MARIA STUARDA at the MET

[whipped guy]

I used the "tr" as an example because I am currently working on some Haydn piano sonatas where the autograph score is not available. Various contemporary copies often give different ornamentation such that a trill, a turn, an inverted mordent, or even a mordent can be considered... One then has to choose. Of course during this period I like to start the trill on the upper note as that emphasizes the dissonance. As you say for Rossini it might go either way.

 

As for composers own embellishments... The appendices of many critical editions are often as long as the scores themselves. I have lost count of the number off authentic versions that exist of "Tanti affetti" from La Donna del Lago. There are also tons of ornamentation for the Cenerentola finale..."Non piu' mesta" ... Some by Rossini others by various contemporaries.

 

Of course gwhiz and a few others probably now think I am insane... and they just might be right!!!

[operalover21]

Actually it did, in the sense that he included several additions to the Choudens which were from the Oeser edition he conducted in Salzburg, including a trio in the Olympia acta and the Nicklaus violin aria, not in the old Choudens edition the Met used to use

 

But that had nothing to do with the critical work that had been done in the many years since he had done it in Salzburg. It was still a hodgepodge of butchered pieces here and there. He just refuses to look at newer, scholarly, critical work done on these kinds of pieces. I found it sad and it left the piece a mish mash that barely makes any sense.

[operalover21]

Also, operalover, where did you read a review on Stuarda by Zachary Woolfe? I cant find one, do you have a link?

 

It was on a blog I daily ... let me see if I can find the link ...

[operalover21]

It is using the critical edition as the basis of its performance, just not adhering to every page of it, which is fine. But they are certainly using enough of it, including the finale of act 1, to have the pay the (very small) fee that constitutes the use of it.

 

And there's the problem in a nutshell right there. What's the point of licensing the use of a new critical edition on which many have labored for years to get it right and then just bowlderizing and coming up with your own mish mash of the score?

 

It's stuff like that that I don't get and it's intellectually -- and musically -- baffling.

[operalover21]

I have not come across any bad notices either.

 

As for critical editions... and especially those that remove editorial additions that have accrued over many years... they actually force the performer to make decisions on how to perform the piece. For example, does a simple "tr" sign mean a long trill, a short shake, a trill with a suffix, does the trill begin on the upper note, or the main note, etc. etc. etc. ??? In other words, as Sartre would have said... When working with critical editions musicians are condemned to choose.

 

See my earlier post as I've already posted one from MUSICAL AMERICA.

 

By the way, you rarely see a bad notice from the TIMES, basically the house organ of the MET, or main stream media criticism. One must really go to the blogs and other places to see really first rate criticism these days.

 

James Jorden in the Post and on his blog gave a fairly critical review and his "think piece" on the actual production -- which I posted -- is the best thing I've read so far (even if I don't necessarily agree with it).

[operalover21]

Oye!!

All this kvelling over Stuarta and critical editions and stuff. Didn't anybody have the kidneys to last through the five hours of Les Troyen and gush over this new tenor, Brian Hymel, who wiped the stage with his Aeneas oh and reportedly with a mere two hour stage rehearsal on Christmas eve? Saw the HD broadcast and he was amazing. I mean it almost made the hour or more of dreadful ballets endurable. This was the first HD broadcast of the season in which there wasn't a single weak spot in the cast. I'm hoping they post it on MetOpera On-Demand soon.

And now back to your regular kvelling.

 

Bryan Hymel was good (he's not that new, just new to the MET), very good in fact but I wouldn't say he "wiped the stage." He had some trouble on top and I wonder if he's really singing the right roles. He's not going to have a long career if he continues to sing roles like Aeneas at the MET, although I'm not aware that he's scheduled to sing at the MET again any time all that soon. He was a replacement for part of this run only.

 

I think his voice is more suited to houses in Europe that are smaller.

 

And I'll disagree with you about there not being a single weak spot in the cast. There was a BIG FAT HOLE in the cast in part one and that was Deborah Voigt who goes from bad to worse to simply awful. Here she was just bad. It's time for the MET to stop hiring her. She simply can't sing, her top is gone, her middle is muddy, and her acting reminds one of bad Theda Bara, all bug eyed and flashing, in the silent era.

 

She almost ruined the HD. By the way, I have a DVD of the HD if you'd like a copy just send me your address privately. I get HD DVD copies from the MET the day after the telecast as part of my consulting arrangement.

 

It won't be on-demand on the MET site (if it goes there, not all do) until after it airs on PBS later this season or next.

[hornytwells]

(This reply was to opera lover re critical editions, sorry, forgot to quote!)

 

I suppose because the point is that a critical edition exists merely to provide the most accurate sources available, and this includes many rewrites/changes/discarded parts that the composer himself sanctioned. So for many operas there is no absolutely definitive way of knowing exactly his intentions-the critical edition exists to offer as many possible choices as can be-and based on the preferences of conductor/singer/director they can make informed choices.

I agree about the mess of Hoffman, bt, much as I love it, I don't think the solution is to perform every bar of everything they can find that offenbach wrote as it is way too long, even for such aficionados of the opera as myself. I think the MET should definitely have at least studied the edition and taken the time to come to some informed conclusion. but when you have directors who admittedly don't know the first thing about the opera, it is part of the problem.

[hornytwells]

Oye!!

All this kvelling over Stuarta and critical editions and stuff. Didn't anybody have the kidneys to last through the five hours of Les Troyen and gush over this new tenor, Brian Hymel, who wiped the stage with his Aeneas oh and reportedly with a mere two hour stage rehearsal on Christmas eve? Saw the HD broadcast and he was amazing. I mean it almost made the hour or more of dreadful ballets endurable. This was the first HD broadcast of the season in which there wasn't a single weak spot in the cast. I'm hoping they post it on MetOpera On-Demand soon.

And now back to your regular kvelling.

 

Hi

 

To answer your question, no I couldnt bear to suffer 5 hours of Les Troyens (a piece I love, btw) with such a cast and conductor. Hymel I have already heard, he is not new to me and although an improvement on the guy who "withdrew" I cannot get over excited about his voice. Troyens needs to have 3 great singers (or at least 2) for me to want to go.

[whipped guy]

I agree about the mess of Hoffman, bt, much as I love it, I don't think the solution is to perform every bar of everything they can find that offenbach wrote as it is way too long, even for such aficionados of the opera as myself...

That is especially true of many of the big French pieces... and even some that are not a mush-mash like Hoffman. I even wonder if Berlioz would have considered every note of Troyan to be indispensable. Recently Antonio Pappano recorded William Tell as performed with cuts on opening night in 1829. That made a shambles of the last act, but the last trains were leaving Paris and the curtain had to come down on the production in time for the opera patrons to not miss their train. Performing every scrap of Hoffman would be insane!!!

[+ WilliamM]

 

By the way, I have a DVD of the HD if you'd like a copy just send me your address privately. I get HD DVD copies from the MET the day after the telecast as part of my consulting arrangement.

 

 

Wow, I would love to have the HD of "Parsifal" in March...just hope that offer extends to me as well. What are your hopes for "Parsifal?" I paid a small fortune for a ticket on March 5. I am visiting some relatively unexplored parts of Eastern Europe in May & June, would be happy to bring you back something in return.

[operalover21]

Wow, I would love to have the HD of "Parsifal" in March...just hope that offer extends to me as well. What are your hopes for "Parsifal?" I paid a small fortune for a ticket on March 5. I am visiting some relatively unexplored parts of Eastern Europe in May & June, would be happy to bring you back something in return.

 

Kaufmann is, apparently, quite unhappy with the production but that was last fall. I'm hoping he's feeling better about it right now. The revival has already been scrapped. I saw some sketches and it looked quite interesting but they have him standing in water for a lengthy period of time and he's a pretty big hypochondriac and kinda freaked out. We'll see. Keeping my fingers crossed!