La Rondine - from The Met - last night April 20

[Anastasius]

Afraid to say that my usual modus operandi with Saturday night operas from The Met is start listening but after about 10-15 minutes...sometimes sooner..reach for a CD with better singers. Last night was an exception. The two leads were, IMO, utterly superb.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Afraid to say that my usual modus operandi with Saturday night operas from The Met is start listening but after about 10-15 minutes...sometimes sooner..reach for a CD with better singers. Last night was an exception. The two leads were, IMO, utterly superb.

Thanks for the tip . The Ruggero Jonathan Tetelman has a really beautiful Italianate voice. Angel Blue sounds , and I’m sure looks , wonderful in the role of Magda . That second act is so incredibly moving.

[Roger Webb]

Afraid to say that my usual modus operandi with Saturday night operas from The Met is start listening but after about 10-15 minutes...sometimes sooner..reach for a CD with better singers. Last night was an exception. The two leads were, IMO, utterly superb.

What a coincidence! I've just finished watching the 2007 Met production of La Rondine ( I think it's the same production?) with Mr and Mrs Alagna - their EMI CD version was Record of the Year back then. I was prompted to watch it again after hearing the live broadcast you mention with Angel Blue. I put this in a post relating to the fact that she is the solo singer in the Last Night of the Proms this year.....Magda singing Rule Britannia? Can't wait!

[Ein Heldenleben]

What a coincidence! I've just finished watching the 2007 Met production of La Rondine ( I think it's the same production?) with Mr and Mrs Alagna - their EMI CD version was Record of the Year back then. I was prompted to watch it again after hearing the live broadcast you mention with Angel Blue. I put this in a post relating to the fact that she is the solo singer in the Last Night of the Proms this year.....Magda singing Rule Britannia? Can't wait!

Yes same production. Those two were peerless in it - saw them at Covent Garden twice.

[Roger Webb]

Yes same production. Those two were peerless in it - saw them at Covent Garden twice.

So lucky to have seen that - is this opera the least appreciated of Puccini's?..…apart from Dorreta's aria of course, the rest is not well known, incl. the act 2 ending.

When the Alagnas did the Covent Garden production was it the same as Kiri's with Domingo? Their CD recording (Decca) is with the LSO/Maazel, but I'm sure they did it at Covent Gardens too.

[Ein Heldenleben]

So lucky to have seen that - is this opera the least appreciated of Puccini's?..…apart from Dorreta's aria of course, the rest is not well known, incl. the act 2 ending.

When the Alagnas did the Covent Garden production was it the same as Kiri's with Domingo? Their CD recordings (Decca) is with the LSO/Maazel, but I'm sure they did it at Covent Gardens too.

No I think it was created for Georghiu. She also performed it with Kaufman. I didn’t see Kiri and Placido . I imagine they were even better - certainly there’s is a very fine recording. The second couple were also very good tonight (I mean last week). From the reviews it seems that the two principals lacked some chemistry on stage whereas with Georghiu / Alagna the stage was smouldering. It’s a shame that the last act fizzles out a bit.

[Roger Webb]

No I think it was created for Georghiu. She also performed it with Kaufman. I didn’t see Kiri and Placido . I imagine they were even better - certainly there’s is a very fine recording. The second couple were also very good tonight (I mean last week). From the reviews it seems that the two principals lacked some chemistry on stage whereas with Georghiu / Alagna the stage was smouldering. It’s a shame that the last act fizzles out a bit.

Yes, you're right about the CG production being created for Georghiu. About the act 3 ending, Puccini actually wrote three versions, in one of them he changed Adami's ending and had Magda walk into the sea.....an ending more in line with his typical heroine! The WNO...Washington National Opera, not my local group! actually recorded this version, like Kiri's, on Decca - a side note to Kiri's recording is that the accompanist on Doretta's aria was a young pianist just signed to Decca called....Pascal Rogé!