Opera Chic

Le Fanciulle Daniela & Janice: Dessì And Baird Ride The Unfortunately Named Dick Johnson

Bless Teatro Opera di Roma, one of the few remaining opera houses (In Italy, and not just there) that still insist on casting singers who can actually sing -- and big propsicles to GM Francesco Ernani who still takes the time to cast singers who can sing.

One week from now -- and OC is sorry she'll still be in New York -- Rome will be taken by storm by La Fanciulla del West with Daniela "SuperDany" Dessì (and Janice Baird, Our Queen Janice recently discovered by Met audiences in that emergency-laden Tristan and now back in Rome after her very successful Wozzeck there) as Minnie, Fabio Armiliato as the (eponymous) Dick Johnson, directed by Giancarlo Del Monaco and conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti. 

Love Armiliato's now-thicker beard and Gelmetti's Hitchockian silhouette.

Marcelo Alvarez Triumphs In Rome, Gives Encore; Kudos For Franco Zeffirelli, Martina Serafin

An encore (E Lucevan Le Stelle) for Marcelo Alvarez; mad props to Franco Zeffirelli's new staging, pleasure at the discovery of Martina Serafin, a surprinsingly good Tosca; polite applause for maestro Renato Bruson's Scarpia -- the great veteran's voice is not always brilliant, obviously, at this point in his career, but you can always appreciate the style and the intensity of the interpretation.

More later today re: the premiere of Tosca at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma last night: the fashion shows of Moda Uomo are going on at full blast in Milan right now, AND tonight OC has to show up at la Scala for the premiere of Devia's and Antonacci's Maria Stuarda. 

(All photos courtesy of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma)

Frengo's "Happy 150th Birthday" To Giacomo Puccini: Martina Serafin Is Tosca, Exactly 108 years After The Original "Prima".

Opera di Roma is about to debut the new Franco "Frengo" Zeffirelli production of Tosca, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Puccini's birth.

Next Monday, Jan. 14, (a super-anniversary: on Jan. 14, 1900, Tosca had its prima assoluta in Rome's Teatro Costanzi) all eyez on Frengo, on conductor Gianluigi Gelmetti, Martina Serafin (Tosca), Marcelo Alvarez (Cavaradossi), and maestro Renato Bruson (Scarpia). (In the photo above, courtesy of Opera di Roma, Serafin and Bruson at the press conference)

Opera di Roma GM Francesco Ernani pointed out in a press conference earlier today that "Since that January 14, 1900, Tosca  has been staged  all obver the world: it is only fair that she comes back to Rome  to start the celebrations for Puccini's 150th birthday".

Maestro Glemetti said that Tosca "is for me a great adventure, Tosca is an icon, with a life of its own, beloved by Italians, Germans, Brits, Americans, Japanese, without distinction of nationality. Tosca truly belongs to all humanity -- she belongs to our hearts".

Tru dat.

Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy Does the Sydney Symphony

Vladimir Ashkenazy has been appointed to lead the Sydney Symphony (um?) as Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser starting 2009, where the Russian-born pianist super-star will flex his baton for three years.

Currently leading is Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti, who had been appointed in 2004 as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director, and will help Ashkenazy ignite a battle royal in bringing more obscure and celebrated works to the Sydney stage.

Sydney Symphony has gotten all hypercrunked about this one, which we'll admit is a pretty sweet deal:

“Sydney Symphony executives found it hard to contain their excitement as they announced the signing, with one of them claiming it the most prestigious musical appointment in Australia's history: ‘I dare to say that it's one of the most prestigious appointments in Australia ever, he is certainly a door opener,’ Mr Fink said. ‘It will help us to position the orchestra internationally on a very high level.’”

damn str8.

Stupidest quote ever??:

“Sydney Symphony chairman David Maloney said that while Ashkenazy was known as a leading interpreter of Rachmaninov, the orchestra should not expect to be deluged with music composed by Russians.”

OMG the dreaded and inevitable russian invasion!! evry B0dy RUN RUN RUM@!! drunk vodka-swilling spies r evrywhare!

Sidney To Brahms: Grew A Pair (of b00bs)

Poor Brahms. And poor maestro Gelmetti:

Sydney doesn't flock to Brahms the way it flocks to Beethoven and Mahler. We tend to give him the respect we gave to the Queen pre-Princess Diana. Can Gelmetti do a Helen Mirren for Brahms?

Memo to Gelmetti (for Brahms it's 2 L8): try with a blonde wig + more bewbs

Stefan Anton Reck and His Mullet to Conduct 'Ein deutsches Requiem' with Orchestra Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Speaking of conductors with bad hair, the mullet-tastic Woody Harrelson impersonator / conductor Stefan Anton Reck will conduct -- tomorrow night and on Sunday night at Teatro Comunale di Firenze, with Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino -- our beloved Ein deutsches Requiem. Radio Tre will record the concert and it will be broadcast next month.

And in the Sidney Morning Herald maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti -- who sports a nice gray Caesar  haircut, it's always a crowd-pleaser -- writes about Brahms and the mighty Sergiu "Slow Like Honey" Celibidache.