Opera Chic

Celeste Zenaida. Why Is This Woman Smiling? Because She Bagged Simon Keenlyside

Congrats to Royal Ballet's Zenaida Yanowsky and bebbedaddy-to-be Simon Keenlyside: they are expecting their first child together and "spending more time" in Wales, where Sir Simon (knighted motu proprio by Opera Chic with due respect to Prince Harry's grandma and to Mr. Brown) happily indulges his hobbies -- zoology, bird watching (Mozart/Schikaneder would pewp their pants with happiness), and planting Welsh bluebells and Welsh daffs, whatever the hell those might be.

(via our favorite operatic Intermezzo)

Christiansen To Keenlyside: u r 2 old 4 Papageno. Opera Chic To Christiansen: u r nutz

Rupert Christiansen, that interesting grouch, thinks that Simon Keenlyside -- aka that big hulking juicy slab of baritonal USDA prime beef (OK he's English, whatevs) -- is getting too old for Zauberfloete and should hurry up and join his 60something and 70something colleagues who sing Rigoletto instead.

Do Opera Chic readers agree with Il Ruperto?

OC sez, hails naw! Do not take our Papageno away!

PAPAGAYNOW!

Interestingly, this is what another critic had to say of the same singer in the same performance. Instead of somebody who'd better be thinking about retiring the role, actually, Keenlyside is

The joy, and the reason to go, is Simon Keenlyside's Papageno. This most generous of artists pours head, heart and magnificent voice into each note, each gesture.

Mozart's librettist and director, Schikaneder, created the part for himself, giving himself the best music and the best gags. Keenlyside likewise relishes every moment, with endless tumbles, somersaults, skids, even a cartwheel, delivered with bendy rag-doll ease.

He looks suitably terrified when his good-time girl Papagena (Kishani Jayasinghe) thunders into view and pounces. In big baggy suit, with braces hanging and crumpled expression on his face, Keenlyside manages to be Chaliapin and Chaplin rolled into one. This is a feat worth experiencing.

Team Keenlyside ftw lulz

And anyway, this is SK's Papageno in 2003. He didn't look or sound too old then

Simon Says: "Rigoletto's Next". Dr Keenlyside Will Pick Your Brains

'I'm not sure it's what the opera-going public are interested in or that you could really explain it to them. My father used to say, "I wouldn't go into a room with a brain surgeon and expect to have a conversation about brain surgery when he's spent his whole life doing that", yet everyone expects to be able to talk about music as if it's something you can pick up overnight.'

Simon Keenlyside, that beautiful piece of big honking handsome British meat, talks about his future plans for Italian opera, Lieder, and world domination.