SALZBURG "Lulu"

[Guest alanm]

I love Berg's "Lulu," but it's a difficult opera to pull off. I was slightly disappointed by the Met's spring performances, perhaps I just missed James Levine (and for many years and tears, Teresa Stratas). I was hoping for a DVD of this production until I read about the singers and the audience interacting early on. Maybe it works!

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/arts/music/04lulu.html?8dpc

[whipped guy]

Well this Salzburg Lulu certainly seems like an "over the top" type of production... but Lulu is an "over the top" type of opera... so I think that would make it somehow all work.

 

As for Patricia Petibon, I was floored when I had recently read that she was to appear as Lulu! I had never associated her with such music... also somehow just the name "Petibon" does not seem to jive with Berg... Baroque opera, French opera, etc. yes... but not something twelve tone... The review mentions a bit of problems in the upper register. I certainly hope she has not gone "over the top" and is on the way to ruining her voice... Yes, such a voice would be acceptable for such a character... and perhaps it was done purposefully as she always seemed to take a "get involved" with the words approach to even her singing of Baroque music.

 

I thought it a bit quaintly old-world that the NY Times article felt it had to mention that the piece was performed in the "now standard three act version... by... Friedrich Cerha". Who today would think of Lulu as being in only two acts? Certainly, even we older guys remember all the drama associated with getting the piece completed... the insane widow who prevented the opera from being tampered with because she was getting messages from the composers grave not to have it completed... the fact that Cerha had been secretly working on a completion behind her back... the widow finally kicks the bucket and the wheels are put into motion to get the piece performed...

[whipped guy]

I just learned that the ORF (Austrian Radio) will broadcast this on August 7... So for those who have access to satellite radio and want to hear hear the audio this is your opportunity. Incidentally, the production was indeed televised... so perhaps that DVD version might appear eventually as well.