Met Opera: La Fanciulla del West w/ Kaufmann

[sydneyboy]

Review: Jonas Kaufmann, Back at the Met, Is Good, Not Great

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After four and a half years, the tenor Jonas Kaufmann has returned to the Metropolitan Opera in Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West.”CreditCreditKen Howard/Metropolitan Opera

La Fanciulla del West

 

 

NYT Critic's Pick

By Anthony Tommasini

 

• Oct. 18, 2018
  

You could feel trepidation at the Metropolitan Opera on Wednesday as the audience took its seats for Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West.” The superstar tenor Jonas Kaufmann was finally returning after an absence of four and a half years, including withdrawals from two new productions conceived with him in mind. Would he actually show?

 

[Read our interview with Mr. Kaufmann about his return to the Met.]

 

He did, for the first of four performances through Oct. 27. He came, he sang, he — well, if he didn’t entirely conquer, Mr. Kaufmann certainly reminded us why he’s been missed. “Fanciulla,” a tale of hardscrabble miners during the California Gold Rush, is, I’m more convinced at each encounter, one of Puccini’s finest operas. But you need persuasive singers to plumb the depths of the music and the subtleties of the characters.

 

returned earlier this month.)

 

testing the waters of Wagner’s Tristan — his singing seemed a little underpowered. He summoned some full-voiced, exciting high notes during the opera’s only real aria, when Johnson, who thinks he’s about to be hanged, begs the men to tell Minnie that he has been set free to lead a better life. Yet at times his voice seemed curiously restrained.

 

For a while, Mr. Kaufmann was hands down the most exciting tenor in opera. Now he has some younger competition, including at the Met, where the thrilling tenor Vittorio Grigolo, who stepped in when Mr. Kaufmann withdrew from a new production of Puccini’s “Tosca,” has become a house favorite.

 

It is, however, without a doubt great to have the compelling Mr. Kaufmann back with the company.

 

 

 

La Fanciulla del West

Continues through Oct.

I saw Vittorio Grigolo a month ago at Covent Garden in Tosca. What a voice! He received huge ovations from the audience after his major arias and at the final curtain. A major talent and handsome to boot.

[+ WilliamM]

I remember when she lived there with Jon Peters. She gave concerts for political fundraisers and a few interviews from the estate, (one with Barbara Walters and another with Geraldo Rivera when she was promoting Yentl). As far as obsessive behavior is concern, she was the first to make all visitors, (including big name stars), sign a confidentiality before they we permitted access.

 

Barbra imported trees and large plants from all parts of the world. She lived at the end of a road in Malibu with much more modest houses in front.

 

Yes, Barbra had concerts there for charities, and anyone who bought her property would have made major changes also.

 

With all her building and renovations plus the trees and plants, she was not popular with her neighbor. Worse, Streisand did not set aside any money for the upkeep of the property. They had to open it the public with admission fees.

[Guest InthePines]

Barbra imported trees and large plants from all parts of the world. She lived at the end of a road in Malibu with much more modest houses in front.

 

Yes, Barbra had concerts there for charities, and anyone who bought her property would have made major changes also.

 

With all her building and renovations plus the trees and plants, she was not popular with her neighbor. Worse, Streisand did not set aside any money for the upkeep of the property. They had to open it the public with admission fees.

 

This is true, but to her credit, she did donate the estate whereas celebrities of her caliber historically never leave a dime on the floor.

 

Bob Hope, for example who in the 1990’s was considered one of the largest private landowners in California and around the same period was asked to donate a portion of his mountain property for preservation yet refused stating he considered it to be a private investment. That said, it was towards the end of his life and he hardly needed the money.

 

As for Streisand, I think she underwent a mid-life purge in the early to mid-nineties, for she also donated for auction millions of dollars of costumes and jewelry she wore in her films with the proceeds going to charity.

 

As for the estate, it was aging and with the functional obsolescence and maintenance, she was wise not to haggle with the sale and simply donate it.

[TruHart1]

I saw Vittorio Grigolo a month ago at Covent Garden in Tosca. What a voice! He received huge ovations from the audience after his major arias and at the final curtain. A major talent and handsome to boot.

To get back to the original thread topic, Jonas Kaufmann has been in Sidney, Australia singing in concert performances of Andrea Chenier by Giordano. Here is a review: https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/andrea-chenier-moments-of-artistry-and-sheer-vocal-beauty-20190811-p52g0i.html

 

Herr Kaufman has one more concert performance of this opera tomorrow (8/13) as he travels to Melbourne, Australia!

 

I think Grigolo has quite a unique sound, though he sometimes seemed just a bit uncomfortable above the staff (Bb, B, and high C) when he was first tackling some of his major Italian roles. His technique has improved, though, over time, and one hears very few flaws in the voice these days. Grigolo has always had great stage presence, looking handsome and acting well, if of the Italian "tearing up the scenery" school of thespianism! He can be thrilling to watch and hear but is usually playing himself in all of his operatic roles.

 

Jonas K, on the other hand, makes each role his own by creating a complete character with every operatic role he undertakes. Using his astounding vocal technique and his comfortable stage presence (even within some of the really awful stage directors' concepts in which he's been involved!) he always impresses with his completely realized role interpretations, both in acting and singing superbly.

 

TruHart1

[+ WilliamM]

I think Grigolo has quite a unique sound, though he sometimes seemed just a bit uncomfortable above the staff (Bb, B, and high C) when he was first tackling some of his major Italian roles. His technique has improved, though, over time, and one hears very few flaws in the voice these days. Grigolo has always had great stage presence, looking handsome and acting well, if of the Italian "tearing up the scenery" school of thespianism! He can be thrilling to watch and hear but is usually playing himself in all of his operatic roles.

 

Jonas K, on the other hand, makes each role his own by creating a complete character with every operatic role he undertakes. Using his astounding vocal technique and his comfortable stage presence (even within some of the really awful stage directors' concepts in which he's been involved!) he always impresses with his completely realized role interpretations, both in acting and singing superbly.

I have only seen Grigolo in one opera once, and it was a very long time ago. Yes then, he did seem to be playing himself. He

was distracting Renee Fleming a little with his blond hair.

 

 

 

.

[+ WilliamM]

@TruHart1 Kaufman is not always cast in roles that allow that. For example, "Manon" in Chicago with Natalie Dessey.

[sydneyboy]

To get back to the original thread topic, Jonas Kaufmann has been in Sidney, Australia singing in concert performances of Andrea Chenier by Giordano. Here is a review: https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/andrea-chenier-moments-of-artistry-and-sheer-vocal-beauty-20190811-p52g0i.html

 

Herr Kaufman has one more concert performance of this opera tomorrow (8/13) as he travels to Melbourne, Australia!

 

I think Grigolo has quite a unique sound, though he sometimes seemed just a bit uncomfortable above the staff (Bb, B, and high C) when he was first tackling some of his major Italian roles. His technique has improved, though, over time, and one hears very few flaws in the voice these days. Grigolo has always had great stage presence, looking handsome and acting well, if of the Italian "tearing up the scenery" school of thespianism! He can be thrilling to watch and hear but is usually playing himself in all of his operatic roles.

 

Jonas K, on the other hand, makes each role his own by creating a complete character with every operatic role he undertakes. Using his astounding vocal technique and his comfortable stage presence (even within some of the really awful stage directors' concepts in which he's been involved!) he always impresses with his completely realized role interpretations, both in acting and singing superbly.

 

TruHart1

I started a thread on Kaufmann’s Sydney performances. Magnificent.

[TruHart1]

@TruHart1 Kaufman is not always cast in roles that allow that. For example, "Manon" in Chicago with Natalie Dessey.

I am unclear what your meaning is here, @WilliamM. Here is his interpretation of "Le rêve de Des Grieux" from that live performance in Chicago in 2008! IMHO, no other tenor singing today has a better technique than his performance here. Notice his ease in using his flawless, completely integrated "voix mixte" technique with his ability to build to an exciting full voice climax in this aria, too often sung by many good tenors using their falsetto voices.

 

The sets and costumes in this Chicago production were very traditional, staged in period costumes and sets. From that same live broadcast from Chicago:

"Ah! fuyez, douces images"

 

and the "Saint Sulpice" scene with both Dessay and Kaufmann"

 

This Manon is a very memorable performance in operatic history. Even though Dessay was nearing retirement in 2008, she sounded pretty fine in a role in which she was always excellent. As for Kaufmann, his French is perfect and the nuance and shading he brought to Des Grieux shows what an excellent operatic singing actor he was and still is.

 

TruHart1

[+ WilliamM]

While I agree with you, I have never listened to the opera before that afternoon performance in Chicago.