Rossini's ARMIDA at the MET

[whipped guy]

Has anyone seen (or has plans to see) the new production of Rossini's Armida at the Metropolitan Opera? The cast includes Renee Fleming in the title role of the sorceress and Laurence Brownlee as one of an armada of tenors that surrounds her.

 

The production is by Mary Zimmerman and I have not been overly impressed by her work for the company over the past several years... which has included a somewhat lackluster and at times drab if not exactly worthless Lucia di Lammermoor... and a disastrously updated version of La Sonnambula that wast totally at odds with the music and libretto. I certainly hope that she does better with Armida... and that Ms. Fleming still has the vocal capabilities to do justice to Rossini's fiendishly difficult vocal writing. Fleming actually first performed the part in 1993 at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. She was at the beginning of her illustrious career and fortunately the production was recorded and released by Sony Records.

 

At any rate, I have always been enthralled by the opera… Of course there is the live Callas version from 1952… where she performs the part quite impressively, but is surrounded by a bevy of mediocre tenors. Today we have the tenors to do justice to the piece, but no Callas. I sincerely hope that Fleming is still up to the task… as an Armida without an Armida (one of a number of roles the composer wrote for his wife to be Isabella Colbran) would certainly be a disaster in the making.

 

Incidentally, Joyce DiDonato includes a couple of huge chunks of the piece (the big aria “Amore al dolce impero” and the Finale) on her Colbran, the Muse CD… and to great effect.

 

I plan to see the production on May 15… the last day of the season. I will report at that time, but it would be interesting to get some feedback and the thoughts and viewpoints of others in the meantime. Thanks!

[Guest alanm]

Zimmerman's previous productions at the Met, which was discussed here before, may be disliked by many but I do not agree.

 

I must not be the only person who liked the two operas because the Met issued both on DVD. I understand that sales are determined by the stars who are singing, rather the the direction and production.

 

I saw "Hamlet" recently in the HD theater version with a preview of "Armida." There was little singing, but quite a few views of the sets. I have plenty of doubts about Fleming being able to sing "Armida" effectively at this stage of her career. Will try to listen to a live performance on the radio before buying a ticket

[Guest alanm]

"Armida" will be broadcast live from the Met on Sirius XM radio tonight (April 19). I hope several people who post here will listen. I know I will (in part for being so annoyingly determined in my support for Zimmerman earlier this morning).

[whipped guy]

"Armida" will be broadcast live from the Met on Sirius XM radio tonight (April 19). I hope several people who post here will listen.

I just read several reviews and it seems that vocally... and especially in the tenor department things were quite satisfactory... and Fleming scores points for her creamy vocalism, though the consensus seems to be that while she is not a natural coloratura specialist, she can still get through all the "little notes" reasonably well.

 

Surprisingly, the opera itself got high marks... It was not always so... Apparently we have come along way in finally seeing the drama inherent in all of that Rossinian spaghetti.

 

I know I will (in part for being so annoyingly determined in my support for Zimmerman earlier this morning).

Well, I in fairness the Lucia was really not that bad... though the wedding photographer was a bit over the top.

 

As for her Armida, the reviews are mixed from what I have read so far.

 

At any rate, I am currently 1000 miles away from NYC and don't and will not have access to much until the second week in May so any news would be appreciated.

[Guest alanm]

Armida

 

I just read several reviews and it seems that vocally... and especially in the tenor department things were quite satisfactory... and Fleming scores points for her creamy vocalism, though the consensus seems to be that while she is not a natural coloratura specialist, she can still get through all the "little notes" reasonably well.

 

Surprisingly, the opera itself got high marks... It was not always so... Apparently we have come along way in finally seeing the drama inherent in all of that Rossinian spaghetti.

 

 

Early Tuesday morning:

 

For an opera that I had never heard before, I enjoyed it very much.

 

I am not a huge Renee Fleming fan.

 

The thought of listening to "Armida" for four hours on the computer sounded initially like home work. No so.

 

Fleming was in wonderful voice, and received a well deserved very long ovation at the end. I do not know "Armida" well enough yet to comment on the tenors (and I was very tired tonight).

 

I already have a ticket for "Lulu" (a personal favorite) on May 12, or I would strongly consider seeing "Armida" at the Met myself.

[whipped guy]

For an opera that I had never heard before, I enjoyed it very much.

I am not a huge Renee Fleming fan.

Thanks… I know that you know your opera and respect your assessment. I have never been a big Fleming fan either… though I like the creamy sound of her voice… It is just that she has some mannerisms that get to me when singing Bel Canto (and even other rep) regarding some of her cadenzas and embellishments. Even though Armida has lots of coloratura to negotiate…and although the final scene of the opera begins with some of the most treacherous… the vocal writing gets quite dramatic and declamatory as the opera comes to its conclusion… and that’s what made the role a perfect vehicle for Callas. I would assume that Fleming was able to pull out all the stops and make a decent impression.

 

As for the tenors, I was so used to hearing the opera from the Callas live recording where the tenors simplify virtually all of their music that when the opera was finally given it first authentic recording it was quite disconcerting and hard to accept hearing what Rossini actually wrote… but when sung properly everything makes both vocal and even dramatic sense. Combine that with some of the most brilliant orchestration Rossini ever penned; along with a bit of dark sounding Beethovenian writing at the beginning of the second act, and you have one heck of an interesting piece.

 

Again thanks, as I am sitting here and will be for a few weeks in “computer dial-up hell” ..

 

 

I already have a ticket for "Lulu" (a personal favorite) on May 12, or I would strongly consider seeing "Armida" at the Met myself.

Actually I find some of the things in Armida quite daring, wacky, bizarre, and off the wall... so in a sense Rossini was probably at times the Alban Berg of his day... and Armida his Lulu???!!!

[+ g56whiz]

Opera is rather hard to come by along the Rio Grande but I discovered a movie theater in Laredo TX, (across the river from the war zone) that carried the Met Live in HD broadcasts. I've a ticket for Armida for 5/1, a birthday gift to myself.

 

I already have a ticket for "Lulu" (a personal favorite). . . ..

 

I can remember the day when Lulu had only two acts and such sentiments could justify confinement in a mental ward. LOL

[whipped guy]

I can remember the day when Lulu had only two acts and such sentiments could justify confinement in a mental ward. LOL

As can I...

At any rate, Rossini is quoted as saying something to the effect regarding one of his operas... "I thought that upon hearing my opera the public would consider me to be mad... on the contrary the public was madder than I!"

 

That's pretty much what I was referencing when I made my Lulu comment above....

 

Also, that's a great birthday present... and a relatively sane one... give us a report as I will still be in dial-up hell... and oh yeah... I won't tell you what I got myself for my last birthday...

[+ Charlie]

One of the few good things that could be said about life behind the Iron Curtain in the old days was that the East German govt. did support the opera. I saw my first "Lulu" (two act version) at the Komische Oper and was amazed: it was the most decadent production of anything that I had ever seen, and it was fun! Every one I've seen since then seemed to be work.

[whipped guy]

A hero at the MET and a hero I met...

 

I finally got to see Rossini’s Armida this past weekend… and for his day Rossini must have seemed to be very avant guard. Renee Fleming was quite good even though she tended to slur some of the coloratura… and I think that is a function of her trying to fuse jazz style improvisation with the Bel Canto tradition of embellishment. Also, I wish the voice had more heft and power as it seemed just a half size too small for the part. Perhaps I should have tried better to erase memories of Callas, but even Joyce DiDonato in extensive excerpts on her recent Rossini CD seemed to have a better grasp of the role. Still, Fleming did herself proud, and in a role that is one of the most difficult that Rossini ever penned…

 

However, the real star of the show was Lawrence Brownlee as Rinaldo, the hero of the piece… my God the man can sing… and then some… and with a clarion tenor that has a pleasing quick vibrato to it that adds a sense of excitement to his vocal production. In the many occasions that he had to echo passages previously sung by the other tenors in the cast it became all too obvious that the others were merely pretenders to the throne and why Brownlee was chosen for the lead part. Of the other tenors John Osborn was the standout… he can prove to be a bit inconsistent, but he was definitely on target last Saturday evening. As for the staging, I continue to be relatively unimpressed with Mary Zimmerman’s productions… what should have been magical… turned out to be somewhat grotesque… Also, I did not like the fact that a good portion on the third act was played out in front of the show curtain in a very narrow and restricted area, and as such did not give an aura of being a professional production worthy of the MET. Also, she does not seem to trust the composer. For example, when Rossini writes a march tune it is just that and solders are expected to march to the beat… not march, bob, and weave thus making a mockery of and trivializing the basic musical concepts.

 

Still, the highlight of my weekend was meeting David SF… but that is a discussion for a different forum… but like Brownlee… he was the real star… and my God the man can… and then some!!!

[NYTomcat]

I finally got to see Rossini’s Armida this past weekend… and for his day Rossini must have seemed to be very avant guard. Renee Fleming was quite good even though she tended to slur some of the coloratura… and I think that is a function of her trying to fuse jazz style improvisation with the Bel Canto tradition of embellishment. Also, I wish the voice had more heft and power as it seemed just a half size too small for the part. Perhaps I should have tried better to erase memories of Callas, but even Joyce DiDonato in extensive excerpts on her recent Rossini CD seemed to have a better grasp of the role. Still, Fleming did herself proud, and in a role that is one of the most difficult that Rossini ever penned…

 

However, the real star of the show was Lawrence Brownlee as Rinaldo, the hero of the piece… my God the man can sing… and then some… and with a clarion tenor that has a pleasing quick vibrato to it that adds a sense of excitement to his vocal production. In the many occasions that he had to echo passages previously sung by the other tenors in the cast it became all too obvious that the others were merely pretenders to the throne and why Brownlee was chosen for the lead part. Of the other tenors John Osborn was the standout… he can prove to be a bit inconsistent, but he was definitely on target last Saturday evening. As for the staging, I continue to be relatively unimpressed with Mary Zimmerman’s productions… what should have been magical… turned out to be somewhat grotesque… Also, I did not like the fact that a good portion on the third act was played out in front of the show curtain in a very narrow and restricted area, and as such did not give an aura of being a professional production worthy of the MET. Also, she does not seem to trust the composer. For example, when Rossini writes a march tune it is just that and solders are expected to march to the beat… not march, bob, and weave thus making a mockery of and trivializing the basic musical concepts.

 

Still, the highlight of my weekend was meeting David SF… but that is a discussion for a different forum… but like Brownlee… he was the real star… and my God the man can… and then some!!!

 

Yes rossini can bring you to tears and so can David and all tears of joy I am sure. I often think the opera can go on forever. .... well I'll just let that analogy linger as well

[Guest Dan]

I saw the production last month and enjoyed it. I like opera, but would not be considered a buff, but I love Renne Fleming and she was the main reason I saw it. She was, in a word that I've never used, divine. But as an Angleno, the whole experience of seeing an opera at the Met was magical. And yes, the Renaldo was a stand out.

 

I never miss an HD performance that Fleming is in.

[whipped guy]

Divine indeed

 

... I love Renne Fleming and she was the main reason I saw it. She was, in a word that I've never used, divine.

I might have been a bit hard on Fleming in my post above. I just listened to a portion of the audio from the recent broadcast... specifically the big aria "D'amore al dolce impero" from the second act and compared it with her live recording from 1993 referenced above... and surprisingly the voice was actually much creamier and more sensual in the more recent performance... actually quite "divine" as you say. Different from the La Divina (aka Maria Callas) approach, but divine nonetheless.

[Guest alanm]

Lucrezia Borgia

 

I have written before that I am not a Fleming fan.

 

But, I really enjoyed Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia" in Washington (2008) with Renee Fleming, Ruggero Raimondi and Italian pop singer Villorio Grigolo. By all normal standard, Borgia is not an opera that Fleming should be singing. But, this production was relatively well sung, with a bit of camp that went right up to the line but did not cross over.

 

Grigolo, Renee's sexy son in the story, had spiked blond hair. Fleming was surprisingly adept at killing people. I would not want a recording of the opera. But, I give her credit for being willing to turn her goody-goody image on its head, and have fun doing it. (She talked about it in an hour or so discussion with the audience and Placido Domingo after the performance).

[whipped guy]

Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia" in Washington (2008)... this production was relatively well sung, with a bit of camp that went right up to the line but did not cross over.

Was that the production that portrayed Gennaro (Lucrezia's son, the tenor role) and his friend Maffio Orsini (male role even though sung by a mezzo-soprano) as being in a relationship above and beyond the "just good buddies" implied in the libretto?

 

I heard a recording of this production and thought that Fleming was a bit out of sorts compared to her 1998 performance from La Scala... but still generally OK...

 

I thought she was much better as Armida. Also, in reference to my above comment that the voice was a half size too small, I think she scaled down her voice a bit to be able to negotiate all the coloratura. However, in the final scene where things get a bit more dramatic she pulled out all the stops and the voice rang true and clear.

[Guest alanm]

Yes Gennaro was presented as being bisexual.

 

I thought Renee Fleming gained vocal and dramatic strength as the opera went on.

 

Here's the link for Fleming fans:

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112729977

 

It was one of the most crazy opera productions I have ever seen, so weird and wonderful at the same time. I had just seen "Manon" in Chicago with Natalie Dessay and Jonas Kaufmann, so it was a superb opera month!

[whipped guy]

Thanks

 

Here's the link for Fleming fans:

This Donizetti fan enjoyed hearing this again.

 

There is something about the way that the ensemble that closes the prologue builds and intensifies that always gets to me.