  But I just didn't ‘feel’ it – but that only goes to show that reaction to voices is a very individual thing.

So all in all, a very enjoyable night indeed.  It was a treat to hear such good singing in an all too rare performance of a Verdi opera.  Tony Pappano was of course the ultimate star of the show, leading the orchestra in a sensitive but thrilling rendition of the score.

The production, far from being outlandish and unmusical (as some might have feared) was sure-footed, thought provoking and entirely at one with the music.  The production team was certainly greeted with enthusiasm at curtain-call time, which has not always been the case with new productions at ROH recently.  There was really nothing here to scare the children as it were (unless you count Erwin Schrott in a frock), which is why I suspect the audience lapped it up.

In fact at times it all seemed a bit too familiar.  There was a hint of Ballo in Maschera in the ball scene (musically as well as scenically) and I was struck by a resemblance in parts to the 1982 Ernani at La Scala with Domingo.  And speaking of Ernani, now what wouldn’t I give to see a new production of that at Covent Garden?

But in the meantime, I would heartily recommend that if you possibly can, go see this.  You won’t regret it.

Puccini's Golden Girl - Fancuilla del West, Vienna 5 October 2013

La Fancuilla del West (to give the opera its full title) or 'The Girl of the West' in English, is not the opera that springs most readily to mind when you think of Puccini - Tosca, Boheme and Turandot are probably better known by the general public and even if you don't know the opera you could probably reel off a few of the better known arias - tiny hands, fine days and brightly shining stars spring to mind.  But arias from Fancuilla don't readily spring to mind.   And that's a shame because even though the opera is more through-composed that Puccini's earlier works, there are still musical highlights - mainly for the tenor it has to be said.

Perhaps the 'Cowboys and Indians' American West setting is also off putting?  But Puccini was always attracted to the exotic and what could be more exotic than a love story set in the American Wild West at the time of the Gold Rush?  At least that's where the playwright David Belasco set his original story and where Puccini's librettists also set their story.  Not where this production is set but more of that later.

The story itself is relatively simple, boy wanders into bar in a mining town, where he meets girl and they fall in love, despite interference from the local sheriff - your classic love triangle.  However, what the girl doesn't know is that her new love is in fact the leader of a band of renegades who rob and steal from the local community. When she finds out, she throws him out, he is shot by the sheriff's posse but is hidden by Minnie (the girl). When he is found, still bleeding and wounded, by the sheriff, a high stakes poker game takes place - winner gets the bandit (Dick Johnson or Ramerrez).  As you may guess, Minnie wins her bandit and gets to nurse him back to health.

But that's not the end, for as soon as he leaves the sanctuary of Minnie's cabin, he is set upon and captured and about to be strung up for his crimes (but not until he's sung a gorgeous aria naturally).  Minnie rides in and puts a stop to all that nonsense, reminding the assorted miners of their basic humanity until they agree that they won't kill him.  Minnie and Ramerrez ride off into the sunset together. An operatic happy ending? Possibly.

As might be expected, Vienna's new production has very little of the Wild West about it.  Its still a mining community in the US, although given Jake Wallace's audio gig on cassette player, I'm guessing at some time in the 1960's.  All of the miners are dressed in overalls so it loses a lot of cowboy theme and the Act 1 set consists of Minnie's diner surrounded by a steel container town. It actually works quite well providing you ignore some of the ambiguities that always happen when you update opera.  The Act 1 plot basically consists of a lot of back story and set up until a) the soprano arrives and then b) the tenor arrives.  So there are no 'big' tunes, but instead of that we get vivid orchestration and (hopefully) some fine work from the male comprimario singers.

Act 2 takes place in Minnie's cabin and its here that things get more interesting - both dramatically and musically.  Minnie brushes up quite nicely for her new beau and they chatter about this and that and try to ignore their growing attraction - well Minnie tries to ignore, I think Dick is all for it.  On dismissal of Minnie's house-help (here not played in Native American-Indian fashion, but is played pregnant), kissing and rolling around on the floor ensues.  Well, if it was Jonas Kaufmann you would wouldn't you?  

Alas, Dick/Ramerrez thinks better of it and tries to leave but is now stranded by a snow storm.  Minnie (as you might suppose) is not entirely disturbed by this turn of events and they settle down for the night - in separate beds. Damn!  This sweet interlude is only interrupted by the sheriff and his gang turning up on the hunt for Ramerrez - thus unmasking Dick Johnson and Ramerrez as one and the same.  Minnie doesn't give him up to the sheriff at this point but seemingly cannot forgive him for being a lying, cheating bastard!  You go girl.  Personally I think he's just a mixed up guy needing the love of a good woman but that's just me.

All this changes however when he is shot and she is then willing to lie and cheat herself to keep him from the clutches of the sheriff.   They play poker with Ramerrez as the prize.  (I'd play!).  Minnie cheats at cards and she gets to keep her man - for now at least.

Act 3 is short and sweet and basically consists of Dick/Ramerrez being captured, nearly hung out to dry and then Minnie riding to the rescue just in the nick of time.

Apart from updating and not so many cowboys (and no Indians), the story was played pretty much straight in this new production.  Jonas Kaufmann looked very fetching in leather ensemble, Nina Stemme looked less so in unflattering dungarees and red hair.  Her wardrobe did improve marginally for the second act but flattering it was not.  Luckily both were in fine vocal form.  This is not Ms Stemme's first stab at Minnie and the experience showed.  Its a demanding role with very little pay-off in terms of having a belt it out aria - none here for the soprano alas.  But in a succession of duets and quasi-conversations she embodied the character of the good-hearted innocent Minnie and why a man like Johnson/Ramerrez might have been attracted to her.

Jonas Kaufmann's role début as Dick Johnson once again illustrated his winning way with Italian opera but also his understanding of Puccinian line and phrasing.  The high notes were ringing and his two allotted arias gorgeously sung and acted.  As a first outing I thought it was good and I do hope he keeps it in his repertory to develop further.

Tomasz Konieczny played the sheriff Jack Rance as some sub-par Scarpia, a cardboard cut-out villain with very few redeeming features.  That's not how I read the character in the opera but I presume that's how he was instructed to play it. Alas, the voice was also not pretty and sounded pretty strangulated and effortful in places.

The opera ends with Minnie and Dick climbing into a rainbow coloured balloon and sailing off to a new life. Why? Beats me.  I'm sure there's some intelligent and deeply thought out reason by the director Marco Arturo Marelli, but nothing that had gone on previously pointed to this somewhat surreal exit.  Or maybe he just likes coloured balloons. 

But all in all this is a very enjoyable production and if you do get a chance to see it I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Mazes of the Mind - Fidelio, English National Opera, 27th September 2013

I don't go to see opera at ENO very often it has to be said.  This is nothing to do with their tendency to a somewhat more challenging directorial approach than the ROH.  I like to think I'm open-minded and take each production on its own merits.  No, my reluctance is usually to do with the fact that I do prefer my opera in the original language i.e. the language of the original libretto. Italian opera especially tends to sound frankly more than a little strange and grating to the ear when translated into English.  So I tend to avoid the mainstream repertory that I know well and visit ENO for works that I don't know quite so well - or that have a tradition for being translated into English, such as the upcoming Die Fledermaus.

For me Fidelio just about comes under that criteria.  I don't understand German in the way I do Italian/French and I've only seen Fidelio once - and that was on DVD.  I do know Florestan's aria 'Gott! Welch dunkel hier' reasonably well...but more of that later. So a visit to see this was definitely on the agenda.  What tipped the balance for me was ENO's introduction of their Secret Seat scheme, where you pay £20 up front with no idea of where you will be seated until a couple of days before the performance when your seat will be confirmed.  Suitably intrigued and up for a gamble I booked 'secret seats' for Fidelio, Die Fledermaus and Peter Grimes.  Thankfully in the case of Fidelio, the gamble paid off very nicely with a front row seat in the Dress Circle - a ticket normally costing £94!  Not bad.  However looking around the auditorium I couldn't help but notice an abundance of empty seats.  This is a shame and I do hope ENO is not about to go the way of New York City Opera who seem to be on their last legs.

The production by Calixto Bieito is new to ENO, although will be familiar to international opera goers and YouTube fans as it was premièred in Munich in 2010.  I'll say upfront that I haven't watched any of the available clips as none seem to come with English subtitles, and given my unfamiliarity with the work, I do need them.  So, I came to this performance as fresh as I could and with no preconceptions other than knowing the basic outline of the story.

I have to say that I found the standing set (pictured above) stunning.  The picture doesn't really do it justice and I also have to give kudos to the lighting designer Tim Mitchell for making what could have been a stark and ugly set, quite beautiful at times.

Apart from occasionally clambering around the set, the singers were mostly confined in front of the mad-made monolith but they made the most of the restrictions.  I must admit that if I was coming to this completely ignorant of the story, I would probably have no idea what was happening - and to me that is a failure.  I shouldn't need to have to read essays by the director before I watch a piece of theatre - they should be able to convey the story effectively without me having to refer to the programme to see what on earth they are getting at.  There is also much mention of a 'fresh vision' and 'challenging assumptions' which is all very well if you are dealing with people who know the opera inside out and are open to being challenged whilst still understanding the original.  But what if you are dealing with people (like me) who have very little previous knowledge of the opera and are therefore left totally confused by this production.

Ironically I felt that this did work as a piece of theatre, but not as an opera - the two felt quite disconnected.  Let me explain a little.  For me, the ideal opera performance is one where acting and singing combine to produce an almost seamless work - one where you almost don't notice the acting or the singing as separate entities.  In my experience that fusion very rarely happens and the balance nearly always tips to one side or the other - either the music/singing wins out, or the acting/theatrical aspects do.  I have been lucky enough to witness those rare performances where you almost forget that someone is singing, so wrapped up in the drama have I been.  But those are rare exceptions - and this performance came no where close alas.

The most annoying part of the performance came with the arrival of Don Fernando, bizarrely costumed here in full wig and 17/18 Century get up - as opposed to the rest of the cast in current workaday clothes.  Why?  I would almost have preferred the Munich version where he was some sort of Joker figure.  And then of course he goes and shoots Florestan - which I admit came as a bit of a surprise.  The first word of out my mouth was  'b........'  I'll leave you do deduct what that might have been. It just didn't work for me as played here.    I have subsequently looked up the Munich version to see how they played it and frankly it was much better done, the reactions of the singer playing Don Fernando 'sold' the idea - but not in the ENO version I'm afraid.

I'd be interested to know if Bieto directed this revival and approved of the tweaks to the original. Subsequent viewing of clips of the Munich original has revealed some significant differences in addition to the one noted above.

As to the singing, I would say that overall it was of a very high standard given the challenges of some very physical aspects to the production.  Stuart Skelton was impressive as Florestan and his first utterance of 'God, the darkest hour' was in no way inferior to a Certain Other Tenor's outstanding version.  I did feel however, that he tired a little towards the end.  Beethoven's challenging writing no doubt, but also a very hectic schedule alternating Fidelio and Peter Grimes - neither easy sings. But Skelton has a beautiful strong voice and I'm looking forward to his performance in the ENO Peter Grimes in February.

Emma Bell as Fidelio/Leonore was his equal although I found her lower register less reliable and beautiful than her steely top where I felt she came into her own.  Very nicely acted too if not entirely convincing as a bloke.

So, for me a game of two halves.  The music and singing was beautiful but the production failed for me personally in that I didn't get the emotional 'punch' that I'm always looking for in opera.  However, what it has done is made me more eager to experience another production of Fidelio - there are so many interpretations of this story that could be done, both traditional and non-traditional.  I hope I get to see one soon.

Turandot Dress Rehearsal - Royal Opera House 7th September 2013

And we're back!  After a brief summer hiatus the 2013-14 season at the Royal Opera House kicks off with Puccini's Turandot and I managed to snag a ticket to the general dress rehearsal on Saturday.

This is only my second experience of attending a dress rehearsal but I'm starting to pinpoint the subtle differences between this and a performance. Of course its less informal - the orchestra and conductor are dressed casually, the house isn't packed to capacity and there are lots of official photographers clicking away.  The audience are also dressed casually for the main, although I've never really noticed a dress code even on normal performances and I tend to dress as the mood takes me.  But for me the real difference is the mix of people in the audience, and a real willingness to engage your neighbour in conversation.  I found myself sitting next to a couple whose young son was in the chorus.  They had never been to the opera house before and had never seen or heard Turandot before and it was lovely to chat at the intervals about their growing enthusiasm and at the end my neighbour was converted stating that she could quite happily watch it all again.

Now, being a dress rehearsal I don't really want to go into too much detail about the singers, even though they were singing out full voice and gave every evidence of treating this as an actual performance.  I guess one of main reasons for this revival could be the thrilling soprano of Lise Lindstrom.  Turandot doesn't actually sing until the beginning of the second act but boy was that worth waiting for.  It's not the hugest voice but it is totally secure in the upper reaches and has a thrilling steely tone that this part demands. I've heard other Turandot's on stage, CD and DVD but when I heard Ms Lindstrom sing I knew this was the singer I'd been waiting for. When she sings you immediately know that this part holds no terrors for her and you can sit back and relax and enjoy.

While Ms Lindstrom was outstanding, the other singers in the cast were by no means shabby. Marco Berti as Calaf is a 'typical' Italian tenor in both good and bad ways.  He is a 'strapping lad' as they say in my parts and his acting looked to be pretty rudimentary but I've seen worse and the fact that his voice was firing on all cylinders was compensation enough in this part.  He certainly held his own against Ms Lindstrom in the all important confrontation scenes. This is the first time I've heard him sing so I'm no expert but I think this may be a good part for him, requiring less subtlety than perhaps some other roles.

Eri Nakamura as Liu almost stole the show and was certainly the audience favourite when she took her bows at the end.

My only disappointment was the production itself. This is a revival of a now veteran production by Andrei Serban  first staged in 1984 and to be honest its beginning to show its age.  I last saw this production in 1997 (Grace Bumbry as Turandot) and it now seems to be a shadow of its former self.  I'm not sure if its the direction (or lack of) or just that the production is old and needs replacing but there is definitely something missing, a sense of drama, danger....something.  In a way it resembles a product of its times - gaudy and garish but slightly empty at the centre.

Which makes it even more surprising that (according to the cast sheet given out) this set of performances is being filmed for DVD release in Spring 2014!  In my honest opinion, perhaps a little late in the day to be recording a 30 year old production for release on DVD without the benefit of any 'star' singers.  Lise Lindstrom is excellent but I'm not sure how many DVD's would be sold on her name alone.

Still, there is much here to enjoy and I'd certainly recommend it for the singing alone and of course for Puccini's gorgeous music.

Remembrance of Things Past - End of Season Review

Looking back over my 2012-13 season of opera, concerts and theatre I can only count myself lucky to have access to some truly great theatre in London.  As this blog is mainly operatic in nature and dedicated to a certain opera house, I'm going to concentrate on opera I have seen at the Royal Opera House from September 2012 to July 2013 - and hand out a few awards in the process.  But to give you an idea of which opera I'm judging, this is what I managed to see at Covent Garden this season:

Albert Herring (not strictly ROH but staged by ETO at the Linbury)
The Minotaur
Eugene Onegin (new production)
Written on Skin (new production)
La Boheme
Tosca (twice plus a rehearsal)
Nabucco (new production)
Die Zauberflote (twice)
Don Carlo (twice)
La Donna del Lago (new production)
Gloriana (new production)
La Rondine

So, not included in my considerations are the Ring Cycle which kicked off the season (still a bit of a Wagner-phobe...or Ring-phobe), L'elisir d'amore, Robert le Diable (probably just as well), Simon Boccanegra or Cappricio in concert.

Best New Production
This was a perversely hard decision as quite frankly I think most of the new productions this season have been a bit of a let down - I do hope this isn't going to be a trend. But in the end my vote goes to....

Gloriana. Although some critics didn't enjoy the 1950's framing device, I thought it worked.  I also enjoyed the commitment of the cast and of the conductor Paul Daniel, and although Susan Bullock's voice is not a beautiful instrument, she was touching in the final scene and the whole opera was a joy to watch.  Toby Spence was also a fine Essex and brought a sweet vulnerability to the part.

Worst New Production.
Where to start?  For the most part I found the new productions this season depressing or incomprehensible or both.  Doppelgängers in Eugene Onegin could have been a good idea but the execution was clumsy and interfered too much with the story.  Rather perversely I enjoyed the production of Written on Skin but hated the actual music. Nabucco was musically very good indeed but so depressing to watch - 50 Shades of Grey indeed. So that just leaves the winner of this category....

La Donna del Lago.  Poor Joyce.  She's a game girl but even she couldn't persuade me of the merits of this one.  Which is a pity as the singing was sublime - as you would expect with Joyce di Donato and Juan Diego Florez.  But what a waste of such fantastic singers.  One where you closed your eyes and listened.

Best Production Revival
A bit spoilt for choice here and most of the revived productions were well executed, well sung and had their particular merits but for me the winner is....

Die Zauberflote.  For me, the sign of a great production or performance is that I want to go back and see it again - and in this instance I did, with the added bonus of a different cast for the second performance.  Both casts were equally good.  Stand out performances for me were Charles Castronovo as Tamino, Simon Keenleyside still funny as Papageno and Sophie Bevan as Pamina - not all in the same cast unfortunately. David McVicar's production is still magical and I'd definitely go back and see another performance.

Worst Production Revival
Actually very hard to pick out a production that I'd label 'worst' so be kind I'd say that this one is less good in comparison to others this season.  The winner is....

La Boheme.  Now don't get me wrong, I like Boheme as much as the next person and I also know that this production is vintage and 'well loved' but honestly I think its time for a new production to have a fresh look at this. Mind you, given the lack-lustre new productions this season perhaps we'd better stick with this for a few more years.  The singers were fine and in some cases very fine indeed.  Sonya Yoncheva as Musetta impressed, as did Hibla Gerzmava as Mimi. Vittorio Grigolo I found quite annoying.  His arrogance and mannerisms on stage did him no favours, which is a pity because when he settled down and started paying attention to his fellow singers (and the conductor) he was actually quite good.

Which brings me to...

Best Male Singer Performance
For regular readers of this blog (and my twitterfeed) the winner of this award will probably come as no surprise. However there was some serious competition and honourable mentions must go to Charles Castronovo in Zauberflote and La Rondine; Feruccio Ferlanetto in Don Carlo, Aleksandrs Antonenko in Tosca and Toby Spence in Gloriana.  But the winner has to be...

Jonas Kaufmann. As as I said, probably no surprise but honestly this performance just blew me away - so good I saw it twice. I would venture that the role of Don Carlo is a great fit for Kaufmann, he really seems to relish the dark, tormented characters in opera so this one fits the bill perfectly.  And if you add superb acting to the daring vocalism and you have the perfect package.  I'm hooked.

Best Female Singer Performance.
Lots of competition for this one too.  I'm not as heavily invested in the female voice, although I do love a good mezzo it has to be said.  Honourable mentions go to Angela Gheorghiu in Rondine, Sophie Bevan in Zauberflote,  Lianna Haroutounian in Don Carlo and Krassimira Stoyanova in Eugene Onegin.  But for me the winner is.....

Joyce di Donato.  Whatever the faults of the production, the singing from Joyce was absolutely superb and if she had any doubts about what she was being asked to do, she certainly didn't show it.  Add to that a winning manner and a wonderful down to earth personality which I was lucky enough to see in her masterclass, then Joyce is my Best Female Singer Performance of the season.  Brava!

And finally...

Operatic Highlight of the Year.
This simply has to be...

Don Carlo.  And not just because of the wonderful performance by Jonas Kaufmann.  If you add Ferruccio Ferlanetto, Lianna Haroutounian, Mariusz Kwiecien, not to mention Tony Pappano conducting then you have a top class performance.

So that's it.  Covent Garden is (relatively) quiet until the new opera season starts with Turandot on 9th September - I'll be having an early preview with the dress rehearsal on 7th September so watch this space.

In the meantime please do let me know your favourites of the season.