The Opera House Gazetteer

Thursday, April 14, 2011

THE OPERA TIME MACHINE: From Anna Nicole to Dafne, 2011-1597.

I am inviting you all to embark on an exciting new journey!

Welcome to the Opera House Gazetteer's Time Machine.

Starting with the 2011 world premiere of the new opera Anna Nicole, we will travel back in time, year by year, video clip by clip, all the way back to the year 1597, to a musical composition that is considered to be the very first opera, as it is understood today.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Operas of Stravinsky

-- T H E N I G H T I N G A L E --

1914 The Nightingale. (Соловей - Le Rossignol). Set in ancient China.

I have a treat for you! A stunningly beautiful production of the Nightingale starring the celebrated coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay was recently put to film by Christian Chaudet. As Stravinsky wrote short operas, you may see the entire opera in this posting, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the production. This Nightingale is visual as well as an audial feast. Computer imagery is used to produce a dream-like atmosphere and decor with Chinese themes. I recommend that you put some time aside to see the whole thing. Meanwhile, as a teaser, watch the trailer below:

Although you will hear the Nightingale's Song sung by Natalie Dessay when you watch the video. I have isolated her aria above just for easy access. I will also attempt to add the Russian lyrics later (with a Roman transliteration aside the Cyrillic alphabet, of course!) but that may take a couple of hours of digging through the Google frontiers of Spamland. If I am lucky I may find the lyrics right away. Wish me luck!

I have also included here the Nightingale's Second Aria. Just to have a different version with a different singer.

Here is another aria I have isolated: The Fisherman's Song.

LE ROSSIGNOL, A FILM BY CHRISTIAN CLAUDET
Starring Nathalie Dessay as the Nightingale

Natalie Dessay: The Nightingale (Part I)

Natalie Dessay: The Nightingale (Part II)

Natalie Dessay: The Nightingale (Part III)

Natalie Dessay: The Nightingale (Part IV)

Natalie Dessay: The Nightingale (Part V)

Natalie Dessay: The Nightingale (Part VI) -The Filming of Le Rossignol and Behind-the-scenes. End.

-- M A V R A --

1922 Mavra. (MaBPa). Set in A Russian village around 1840.

The opera Mavra condensed. Production by the Glyndebourne Opera conducted by Leo McFall. Sung in English!

Overture to Mavra

Parasha's Aria sung by Galina Vishnévskaya, soprano

-- L E R E N A R D --

1922 Le Renard. (Ба́йка про лису́, петуха́, кота́, да барана́. Весё́лое представле́ние с пе́нием и му́зыкой –-Renard, Histoire burlesque chantée et jouée) The Fable of the Vixen, the Cock, the Cat and the Ram. A burlesque for the stage with singing and music. Set in a Fairy Tale land.

Part One of Le Renard, in English

Part Two of Le Renard, in English

-- O E D I P U S R E X --

1927 Oedipus Rex. Oedipus the King. Set in ancient Thebes, Greece. Because this is a short opera, I have posted the whole work for your enjoyment. There must be a libretto out there in Googleland; hopefully, I will post it at a later date.

Oedipus Rex, Act I (1/3)

Oedipus Rex, Act I (2/3)

Oedipus Rex, Act I (3/3)

Oedipus Rex, Act II (1/3)

Oedipus Rex, Act II (2/3)

Oedipus Rex, Act II (3/3)

-- P E R S E P H O N E --

1934 Perséphone. Persephone. Set in mythical antiquity. The operas of Stravinsky are short and well-suited to our confounding evolution towards shorter attention spans. I am able to post the whole opera here! Obtaining the libretto will be my next task.

Tableau 1: L’enlèvement de Perséphone.
The Abduction of Persephone.

Tableau 2: Perséphone aux enfers (1).
Persephone in Hades.

Tableau 2: Perséphone aux enfers (2).
Persephone in Hades.

Tableau 2: Perséphone aux enfers (3).
Persephone in Hades.

Tableau 3: La renaissance de Perséphone (1).
The Rebirth of Persephone

Tableau 3: La renaissance de Perséphone (2).
The Rebirth of Persephone

--T H E R A K E ' S P R O G R E S S--

1951 The Rake's Progress. Although the setting is not specific to any time or place, the opera is set to Hogarth's engravings (1733-1735) which depict real places in 18th Century England: London, near London, and the notorious Bedlam Hospital.The opera, by the way, is sung in English!

Here is the Prelude and start of opera.

"No word from Tom"

"Gently, Little Boat"

Baba the Turk's Aria.
This 1975 Glydebourne production is in period costume!

-- T H E F L O O D --

1962 The Flood. Set in Biblical times. The Old Testament. This opera was short enough for me to post two different versions. The first is the actual score plus the libretto (a treat if you can read music) and the second is a surrealistic production designed by Japp Drupsteen, a Dutch graphic artist who is famous for having designed the banknotes for the Netherlands; that is, before the Euro!

The Flood: the Score plus the Libretto (1/2)

The Flood: the Score plus the Libretto (2/2)

Now here is Japp Drupsteen's staging of The Flood:

The Flood (1/3)

The Flood (2/3)

The Flood (3/3)

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky
(17 June 1882 – 6 April 1971)
Russian-born, naturalized French,
later naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor.

This concludes this program on the operas of Stravinsky.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Operas of Verdi

1839 Oberto. (Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio) Oberto, Count of Boniface. Set in 1228 Northern Italy.

The 13th Century Ponte Vecchio of Bassano in Northern Italy

Oberto in 10 minutes!

Leonora (Angeles Gulin): "Tutto e perduto".

1840 Un giorno di regno. (Un giorno di regno, ossia il finto Stanislao) A One-Day Reign, or the Pretend Stanislaus. Set in 1733, Baron Kelbar's castle near Brest, France.

A castle in Brest, France.

Un giorno di regno in 10 minutes.

Monserrat Caballe: "Grave a core innamorato".

1842 Nabucco (Nabucodonosor) Nebuchadnezzar. Set in 587 B.C. Jerusalem and Babylon.

A Romantic depiction of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon.

Nabucco, Opera in 10 minutes.

Metropolitan Opera Chorus: "Va pensiero"

1843 I Lombardi. (I Lombardi alla prima crociata.) The Lombards on the First Crusade. Set in 1096-97 in Milan, in and around Antioch, and near Jerusalem.

Painting depeicting the First Crusade in the 11th Century

I Lombardi in 10 minutes.

Trio

1844 Ernani. Hernani. Set in 1519 in Aragon, Aachen, and Zaragoza.

Sixteenth Century vault of the old exchange market in Zaragoza,

Ernani in 10 minutes.

La Divina Maria Callas: "Ernani, Ernani, involame." For the studio Protected Version: Redirect here

1844 I due Foscari. The Two Foscari. Set in Venice, 1457.

I Foscari is set in 15th century Venice, Here is a piece of architecture from the era.

I due Foscari in 10 minutes

Rare recording of Luciano Pavarotti: Aria

1845 Giovanna d'Arco. Joan of Arc. Set in 1429, Domremy, Rheims, and near Rouen, France.

Romantic painting of Joan of Arc

Giovanna d'Arco in 10 minutes.

Renata Tebaldi as Joan of Arc.

1845 Alzira. (Alzire, ou les Américains) Alzira or the Americans. In 16th Century Peru.

17th Century painting of a Spanish captain with an Inca princess.

Carlo Bergonzi: "Irne lungi"

Alzira (Virginia Zeani): Duet with Gusmano.

1846 Attila. Attila, King of the Huns. Mid-5th century in Aquileia, the Adriatic lagoons, and near Rome.

Portrait of Attila the Hun

Attila in 10 minutes

A peek at a quite atmospheric production of Attila.

Odabella (Beverly Sills): "Santo di Patria"

1847 Macbeth. Set in 11th century Scotland.

Verdi created the opera Macbeth from the famous play by Shakespeare

Macbeth in 10 minutes

Macbeth and the Witches

Chorus: "Patria opressa"

Lady Macbeth (Maria Callas, 1952): "Vini affretta"

1847 I masnadieri. The Bandits. Set in Germany between 1755 and 1757.

Travelling in Germany during the 18th century was dangerous, and those who were rich enough would hire an armed escort. The countryside was infested by highwaymen, This is the focal point and setting of Verdi's opera I masnadieri.

I masnadieri in 10 minutes

Amalia (Dame Joan Sutherland): "Tu del mio Carlo". High quality and protected video of a studio recording. Forbidden to blog! Redirect to YouTube here.

Gianfranco Cecchele sings: "O mio castel paterno" Another protected treasure! Redirect here to YouTube..

1847 Jérusalem. Set between 1095 and 1099 AD in Toulouse (Act 1); Palestine, near Jerusalem (Acts 2-4). This was Verdi's first opera in French. The opera is a French adaptation of I Lombardi.

Illustration of an 11th Century Crusader.

Jérusalem in 10 minutes

Marcello Giordani: "Je veux encore entendre ta voix."

Maria Vitale: Cabaletta

1848 Il corsaro. The Corsair. Set in the early 1800s. A Greek island in the Aegean and the Turkish city of Corone.

A painting of corsairs chasing a galleon.

Il corsaro in 10 minutes

Medora (Maria Callas): "Egli non riede ancora"
(In Medora's room in an old tower with a balcony looking at the sea)

MEDORA
Egli non riede ancora!
Oh come lunghe, eterne,
Quando lungi è da me, l'ore mi sono!

(Takes harp.)
Arpa che or muta giaci,
Vieni, ed i miei sospiri
Seconda sì, che più veloce giunga
Il flebile lamento
Al cor del mio fedel, sull'ali al vento.

Non so le tetre immagini
Fugar del mio pensiero,
Sempre dannata a gemere
All'ombra d'un mistero:
E se di speme un pallido
Raggio su me traluce,
E passeggiera luce
Di lampo ingannator.
Meglio è morir! Se l'anima
Se 'n voli in seno a Dio;
Se il mio Corrado a piangere
Verrà sul cener mio:
Premio una cara lagrima
Chieggo all'amor soltanto,
Virtù non vieta il pianto
Per chi moria d'amor.

1849 La battaglia di Legnano. The Battle of Legnano. Set in 1176, Northern Italy.

The Battle of Legnano: the Italians defeated the Germans.

La battaglia di Legnano in 10 minutes.

Chorus: Giuramento. The Oath.

Lida (Elisabete Matos): "Quante volte como un dono"

1849 Luisa Miller. Set in the Tyrol. the early 17th Century.

Luisa Miller in 10 minutes.

Placido Domingo: "Quando le sere al placido" Protected video: Redirect here to YouTube.

1850 Stiffelio. Set in Count Stankar's castle by the River Salzbach in Germany during the early 19th century.

The church scene from a Met production of Stiffelio

Stiffelio in 10 minutes.

Stiffelio (Placido Domingo): "Di qua varcando" Zu mein Blog ist verboten. Subtitles in English! Redirect to YouTube here.

1851 Rigoletto. Set in 16th Century Mantua. You can also visit the following postings in my Gazetteer: Listen to Maria Callas and other artists singing "Caro Nome" on the Second Soprano Sunday in May and then, visit an earlier posting on Tenor Thursday in April dedicated to the Duke of Mantua's aria "La donne e mobile" with different artists, from Caruso to Pavarotti.

Sixteenth Century Mantua: the stage for Verdi's opera Rigoletto, based on a play titled "Le roi s'amuse".

Rigoletto in 10 minutes.

Gilda (Natalie Dessay): "Caro Nome"

Duke of Mantua (Placido Domingo) "Ella me fut rapita"

My absolute favorite version of the famous quartet in Rigoletto with a distraught Joan Sutherland, a lecherous Luciano Pavarotti, a vengeful Leo Nucci and a voluptuous Isola Jones. This is a masterpiece of singing, staging and acting. Here is "Bella figlia dell'amor"

1852 Il trovatore. The Troubador. Set in Biscay and Aragon in 15th Century Spain.

Il trovatore in 10 minutes.

1853 La traviata. The Fallen Woman or the Woman Who Goes Astray. Set in Paris and its vicinity at the beginning of the 18th century. Most modern productions set it during the 19th Century instead!

La traviata in 10 minutes

Duet between Germont (Sherrill Milnes) and Violetta (Mirella Freni)

1854 Les vêpres siciliennes. (I vespri siciliani) The Sicilian Vespers. Set in 1282. Palermo, Sicily in Italy.

Les vêpres siciliennes in 10 minutes.

1857 Simon Boccanegra. Set in Genoa, the middle of the 14th Century.

Simon Boccanegra in 10 minutes.

1857 Aroldo. Around 1200 AD in Kent, Englans and near Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Aroldo in 10 minutes

1859 Un ballo in maschera. A Masked Ball. Sweden, 1792 or Boston, at the end of the 17th Century.

Un ballo in maschera in 10 minutes.

1862 La forza del destino. The Force of Destiny. Set in Spain and Itlay around 1750.

La forza del destino in 10 minutes.

1867 Don Carlos. Set in Fontainebleau, France in winter (Act 1); The Monastery of Saint-Just (San Jerónimo de Yuste - Acts 2 & 5) and madrid (Act 3) Spain, 1545-1568.