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London footwear designer Charlotte Olympia presented her AW11 collection during London Fashion Week, which included an ebony and ivory platform heel, making a pianista out of a pianist. Sometimes, sloppy pedal work is a small price to pay for towering stilettos. [via]
Amanda Ameer's Life's A Pitch has a breakdown of that Renee Fleming/Law & Order guest appearance that was hyped, but never actually happened. We're with Fleming on this one, for good reason, since apparently, it insinuated that opera singers typically enjoy their cocktails straight up their a$$e$.
Andrew Patner reports from Chicago that CSO MD Riccardo Muti, in a show of gratitude to all the doctors at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital who cured him, threw a thank you concert a couple days ago. Muti had pacemaker surgery a few weeks ago in Chicago after it was discovered that he had been suffering from a heart rhythm disturbance after fainting during a rehearsal. Loads more photos can be found on Patner's website here!
(Renata Scotto. Photo: Metropolitan Opera Guild)
for it is you who make things glitter, you
-- Robert Kelly, "Montblanc"
Opera has its Queen Bee. The Italian soprano and living legend Renata Scotto (~living legend, you can look, but don't touch~) has done it all. She's been Norma and Violetta and Mimi -- among the best in the modern era. She rediscovered La Voix Humaine back when it wasn't fashionable and also sang Schoenberg's Erwartung. In the span of an enormous career, she’s as intimate with the stage as with the backstage: La Scotto’s made the graceful transition from singer to director to teacher – a versatility that’s made her modern. Her vocal skills spanned from the lightest bel canto to the densest verismo. With ninja-sharp musicianship (and acting skillz) and a deep understanding of each composer, her style was intelligent, authoritative, and passionate.
Born in Savona, Italy (about a two-hour drive south of Milan) in 1934, we toast to the Italian diva (with ice-cold Bollinger in Régine flutes from Vetrerie di Empoli) who was born 77 years ago today. Now La Scotto lives part time in Armonk (since 1978), a Westchester County city that’s one hour north of NYC. She's been with her husband Lorenzo Anselmi, who was first violinist at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala (Scotto was already studying opera in Milan at age 14, and had her La Scala premiere at 19), for more than 50 years and they have two children. Daughter Laura lives close by, and son Filippo is a manager at the NYC-based Piper Anselmi Artists Management company (he represents our Rhapsody in Blue Slayer Maestro Francesco Maria Colombo as well as his Mom’s stage director work -- really, what could be more Italian than that?)
Opera Chic caught up with the La Scotto over the phone during another round of ~Snowpocalypse~ where the soprano was staying local for a special Metropolitan Opera Guild upcoming event. They’ve organized a party for her called “Met Legends: Renata Scotto” on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 7:30 pm at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College where she’ll chat about life and her legacy as a singer, a director and a teacher, accompanied by rare footage from past performances. Past Met Legends have been Marilyn Horne, Teresa Stratas and James Levine -- she's in good company.
But how can the soprano’s prolific Metropolitan Opera career fit into just one evening? Forty-five years ago from The Met's current season, she sang in 314 performances between 1965 and 1987 during a 25-year career and sang 26 roles (her Metropolitan Opera debut was as Cio-Cio San in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly).
(Scotto at The Met's Lady Macbeth. Photo: Metropolitan Opera Guild)
She made her Italian debut in 1952 (at 18-years-old). Her make-it-or-break-it moment came in 1957 at the Edinburgh Festival filling in for Maria Callas in a brilliant Bellini's La Sonnambula – at age 22 with 3-days notice. Trip report: She made it -- didn't break it.
Her earliest roles were bel canto: Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly), Violetta (La Traviata), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Amina (La sonnambula), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Gilda (Rigoletto) and a bit heavier as Mimì (La boheme). It wasn't until her 1974 Metropolitan I Vespri Siciliani that she segued into meatier (and at times more obscure) territory: Meyerbeer’s Le prophète; Verdi’s Don Carlo, Otello, Luisa Miller and Macbeth; Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Il Trittico and Tosca; Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini; Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito; and Bellini's Norma.
She's been staging opera for well over a decade and her productions have been seen at the Lyric Opera of Chicago (La Boheme and Un Ballo in Maschera) and the Florida Grand Opera (La Sonnambula and La Traviata). She's also staged productions in Helsinki (Norma), Bern (La Wally), Thessalonki (Lucia di Lammermoor), Dallas & Genova (Madama Butterfly), and a 1995 La Traviata for the New York City Opera that won her an Emmy Award.
Familiar with opera heroines like old friends, segueing into the role of mentor-teacher was inevitable. La Scotto understands that singing isn't just about the voice, and teaches students how to be complete performers: how to survive auditions, move on stage, how to dress, and how to choose the proper repertory. She's presented master classes at Juilliard, Curtis, Yale, and Met Opera's Lindemann Program (among others). In Italy, she's done master classes at La Scala and at Rome's Santa Cecila (the latter is still an active calling). In July 1997, she inaugurated the Renata Scotto Vocal Academy in Italy where each summer she teaches. Eight years ago she opened a new branch of her Academy at the Westchester Music Conservatory in New York.
When La Scotto talks about teaching, finding talent sustains her and the success of her students brings her satisfaction. La Scotto also spoke to Opera Chic all about Verdi’s versatility, modern staging, her love of America, and advice for new singers. Read the interview after the jump!
Someone's got a tromboner for the trumpeter: "Viso angelico, folta chioma di un biondo che abbaglia, corpo da Venere stretto in setosi abiti bianchi." Or, "Angelic face, luxurious blond hair that dazzles, a body of Venus wrapped tightly in silky white dresses". Someone get this dude a cold shower. And don't talk to him about flutter tonguing something something triple tonguing lip trill.
An ode to Alison Balsom in yesterday's La Repubblica (print only -- not online), the 32-year-old English classical trumpet virtuosa "bella come una diva". Breaking down the door of the boy's club, Balsom has hijacked the guest list with a smile and some brass.
The Classical Brits 2009 Female Artist of the Year recipient has brought the spotlight to an instrument that's reserved for both guys and non-soloists. What does she say of her friend? "It's powerful, brilliant, heroic, the most elegant, and unpredictably flexible. It's not just the ring, but also the warmth and softness. It's rich with multifaceted sounds and characters. And it has characteristics of the old world in the meaning that it can transport you back in time. But it's also able to show-off a modern appeal."
But, the journalists asks, isn't it an instrument that's usually associated with guys? Doesn't it need a lung-filling capacity that women just don't have?
Alison says, "That's just an old misjudgement from the military origins of the instrument. I was seven years old when I chose this instrument. I was attracted to it from the beginning. Luckily my parents supported my decision. [...] I've never had a physical problem in playing it."
And what's her opinion when people talk about her looks?
"At the beginning it was useful to make it known since we all know how important the physical aspect is for the performer. I admit that I love fashion. Recently Giorgio Armani invited me to attend his show in Milan and I had such a great time. But I'm convinced that it was really my talent that made people take notice of me. Beauty is only an extra gift."
Usually at the opera theaters we see whores on stage as epoch-old leading ladies like Violetta Valéry -- and more recently Anna Nicole Smith (although we're fiercely endeared to the Playboy hooker with the heart of gold). Leave it to creepy old rich Richard Lugner to turn art into life. The Viennese socialite has invited, literally, a whore to be his ~date~ to the annual Wiener Opernball.
In an embarrassingly dated escort-disguised-as-ambassador trick played every year, Lugner invites a trashy celebrity to attend (he actually pays them) one of Vienna's most prestigious social events of the year at the Vienna Staatsoper. Previous escorts have included Pamela Anderson, Dita Von Teese, and Paris Hilton (yeah, there's a pattern here).
This year, Lugner's invited Karima El-Mahroug -- aka Ruby -- an 18-year-old nightclub "dancer" who is one of the main characters of Italy's latest scandals. The Moroccan immigrant kicked-off the official bunga-bunga investigations surrounding Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his harem of whores who showed-up like clockwork from February to May 2010 to his famous orgies at his private villa.
Berlusconi will stand trail in April for charges of paying a then-underage Ruby for sex (she was a minor, only 17) and for abusing his power (he sprung her from police custody on shoplifting-related charges). And let's not forget about gifts totaling in more than $300,000.00 USD (two rolexes, a necklace, and a Valentino gown).
Lunger shafted Bo Derek for Ruby after he refused to pay Derek's fee. But at what cost comes Ruby? It's reported that Lugner's paying her €35,000 ($50,000.00 USD), a private jet for transportation, and luxury hotel accommodations.
As if Lunger's yearly tradition wasn't joke enough at this point, organizers of the Opernball are soooo not thrilled.
(1997 Riccardo Muti © Foto Terry)
We all know that there's a perfect place in American life for politically-correct adolescent posturing -- it's called college. It's a made-to-measure outlet for the formerly (read: back in high school) unpopular kids who can cloak their middle class resentment under the pretense of political engagement. But whenever actual grownups living outside the great walls of academia seriously argue that one should boycott the Wiener Philharmoniker because of their stubborn refusal to follow other people's (mostly American liberals) guidelines whenever it comes to hiring new musicians, well, the easily amused among us cannot resist a polite eye-rolling motion.
The case in question, Joshua Kosman's rant against the Wiener that can be summed up in its final paragraph::
Or to put the matter more bluntly: How can a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony truly give voice to the composer's all-embracing humanism when the performing ensemble, by its very nature, stands in opposition to those values?
Now Opera Chic liked Black Swan, but not enough to kill a man. Aronofsky's thriller triggered Latvian-on-Latvian violence. From Riga (via The Telegraph):
A man was shot dead at a Latvian cinema after eating his popcorn too loudly during a screen of Black Swan, according to reports. Police said they had arrested a 27-year-old man suspected of shooting a 42-year-old fellow audience member who later died of his wounds. The conflict took place as the credits rolled during a screen of the Oscar-nominated film "Black Swan", according to police in the Baltic state.
Retired Milanese ballerina Carla Fracci spoke to Corriere this weekend about her rent stresses: "Nessun favore, pago 4.300 euro al mese". We've all been there.
She continues: "Rent is our ruin, a huge weight for our family. We pay 4300 euro a month [about $$6,000.00 USD], and it really isn't a privilege."
If you think it's a lot of benjamins, check out the address: La Fracci lives on Via della Spiga, one of Milan's most exclusive streets, closed-off to traffic, where the city's super-lux boutiques are found. If Fracci needs to borrow a cup of sugar (or a lemon) she counts neighbors as Dolce & Gabbana, Tod's, Roberto Cavalli, Armani, Prada, and Miu Miu.
She's been there for 16 years with husband Beppe Menegatti in a roughly-2000 square foot apartment (187 meters). La Fracci says she also pays an additional 5300 euro a year ($7,200 USD) for building maintenance.
La Fracci's speaking out on her rent situation because she lives on a street where most apartments are rented out by fashion houses and as an ordinary citizen, it's too easy to forget about renters like her. Also, her apartment is listed on the client roster of Pio Albergo Trivulzio's agency, whose organization is in the middle of a messy inquiry after it was discovered that they created massive rent scandals -- apartments being sold and rented at "special" fixed prices.
Fracci continues that she doesn't think her rent is low but it's becoming a burden. She doesn't want to leave because she's loyal and there are many happy memories in her apartment, both anecdotal and physical. Like, she has the original sketches from the very first La Traviata.
"When it went on stage at La Fenice, Giuseppe Verdi decided to use costumes of the time [contemporary to 1853 when it premiered]. For that reason it was a flop. The next year he decided to dress everyone in clothes from the previous century. We found the sketches and they're hanging in our Milan apartment -- exactly where they should be."
Fracci said when she's in Milan (she splits her time in Rome), she goes often to the cemetery to visit the graves of her parents. Her son has a part time, unpaid teaching position at Milan's Politecnico. She wants to keep the apartment so she's going back to work in Milan.
"He arrives running in jeans and a sweatshirt with an overwhelming smile: John Axelrod, 45 years, is what you'd call a 'cool' orchestra conductor," begins the American-in-Europe conductor's interview with La Repubblica a couple days ago on the occasion of his current Mahler's 9th set with Milan's excellent La Verdi (that concludes today with the last performance at 4pm -- review forthcoming). The 40-something Maestro is France-based as the MD of Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, but he's deigned Italy with appearances in the next few months across Naples, Venice, and Modena.
So what does Axelrod think of Italy?:
I come to Italy at least two months per year, it's necessary to regenerate my soul. There's nothing that I don't like about Italy: the art, the food, fashion, music, the women -- And it's your way of living that I love. It seems to me that you guys are different from Americans in that you believe it's about "working to live" and not "living to work".
Yes to all of that!
Mark-Anthony Turnage's Anna Nicole opera opened earlier tonight at London's Royal Opera House and as we sit back and wait for the reviews, here are some photos. Richard Jones directed and Antonio Pappano conducted a cast of Eva-Maria Westbroek as Anna Nicole, Alan Oke as J. Howard Marshall and Gerald Finley as Howard K. Stern.
The Royal Opera House live tweeted the event, including all of the celebrity sightings from Yoko Ono to Vivienne Westwood.
[UPDATE: February 18! The Daily Mail has new photos and a "review" (c'mon -- it's a tabloid)]
The Metropolitan Opera reports that Anna Netrebko has cancelled her Norina in this Saturday's matinee of Don Pasquale. Australian soprano Rachelle Durkin steps in.
This cancellation comes on the heels of an Anna cancellation notice that we received yesterday, where the Russian soprano backed out of her "only U.S. recital" in Beaver Creek on Tuesday, February 22 at the Vilar Performing Arts Center.
(Photo: Pavel Antonov)
With all the chaos following American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky's Tosca role debut in Milan on Tuesday night (in Luc Bondy's riot-inducing production that premiered in 2009 at The Metropolitan Opera), we think everyone deserves a nice Radvanovsky treat for taking a ride on the La Scala rollercoaster.
Although she was supposed to debut the role later this month, Radvanovsky was pulled onstage two nights ago at la Scala after a virus struck down primary Tosca Oksana Dyka -- among other colleagues, reported here and here and here and here -- lol omg it never ends! Less fortunate is Jonas Kaufmann's Cavaradossi who has been pulled from tonight's performance (to be subbed by Carlo Ventre) as well.
One of the best American sopranos rocking 19th century Italian opera today, Radvanovsky is poised for a follow-up to her April 2010 solo debut "Verdi Arias". Dropping on February 22 is Verdi Opera Scenes, a duet CD with colleague & friend Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Radvanovsky's shared the stage often with Hvorostovsky and they've channeled their ebony/ivory chemistry into a recording, singing duets from Il Trovatore, Un Ballo in Maschera, Simon Boccanegra and Don Carlo.
The CD also lists encores from their co-tour last season, one of which was Radvanovsky's “Vissi d’arte”. The Act II Tosca aria is a melodic reflection of devotion, a stirring prayer to love set to Puccini's iconic score. Starting today and ending on the CD's launch (Feb. 22), we're offering the track for download. So you can't catch her at La Scala? You can catch her (in digital form anyway) here!
The free track is after the jump...
Continue reading "Radvanovsky's Tosca If You Can't Catch Her Live" »
[UPDATE 3:40pm Milan time, February 14, 2011: Jonas Kaufmann is also reportedly out of tomorrow night's Tosca la prima. He was slated to sing Cavaradossi.]
Word from the smog-heavy streets of downtown Milan is that due to illness, Oksana Dyka has canceled her opening night lead role in Puccini's Tosca at Teatro alla Scala, slated to open tomorrow night, Tuesday, February 15. Stepping in is American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky (who is scheduled to sing the role later in the run on February 27 & March 2, 4 & 6). Upgrade!! Conducting is Omer Meir Wellber, singing Cavaradossi is Jonas Kaufmann (February 15, 17, 20 & 22 -- split with Marco Berti), and singing Scarpia is Zeljko Lucic (February 15, 17, 20 & 22 & March 2, 4, 23 & 25 -- split with Bryn Terfel)
Opening night, less than 36 hours away, will unveil to the Milanese that controversial new production by Luc Bondy (that OC saw in New York City for its 2009 world premiere here) which New Yorkers lost their pewp over (and not in a good way) -- although signs point to the Milanese preparing flasks of Citrosodina (Italy's Alka Seltzer) to help digest Bondy's updated staging.
No, that's not a photo of Nicola Benedetti.
The Coen brother's True Grit opened the 61st Berlin Film Festival on Thursday and the film's protagonist, Mattie Ross, played by 14-year-old American actress Hailee Steinfeld (above), was snapped at a press conference in an awesomely age-appropriate dress. Not that it's out of character for the California native. Alongside Coen brother's co-stars Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, the young breakout star is a a welcome relief from (slightly older, vastly wilder) colleagues Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato (although the exception to the rule is bad-girl Lindsay Lohan during her Mean Girls years, NSFW-ish photo under the cut).
OC was reading an article on young violinist Nicola Benedetti from last weekend's Financial Times and although we're totally cool with the piece, what left the biggest impression was the 23-year-old, half-Italian/half-Scottish girl's down-home style, appearing in her FT photo with fabulously tousled hair and a big, comfy sweater.
While we're not comparing the style aesthetics of a 14-year-old to a 23-year-old, we're all for her skills-over-cleavage editorial approach. The pen is mightier than the push-up bra (or corset). Sure, we all like bewbs in our classical music, but there's a fine line between conservatory and cabaret -- like the thinnest, thin-gauge E string.
Benedetti's new disc drops later this month Tchaikovsky and Bruch violin concertos which she plays on the "Earl Spencer" 1714 Stradivarius, on loan from American banker Jonathan Moulds and worth over 3 million USD.
For those weak of will and flesh, NSFW Blohan's iconic photo is under the cut.
New CSO statement re: Riccardo Muti's illness.
These statements provide an update on Maestro Muti's condition since his fall on stage during rehearsal on February 3, 2011.
Dr. Alexis B. Olsson, DDS, Chief and Associate Clinical Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, previously provided details regarding the surgery he performed to repair facial and jaw fractures. Information is now available on the underlying cause of Maestro Muti's fall.
Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD, Cardiologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Chair, Preventative Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Bradley P. Knight, MD, Cardiologist and Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Associate Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
"As has been reported, Maestro Muti had a fainting spell that resulted in a fall. The fainting spell was caused by a common heart rhythm disturbance. Fortunately, the remainder of the Maestro's medical evaluation has revealed that he has superb heart function. In order to prevent possible future episodes of slow heart rate, we have implanted a standard pacemaker. Pacemakers are small devices (about the size of a silver dollar) that continuously monitor the heart rhythm and can deliver a small charge to create a heart beat if the patient’s own heart rate drops too low. Patients with pacemakers live full and active lives with excellent prognosis.
“We wish him the best as he takes time to heal, and we are sincerely grateful to him and his family that they chose to entrust his cardiovascular care to our team of renowned experts at Northwestern Memorial’s Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute.”
Riccardo Muti, Music Director, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
“I am so grateful to all of you for your support, caring and words from your hearts to mine. I am so disappointed that I was not able to share in the music making by our great Orchestra these past weeks.In my rehearsals, the Orchestra sounded like angels, and I wanted so much to make music together with them.
“A music director’s relationship with his orchestra is like a marriage.Together, we are a family and we bond in times of joy and in times of challenge. I think it was destiny that I came to Chicago and I think what has happened is also destiny, because now I understand and feel more comfortable than ever about returning to my work.”
William A. Osborn, Chairman, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association
“The Board, musicians and staff of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association completely stand behind Riccardo Muti, and we have made his recovery our top priority. I can say with certainty that the relationship between the CSOA and Maestro Muti is strong; he is an important part of our family. While health is a private and personal matter, we are grateful to Maestro Muti for allowing us to share his information with you. “
Deborah Rutter, President, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association
“Our main concern is that Maestro Muti makes a full recovery so that he can return to us and make music with our wonderful Orchestra. We would like to thank the doctors and staff of Northwestern Memorial Hospital for the care that they have provided to Maestro Muti. We would also like to thank the many individuals from Chicago and around the world that have expressed their well wishes for the Maestro. This tremendous outpouring has touched him and the board, staff and musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association deeply.”
Maestro Muti is currently recovering at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
French lifestyle blog La Belle France reports the break-up: Lyonnais Chef Nicolas Le Bec has severed ties with Opéra Garnier. The Paris opera house recruited the 2-star Michelin chef to head their long-delayed restaurant project (currently called "Le Fantôme") in the summer of 2008.
The restaurant was originally slated to open in Fall 2009, but was later postponed, blamed on "compliance issues" stemming from kitchen-specific violations against historical monument building codes. Latest launch date is this spring. Le Bec cited irreconcilable differences for the split (i.e. not $$$). No one yet has been confirmed as his replacement. Hang tight for the rebound! It's never pretty!