Opera Chic

Rimsky-Korsakov's Piece, Berlioz, and Wagner

We love the Tate for its immense Turner collection, Kunsthistorisches Museum for its delicious Bruegel, The National Gallery for its fantastic Copley, Cortona's Museo Diocesano for Fra Angelico, and all of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Firenze's gli Uffizi -- but Paris' Musée d'Orsay is one of our favorites for the heavy hitters of the French schools.

Aside from the sumptuous Manet, Monet, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van Gogh (we love the blue crispness in Paul Cézanne's La femme à la cafetière and Gustave Courbet's fleshy The Origin of the World [NSFW]), we always say hello to the portrait of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's wife, Nadezhda, by F. Xavier Winterhalter (image above -- currently in Russia at the Pushkin Museum for an “Inspiration Dior” special event) and Gustave Courbet's 1850 portrait of Hector Berlioz, especially for the backstory:

It was through mediations of Francis Wey, a great friend of Berlioz, that the musician agreed to sit for a portrait at Courbet's studio in 1850. Courbet must have been delighted at such an opportunity. Berlioz, then aged about forty-five years old, was an important figure on the artistic scene, and was a good friend of Victor Hugo, whom Courbet admired.

However, the meeting was not a success. Berlioz was a secretive man, easily offended. Courbet, on the other hand, prided himself on his musical ability, and took advantage of the composer's presence to demonstrate his talents as a singer. "During the sittings", recounted Georges Kial, "[Courbet] took it into his head to sing his songs, "tuneless laments" […] and to offer them as examples of popular music. At first Berlioz thought it was a joke; then, realising that to Courbet it was nothing of the sort, he took him for an idiot". We do not know if it was his annoyance over this that caused Berlioz to refuse the portrait once it was finished.

So cranky! Another lol goes to Courbet's "Protestant minister" portrait of Richard Wagner where you can almost smell him through the canvas.

Filarmonica della Scala's Season Ender

German conducor Frank Strobel (with his swashbuckling Dumas facial hair) will conclude Filarmonica della Scala's 2010-11 season on Sunday, June 5th with Gottfried Huppertz's 1925 score from Fritz Lang's sci-fi epic Metropolis. The silent film will be projected in a restored version to accompany the music score -- although popcorn won't be permitted into La Scala's auditorium. 

Opera Chic and Grazia Magazine: Italy's Top Five Summer Festivals

(Photo: Claudio Abbado & Orchestra Mozart for Ravenna, Marco Caselli Nirmal)

Opera Chic's latest piece for Grazia.it came out and you should definitely go read it here.

This time, we picked our top five classical music festivals slated to open in the next couple months of Italy's sunshine, picnics, and mosquitoes.

Of course, we couldn't list them all so honorable mentions go to the Puccini-fest at Torre del Lago and Festival di Cremona Claudio Monteverdi 2011 opening on April 30 with a recital by Barbara Hendricks.

How the Brits (Classically) Roll

Classic FM reveals their top 300 best-loved classical music pieces, a user-voted compendium of 2011's Hall of Fame from the country of cottages and horses. The Top 30 rank reveals loads that aren't OC's cup of tea (<---lol). Take a look after the jump, although #1 is the morose genius above, Rachmaninov for his Piano Concerto No. 2

Ok, but the real news here is that after poking around the site, Classic FM has an e-dating service. OC's signing-up. It's...it's for a friend. Not me. I'm a s3x maker.

Yo-Yo Ma and Lil Buck Make Beautiful Music Together

OC's favorite musical genre -- classical music & rap (second only to heavy metal thrashings) -- touched down for an event in Los Angeles to rally for arts integration in California public schools. Rock star cellist Yo-Yo Ma and hip-hop choreographer Lil Buck staged their unique interpretation of Camille Saint-Saëns Le carnaval des animaux "Le cygne".

Rai3 Shows Some Vick & Opera di Roma <3

Earlier this month we wrote about Graham Vick's new production of Die Entfuhrung for Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, and now Rai3's «Prima della Prima» will feature it tonight (at 1:40am) in a special segment on Mozart's harem-y tale.

Peter Lieberson (1946 - 2011)

The American composer passed away in Israel from complications while undergoing treatment for lymphoma. Here is Alex Ross' personal remembrance.

From Neruda Songs

Sonnet XCII

My love, if I die and you don’t -,
My love, if I die and you don’t -,
lets not give grief an even greater field.
No expanse is greater than where we live.

Dust in the wheat, sand in the deserts,
time, wandering water, the vague wind
swept us on like sailing seeds.
We might not have found one another in time.

This meadow where we find ourselves,
O little infinity! we give it back.
But Love, this love has not ended:
just as it never had a birth, it has
no death: it is like a long river,
only changing lands, and changing lips.

Hahn-Bin's Counter Culture goes Mainstream

Here's fierce Korean violinist Hahn-Bin's segment on MSNBC. Gimmick or what? The Juilliard graduate calls himself "the Viagra to classical music," but at the end of the night, the music always speaks for itself -- no matter how high the heels, how darkly-lined the eyes, or how gussied-up the goods.

 

Die Walküre at The Metropolitan Opera

Tonight opens Wagner's Die Walküre at The Metropolitan Opera in Robert Lepage’s sold-out second installment/production of Der Ring des Nibelungen. Photos above and below are from rehearsals at The Met on April 14 and are taken by Ken Howard. James Levine conducts an all-star cast: Bryn Terfel is Wotan, Deborah Voigt is Brünnhilde, Jonas Kaufmann is Siegmund, Eva-Maria Westbroek is Sieglinde, and Stephanie Blythe is Fricka.

Deborah Voigt as Brünnhilde and Bryn Terfel as Wotan

Bryn Terfel as Wotan

Jonas Kaufmann as Siegmund and Eva-Maria Westbroek as Sieglinde

 

The Opera News Awards Bring Out the Opera Stars

Above, three of this year's Opera News Award honorees -- Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Riccardo Muti, and Jonas Kaufmann -- all looking grand at the NYC Plaza Hotel this past Sunday night, an intimate, black-tie event to present performance accolades to the opera industry's luminous stars. In its sixth consecutive year, guests included Francis Ford Coppola, Stephanie Blythe, Bryn Terfel, Patricia Racette, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, Renata Scotto, Bryn Terfel, Dmitri Hvorostovsky -- and no party is complete without one of those Wagner kids, Eva Wagner-Pasquier.

Barbara and Pato do (re mi fa so) La Scala

Her bunga-bunga-loving dad Silvo makes no attempt to support his country's rich opera legacy, routinely bowing out of La Scala's December VIP-laden opening night of the new season.

However daughter Barbara Berlusconi enjoys the occasional night at the opera. She was papped by Italian gossip magazine "A" while attending the opening night of La Scala's Turandot in the company of Milan AC footballer Pato, a Brazilian striker who plays for her dad's Serie A soccer team. After the show, the odd couple (she's his boss's daughter) went to trendy Brazil/Japan-fusion sushi bar Finger's.

Opera Chic and Grazia Magazine

Italy's leading fashion and beauty weekly magazine, Grazia, just relaunched their website with a sleek, clued-up streamlining of delicious content.

Opera Chic was invited to join Grazia and write the Night Out culture/entertainment column, "Stasera Esco" -- where you can read all about the best ballet, opera, and symphony events in Italy and elsewhere.

Her first piece is on American soprano Lise Lindstrom who is currently singing Turandot at La Scala (photo above, taken by OC).

The pieces, for now, are only in Italian language -- so what better reason to finally learn Italian?

(UPDATE: Opera Chic's English translation added, under the cut!)

Andrea Boccelli, Sommelier

He doesn't just sing for popes and hollywood celebrities. Boccelli, man of the grape, keeps his grapey fields in Lajatico, in Italy's Pisa province where he churns out olives, wines, and grains.

"My family has a history of farmers. My grandfather was all about the earth to which he dedicated his life. My father inherited this as well."

Boccelli runs his vineyards with his brother Alberto where they cultivate Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Trebbiano.

So how much are we totally digging Alberto's West Coast, scruffy, burn-out vibe?

 

John Axelrod + LaVerdi = Yayness!

LaVerdi, to us, has always been Milan's cooler, younger sister of symphony -- like Miu Miu to Prada -- so it's only fitting that they've wrestled themselves up more cool, young leadership.

This afternoon in Milan's bohemian Navigli neighborhood at Auditorium di Milano, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano G.Verdi (laVerdi for short) announced the appointment of American conductor, John Axelrod, as their new Principal Conductor for an initial contract of three years. He joins current Musical Director Zhang Xian and frankly we can't wait to discover what he has planned for Milan's little symphonic gem.

Lise Lindstrom Makes her La Scala Debut and Breaks Turandot's Mold

(Photo by John Fitzgerald)

The current heavyweight of Puccini's Turandot is California native Lise Lindstrom, already 30 different productions of the opera under her belt, who made her triumphant Teatro alla Scala debut last week singing the ice princess in a new production.

She spoke to Milan's Corriere della Sera about what it means to sing Puccini's meaty, vocally-juicy character, across so many life-changing stages and experiences.

OC's quick translation from Italian below!

An enigmatic princess who interrogates her prospective suitors with three riddles and he who gets it wrong dies (by decapitation). She's one of the most disturbing women in theatrical history (in opera and other arts) and reflects a theory most commonly held in regards to Turandot.

But the the heroine the Puccini opera, which debuted in 1926 at Milan's Teatro alla Scala in the unfinished form (the composer had already died before he was able to write the finale) and according to one of the opera world's current and  best interpreters of the opera, she wasn't cruel and unsympathetic like most people think.

However, it's the opposite. Although according to Lise Lindstrom, the American soprano with a certifiable Puccini-esque destiny (she's a true "Fanciulla del West", born in Sonora, California, the heart of the 19th century gold rush epoch, and both of her grandmothers were called Minnie just like the main character in Puccini's Western-themed opera)

Her vision of Turandot goes against the stereotypes of Puccini's ice princess, man-eater, ball-busting woman.

Lindstrom, much loved by the American, German, and Dutch critics, celebrated her La Scala debut last night in a role that's made her famous (she's alternating in this La Scala production with Maria Guleghina since Turnadot asks for a vocal strength even greater than that of normal roles) and she's still "incredibly emotional".

You know you want to read the rest!! Click click click!

Sinopoli's Three Hearts

He passed away on April 20, 2001 on the podium at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the brilliant rogue, the punk rock rebel of conductors.

Wednesday is the 10th anniversary of his death and to mark the occasion, Rai5 is broadcasting a documentary called “Sinopoli: i tre cuori dell’uomo”, (Rai5 at 11:15pm, Italy time) a retrospective of the Italian conductor's multifaceted identities -- maestro, doctor, composer, father, writer, archaeologist. His intellectual way with Strauss and Mahler still challenge us to rethink symphony, Verdi, too.

Two years ago, on the 8th anniversary of his passing, we wrote this:

Opera houses plan very much in advance their future seasons: it'd be very fitting if an Italian opera house had the grace of staging Sinopoli's own opera, the wondrous Lou Salome, to remember the tenth anniversary of the maestro's passing, that will happen in 2011. It's two years from now; it's the least Italy can do to remember her fallen genius.

We wanted this as much as we wanted Mario Kart for Super NES, Xmas 1992.

Teatro alla Scala's Season 2011-2012 -- It Finally Gets Better

Press and Teatro alla Scala VIPS gathered about an hour ago with Intendant Stephane Lissner and Milan's Mayor Letizia Moratti in Il Piermarnin's Ridotto Toscanini for the introduction of the opera house's 2011-12 season, released earlier this year than in the past (last year was at the end of May as well as in 2009), although Opera Chic tweeted the play-by-play live from the house a few hours ago.

Finally the new 2011-12 season is a welcome departure from the past couple seasons of mediocre revivals and not terribly exciting rosters, although La Scala's playing it safe with a very even, unrisky productions and projects. La Scala's going back to the big names, working-in some of opera's highest-ticket selling stars for their new season although the list of maestri gets repetitive (Welber, Barenboim, Dudamel) and also the directors (Bondy, Carsen, Zeffirelli). What's with all the doubling-up? The AP's report is here.

Recitals are a mixed-bag with Daniela Barcellona, Ian Bostridge, Mariella Devia, Edita Gruberova, Elina Garanca, Rene Pape, and Rolando Villazon (in November 2012, but we'll believe it when we see it).

The symphonic season brings us Philippe Jordan, Barenboim, Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Semyon Bychkov and Riccardo Chailly (with his Stefano Bollani sidekick!)

Ballet is the most boring out of them all with, yes, Roberto Bolle, but in a cycle of luke-warm shows.

About half of the 13 operas to be seen on Scala's stage are new, seven being new opera productions.

The season opens with Scala's honorary conductor, Maestro Scaligero, Daniel Barenboim, conducting a new Robert Carsen production of Mozart's Don Giovanni. Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca will be Donna Anna and Donna Elvira, Bryn Terfel and Barbara Frittoli thrown in the mix, while Giuseppi Filianoti's trying his luck again with la prima as Don Ottavio since he was fired at the last minute in 2008's Don Carlo and has yet to return..

La Scala shelves Frengo Zeffirelli's 2006 Aida spectacle and brings out his 1963 sets -- which sadly, means no Roberto Bolle in a thong. Conducting is young Israeli conducting nerd, Omer Meir Wellber. 

Nicola Luisotti will spin his Puccini magic in the Luc Bondy Tosca.

Claus Guth does Die Frau ohne Schatten in a new production with the ROH -- insanity...

Robin Ticciati makes his Scala opera debut with a new Richard Jones production of Britten's Peter Grimes (blogged here) staring John M. Ainsley and John Graham-Hall.

We've got Noseda doing a new production of Luisa Miller and Fabio Luisi doing a new production of Pelly-Thomas Massenet Manon, starring Nathalie Dessay.

In September all bets are on for a Zeffirelli La boheme with Anna Netrebko and Angela Gheorghiu splitting the role of Mimi (conducted by Daniele Rustioni). Diva vs. diva. 

Dudamel comes for a new production of Luc Bondy's Rigoletto with Vittorio Grigolo (Dudamel also conducts the Christmas-time Concerto di Natale).

And the Barenboim/Cassiers oddysee continues with Wagner's Siegfried.

Other big news? Claudio Abbado will finally (we hope) make it back to Scala for a concert in October 2012. After this and this, we're hoping it happens.

A season to look forward to, finally, for the first time in years, a nice predictable schedule for not so predictable times.

Daniel Barenboim's Playlist

If you ever wanted to know what was on Daniel Barenboim's iPod, here you go! The Argentinian/Israeli maestro, like us, has a thing for Big Willy Furtwängler. Däniel Bärenboim's Furtwängler fetish!

Gershwin Photographed By Steichen

(via the coolest blog on the Internet)

Just Breathe -- with Daniel Harding

London Symphony Orchestra's Life in Day series features young British maestro (and LSO Principal Guest Conductor) Daniel Harding as he attempts to find zen moments in the fray.

Daniel Catán, 1949 - 2011

Mexican composer Daniel Catán has passed away in Austin, Texas where he was teaching at the University of Texas. His most recent opera, Il Postino, was produced by the Los Angeles Opera to open their 2010/11 season.

The Man, The Myth, The Baby

NY1 is running a video interview with Juan Diego Florez and his new baby.

Graham Vick's Die Entführung in Rome...

...opens on Tuesday in a new production by our favorite f**k-up-your-opera-house director, Graham Vick. Opera di Roma hasn't staged Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail in almost forty years and this era's singers will be Rodney Clarke as Selim, Maria Grazia Schiavo as Konstanze, Charles Castronovo as Belmonte and Gabriele Ferro on the podium.

Above, British bass-baritone Rodney Clarke is lounging in his pasha gear -- although below, he's more in his element, hanging out on his website. Oh I'm sorry? Were you looking for the opera singer Rodney Clarke? I'll bet you weren't expecting me!! Nooooooo you weren't.

Flórez 2.0

Juan Diego Flórez and his wife celebrate the birth of their first child, Leandro Flórez, born Saturday, April 9. Congrats to the new parents!

Eloquently, Maestro Muti

(Above: Muti by Jim Newberry)

Maestro Muti on the events of the past couple months and the aftermath of rebuilding his shattered jaw:

“Not only the discomfort, but because you feel very humiliated as a human being. I couldn’t eat, of course. I had a tube attached here [pointing to where an IV would go on his arm]. In fact, when I go to a restaurant, still now, I have to eat very soft things because the muscles don’t allow me to chew,” he says, demonstrating his limited range of mouth motion. “Always when I go into a restaurant, I say to the waiter, ‘Look, I had an accident and cannot chew well, so I need to eat as either, you decide: either like an old man, or a baby, as you please,’ because it is the same thing.”