Best and Worst of 2014

Oh dear!  Its been a long time since my last post hasn't it?  Unfortunately I was laid low for quite a while with a persistent chest infection which meant that not only did I feel pretty rough, I had to cancel quite a lot of my planned opera and concert going.

But enough of that!  Now restored to relative full health, though I'd start the year with a look back at what I did manage to see!


Outstanding New Production

Surprisingly (or perhaps not!) my outstanding production of 2014 comes not from ROH but from ENO.  The Girl of the Golden West was a delight from start to finish.  A sympathetic, singable translation ensure that this opera was the deserved success it should be.  All of the lead singers nailed their characters and if their voices weren't quite 'perfect' they more than made up for that with dramatic commitment.  Why can't all opera be like this?

Runner up for this category - Manon Lescaut at the Royal Opera.  Again, not quite perfect by any means but the cast almost convinced you that it was!


Best Revival

Once again there was so much choice for Best Revival but this performance of La Boheme with Ermonela Jaho and Charles Castronovo just stood out from the crowd.  Great singing of course, but what impressed and moved me were their performances - they simply became Mimi and Rodolfo.  As I said in my end of term report - mesmerising and magical.

Highly commended in this category was a surprisingly good Barbiere di Siviglia and a deeply emotional Diaglogues des Carmelites (classed here as a revival as its been around for so long!).


Best Male Performance

Yes I know, but honest I couldn't resist this year!  Jonas Kaufmann is simply a force of nature!  Put him in the right role and he simply overcomes resistance...at least for me!  I think his most impressive performance came from the new Met production of Werther - which I managed to catch in the HD broadcast.  He really does suit the more brooding and introspective characters.  Also impressive was his assumption of Des Grieux in the ROH Manon Lescaut, even if the production didn't quite fire on all cylinders.  But most memorable for me was his performance of Wintereisse also in the hallowed halls of ROH. This has led to the purchase of many lieder CD's (not just his) and also many tickets to Wigmore Hall!

Honorable mentions for Best Male Performance go to Charles Castronovo for La Boheme and Michele Angelini in his ROH debut as Count Almaviva in Barbiere di Siviglia



Best Female Performance

So many riches to choose from, but if I'm honest the performance which simply blew me away in 2014 was Sondra Radvanovsky in Tosca.  This was my first chance to hear this artist in person and oh my word...what a stunning voice!  I simply left the auditorium open mouthed with wonder. Stunning.  Please, please can she come back?

Other outstanding female performances were Joyce DiDonato (Met HD Cenerentola), Karita Mattila for a stunning Ariadne auf Naxos, Susan Bullock for a resplendent Minnie in Girl of the Golden West and Kristine Opolais - her dramatic commitment to Manon Lescaut was impressive indeed.

Biggest Disappointment

Once again I suppose it was the quality of the new productions.  Don Giovanni was the biggest disappointment for me.  While the singing was for the most part top notch, dramatic invention was replaced by overused projections and a spinning set.  Add a touch of misogyny to the female portrayals and a bizarre ending for a most unedifying experience!

So there we have my selections for 2014.

Have a Happy New Year everyone and I wish you many new musical highlights for 2015.

End of term report! Royal Opera Season 2013-14

Wow!  What a season that was...and how quickly time has gone by.  Doesn't seem five minutes since I was compiling the 2012/13 highlights but here we are again.  For me this has been a very positive season at ROH where the highs have definitely outweighed the lows.  Of course live theatre isn't perfect but I really feel that this has been such a great season - great singers, interesting productions and a good mix of new experiences and revisiting old favourites.  Here's what I saw at ROH this season:

Turandot (rehearsal)
Le Nozze di Figaro (rehearsal and 1 performance)
Les Vepres Siciliennes (twice) New Production
Wozzeck
Parsifal (rehearsal) New Production
Carmen
Manon (rehearsal and 2 performances)
Don Giovanni New Production
Faust
Jonas Kaufmann - Wintereisse
La Traviata - twice
Dialogues des Carmelites (new to Royal Opera but I have classed this as a revival)
Tosca
Manon Lescaut - (rehearsal and 2 performances)  New Production
La Boheme - twice
Ariadne auf Naxos
Maria Stuarda  New Production
JPYA Summer Performance

Productions I missed this season in the main house were La Fille du Regiment and Die Frau ohne Schatten - which isn't bad going really.


Best New Production
Once again this was a really hard decision. I find new productions quite frustrating for the most part.  Quite often they are so nearly perfect (Manon Lescaut) but then something goes awry.  In other cases I am baffled and sometimes quite angry (Don Giovanni).  But in the end I have to make a decision and its probably not the one you think...

Yes, considering the Wagner-phobe I claim myself to be, Parsifal won me over to such an extent that even my love for tenors and Jonas Kaufmann couldn't sway me!  The combination of production and Wagner's music completely transformed my opinion. Not saying I love everything about Wagner (I don't) but for some reason this particular opera hits the spot.  Now, if ROH would only entice Mr Kaufmann to come sing it, I'd be an even happier woman!


Worst New Production.
Sigh.  For some reason this category is one of the easiest to judge although I have to say that on balance, the new productions this year were slightly less annoying than last seasons but there is a clear winner for me....

Yes, I'm afraid Kasper Holten's production of Don Giovanni left me less than impressed.  The combination of whirling set, constantly flashing lights and borderline misogynistic concept meant that although I wanted to like this production, I didn't.  At all.

Best Production Revival
Once again, spoilt for choice amongst the many commendable revivals.  Some great performances from singers enlivened even the most venerable and staid of productions.  Honourable mentions go to Faust, Manon and Ariadne auf Naxos.  But, the surprise winner is.....

La Boheme.  I know!  All the more surprising as this time last year I chose this opera (reluctantly) as my 'worst production revival'.  Well all I can say is, what a difference a year makes.  John Copley once again returned to breath new life into this veteran production, but it was the casting of Ermonela Jaho and Charles Castronovo which made all of the difference.  Subtle and believable actors, they instantly convinced as star-crossed lovers Mimi and Rodolfo.  And not only that, their musicality and willingness to live the drama on stage totally convinced. Mesmerising and magical.


Worst Production Revival
Once again this category was very hard to pick. Most of the revivals I have seen these season have had their  merits, be it in individual performances (Tosca) or the production itself (Nozze di Figaro).  But for better or worse the winner is....

Carmen. It wasn't bad.  But it wasn't really a stand out either.  Individual performances were okay but frankly this just seemed like another routine revival of an old warhorse.  The production now seems tired and lacking in verve.  Alagna was good but brought no special insights into Don Jose.  Next!

Best Male Singer Performance
Ah. Now I know what you think.  She's going to pick that tenor again.  You're right but quite frankly when you have a tenor who is currently performing at the very top of his game, then there is no choice.  The winner is....

Yes, its that man again.  Jonas Kaufmann.  Although as you may gather from the picture, I'm actually choosing him for his magnificent performance of Wintereisse, rather than his performance in Manon Lescaut. Not that his Des Grieux wasn't good - it was fantastic.  But it is rather his ability to totally entrance in lieder and then switch to full-blooded and passionate operatic singing that has me hooked.

Very honourable mentions go to Charles Castronovo, Gerald Finley and Bryn Terfel.


Best Female Singer Performance.
This has been the season of some very great and wonderful soprano singing.  I've encountered voices new to me and revisited some favourites.  Honourable mentions to Lise Lindstrom, Ailyn Perez, Joyce di Donato and Karita Mattila.  But my winner for this season is....

Wow!  Just wow!  I was almost left speechless by my first encounter with the Tosca of Sondra Radvanovsky.  Where has this soprano been all of my life?  Well not at ROH very often to be sure.  This voice is the real deal.  And her assumption of the role of diva of all diva's was just perfection.  Brava Sondra - please come back soon.

And finally...

Operatic Highlight of the Season.
I've had so many highlights this season that I really consider myself very lucky to live near London and have the opportunity to see and hear some wonderful opera.  There were many highlights for me, not least Manon Lescaut which was wonderful and frustrating at the same time. Mentions must also go to Ariadne auf Naxos, Faust and Turandot.  But my highlight of the season was....

Yes it was actually Dialogues des Carmelites.  I have waited so many years to see this opera but it was worth the wait.  Musically and dramatically satisfying and emotionally overwhelming.  Just wonderful.

So that's it for another season and I'm already missing the place already!  My next scheduled visit is in September to see Barbiere di Siviglia...here's a little taster of what lies ahead...

Mad about the Girl - Manon, Royal Opera House, 24 January

Having missed my scheduled visit to the dress rehearsal of this production of Manon, I decided to treat myself to a discounted seat in one of the 'posh' areas of the auditorium - my usual seats either being restricted view or up in the amphitheatre!  But it wasn't just the thought of a good seat that had me greatly anticipating this visit.

Ermonela Jaho has quickly become a house favourite, a reputation initially gained by subbing for various ailing sopranos until she is now invited in her own right.   I had not heard her live before the performance but was greatly impressed by her performance as Suor Angelica which I caught when broadcast on the BBC.  So all in all this had all the makings of a great night at the opera.  Which it was.  Sort of.

First the good things.  This opera lives or dies on the performance of its soprano and it is no exaggeration to say that Ermonela Jaho is Manon...or became Manon, or whatever.  She totally embodied the part from start to finish, and although I found her particularly effective as the 16 year old schoolgirl (her petite frame lending credence to the illusion), she also found her hidden hedonist as Manon discovers pleasure and money.  And as I expected she was perhaps most compelling in the final tragic tableau - although it was the Chevalier des Grieux who finally managed to pluck at my  heartstrings.

Matthew Polenzani as the lovestruck young hero Des Grieux, may not initially strike many as the embodiment of love's young dream, but he uses that to his advantage, playing Des Grieux as gauche and inexperienced and totally under the thrall of Manon, hardly believing his luck that such a beautiful girl would look at him, never mind run away with him to Paris. Don't get me wrong, Polenzani is not unattractive at all, just a 'regular Joe' sort of attractiveness. More importantly, he has a wonderful lyric voice ideally suited to this role and his 'Ah Fuyez douce image' was one of the many vocal highlights for me.  And as I mentioned, it was his tragic cry at Manon's death that finally had me stifling a sob.

And yet.

And yet I still walked away from the performance not really knowing whether I'd enjoyed it or not! For a while I simply couldn't put my finger on why this hadn't been a totally involving experience for me.  Generally speaking I love French opera, have no particular problem with Massenet and the romantic/tragic nature of the story of Manon was one which should have guaranteed satisfaction.  And yet I came away with a definite feeling of dissatisfaction.

This is the first production of Manon I have ever seen (either live or on stage) so I have nothing really to compare it to, so I still don''t really know whether it's the opera I don't like or this particular production.  The thing that did occur me as I was watching, was that there was an awful lot of 'humour' scattered willy-nilly throughout, which to me seemed at odds with the tragedy unfolding.  Perhaps its because I am more familiar with Puccini's take on the story which concentrates on the passion and the tragedy.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a little lightness amongst the tragedy but it's so difficult to get right and I just felt the timing and quantity was a little 'off' here - again, I would have to see another production to know if this was a production issue or that Manon really is that funny!

The other disconcerting issue was that at one point I thought I had dozed off and woken up in a production of La Traviata.  In act 4 of Manon, we find ourselves at a big party with gambling, lots of chorus singing lustily, and finally to top it all of the hero's father turns up to berate his son, doing a reasonably good impression of Georgio Germont!  I'm surprised Verdi didn't sue Massenet for plagiarism.

The production itself, by Laurent Pelly, verges on the twee in Act 1, while the rest is suitably abstract for no good reason, although this has the affect of being able to concentrate on the singers.  The St Sulspice scene has the almost obligatory leaning pillars which add nothing to the story, and inserts a handy bed in the church, for the lovers to romp on at the end.   So all in all, a typical Pelly production.

Looking back at what I've written, it sounds like I didn't enjoy it.  I did, but I just felt I could have enjoyed it more.  The singing was fantastic without a doubt and for that I give thanks but I just left feeling a little deflated about the opera and/or the production.  Luckily I have another chance to revisit Manon, with another soprano in the title role.  I'm looking forward to hearing Ailyn Perez for the first time - and I'm going to give this opera another chance to win me over.