Khovanshchina

[+ WilliamM]

I really liked Mussorgsky's opera, Khovanshchina, which I saw last week at the Met. I want to mention Anotoli Kotscherga and Olga Borodina in particular for their exceptional singing as well as the orchestra led by conductor Kirill Petrenko.

 

The staging was impressive, even spectular at the very end. There are two more performances of the opera, Tuesday March 13 and Saturday, March 17 (also on the Met radio network on Saturday).

 

The story is unusually complex. We are in Russia at the end of the 1600s, when Peter the Great is still a teenager and his older sister is the regent. Neither Peter nor his sister appear on stage, so the plot involves the various factions that are at odds over the country's future---the secret police, the conservative political and religious groups and those backing what is believed will be a more liberal, Western-looking rule under Peter.

 

By the end of Act One I had figured out the various sides. But even in Act Two I put the story on hold often and just enjoyed the wonderful music and singing.

 

It's an opera that has stayed with me for the last week in way that I had not expected. There were empty seat last week, tickets purchased by people who did not attend. It's worth trying for standing room and then moving to an empty seat. I do not believe you will regret seeing a performance of the wonderful Khovanshchina.

[whipped guy]

William thanks for some operatic action here!

 

For some reason I can't seem to "get" the essence of Russian opera... the language just seems foreign to the idiom. Still, if you "get" it I would assume that this piece could be quite riveting... well let's just say that your reaction to it more than demonstrates that fact! From what I understand the MET is using the Shostakovich orchestration/completion with the exception that the final scene of the Stravinsky version is used, which provides a more quiet ending to the piece compared to the Shostakovich ending.

 

In any event, since Khovanshchina is being broadcast this Saturday over the MET's radio network... I will give it a listen.

 

Also, you mention Olga Borodina... she seems to be able to do it all! Her rich mezzo can encompass intricate coloratura to the most dramatic of outbursts.

[+ WilliamM]

William thanks for some operatic action here!

 

In any event, since Khovanshchina is being broadcast this Saturday over the MET's radio network... I will give it a listen.

 

Also, you mention Olga Borodina... she seems to be able to do it all! Her rich mezzo can encompass intricate coloratura to the most dramatic of outbursts.

 

Thank you very much for your comments. I also saw Don Giovanni recently with Gerald Finley and Bryn Terfel. I was not crazy about the production, but had a good time---how could you not with that opera.

 

I also saw all the Ring operas, although Gotterdammerung is the one that is freshest in my mind. I have not written anything here because I saw Das Rheingold live at the Paris Bastille Opera and the Met production of Rheingold in a theater in HD, not in person. But, I am now aware that there's someone who may be interested, so I shall try to put my thoughts together.

[whipped guy]

I saw the Don Giovanni with the earlier cast in the house... In fact it was during the October "snow event" and I barely made it out of the City alive! Incidentally, that was the performance that was simulcast to theaters. I enjoyed it very much... both the singing and production and posted about it here:

 

http://www.companyofmen.org/showthread.php?83508-MET-Don-Giovanni

 

At any rate, I did enjoy hearing the alternate cast in the Don Giovanni broadcast this past weekend. Incidentally, I admire anyone who has the stamina for Wagner... I really don't... though I do appreciate his genius. Therefore, any thoughts about the Ring or other matters would certainly be appreciated.

[+ WilliamM]

It would not be a stretch to write that I was tired mentally at Don Giovanni from seeing the 5.5 hour Khovanshchina the night before, but it may not be completely true.

 

I do not disagree with your comments in the fall on Don Giovanni. So maybe it was truly too much to see Don Giovanni right after all my efforts with Khovanshchina were paid back so amazingly.

 

I need to gather my thoughts on Wagner. I shall be interested in your response.

[whipped guy]

Regarding seeing operas back to back... A couple of years ago I saw Les Contes d' Hoffmann in the afternoon and Le Nozze di Figaro in the evening. On a good day I usually loose interest in Nozze by the final act... but I was so overwhelmed by Hoffmann that I was totally out of it for most of Nozze. Now this was not something that was planned, but a friend could not make the Hoffmann and knew that I was going to be in the City. As a result, I came into the ticket a few days before.

 

Well, I repeated the mistake last year, and this time it was a planned event. It is was Armida for the matinée and Iphigenie en Tauride in the evening. For some reason Iphigenie just didn't register...

 

So in both cases too much of a good thing spaced way too closely. I think that I was tired emotionally by Hoffmann and exceptionally overcome by the brilliant coloratura excesses of Armida.

[adriano46]

I had tickets for the production of Khovanshchina last week but something came up -- so I "gifted" a favored escort both of my tickets for him and whoever he wanted to take along. I had planned seeing this opera since it was advertised but had to skip -- and so I am glad to hear it will be on Saturday on the radio. I read the reviews and all agreed it was a great production with terrific singing, but yes, Russian opera can be tedious and take some time getting used to. That said, the costumes and drama of this can keep it moving.

[whipped guy]

I was able to catch a bit of the MET broadcast of Khovanshchina and it was quite riviting... and moving. I seemed to almost "get" it... and the Russian language actually enhanced the experience.

[+ WilliamM]

Khovanschchina -- Additional Comments

 

I was able to catch a bit of the MET broadcast of Khovanshchina and it was quite riviting... and moving. I seemed to almost "get" it... and the Russian language actually enhanced the experience.

 

I have been listening to the Khovanshchina DVDs from Barcelona. This may be one of those operas where it's best to almost ignore the story, and concentrate on the music and singing.

 

On Russian opera in general, do you enjoy Eugene Onegin, Pique Dame and War and Peace?

[adriano46]

Eugene Onegin is one of my all-time favorites. I listen to it repeatedl (as it also was the favorite of one of my all-time favorite escorts, a Russian, who introduced me tot his opera).

[whipped guy]

I find that operas by composers such as Glinka and Tchaikovsky can often play like an Italian opera… and especially where Tchaikovsky is concerned where the guy certainly knew how to write a sweeping melody. However, there always seem to be extra syllables in the Russian language that appear sometimes out of nowhere to impinge and interrupt the vocal line. In that regard the purely orchestral Tchaikovsky seems to make more sense… at least to my Italianate ears.

Now with Mussorgsky… and his nonconformist style with its craggy edges and unorthodox harmonies… the language seems to better suite the music.

[operalover21]

I saw the March 6th performance and it was, perhaps, the most dramatically thrilling thing I've seen on the MET stage all season.

[+ WilliamM]

I saw the March 6th performance as well.

 

It's an unlikely opera to generate so much very positive interest, so I am really happy that you posted

[rguer]

I saw the March 6th performance as well.

 

It's an unlikely opera to generate so much very positive interest, so I am really happy that you posted

 

That's a great thing about live opera - some little-performed work, or tired old warhorse, can unexpectedly turn out to be the best thing all season.

[operalover21]

So much of the really hyped stuff -- the new Faust, The Enchanted Island, the last two Ring installments -- were major disappointments. Another delight was the revival of Elisir I saw on March 5th with Florez, Damrau, and Kwiecien. Pure magic.

[+ WilliamM]

I agree: super cast for Elisir...wish I have seen it. I am looking forward to Manon and few of the last operas in May. I saw a production of Manon with Natalie Dessay and Jonas Kaufmann. Wonder how the Met's 'new' production will compare.

[whipped guy]

Regarding the L'Elisir d'Amore... I wish I could have seen it as well. However, it did not fit in to my schedule... and I won't even be able to catch the broadcast this Saturday.

 

Donizetti's "slender" comedy is a rare jewel that is so much more than the sum of its parts… it is a comedy with depth and insightfulness. Every character is painted to perfection by Donizetti… the quack, the braggart, the country bumpkin with a sensitive side, etc… Even the villagers have a personality…. and all with music that simply exudes all the sunshine of Italy.

 

There will be a new production to open the season next year. At first it seemed like a strange choice... but perhaps not. The pre-production hype suggests a traditional staging and with any luck (given the opera's “upgraded” status) they might even open up all of the customary cuts so as to actually give more accurate and truthful representation of this seemingly slight gem of an opera… hopefully they will do so… If so much as a measure were to be missing from Gotterdammerung there would be an outcry… Donizetti deserves as much respect.

[operalover21]

The new Elisir to open the 2012-13 season at the MET was a last minute substitution for the new Onegin which has been pushed to the following season. They needed something that could fit the three leads they'd already signed (Netrebko, Polenzani, Kwiecien) and came up with a new Elisir (the old production was slated to be mothballed eventually anyway). I hope it will be good but it will be hard to beat Damrau, Florez, and Kwiecien this month. They really were terrific.

[whipped guy]

Even though they have been hyping him, I don't "get" Polenzani...and was disappointed with his Ottavio... Still, he should be able to get through Nemorino... but I just can't see him totally erasing memories of any number of predecessors... not even someone with a small voice such as Luigi Alva who recorded the part quite stunningly… much less Pavarotti, Bergonzi, Alagna, and even Vargas. Netrebko is really more of a natural Adina as opposed to a Lucia (which was not really good at all) or Bolena (where she much more reasonably made it all come together)... and she certainly will look the part!

[operalover21]

I love Polenzani. I think he's the most underrated tenor on the scene today. And his personal tragedy makes his story even more compelling, at least to me. His Tamino is one of the best I've ever seen.

 

As for the tenors you compared him with -- Pavarotti, Bergonzi, Alagna, Vargas -- none of them are in his voice category. They are all spinto tenors and Polenzani is a light lyric tenor. He has pushed himself in to heavier, more Romantic territory but he'll never sing the big Verdi and Puccini parts that the tenors you mention are most known for.

 

As for the new Manon at the MET. I saw the dress rehearsal last Friday. The singing was uniformly good (even if I'm not Netrebko's biggest fan) but the production was extremely ugly. It was really off-putting. Go, close your eyes, and enjoy the singing.

[whipped guy]

Polenzani is indeed a light lyric... and that is exactly why I compared him to Luigi Alva... the "tenorino" of the late 50's, 60's and early 70's... While I agree about his Tamino, he recently sounded out of sorts as Ottavio, which was hopefully simply an off day and that concerned me. As far as his current assignment of Alfredo, well possibly that's as far as I would go. It is just that I think he is moving in the wrong direction, albeit somewhat cautiously.

 

Incidentally, while we are used to a more substantial tenor voice singing Nemorino, in truth the proper voice is a light lyric... it is just that every tenor in the world wants to sing the role... Still, the above mentioned singers have indeed been able to pull it off quite successfully by lightening their tone... Indeed, some of those tenors would have been more successful if they had not pushed into heavier territory. At any rate, one of the best portrayals of Nemorino is Bergonzi in the MET's 1966 broadcast, which was recently released on CD. He and Alva (in the recording under Serafin) are my favorite Nemorinos... and shoot I forgot about Valletti... but I have not heard his version in years... not to mention Alfredo Kraus who sang a nice Nemorino in the 1968 MET broadcast.

 

In the final analysis, I think we are really on the exact same wavelength regarding Polenzani... When I said that I don't "get" Polenzani... I should have said I don't "get the direction in which he is moving". I just hope he doesn't end up singing roles that will stretch him beyond his limits... and I fear that he is being pushed in that direction.

[operalover21]

Yes, that makes perfect sense. I've always liked the sound of his voice. I do think the Alfredo is about as far as he's going to go. He's been smart. He just doesn't want to be "stuck" in Mozart.

 

I saw the Don Ottavio and I thought everyone, with the exception of Terfel, seemed out of sorts. I blame the director or lack of director. That production was one of the big disappointments of this season at the MET. It was dullsville. No concept. Just a big bunch of doors and no direction. Really disappointing.

 

I've always loved his Don Ottavio but Vargas last fall was much better. Of course, Vargas' voice is a luxury in a role like that.

 

Alva and Valletti are wonderful and even when he couldn't move Pavarotti could sing the hell out of Nemorino. Of course, the role is all wrong, vocally, for Florez but I adore him and he really pulled it off. He's another tenor who has been very smart about his career. Even when he's made a mistake (Duke of Mantua) he realizes it quickly and drops the role. Very smart guy.

 

He's going to be doing the new Puritani in a few years and that should be a real test in a barn the size of the MET.

[whipped guy]

You said exactly what I was going to say... the stuck in Mozart thing... and that has been the downfall of many a singer. Fortunately Florez, Brownlee, and a few other are not afraid to get stuck in Rossini, etc... and thanks the Gods for that!

 

As for the Don G... I saw it in October with Vargas... in the house during the snowstorm... the performance that was HDcast... and almost didn't make it out of the City alive!!!!! I actually enjoyed it... and was not bothered by the set... but these days when there is no updating or regietheater involved one is always relieved!!!!

[operalover21]

You said exactly what I was going to say... the stuck in Mozart thing... and that has been the downfall of many a singer. Fortunately Florez, Brownlee, and a few other are not afraid to get stuck in Rossini, etc... and thanks the Gods for that!

 

As for the Don G... I saw it in October with Vargas... in the house during the snowstorm... the performance that was HDcast... and almost didn't make it out of the City alive!!!!! I actually enjoyed it... and was not bothered by the set... but these days when there is no updating or regietheater involved one is always relieved!!!!

 

I just would like something with a point of view and Grandage -- who is a great theater director -- didn't seem to have a clue. I just didn't get it. Mozart really cries out for a more contemporary staging. I've seen some Giovannis in Europe that would take your breath away. The new MET production, for me, just sat there and had nothing to say. At least, in the fall, the singers were better. I was underwhelmed by the second cast this past March.

 

Florez can sing the phone book for me -- and to me. Brownlee, I have to admit, I can do without. I find him uninteresting on stage. The voice is lovely but he doesn't do much onstage and looks like a bit of a munchkin to me. Although not as bad as Barry Banks who always seems to be auditioning for the role of Mayor of Munchkinland!

[whipped guy]

Brownlee... The voice is lovely but he doesn't do much onstage and looks like a bit of a munchkin to me. Although not as bad as Barry Banks who always seems to be auditioning for the role of Mayor of Munchkinland!

I actually like Brownlee's voice and his appearance and acting has improved so I can overlook that. As for Banks... well of late his voice has sounded harsh... and he is indeed a munchkin... He really needs to get a pair of lifts when onstage... As for looking like the Mayor of Munchkinland... he looked exactly that in the final scene form Rossini's La Donna del Lago as staged by City Opera a few years ago! I think one reviewer said that he looked like Mayor Quimby from the Simpsons... and that was being kind!!!

 

As for Don Giovanni... It always overwhelms me...and especially, "Don Giovanni a cenar teco m'invitasti e son venuto!" Gotta love that D minor!!!