Opera Chic

A Beautiful Thing: La Scala To Play @ Ground Zero

This October 14, 2007, the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala will be at the World Financial Center in NYC's Lower Manhattan, where they will play Verdi's Requiem overlooking Ground Zero. The event has been commissioned in the name of remembrance for the roughly 2300 victims of 9/11.

It began as architect Daniel Liebeskind's idea, and Milan mayor Letizia Moratti and the La Scala management immediately agreed.

The La Scala chorus had already appeared at Ground Zero (well, literally on the edge of it) in the Summer of 2002, when the chorus conducted by Riccardo Muti sang Va' Pensiero in memory of the victims.

La Netrebka Shows Up At Carnegie, Finally

Hiding behind a full orchestra, a conductor, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky's big secksay shoulders, last nite a gold-sequined Anna Netrebko has finally appeared in a recital at Carnegie Hall: "artistically ready at last" (read: not as afraid of showing up alone with a piano accompanist in front of all those meanies lol).

The AP is not totally awed by our lovely soprano:

In her opening number, Juliette's waltz song from Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette," she sounded more nervous than impetuous. The Act 1 aria from Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" was theatrically gripping, as was the haunting "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's "Rusalka." A sad Rachmaninoff song, "Oh, Do Not Sing to Me, Fair Maiden" was lovely, until marred by a slight crack on one high note. Her two duets with Hvorostovsky, from Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" and Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin," were well sung but seemed dubious choices for the concert hall, dependent as they are on the dramatic context of the full operas.

We love Dmitri's black leather pants though.

Juan Diego Flórez Speaks to Style (and hopefully it will rub-off on him).

One of Opera Chic's frequently implemented bookmarks is the excellent website Voce di Tenore, especially the "We Hear That" section that reports on the latest Roberto Alagna, Juan Diego Flórez, and José Carreras headlines.

For this forthcoming post, we must thank the generous Voce author for bringing to our attention an interview with Juan Diego Flórez in the latest Corriere Della Sera supplement "Style" that came with the May 25th paper (and the hotness that is the all-grown-up, surly/cranky Ewan McGregor on the cover).

Fishing it from the bottom of the OC “To Do” stack that accumulated right before we left for Salzburg, we finally read it. We liked the photography (especially the photo above), but Flórez showed-up like he was ready to organize the kitchen pantry ("Am I supposed to put the marmalades next to the syrups?? or with the canned fruit?!"), while his wife showed-up dressed for a soviet bloc teen beauty pageant from the 80s (see below).

The interview uncovered a few things: It was revealed that Flórez has outgrown his digs in Bergamo and is in the process of building a new house on the hills of San Bartolo in Pesaro where he will be neighbors with both Pavarotti and Tibor Rudas (the record producer mastermind behind 'The Three Tenors'). How cool would it be to borrow sugar from Pavarotti, or argue over noise complaints at 3am? Also: more space for babies amirite?

The Peruvian tenor's schedule is packed until until 2013 (when he will drive his flying car to recitals and eat his foil-packeted spaceman food). The article also adds a postscript that he is now married to 26-year-old, ex-model Julia Trappe, but I don’t really "get" the modeling thing or the age thing, but l8ly my snarking ability is at half capacity, so whatevs let's just leave it at that. Labeling him as a 34-year-old heart-breaker, Flórez chats about his former career singing in the bars of Lima, his debut at the Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival, his La Scala La Fille bis, the future of singers in a changing opera world, his fashion sense, and some other things. Here below I translationed a few of the questions, and paraphrased a few of his replies:

Is it true that you are famous for being a heartbreaker and a lady's man?

"I was seen with lots of different young women when I first started working and that was the reason for some of this reputation. Now since four years ago I've been engaged to Julia, who is a big fan of physical fitness...a health nut. In all the places that we go, we look for a hotel that has a spa and a gym where she can do her exercises."

How do you like your women?

"Feminine, intelligent, and refined."

What do you do when you aren't singing?

"I like movies, but I look to stay away from large crowds. Therefore I like to watch dvds often at home. Most of all I love to play soccer with my friends. I'm an Inter fan!"

Your travels?

"When I go for work, I am never able to visit the cities. I want to go to Egypt, Hawaii, and Australia for the nature."

How do we find you in Italy?

"I like the Italians, the food and the wine (especially Barolo and Tuscany wines)."

What dishes do you love the most?

"I love to cook, and when I have time, I make l'Aji de gallina: a piece of boiled chicken and nuts 'piccante'”

Is it true that you are passionate about the computer?

"I use it loads to keep me in contact with my family. Also, in my hotel room, there is no piano, so the pc becomes a tool to warm-up my voice. Also when I compose I use it". [ed: c'mon...you know you google yourself and read Opera Chic.]

You have become rich. Is there something that once was a dream that now you can do for yourself?

"Ten years of a career does not make one rich. I am not the kind that loves the glamour of shopping. In fact, I play sports and help others: On June 2, I'm holding a huge concert for 20 thousand people, with the aim to raise money to build a residence for poor Peruvians." [ed: he’s doing the upcoming concert with Gian Marco Zignago, a young Peruvian pop star]

Who are your favorite composers?

"Wagner and Strauss, even if I'm not adept to sing them. And I love my dearest homeboys Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini."

Who are your role models?

"Alfredo Kraus, amazing with vocal phrasing and stage presence. Pavarotti for his beautiful voice, and Ernesto Palacio who had such elegance and was my maestro."

And which conductors did you learn the most from?

"Riccardo Muti I learned a lot from when I was working with him during rehearsals. And also Pappano." [ed: we like where you're going with this one]

So there it is. At first we were miffed by JDF's selection of boring drab/worn corduroys, the brown belt & black shoes combo, and the horrible old socks, but we're so over him it's not even funny. Next interview we'd love to see the Trappsters in Valentino and M.Bardelli...I mean cmon...regardless of the fact if you are rich or not, if you're in good enough standing to build a new house next door to Pavarotti, you can splurge on some new threads.    

Happy Birthday Shirley Verrett!!!

Today Opera Chic celebrates the birthday of Professor Shirley Verrett: tanti auguri di buon compleanno to the statuesque Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres & Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (how sad that the French have given her more recognition than her own country did, by the way). So, let's all start carving that big rock at Mount Rushmore and add her beautiful visage to that company of surly old d00ds, ok?

As Professor Verrettt's own University of Michigan page says, Verrett "has performed and recorded as soloist with conductors, including Claudio Abbado, Leonard Bernstein, Colin Davis, Carlo Maria Guilini, Bernard Haitink, Herbert von Karajan, Josef Krips, Rafael Kubelik, Erich Leinsdorf, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Eugene Ormandy, Seiji Ozawa, Georges Pretre, Thomas Schippers, Georg Solti, and Leopold Stokowski".

Opera Chic's not wearing her Yankee cap now, but she ideally tips her hat at that awesome list -- what a career, signora Shirley!

Sokolov Plays Conservatorio G. Verdi (He Won)

Opera Chic is back tonight from a late night passed at Conservatorio G. Verdi where she basked in the glory of Grigory Sokolov's piano recital in the white belly of that huge auditorium on via Conservatorio. The program consisted of Franz Schubert's Sonata in C minor D 958 which was played technically beyond-perfect, and suffused with tenderness and a wide range of color. The usual thirty-two minute composition (with four movements) took much longer under the careful caress of Sokolov, clocking-in at around forty. His pedal work is outstanding...his legato, his staccato, his transpositions...everything. He is appassionato in the fullest sense, and this performance quickly erased all prior memories of Barenboim’s momentous (but hey, kinda sloppy and heavy-handed) recital two nights ago at La Scala.

The second half of the program was, um, okay...a selection of Aleksandr Nikolaevich Skrjabin works with only a few standouts (not at the fault of the superb Sokolov, but my own incapacity to really get into Skrjabin). One "mistake" (we use this ironically) of Sokolov was launching directly into the astounding, trompe l'oeil splendor of "Opus 9 Prelude and Nocturne for the Left Hand", which demonstrated so much of his endless talent and received so much applause, that the following four program pieces sent the entire audience into proper applause etiquette confusion, with half the auditorium tepidly applauding, and the other half shushing them during each subsequent piece. jokes on us all. Again, his presentation of the Skrjabin work for the left hand was insane, his right hand hanging idly at his side. His phrasing and mastery of mixing legato with brighter staccato and spirito was beyond words. He used the voice of his left hand to mind-bogglingly sound like two. The Sonata No. 3 Opus 23 was also a standout, leaving the remaining works (Due Poemi Opus 69, Sonata No. 10 Opus 70, and Vers la flamme Opus 72) a bit of a chore (OC wanted the delicious encore already).

Six bis were given, starting with a sweet andante Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in E Minor, and then including another Chopin waltz, Liszt, Beethoven, Brahms, which all brought standing ovations. Opera Chic is just glad she was able to catch this great pianist play live in such a beautiful city that cherishes its musicians.

btw, we found one of Jessica's 2005 Sokolov performance reviews on a Sokolov website, and we love this quote: "And although he's a big bear of a man, he can be as graceful as a ballet dancer (take the hand crossings in the Schubert) and create sounds as delicate as a hummingbird." It's a wonderful quote because it's true! He's just perfect.

Now here's a picture of some random ladies mobbing the vendor in the lobby of Conservatorio after the show for Sokolov discs vvvvvvv

 

So Bootleg It Almost Hurts: 2007/8 La Scala Season

In the precious few hours before Teatro alla Scala makes official today's announcement for Season 2007/8 (omg omg omg), and knowing that a flood of international visitors will be clamoring to make the connection to read about the latest offerings from Stéphane Lissner, the brilliant team behind the Teatro alla Scala website has taken the entire site offline due to 'maintainance activities'. bwahahahah! [ed: guys, it’s spelled ‘maintenance’ fwiw tia loalz. but well done with ‘inconvenience’…you got that off.] [insert 'How many IT techs does it take to update a basic calendar app?' joke here]

But as always, you come to Opera Chic for the latest breaking news…so here we have it! R U RRAEDY??!!

General Manager Stephane Lissner has created a new powerhouse season with 260 performances, broken-down into fourteen opera(s) and six ballet(s). The 2007/8 season will open, as always, on Sant'Ambrogio (December 7) with Daniel Barenboim's conducting of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, directed by Patrice Chéreau (and NO ALAGNA this time!!)

Daniel Barenboim will also conduct in June 2008 Prokofiev's The Gambler, Verdi's Requiem on November 9, 2007, and Bruckner's 8th with Berlin's Staatskapelle in July 2008. From January to June 2008 Barenboim, who holds the title of Maestro Scaligero (that was once Wilhelm Furtwangler's), will play the complete Beethoven sonatas.

Among the conductors who will appear in 2007/08 at Teatro alla Scala: Riccardo Chailly will conduct Puccini's Il Trittico, the Concerto di Natale on December 22, 2007, and Rossini's Stabat Mater; also making appearances will be Daniele Gatti; Daniel Harding; Gustavo Dudamel (La Boheme); Lorin Maazel (Wozzeck).

General Manager Stephane Lissner has signed a deal with French-German satellite channel Arté: la "prima", the Concerto di Natale, and a Tchaikovsky Gala on December 31 (Roberto Bolle will dance!).

The kewlest parts of the new season?

1. La Scala has finally invited their first woman conductor to appear: Marin Alsop. (*looks at timeline/watch/calendar...thinks wtf?!*). you;ve come a long way, bebbeh!

2. Terry Gilliam will direct Andrea Chenier in June '08 (with Daniel Oren conducting). dang, kip!

3. On September 16, 2007, for the 30th anniversary of Maria Callas's death, a documentary about her life will be shown in the Ridotto dei Palchi, and two exhibits will be dedicated to her at the Museo della Scala.

For our star vocalists, La Scala will show many of the same singers that have graced the stage in the past few seasons:

December 7th's la prima will have Tristan und Isolde with Ian Storey and Waltraud Meier in the leads. January 15th will see Donizetti's Maria Stuarda with Anna Caterina Antonacci as Elisabetta and Mariella Devia as Maria. The end of January is Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac with Plácido Domingo in the title role! March will bring Il Trittico with Juan Pons, Barbara Frittoli, and Leo Nucci. Our April Fools Day Verdi's Macbeth (directed by Graham Vick) is with Nucci and Violeta Urmana. The beginning-of-June Andrea Chenier will bring Marcelo Álvarez in the title role, with Maddalena as Fiorenza Cedolins to Renato Bruson's Gerard. Juan Diego Florez -- who lives just around the corner in Bergamo -- and Magdalena Kozena will appear in recitals.

The opera season will end with an operetta, Franz Lehár's Merry Widow.

Ballet season will begin December 14th with Bourmeister's Swan Lake and will end with Neumeier's La Dame aux camélias.

This new season looks tight. We can't wait to have ourselves a listen! 

*cries*

It's been 12 days since the OC blog has been Roberto Alagna-free, and we were hoping we could make it last to at least two weeks...but the OC inbox is clogged with readers asking why we haven't yet posted on the latest Alagna flounderings.

Forum boards across the vast tubes of the internets have been echoing for the past week with news of tenor Roberto Alagna's newest string of cancellations, which this time manifest as a drop-out of three June performances in Il Trovatore at Madrid’s Teatro Real.

We had first caught wind of the situation last week when dear, cherished, illuminated reader *fignaz* (who has forever gained permanent residence in the hallowed halls of OC legends) had earlier alerted Opera Chic to the massive warning signs and circulating rumors of an imminent Alagna break-down and pull-out, stating that shortly after Alagna's May 18 recital in Paris at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées (where he sang French opera arias, tarantellas, and Sicilian folk songs) the tenor had a "bad hypoglycemia attack" (codename: nervous breakdown/panic attack), which prompted the singer's doctor to intervene with rounds of diagnostic tests. We were waiting for the French papers to confirm details, but they clearly don't care, and the official statement has finally been announced by representatives at Teatro Real.

As of today, Teatro Real still hasn't knocked down Alagna's name from the la prima cast listing (opposite Fiorenza Cedolins and Dolora Zajick), but yesterday the theater announced Alagan’s Manrico replacements, including South Korean tenor Francesco Hong (sharing the dates with both la prima's Francisco Casanova and Richard Margison), who should probably start a support group for replacement tenors that have stepped in for the super-flaky Alagna, and make Antonello Palombi the treasurer.) [ed: As of this morning, Alagna has been pulled from the cast listing for June's Il Trovatore on the Teatro Real website].

(the latest member of the "I Covered Alagna's Latest Cancellation And All I Got Was This Crappy T-Shirt" club, tenor Francesco Hong)

As everyone knows by now (hell, even Fox News is reporting on it), Alagna is checking into a clinic this weekend for a nose job that will take six weeks of recovery time and two weeks restriction of airplane travel. The surgeons will exorcise the great goblins that reside inside his nasal cavities, currently robbing him of precious oxygen...or something like that. listen, this is totally ridicculous, i talked to alagna's doctor onetime in an elevator in paris and he didnt mention nose jobs at all. i call shenanigans.

What we love is that Drama-Llama-Alagna once again managed to eclipse another great maestro, Nicola “My Grandpappy Went Duck-Hunting with Puccini” Luisotti, who will be conducting the Il Trovatore run. But who cares about the conductor when one of the worlds greatest tenors (who can't seem to find access to any of the worlds greatest doctors) might be sick? omg halp sumbuddy halp roberdo b4 he flies n 2 another steroid rage! I asked for my cheeseburger without pickles biyotch *overturns trays**punches cashier* RAWR RAWR.

While discussing Alagna, no one should miss this Spanish-language interview from El Pais, (also alerted to us by fignaz) where Alagna rehashes more of his old beefs with conductors and other paranoid ramblings. Bonus is the accompanying image of Alagna in the most insane selection of white pants and shoes, which I shamelessly copied+pasted from the story below. Where does one even buy shoes like that? Forget the doctors...this man needs a stylist!~ STAT!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

now here's a picture of the cuddly knut (before he got ugly) to chase away the horror of Alagna's white pants/shoes above:

Barenboim's Hissy Fit, Part II

Big update!! Okay, so we know that there was a bit of mystery last night surrounding the Daniel Barenboim recital at Teatro alla Scala, as he shunned the adoring Milan audience by hastily leaving the theater without a single encore.

We just didn't understand: we showed Barenboim much love and respect last night and the audience (Maurizio Pollini among the crowd) applauded him heartily. We called for encores, and even gave him standing ovations (well, the platea seats are too expensive to raise one's a$$ off of them, people there never give standing ovations) but he still refused.   

Word has it that it was indeed the 2nd row camera sniper that had Barenboim's panties in a twist (btw, it seemed to OC last night that the photo detractor was in the first row, but apparently not)...

Opera Chic has learned that Barenboim was visibly pissed during the intermission, even after he scolded the detractor during his first curtain call (in front of the entire auditorium) by charging towards the camera-wielder and wagging his finger angrily.

La Scala General Manager Stéphane Lissner was brought in for damage-control, and asked a reluctant, still-pissed-off Barenboim to make the audience happy and play again, just once. But Barenboim was all like, awwww hells naw. And he decided to punish the entire hall (Maurizio Pollini included) for one guy's lack of discretion.

Even more jarring about his abduction is that a lovely reader from Bologna had written OC with a full report of Barenboim's Bologna recital just two days prior, where he treated the fans to a *full hour* of bis:

“The public started screaming non-stop, and we then had an hour of encores, Evgeny Kissin style. Mostly Frédéric Chopin, including a Polonaise that brought the house down!!!” [thanks for the review, again, Big D!]

Now, Opera Chic is on the record in this blog and in IRL as saying that Barenboim is a wonderful artist, a committed musician, a man of peace, and a generous intellectual.

He's also an ex-child prodigy...and OC knows he's still a prodigy; she just thought he wasn't a child anymore. *snaps*

(photo from daniel barenboim)

Natalie Dessay is OC's Hero 4Evar

This weekend passed in Salzburg at our 5-star luxury hotel (rhymes with lol "facher" lol) -- resting under soft down comforters and nibbling on slices of sacher torte -- found us curiously flipping through the awesome Austrian television channels, sampling the assorted randomness of the current Österreich trends. Aside from all of the dubbed crappy American action movies from the 80s, entertaining commercials and dramas, we found a live broadcast of The 15th Annual Life Ball, streamed direct from Vienna. The Life Ball (warning: YouTube link with sound) is Europe’s largest annual HIV/AIDS charity, which materializes as a star-studded gigantic party organized to raise money and awareness for the admirable cause.

After suffering through the spectacle of Richie Rich's Heatherette nightmarish take on fairytales and fables, and the hostess screaming through assorted interviews with Heatherette Muse Amanda Lepore and (slowly-becoming-Amanda-Lepore-Clone) Jenna Jameson, we switched back to something a bit more sedate (mind you, this was after our super-cleansing spa treatments reduced us to baby-soft skin and matching vibes). However, if we had only known that our own Natalie Dessay had made an appearance, maybe we would have endured the live stream.

In the picture above, our favorite French soprano parties with British designer Vivianne Westwood while dressed as a pirate. Arrrggg! We can’t imagine any soprano as kewl as Natalie to make an appearance at the hotness that is The Life Ball.

Welser-Möst Comes Clean: My Berg Is Teh Suck

George Szell's ghost is all like, wtf:

Listeners aren't always aware of these discrepancies, but the Cleveland Orchestra's audience Thursday at Severance Hall was abuzz at intermission about the two interruptions during the last movement of Alban Berg's Chamber Concerto for Piano, Violin and 13 Wind Instruments.

The piece was moving along when everything suddenly collapsed and music director Franz Welser-Möst uttered, "Sorry." He took the ensemble back a bunch of bars and tried again, to no better effect.

"You see how difficult this is," the conductor said to the audience. "It worked this morning."

Teh dog ate his score, too.

Faust For Halloween

Philippe Fénelon's "création mondiale" of Faust in Toulouse revolves apparently around a large carved skull large carved pumpkin. The Capitole opera house in Southern France seems to appreciate the subtle dig at hellish US tradition and the nice "Peanuts" hommage. Dutch Tenor Arnold Bezuyen and US baritone Robert Bork play Faust and Mephistopheles, German conductor Bernhard Kontarsky tries to make sense of the orangey mess.

Bolle Slams Fracci, Scala; Barenboim's Hissy Fit

Roberto Bolle, who's coming soon to New York (OMG!!!) for Manon and Romeo and Juliet with Alessandra Ferri slams "egotistical" Carla Fracci and snarks his own house, la Scala, in a Corriere della Sera interview today.

Attacking the bureaucratic Italian system of danza classica (unfavorably compared to other countries) he says:

"This system cripples the advancement of new generations of dancers... I consider human but egotistical that an artist such as Carla Fracci remains on the Opera di Roma payroll; not just as a financial issue, but as an artistic issue, too".

Then he concludes that "la Scala is a no. 1 theatre worldwide for opera; for ballet, not so much. The Metropolitan and the American Ballet are numero uno".

Bolle then sends a Valentine to his "favorite", Darcey Bussell, his partner for 8 years at Covent Garden who has just retired.  About Bussell and Alessandra Ferri, who is about to retire, too, Bolle says: "... I admire them for the knowledge they so generously shared with me, but especially for the classy decision to retire from splendid careers in the moment of maximum accomplishment and of maximum splendor". 

Bolle also repeats once more his devotion to the memory of Rudolf Nureyev: "When I was 15 he gave me the gift of confidence in my abilities, in my vocation. His charisma remained intact to the end".

He owes his (very generous, we have to repeat here: Roberto is not only really talented and incredibly hawt but also has a generous heart) commitment to charity to the example set by Mother Teresa, to whom he is very devoted. He also confesses that he has a bit of a superstitious habit: he lights a small candle in his dressing room for good luck, "if fire regulations allow that!". 

About his personal taste in music, he confesses to listening to a lot of Justin Timberlake, not just Tchaikovsky. Rawk your body!

More later on Daniel Barenboim's hissy fit last night at la Scala....

Barenboim at La Scala: Troppo Forte!

Opera Chic fought too many hours of traffic on the slick roads from Salzburg to Milan this afternoon, and with the constantly falling rain and crowds, we vow to fly next time – no more awesome Rosenberger Autobahn restaurants, no more awesome green scenery, no more bootleg gas station shops to explore – we’ll take our chances. And we’ll tell you more about the Salzburg festivities later, as well as full reports from the very awesome Muti Don Calandrino.

Arriving cranky and exhausted to a chilly Milan, OC quickly showered and changed into a pair of Levis and Aspesi windbreaker thrown over gray-as-rain cashmere sweater, Paul Smith fold-up umbrella thrown into my LV Speedles 30, and headed down to La Scala where Barenboim was scheduled to grace the La Scala stage with a piano recital, an Omaggio all'Italia that still managed to bring out the crowds into a soggy evening.

Here's a quick recap, since OC is seriously in need of some beauty rest: Maestro Scaligero Barenboim took the stage and began bowing. Simultaneously, a La Scala page came dashing over to an elderly man sitting in the first row. He stood directly in front of said man, placing his hand over the man's camera for at least five seconds until the camera was put down.

Here's the fun part: At the first curtain call after the first three Liszt selections, Barenboim jumped up from his piano bench and stared directly at the violator, waving/wagging his finger at him angrily, scolding him for his prior recording actions. He was visibly pissed. He was like, “Don’t make me come down there and smack that camera out of your hand!”

The last work before the intermission (from "Années de pèlerinage. Deuxième Année. Italie": Après une lecture de Dante. "Fantasia quasi sonata") was stellar, and Barenboim flogged the piano like a raging animal. He pounded on the keys like a man with a vengeance…like he had a beef with the piano or something...like he had cast Orichalcum’s Most Holy WTF, and the house went wild with his mad orc rushing skills.

During the intermission, two little stage elves came out and mopped up a puddle (??) from underneath the piano bench, and then changed the old busted one with a new sweet model. After the intermission, Barenboim began three little parafrasi of Verdi (Il Trovatore, Aida, and Rigoletto), which were sweet and enjoyable.

But here’s what is teh suck: Barenboim performed the same program in Bologna two nights ago at the Auditorium Teatro Manzoni, and a very adorable reader from Bologna wrote me a synopsis. He told me that on Saturday night to the Bologna audience, Barenboim commanded an hour of encores, reaching into a Chopin-heavy repertoire, bringing the house down. WTF?! Tonight at La Scala, Barenboim came out for maybe three curtain calls, and then at the fourth, he pushed the piano bench towards the piano, and closed the keyboard! WTF? Snubbed! No encore. La Scala gets no love. ;__;

Honestly? We think he was going to find the detractor from the first row who tried to film him, and kick his a$$.

New Music: Don Calandrino Comes Back, Burns Salzburg Down

Opera Chic didn’t really want to spend Memorial weekend (well, it’s Memorial weekend in the US, Italians couldn’t care less, but whatevs) in sticky-hot-as-if-it’s-already-July Milan, so she hopped on to cool (even too cool, OC was greeted by a hellish, if short, hail storm) Salzburg like a happy bunny.

Because since all the cool kids are always mentioning “new music”, Opera Chic decided to treat herself to some deinitely new music – music none of you guys has ever really heard. Music that’s 229 years new, actually.

Because the Whitsun Festival in Salzburg has begun last Friday with Riccardo Muti conducting a lost opera by Domenico Cimarosa, Il Ritorno di Don Calandrino, a score that he has found in the archives of the San Pietro a Maiella Conservatorio.

Tonight, OC has just returned to her hotel after seeing the second performance. Long review coming tomorrow, on Tuesday at the latest.

Suffice to say, Cimarosa's tight relationship with Mozart was evident -- it's an opera about two women lusting after the same man, so similar at times to Rossini's l'Italiana in Algeri (the general tone of playfulness) and to Mozart's own Così Fan Tutte (the structure built around the relationship of two couples with a fifth character).

The libretto is a witty little kitty that, unfortunately for nonItalian speaking audiences, has so many delightful -- really extraordinary -- wordplays easily lost in supertitles translation.

Muti's conducting, as always with this kind of material, the material he's most comfortable with and that he dominates completely, was a miracle of airy splendor: his ability to lead the kids (students) of his creature, the Cherubini orchestra, to a performance perfectly suitable to a historic venue such as Salzburg, was amazing. His talent for quicksilver, driven pulse and for nevertheless pointing out the moments of sadness behind the slapstick of most of the action, was another miracle.

Before going to baed, just one suggestion to a smart tenor who really wants to look good: call Muti on his cellphone (he doesn't do email and does not even know what an iPod is) and ask him to send you a copy of the score: Scene 6, act II, begins with the tenor aria “La donna è sempre instabile” (“La donna è sempre instabile / sempre si cangia e vola / come la banderuola / che gira qua e là”). We easily see someone like Rolando Villazon bringing the house down singing that aria during a recital. Muti has already found interest for Don Calandrino in Russia and Paris: he really might have found there much more than a curiosity for the Whitsun Festival in Salzburg. It may very well be an opera buffa worth performing again, for wider audiences: it has essentially four leads, one tenor, two dueling (in many ways, literally too) sopranos, and a bass-baritone. At least two arias deserve to become classics of the genre.

More tomorrow, now Opera Chic spake and she is tired.

PS Our favorite post-performance moment: the old dude who approached the gift shop representative asking for a cd of the opera. He had to be told that this was the first performance in more than two centuries. That made Opera Chic lol. (esp because she saw a nice ladey recording the entire performances a few rows back from OC's choice seat).
May ye gawds of Opera Share help us all.

El Sistema: Made In Scotland

By now we all know how the awesome Venezuelan system for music education, El Sistema, nurtured the genius of our pocketsize, cute Afro'd conductor, Gustavo Dudamel.

The Scots are so impressed with it that they want to import it. It will apparently be rebranded as "El McSistema". Attempts to convince Hugo Chavez to wear a kilt have so far been unsuccessful.

Amato Opera's Slimmed-Down Falstaff

Only the Amato Opera (page with sound), that workshop of bonsai teatro musicale, could attempt the monster feat of slimming that sweet whale of a character down. Tonight and tomorrow at the Amato Opera, NYC. We wonder: how many baby paellows will it take to fill Falstaff's belly on that tiny little stage?

Readers Request: More Muti Hawtness

Due to massive and insistent reader request after Opera Chic's first Muti family-hawtness pawst, here's more images of the Riccardo Muti / Cristina Mazzavillani Muti offspring, daughter Chiara (an actress), and sons Domenico and Francesco.

Here's a magazine photo of Francesco, Chiara and il Maestro @ la Scala:

This is another photo of Francesco:

Here's Chiara, from her website, showing off her impressive cheekbones and the trademark Muti jawline in a Bailey black and white portrait, and a bit of cleavage in a Ferri shot.

Chiara by Bailey:

Chiara by Ferri:

Wayne Marshall's Bernstein

Maestro Wayne Marshall (pictured in the photo above with Opera Chic's Uncle Solly, aka Maestro Yuri Temirkanov) is not only a great pianist, an excellent organist, and a most elegant conductor, he also seems to have a special connection to Lenny's music.

Opera Chic's milanese friends are still raving about a Marshall concert at la Scala in 2001 -- when, among Gershwin gems, he conducted an apparently incandescent Candide ouverture.

Tomorrow night Maestro Marshall will lead the Accademia di Santa Cecilia orchestra, that most Bernsteinian institution, in Rome: the program will make Rosalind Russell's awesome ghost very happy, because it's Wonderful Town. In the cast, Kim Criswell, Catherine Torriani, Sebastien Lemoine, Vincente Ordonneau, Leroy Villanuava Wreck, Zachary Halley and Renata Palminiello.

Ailing Luciano Pavarotti's Hommage To La Stupenda

Dame Joan Sutherland, accompanied by her husband Mr. Joan Sutherland, the conductor and musicologist (a much better musicologist than a conductor, by the way), has just visited Bologna where she has been awarded the «Siòla d'oro», the opera prize given to outstanding singers and named after the great soprano Lina Pagliughi, born exactly 100 years ago (she passed away in 1980).

Musicologists, singers, critics have spoken, during the ceremony, about Dame Joan's genius: but the real big moment came when she was suprised by a video sent by a faraway friend, Luciano Pavarotti.

Our dear sweet "Big Luciano", still ailing from his fight against a terrible illness, could not obviously participate but sent a video. Where, still pale and haggard after the treatments, bravely downplayed his health problems with a smiling "these days I'm not very well, non sto tanto bene", joked about his partnership with the Dame "we were a golden couple, golden in every sense", and explained how Sutherland and her hubby Richard Bonynge, "Joan and Ricky", "will be forever in my heart: and I still think about all the fun we had together, since our very first tour together, in Australia. Brava Joan, bravissima: all the world knows how much your talent deserves this award. And if I may add something, you set a standard of professional behavior and dedication to your work".

Cue the Thunderous applause.

Sutherland, always cool, explained that "nowadays I don't do much, I am an old lady", but hasn't lost her gift for the cutting remark.

Her favorite performances? "Norma and Esclarmonde".

Does she listen to her records? "Not when I was still singing. Now, I do, occasionally. And I ask myself: how did I manage to hit that acuto?"

Why, if she admires Rossini so, did she only sing in Semiramide? "Unfortunately a singer's willingness to do an opera has to be accompanied by a opera house's proposal to sing in that opera".

Why doesn't she give masterclasses? "I'm 80, I don't wanto to have anything to do with opera anymore. I only work occasionally as a judge in singing contests".

What about young singers then? "Young singers do not have the appropriate technique".

She doesn't go to the opera much: "In my days, every cast had at least three or four excellent voices. Nowadays, you're lucky to hear one. And anyway in today's opera houses they have too many microphones and too many absurd directors".

Triple yay!

Ferruccio Furlanetto's Chiropractic Lesson

Opera Chic's hero, the Zampano' of today's opera world, Ferruccio "I Got Teh Powah" Furlanetto, on stage demonstrates a Russian chiropractic technique during dress rehearsals for Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov in Vienna's Staatsoper.

crack! crack! snap! pop!

The opera is conducted by our Daniele Gatti and will have its premiere on May 28

Dancer In The Dark: Saddest Film Opera Ever

That crushing sadness put on celluloid that is Lars von Trier's «Dancer in the Dark» will be made into an opera by Denmark's Royal Theater. The Danish opera house has commissioned the work to composer Poul Ruders and the English-language libretto to Henrik Engelbrecht.

La prima is set for the 2010-11 season: Swedish soprano Ylva Kihlberg is set to sing the role of Selma (Bjork's role).

OC New Buddy: Stephen Pollard

After Uncle Normy and Dame Jessica, Opera Chic has found another British friend, the exquisite ness that is Sir (a Opera Chic Knighthood, not those given out in liberal -- heh -- quantities by that Helen Mirren impersonator) Stephen Pollard. 

Two Premieres in One For English National Opera

Tonight marks la prima of Benjamin Britten's Death in Venice at the London Coliseum, the first ever English National Opera staging of Britten's last opera (with Ian Bostridge in the lead) with direction by Deborah Warner. Conducting is the 32-year-old maestro Edward Gardner in his highly anticipated debut as ENO's new Music Director (he did a lovely Così fan tutte for the rumored-to-be-slightly-endangered ENO last season while he was still Music Director "Designate" from March 2006, and has only held official title of Music Director starting this month).

Resume-builders (aside from being marginally adorable) include Music Director of Glyndebourne On Tour, and a Young Artists Award by the Royal Philharmonic Society, which puts him in good running with the new generation of talented young conductors (Ticciati, Dudamel, et al).

Word has it that Ian Bostridge as Aschenbach is in great form for this new production. Dramatically lit, there is much play of light and shadow, with nonspecific scenery that isn’t terribly evocative of Venice, focusing rather on the pathos/drama. Gardner marks high with a light touch at the podium. yay for everyone!

Two Hawt Mutis' in Two Hawt Events

This past weekend OC found a gem in La Stampa that almost made her spit out a fresh, creamy bite of burrata (bella fresca) onto her lap (which would have been tragic...wearing a Nanette Lepore floral sundress). I turned to an article discussing one of Riccardo "how do i make internets?" Muti's very h0tt offspring with wife Cristina Mazzavillani: actress, film star, singer (maybe: read below) and model Chiara "I never gave my dad an iPod for xmas" Muti (in photo above).

The events that spark the article is a coincidental double-date between Italian director Ruggero Cappuccio, who has a current choke-hold on the Muti clan for this Friday, May 25. The stellar date will witness the launch and re-release of two double-coincidental projects for both maestro and daughter that are produced from collaboration with Cappuccio. Another coincidence is that both projects celebrate Naples...but that just gives us yawnz0rz.

The first of Ruggero’s appointments is with Riccardo Muti and the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini at Salzburg’s Haus fur Mozart. Friday marks la prima for a brand new staging of Domenico Cimarosa's Il Ritorno Di Don Calandrino by (obvs) Ruggero Cappuccio with Muti on the podium. The production was commissioned for the 2007 Festival di Pentecoste (and co-produced for the Ravenna Festival) with thankfully no castrati this time.

The other Friday, May 25 appointment for Ruggero (that he already said he would not attend) is with Muti's daughter Chiara, who starred in the director's 2004 movie Il sorriso dell'ultima notte, that will be replaying at Il Politecnico Fandango in Rome until May 31.

I don’t know…if we were in Ruggero’s shoes, how would we have ever decided which event to attend?! On one hand you have the ravishing (albeit a pretty wooden actress, in all her beauty) Chiara...and on the other you have the hotness that is Riccardo. Chiara's cute (and she can make things move without touching them: yes, that was cleverly-crafted joke) but she's not really my type so thanks n e way/ I guess i'd pick Muti, too, but only if he promised to hold me afterwards, but you know he wouldn't...he'd have like some obscure 18th century scores to study.

And what has our lovely Chiara been up to lately? omg u wont believe:: It comes to light in the article that while living in Paris and waiting for a few films to hit the screen this autumn, she is preparing for a recital/play with pianist Paolo Restani about the life of Mozart, which will debut on June 4 at Teatro Municipale Giuseppe Verdi di Salerno. Let's hope she makes her daddy proud.

Speaking of hawtness, this is Muti's son, Domenico, avid soccer player.

This is the Muti family in 2001:

^^^update^^^

Now, to try and recover from all the hawtness, here's a nice piece by the Maestro himself in the online Welt, where he explains his work among the dusty shelves of the Conservatorio San Pietro a Maiella, the archives where he unearthed all those 18th century forgotten gems.

BREAKING NEWS: A Night At La Scala In Memory Of Gianni Versace: A Bejart Ballet For Gianni

On July 15, 2007, la Scala will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of fashion designer, opera and ballet costume designer and music lover Gianni Versace.

The program of the night has yet to be defined precisely, but La Maison Versace and the Versace family and the City government of Milan have joined forces in an effort to organize with la Scala a night of ballet: coreographer Maurice Béjart has written a new ballet in memory of Versace. The second half of the show, also directed by Béjart, will introduce a selection of scenes from the ballets Versace had worked on for la Scala as costume designer.

The same day will see a street of downtown Milan exceptionally named after the designer. A Mass in the Duomo, the city's gothic cathedral a short walk through the Galleria from la Scala, will end the commemoration of Versace's death.