Opera Chic

Klemperer's Slow as Dial-up Internet Beethoven Ninth

Klemperer's long-a$$ allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso -- stop and smell the Beethoven.

From St. Petersurg to Los Angeles, Eugene Onegin at the L.A. Opera

Here's a teaser of the Los Angeles Opera's company premiere of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in Steven Pimlott's production with Slovak baritone Dalibor Jenis singing Eugene and James Conlon on the podium, opening on Saturday night. which has already opened.

Kimmy K and her DDD Sharps

The most talented, naturally gorgeous, intelligent, elegant diva that has ever blessed humanity, Kim Kardashian, wears a Dolce & Gabbana music note dress from the duo's Fall/Winter 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection on the cover of this month's Harper's Bazzar Arabia.  

The entire collection was full of shoes, bags, and prints starring music notes.

Welcome to Your 128th Season, Met Opera!

The Metropolitan Opera opened its 128th season in Lincoln Center last night to Donizetti's Anna Bolena, starring Trebs. The opera, which had never been performed at The Met, is in a new David McVicar production, conducted by Marco Armiliato.

Celebrity power was slim (newscasters ≠ interesting), starred by the most ethereal creature of the night, Austin Scarlett, the culture vampire with his southern belle (above). Tyra Banks, Leelee Sobieski, Martha Stewart, and Zac Posen/Crystal Renn tried to walk in his shadow but he's a vampire so he doesn't have one. He just leaves a fabulous berth of Swarovski Crystal and L'Oréal Elnett mist. *makes the internationl _call me_ sign with an airkiss*

Leelee Sobieski

 

Tyra Banks

Zac Posen/Crystal Renn

Gelb & co.

Diana Damrau "Indisposed", Scala Recital Postponed to October 21, 2012

Were you totally looking forward to Diana Damrau's forthcoming Scala recital, the one that was supposed to take place on Sunday night? Were you waiting for Damrau in an almost obsessivo manner?

Yeah, me too. But Damrau is "indisposed" and the recital has been rescheduled: new date, October 21.

2012.

Scala says:

Due to health reasons, Diana Damrau will not be able to perform her recital on 25 September. The concert will be postponed to 21 October 2012. Refund methods will be soon communicated.

:(

Opera Chic & Grazia.it: Lang Lang @ Scala, The Final Chapter

Opera Chic reviews Lang Lang's final concert in his Scala cycle (five concerts over seven months during the 2010-2011 season) for Grazia.

The full Grazia.it story is here.

New Alagna Drama: Tenor Gets Conductor Replaced at Opéra Bastille Before "Faust" Opening Night

A new production of "Faust" by Jean-Louis Martinoty opens in Paris in about 48 hours and the conductor, Alain Lombard, has just been replaced by Alain Altinoglu after clashing with Roberto Alagna.

Why? Because (unless you're la Scala) you don't mess with Roberto.

The French-Italian singer told Le Figaro that he feels "depressed" and "in pain": "I never disrespected Lombard, a man whom I hold in high esteem and whose artistic ideas I had accepted".

The problem, apparently, lies in certain cuts to the score that Lombard wanted and Alagna didn't like and the conductor's choic of tempi. There were also questions about Alagna showing up late for rehearsals twice (he blamed traffic, and he now says that the second time he came in late it was only by seven minutes but the conductor had already let everybody else go, not thinking the tenor would show up.

Alagna explains that the conductor's behavior "completely blocked me. I've been singing Faust for 28 years now and he made me feel like a rookie. I had decided to pull out of the production but the opera house convinced me to stray. All this trouble makes me very depressed".

When Peter Met Paul

NYTimes has a mini piece on Peter Martins' collaboration with Paul McCartney for NYCB Fall Gala, Ocean's Kingdom, set to open this week at Lincoln Center. Photos by the very awesome Ryan McGinley. Costumes designed by Stella McCartney, naturally.

In Bed with Bolle

You don't follow Roberto Bolle's twitter, you say? Sucks for you! Our favorite ballerino embraces social media intimately.

"Phaedra" With Chainsaws: Henze According To Sabine Hartmannshenn

Bocelli's Central Park Extravaganza!

Here are some photos from Andrea Bocelli's September 15 homage to New York Ciyt. The Italian singer was joined by Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, David Foster, Bryn Terfel, Ana Maria Martinez, Pretty Yende, violinist Nicola Benedetti, flutist Andrea Griminelli and trumpeter Chris Botti. Also, Alaine Djielbeart of the New York Philharmonic joined everyone on Central Park's Great Lawn. The free event was predicted to draw 50,000 spectators. Italians will have to wait for the broadcast on December 8 via Rai Due for all the star-lit performances although Bocelli inked himself a nice DVD deal out of this one to be distributed in over 70 countries.

Here's Bocelli's Di Quella Pira 

(Please don't make me turn off comments, guys!)

Models vs. Ballerinas: It's On!

(Ashley Bouder backstage NYCB in 2008 for the Nutcracker with Scientology Queen Katie)

The confluence of NYCB's Swan Lake premiere and New York City Fashion Week prompted NYMag to ask model Samantha Xu and NYCB principal dancer Ashley Bouder for their daily caloric intake.

Models vs. ballerinas? Byotch please. Tchaikovsky would make BBQ Chicken Shake-Up Lunchables out of Marc Jacobs...drop him right next to the Capri Sun and Jell-O-nohedidn't.

Here's Ashley's soundbite: “I watch what I eat and sacrifice some indulgences for my art. I don’t understand sacrificing your health to walk down a runway in pretty clothes.” We've got a live one!

Her general menu:

8:45 a.m.: First two cups of coffee; stretch; walk the dogs
9:40 a.m.: Two scrambled eggs with large glass of water
9:55 a.m.: Walk to subway
10:20 a.m.: Stretch, followed by 105-minute NYCB ballet class and 45-minute Swan Lake rehearsal
1 p.m.: Banana, bottle of water; walk to post office
2 p.m.: Skirt-steak salad; walk to subway to go home
3:20 p.m.: Greek yogurt with peaches; nap
4:15 p.m.: Leftover spaghetti Bolognese
4:25 p.m.: Walk dogs, then walk to subway; stop for coconut water and coffee on way to theater
6:30 p.m.: Stretch and warm up backstage; coconut water
7:30 p.m.: Swan Lake performance begins
8:35 p.m.: Tuna salad and water at intermission
10:05 p.m.: Postperformance water and coconut water
11 p.m.: Crab cake and chopped salad with glass of Pinot Noir

vs. model Xu:

9 a.m.: Half a box of strawberries, glass of soy milk, whole-wheat flatbread with light butter and Nutella, bottle of drinkable yogurt
11 a.m.: Power-walk to agency while drinking coconut water
Noon: Power-walk to Lincoln Center for show
2 p.m.: Cheese and crackers, vegetables (celery, carrots, bell pepper) with sour‑cream dip, can of Diet Pepsi, two small frozen yogurts
3 p.m.: Walk for show (a group show of Argentine designers) in Lincoln Center, if that counts for exercise
4 p.m.: Power-walk to subway home
8 p.m.: Stroll around for about ten blocks
8:30 p.m.: Dinner at Neptune (a Polish restaurant): vegetable barley soup (a big bowl), tuna wrap with lettuce, and coleslaw. Drink: icewater.
9 p.m.: Cup of jasmine green tea; walk to subway home
10 p.m.: Glass of warm soy milk

Opera Chic & Grazia.it: Luca Pisaroni (And His Dogs) Conquer the World

Above: Luca Pisaroni credit Marco Borggreve

Bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni spoke to Opera Chic (via her latest piece for her Grazia.it Stasera Esco column. The young Italian opera singer is known for his versatility, flexibility, insight, and yeah, his hawtness. We also heart him for his adorable dogs, Lenny (2.0) and Tristan, who are always ready for the latest adventure (photo below).

Read all about his latest and greatest here (including a Michael Jackson shout-out)!

Or check beneath the cut for some help...

Opera Chic & Grazia.it: Rocking out at Monaco's Opéra de Monte-Carlo for the Legacy of Princess Grace

(Above: Robert Wilson and half the cast of Grace for Grace. Photo Montblanc)

Opera Chic was in gorgeous Montecarlo last week to celebrate the launch of Montblanc's Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco line among a VIP guest list including royals (Princess Caroline, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene) and celebrities (dainty Steel Magnolia flower Daryl Hannah and Emmanuelle Béart). 

The evening began at the intimately-luscious Opéra de Monte-Carlo for a Robert Wilson-curated vignette of performances by Shenyang, Bryn Terfel and Diana Damrau (among other performers such as Rufus and Martha Wainwright) and the evening continued to the Hotel de Paris for an elegant gala.

OC wrote all about it on her latest Stasera Esco for Grazia.it which you can read here.

And at this point, you know the drill...

Come One, Come All (Well, Only if You're Under 30 and in Milan)

La Scala opens its doors this Sunday, September 18 to members of its under-30 program (from 6-years-old to 30-years-old). Free tours will run from 10am until 4:30pm, gathering every 10 minutes and lasting about 40 minutes. Tours will show groups of 30 people around the foyer, the orchestra seats and the royal box. Finally a chance to wear cut-off denim shorts and flip-flops to La Scala!

Infinite Prep: George Steel

Ivy Style as arbiter of George Steel's prep. He's 1 part Thom Browne and 1 part Brooks Brothers Black Fleece, and Lisa Birnbach's Official Preppy Handbook might be on his bedside table (next to True Prep).

 

Meyerbeer In Erfurt

American tenor Erik Fenton (Robert) and Claudia Sorokina (Isabelle) rehearse Giacomo Meyerbeer's "Robert le Diable", directed by Jean-Louis Grinda and opening Friday at the Theater Erfurt.

Finland's Philly Sound

Richard Powers in Berlin: "Bach’s A-minor fugue for organ, BWV 543, twisting in the air"

Richard Powers in Berlin:

My brain seizes on a line from Broks, the story-telling neuropsychologist that my German students struggled with: “Great music cancels the distinction between the external world and our inner life.” And nothing in evolutionary biology can explain why it does this to us. “Experience is a first-person business,” Broks says. “Science operates in the third person.” Music is — what? A surprise counterpoint between the two. I’m sorry, but in Berlin, pretty Berlin, in the spring, as we stand there listening to the Russian busker play Bach, when nothing in me is strong enough to survive the annihilating past, this music makes me want to know what happens next.

A train from Ruhleben thunders in to the platform and disgorges its content. People walk past this one-man band at varying speeds, each making complex real-time cost-benefit analyses, calculating the trade-offs between net present enjoyment and future arrival. The accordionist lays into the bass of Bach’s tremendous final pedal point, herding the profusion back towards tonic. My wife and I stand transfixed. For as long as it takes this man to reach the final cadence, we are here, anyhow, going nowhere, present to the endless unlikelihood of existing at all.

(via)

Vittorio Grigolo Speaks to The Guardian

The Grig drops an F-bomb, tosses his curls, and  rouses the crowds for The Guardian.

9/11/2011

Gershwin, Price, Karajan: "Summertime"

Better Than Möst: 10-Minute-Long Ovation At Scala For Welser-Möst "Fidelio" With Stemme, Seiffert

Earlier tonight at la Scala, the performance -- in concert form -- of "Fidelio": the Wiener Staatsoper conducted by Franz Welser-Möst and the cast (led by Peter Seiffert and Nina Stemme), enjoyed a massive, 10-minute ovation by the audience.

"A Simple Man": Family and Friends Bid Farewell To Salvatore Licitra In Vedano Al Lambro; Italian TV Remembers The Late Tenor

Earlier today, in Vedano al Lambro, Monza, on the outskirts of Milan, 500 people -- not all of them could be seated inside the small church and had to follow the service from the outside -- gathered to pay their respects at the funeral of Salvatore Licitra.

The officiating priest, Father Eugenio Della Libera, remembered Licitra as a "simple man" who loved the opera and often attended performances like a simple fan, exactly the way he did before becoming a professional singer, for the love of the art form, unwilling to ask for luxury seats or special treatment.

Italian TV will honor the late tenor on Sunday morning, by broadcasting (starting at 10AM) on RAI5 the 2000 "Tosca" from Scala, directed by Luca Ronconi, conducted by Riccardo Muti where Licitra sang alongside Maria Guleghina and Leo Nucci. Then, "Cavalleria Rusticana" from last January, a Scala production also, directed by Mario Martone and conducted by Daniel Harding, where Licitra sang alongside Luciana D'Intino and Elena Zilio.

Salvatore Licitra's Funeral To Take Place on 9/9, 2PM, Santo Stefano Protomartire Church, San Vedano Al Lambro (Monza)

Salvatore Licitra's funeral will take place on Friday, September 9, at 2PM at the Santo Stefano Protomartire church in San Vedano al Lambro, Monza, on the outskirts of Milan (Google Maps)