Latest news with #Wagnerian
Spectator
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Summer opera festivals have gone Wagner mad
Another week, another Wagner production at a summer opera festival. This never used to happen. When John Christie launched Glyndebourne in the 1930s, he hoped to stage the Ring. So he gathered a team of refugee musicians from Germany, who quickly assured him that it was impossible and he should stick to Mozart. The man who changed all that was Martin Graham, the plimsoll-wearing founder of Longborough Festival Opera, who died in April at the age of 83. Graham was irrepressible; a self-taught enthusiast. With no one around to tell him it couldn't be done, he pushed ahead regardless, staging the Ring cycle twice in as many decades. And now look. We've got Parsifal at Glyndebourne (its third Wagner staging), a chamber-sized Tristan coming up at Grimeborn and a full Ring cycle starting next year at Grange Park Opera – which, having built its own back-garden theatre, has followed the Martin Graham playbook still further by importing Longborough's music director Anthony Negus. Meanwhile in Notting Hill, Opera Holland Park has taken a first step into the Bayreuth club with The Flying Dutchman, Wagner's shortest opera, and the least Wagnerian that actually sounds Wagnerian, if that makes any sense. It certainly makes sense for OHP, which is still operating on a Covid-era stage that places the orchestra in the middle of the performance space. That's not invariably a bad thing: the orchestra is the sea on which this drama sails, and with Peter Selwyn conducting, the City of London Sinfonia went at Wagner's (moderately reduced) score with suitably salty vigour. The apron stage thrust the singers towards the audience, the roof of OHP's tent was configured to suggest sails, and out among the shrubs and the five-a-side pitches, the peacocks gave their best impression of seagulls. There was plenty to admire in Julia Burbach's production, too, plus a few things that weren't so great. Senta (Eleanor Dennis, bright and austere) was on stage almost throughout and her rusty skeleton of a house is tilted like a shipwreck. When Daland (a bluff Robert Winslade Anderson) brings the Dutchman (Paul Carey Jones) home to meet her, gravity propels her towards him – a neat visual metaphor. Neal Cooper as Erik, and Angharad Lyddon, as Mary, found more (both musically and dramatically) than you'd have thought possible in these thankless roles, while the masked ghost crew stalked the action in silence. The Holland Park set-up gives the big choral scenes a real physicality. The negatives? OHP performs the opera in its three-act form, which is unusual these days but valid enough. A pity, though, to lose the orchestral postlude that Wagner added in a later revision, and there was some curious textual jiggery-pokery at the end of Act One, introducing a female chorus into an act where Wagner's sonic palette is built around the darkness of male voices. Possibly it's authentic – Wagner tinkered with The Flying Dutchman a lot, and it'd take a musicologist to unpick all the variants – but it rang false, even if the score as presented was a better fit for Burbach's vision, which was more concerned with obsession and social isolation than transcendence. The City of London Sinfonia went at Wagner's score with suitably salty vigour Again, that's a valid approach, but it meant that the ending of the opera was confusing. Senta simply wandered off stage. And it was a bumper night for 21st-century-opera-director mannerisms (chilly, distant lovers; domestic violence; silent doppelgangers populating the overture) though if you're a regular operagoer, you price that in. Overall, though, the energy and atmosphere won through, crowned by Carey Jones's weatherbeaten Dutchman: rough in all the right places and positively sulphurous in the depths. Carey Jones was a formidable Wotan at Longborough. Clearly, a rising tide lifts all boats – even ghost ships. It's not every year, moreover, that the UK sees two different but comparably fine productions of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. Close on the heels of Opera North's touring production, Grange Park Opera has opened its season with what turns out to be a revival of David Pountney's 1997 staging for Welsh National Opera; complete with costumes in the colours of renaissance frescos and shifting, sea-dappled abstract sets by the great Ralph Koltai. Insert your own bitter aside about how a national company has been defunded by the Arts Council (Welsh and English: both are culpable) to the point that only private festivals can now afford to revive classic productions that were once public property. What matters here is that Grange Park has done it proud, with excellent singing in every role. Otar Jorjikia, as a purposeful Gabriele, made a particularly strong pairing with Elin Pritchard's Amelia: a performance in which pathos burned as bright as passion. Gianluca Marciano conducted vividly, and Simon Keenlyside was a noble Boccanegra – by turns expansive, belligerent and vulnerable in one of Verdi's most Shakespearean title roles.
The Guardian
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Le Roi d'Ys review – the floodgates open to Lalo's thrilling tale of love, rage and war
Édouard Lalo's Le Roi d'Ys was first performed in Paris in 1888. A work of often startling originality, it was hugely admired in its day and still hovers on the fringes of the repertory in the French-speaking world. Elsewhere, however, its outings have been sporadic, so Chelsea Opera Group cannot be too highly commended for tackling it in a very fine concert performance conducted by Paul Wingfield. The opera derives from the Breton legend of the city of Ys that vanished, Atlantis-like, beneath the ocean. The king of the title, however, is not its central protagonist, and Lalo focuses on his two daughters, gracious Rozenn and imperious Margared, both in love with the soldier Mylio, initially believed a casualty of the recent war between Ys and the forces of the enemy prince Karnac. A pawn in her father's politics, Margared is to marry Karnac as part of their peace treaty. But her refusal to do so on discovering that Mylio is both alive and loves Rozenn, leads first to the resumption of hostilities, then to her conspiring with Karnac to open the floodgates that protect the city from the sea. The work has often been dubbed Wagnerian, in part thanks to its dark, brass rich orchestral colouring and the echoes of Elsa and Ortrud in Lohengrin that inform Lalo's depiction of the relationship between Rozenn and Margared. Yet the description is also in many ways wide of the mark as Lalo's absolute conciseness of expression and avoidance of symphonic development are the antithesis of Wagnerian expansion. Reiterated rhythmic patterns, at times turning obsessive, drive the music forwards. The choruses, extensive and exacting, oscillate between ritual and violence. And the extraordinary vocal writing for Margared, clipped, neurotic and declamatory, fatally undermines the lyricism of all those round her. The performance was thrilling. Wingfield drove the score hard, its moments of edgy nervousness and the disturbing excitement of Lalo's war music contrasting with the beauty of the love scenes between Mylio and Rozenn. Choral singing and playing were characterised by furious energy and commitment. Etching words and phrases in her lower register, Maria Schellenberg's Margared was all hauteur and barely repressed rage. Rozenn has sometimes been depicted as gentle and timid, though Hye-Youn Lee portrays her as a woman of great moral certainty and strength. This is a beautiful voice, too. Mylio's music lies high and Luis Gomes, though admirably heroic and lyrical, had a couple of moments of strain towards the end. Alexey Gusev, on the other hand, made a terrific Karnac, deeply attractive yet implacably malign. Thomas D Hopkinson was the dignified king. Chelsea Opera Group at their best – and we need to hear the work itself much more frequently than we do.
Gulf Today
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Soprano Lise Davidsen to release new opera recording
'Davidsen Goes out with a Bang,' read the headline in Broadway World's review of the Metropolitan Opera revival of Beethoven's 'Fidelio.' And indeed Lise Davidsen is in a sense 'going out.' After she gives her final performance as the wife who disguises herself as a man to save her husband, she'll head home to Norway to prepare for a new role — as the mother of twins. But the soprano's fans will also have something new to savour while she's on maternity leave. Decca is releasing a recording of Wagner's 'Der Fliegende Holländer' ('The Flying Dutchman'), an opera she had never sung before and may never do again. The role of Senta, the sea captain's daughter who is obsessed with rescuing the Dutchman from eternal damnation, is one that Davidsen said she had been 'asked to do for almost 10 years,' but always turned down because 'I didn't feel ready.' That might seem surprising since the role is relatively short and is often grouped with other Wagnerian roles she has already sung, like Elisabeth in 'Tannhäuser' or Sieglinde in 'Die Walküre.' But the tessitura of the role — the amount of time the voice spends in a particular range — 'was difficult for me six or seven years ago,' she said. 'It lies in a tricky place and is surprisingly dramatic in the high range. For me, it was a little bit too high for too long a time.' What changed her mind, she said, was mastering the title role of Richard Strauss's 'Salome,' another opera that requires the soprano to sing near the top of her range much of the time. She performed that to great acclaim last year at the Paris Opera. Added incentives to record Senta came from the team Decca assembled and the fact that it was taped in two live performances at the Oslo Opera House. Edward Gardner, music director of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, was the conductor, and the role of the Dutchman was sung by baritone Gerald Finley, a singer she has long admired. In their great second-act duet, Davidsen said that when Finley sang his opening phrases in an otherworldly hush, 'It just gave me goosebumps because his sound is so beautiful. It's so inspiring and clear. 'I wanted to take his voice and put it in my pocket and have it with me for a sad day.' Davidsen matches him, scaling back her enormous voice to sing with aching purity, then unleashing a torrent of sound for the climaxes. The recording, also featuring bass Brindley Sharratt as Senta's father Daland, and tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac as her hapless suitor Erik, will be released April 18. Now that the project is behind her she said she has no plans to sing the role on stage. 'I can never say never,' she said, 'and maybe in five years something changes. But for now there's a lot of other roles I have coming.' Chief among those are the two pinnacles of the Wagnerian repertory for dramatic soprano, Isolde in 'Tristan und Isolde,' and Brünnhilde in the 'Ring' cycle. Both have been announced for upcoming productions at the Met directed by Yuval Sharon with the Isolde in just a year from now. In addition she is determined to keep exploring the Italian repertory. Already she has scored success in two major Verdi roles: Elisabetta in 'Don Carlo' and Leonora in 'La Forza del Destino.' A very different Verdi role she's eager to add is the murderous Lady Macbeth in 'Macbeth.' She will open the Met's 2026-27 season in a new production of the work. 'I just love that woman,' she said. 'There's something so loco in her, and I'm anxious to see where I can go with it. The other ladies are pure, but she's on a different planet.' Davidsen's twins are due in June, and she plans to extend her leave from singing for the rest of 2025. 'In America they think that's a very long leave,' she said, 'but back home they think it's very short.' Associated Press
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen to release new opera recording while awaiting birth of twins
NEW YORK (AP) — 'Davidsen Goes out with a Bang,' read the headline in Broadway World's review of the Metropolitan Opera revival of Beethoven's 'Fidelio.' And indeed Lise Davidsen is in a sense 'going out.' After she gives her final performance as the wife who disguises herself as a man to save her husband, she'll head home to Norway to prepare for a new role — as the mother of twins. But the soprano's fans will also have something new to savor while she's on maternity leave. Decca is releasing a recording of Wagner's 'Der Fliegende Holländer' ('The Flying Dutchman'), an opera she had never sung before and may never do again. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. What convinced Davidsen to record 'The Flying Dutchman' The role of Senta, the sea captain's daughter who is obsessed with rescuing the Dutchman from eternal damnation, is one that Davidsen said she had been 'asked to do for almost 10 years,' but always turned down because 'I didn't feel ready.' That might seem surprising since the role is relatively short and is often grouped with other Wagnerian roles she has already sung, like Elisabeth in "Tannhäuser' or Sieglinde in 'Die Walküre.' But the tessitura of the role — the amount of time the voice spends in a particular range — 'was difficult for me six or seven years ago,' she said. 'It lies in a tricky place and is surprisingly dramatic in the high range. For me, it was a little bit too high for too long a time.' What changed her mind, she said, was mastering the title role of Richard Strauss's 'Salome,' another opera that requires the soprano to sing near the top of her range much of the time. She performed that to great acclaim last year at the Paris Opera. Added incentives to record Senta came from the team Decca assembled and the fact that it was taped in two live performances at the Oslo Opera House. Edward Gardner, music director of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, was the conductor, and the role of the Dutchman was sung by baritone Gerald Finley, a singer she has long admired. In their great second-act duet, Davidsen said that when Finley sang his opening phrases in an otherworldly hush, 'It just gave me goosebumps because his sound is so beautiful. It's so inspiring and clear. 'I wanted to take his voice and put it in my pocket and have it with me for a sad day.' Davidsen matches him, scaling back her enormous voice to sing with aching purity, then unleashing a torrent of sound for the climaxes. The recording, also featuring bass Brindley Sharratt as Senta's father Daland, and tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac as her hapless suitor Erik, will be released April 18. Now that the project is behind her she said she has no plans to sing the role on stage. 'I can never say never,' she said, 'and maybe in five years something changes. But for now there's a lot of other roles I have coming.' What's next for Davidsen onstage Chief among those are the two pinnacles of the Wagnerian repertory for dramatic soprano, Isolde in 'Tristan und Isolde,' and Brünnhilde in the 'Ring' cycle. Both have been announced for upcoming productions at the Met directed by Yuval Sharon with the Isolde in just a year from now. In addition she is determined to keep exploring the Italian repertory. Already she has scored success in two major Verdi roles: Elisabetta in 'Don Carlo' A very different Verdi role she's eager to add is the murderous Lady Macbeth in 'Macbeth.' She will open the Met's 2026-27 season in a new production of the work. 'I just love that woman,' she said. 'There's something so loco in her, and I'm anxious to see where I can go with it. The other ladies are pure, but she's on a different planet.' Davidsen's twins are due in June, and she plans to extend her leave from singing for the rest of 2025. 'In America they think that's a very long leave,' she said, 'but back home they think it's very short.' Once she does return, she'll be doing fewer concert tours that require quickly jumping from city to city. 'The back and forth, here and there, I don't want to do it,' she said. 'The good thing with new opera productions is we can all be here together,' she said. Between rehearsals and performances, a new production typically allows for at least a two-month stay in one place. Meanwhile, the final 'Fidelio' on Saturday afternoon will be broadcast live in HD to movie theaters worldwide. Susanna Mälkki conducts a cast that includes tenor David Butt Philip as the unjustly imprisoned Florestan; bass Rene Papé as the jailer Rocco, soprano Ying Fang as his daughter Marzelline, and baritone Tomasz Konieczny as the villainous Don Pizarro.
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen to release new opera recording while awaiting birth of twins
'Davidsen Goes out with a Bang,' read the headline in Broadway World's review of the Metropolitan Opera revival of Beethoven's 'Fidelio.' And indeed Lise Davidsen is in a sense 'going out.' After she gives her final performance as the wife who disguises herself as a man to save her husband, she'll head home to Norway to prepare for a new role — as the mother of twins. But the soprano's fans will also have something new to savor while she's on maternity leave. Decca is releasing a recording of Wagner's 'Der Fliegende Holländer' ('The Flying Dutchman'), an opera she had never sung before and may never do again. What convinced Davidsen to record 'The Flying Dutchman' The role of Senta, the sea captain's daughter who is obsessed with rescuing the Dutchman from eternal damnation, is one that Davidsen said she had been 'asked to do for almost 10 years,' but always turned down because 'I didn't feel ready.' That might seem surprising since the role is relatively short and is often grouped with other Wagnerian roles she has already sung, like Elisabeth in "Tannhäuser' or Sieglinde in 'Die Walküre.' But the tessitura of the role — the amount of time the voice spends in a particular range — 'was difficult for me six or seven years ago,' she said. 'It lies in a tricky place and is surprisingly dramatic in the high range. For me, it was a little bit too high for too long a time.' What changed her mind, she said, was mastering the title role of Richard Strauss's ' Salome,' another opera that requires the soprano to sing near the top of her range much of the time. She performed that to great acclaim last year at the Paris Opera. Added incentives to record Senta came from the team Decca assembled and the fact that it was taped in two live performances at the Oslo Opera House. Edward Gardner, music director of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, was the conductor, and the role of the Dutchman was sung by baritone Gerald Finley, a singer she has long admired. In their great second-act duet, Davidsen said that when Finley sang his opening phrases in an otherworldly hush, 'It just gave me goosebumps because his sound is so beautiful. It's so inspiring and clear. 'I wanted to take his voice and put it in my pocket and have it with me for a sad day.' Davidsen matches him, scaling back her enormous voice to sing with aching purity, then unleashing a torrent of sound for the climaxes. The recording, also featuring bass Brindley Sharratt as Senta's father Daland, and tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac as her hapless suitor Erik, will be released April 18. Now that the project is behind her she said she has no plans to sing the role on stage. 'I can never say never,' she said, 'and maybe in five years something changes. But for now there's a lot of other roles I have coming.' What's next for Davidsen onstage Chief among those are the two pinnacles of the Wagnerian repertory for dramatic soprano, Isolde in 'Tristan und Isolde,' and Brünnhilde in the 'Ring' cycle. Both have been announced for upcoming productions at the Met directed by Yuval Sharon with the Isolde in just a year from now. In addition she is determined to keep exploring the Italian repertory. Already she has scored success in two major Verdi roles: Elisabetta in 'Don Carlo' and Leonora in 'La Forza del Destino.' A very different Verdi role she's eager to add is the murderous Lady Macbeth in 'Macbeth.' She will open the Met's 2026-27 season in a new production of the work. 'I just love that woman,' she said. 'There's something so loco in her, and I'm anxious to see where I can go with it. The other ladies are pure, but she's on a different planet.' Davidsen's twins are due in June, and she plans to extend her leave from singing for the rest of 2025. 'In America they think that's a very long leave,' she said, 'but back home they think it's very short.' Once she does return, she'll be doing fewer concert tours that require quickly jumping from city to city. 'The back and forth, here and there, I don't want to do it,' she said. 'The good thing with new opera productions is we can all be here together,' she said. Between rehearsals and performances, a new production typically allows for at least a two-month stay in one place. Meanwhile, the final 'Fidelio' on Saturday afternoon will be broadcast live in HD to movie theaters worldwide. Susanna Mälkki conducts a cast that includes tenor David Butt Philip as the unjustly imprisoned Florestan; bass Rene Papé as the jailer Rocco, soprano Ying Fang as his daughter Marzelline, and baritone Tomasz Konieczny as the villainous Don Pizarro.
