Pappano on Cavalleria Rusticana - Radio 4

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

In this production, the final line belongs (correctly) to Tonio.

My reviewL https://bachtrack.com/review-cavalle...-december-2015

[Conchis]

Looking forward to seeing this on the 18th. After the Tell kerfuffle, I was very tempted to re-sell my ticket but what I've heard so far has been very encouraging.

[Barbirollians]

Went tonight - absolutely terrific especially the Pagliacci . Richard Morrison gave it four stars in the Times but his criticisms of Westbroek struck me as very wide of the mark (albeit that one wonders whether she might now becoming more of a high mezzo) and his suggestion that the Easter Hymn was underpowered struck me as perverse . It is built superbly to a climax and for once really meant something and Santuzza's anguish was tangible . I thought that the play within a play stuff that some critics found confusing in Pagliacci was quite brilliant .

Two slight downsides - aiming bright lights into Canio's mirror during Vesti la giubba dazzled us all in the stalls circle left - difficult to try and see through your fingers and the young Greek baritone playing Silvio had quite a wide vibrato that sounded like it could do with a bit of taming but a bright and powerful voice nonetheless and his duet with Carmen G as Nedda was for me in many ways the highlight of a night of highlights .

[aeolium]

Obviously I'm nowhere near to catch the experience live, but maybe a cinema relay will make its way to this side of the pond at some point (or failing that, the DVD).

There is a live cinema relay of the ROH Cav&Pag this Thursday December 10th, bsp, and I believe it is also being transmitted to cinemas in the USA - perhaps you can check to see if any near you are showing it.

[underthecountertenor]

Went tonight - absolutely terrific especially the Pagliacci . Richard Morrison gave it four stars in the Times but his criticisms of Westbroek struck me as very wide of the mark (albeit that one wonders whether she might now becoming more of a high mezzo) and his suggestion that the Easter Hymn was underpowered struck me as perverse . It is built superbly to a climax and for once really meant something and Santuzza's anguish was tangible . I thought that the play within a play stuff that some critics found confusing in Pagliacci was quite brilliant .

Two slight downsides - aiming bright lights into Canio's mirror during Vesti la giubba dazzled us all in the stalls circle left - difficult to try and see through your fingers and the young Greek baritone playing Silvio had quite a wide vibrato that sounded like it could do with a bit of taming but a bright and powerful voice nonetheless and his duet with Carmen G as Nedda was for me in many ways the highlight of a night of highlights .

I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say here, Barbirollians, including your note of bewilderment at aspects of Morrison's review ('perverse' being a label I would use, as also in relation to aspects of Rupert Christiansen's review), and your quibble about the reflected bright lights in Vesti la Guibba - I was in the stalls left at the General and had the same problem, so I'm pleased that my tickets for later in the run are on the right hand side of the house. This struck me (together with some very visible spots upstage during Cav that I thought at first might be car headlights) as a bit of carelessness that ought to be corrected, but perhaps that's not so easily done at this stage in the production. But, as you say, it was a night of highlights, and this aspect did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm overall.

[ardcarp]

I'm looking forward to the live streaming of Cav and Pag on Dec 10th at out local flea-pit. I still giggle, when I shouldn't, at Vesti la Giubba. As a very young kid my bedroom was right next to the bathroom. Mt father would always sing whilst shaving...with the old-fashioned stick of soap, brush and safety-razor. So in imitation of an emotionally charged Italian tenor, it would go something like:

Vesti la giu-bubble bubble-ba e la faccia infarina,
La gente-gasp-bubble-puff paga e rider vuole qua.
E se Arlecchin-scrape-scrape-scrape t’invola Colombina,
Ridi, Pagliaccio, splish-splosh e ognun applaudirà!
Dry face....end of performance.

[Cockney Sparrow]

There is an encore at my local cinema on Sunday, which is great as I can't go tomorrow. The link from the RoH "What's on" page helps find a local showing....

http://www.roh.org.uk/events?gclid=CKuusb3PzskCFcE_Gwod8YoFAA

It sounds as though I may be tempted to queue for a day ticket at the RoH later on, given the warm praise this production has received. As I'm not over familiar with these pieces, though, I can decide after my local excursion.

[Stanfordian]

I was at the cinema last night for the very well attended streaming of Cav and Pag from the ROH. These are treasured works and I really loved the performance especially the singing of Aleksandrs Antonenko, Eva-Maria Westbroek and Dimitri Platanias. The staging by director Damiano Michieletto was highly agreeable, generating plenty of dramatic tension, although, I have seen one or two other productions that I prefer particularly director Grischa Asagaroff’s Zurich Opera 2009 production featuring Jose Cura (Turiddu) and Carlo Guelfi (Tonio). Thankfully this is staging available on a splendid Arthaus DVD/Blu-ray.

Several things did slightly jar nevertheless. I didn’t enjoy the voice at all of Dionysios Sourbis who sounded like a Donkey Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaying!; the stage frequently revolving became annoying after a while; the over enthusiastic acting of the children was irksome and the interview that CBH held with Eva-Maria Westbroek was an embarrassing waste of time as the singer was either exhausted, overawed or incapable, or something like that, of answering coherently. Having said that interviews with opera singers at events such as these often don’t amount to much. Sadly in the cinema I saw no one that I took to be under 60 which is typical of opera at cinemas in my neck of the woods. I guess that this observation might be different in cities.

I have to add that the word ham springs to mind with Elena Zilio acting Mama Lucia but her singing was excellent Giannattasio's Nedda was ok.

[underthecountertenor]

I was at the cinema last night for the very well attended streaming of Cav and Pag from the ROH. These are treasured works and I really loved the performance especially the singing of Aleksandrs Antonenko, Eva-Maria Westbroek and Dimitri Platanias. The staging by director Damiano Michieletto was highly agreeable generating plenty dramatic of tension, although, I have seen one or two others that I prefer particularly director Grischa Asagaroff’s Zurich Opera 2009 production featuring Jose Cura (Turiddu) and Carlo Guelfi (Tonio). Thankfully this is staging available on a splendid Arthaus DVD/Blu-ray.

Several things did slightly jar nevertheless. I didn’t enjoy the voice at all of Dionysios Sourbis who sounded like a Donkey Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaying!; the stage frequently revolving became annoying after a while ; the over enthusiastic acting of the children was irksome and the interview that CBH held with Eva-Maria Westbroek was an embarrassing waste of time as the singer was either exhausted, overawed or incapable, or something like that, of answering coherently. Having said that interviews with opera singers at events such as these often don’t amount to much. Sadly in the cinema I saw no one that I took to be under 60 which is typical of opera at cinemas in my neck of the woods. I guess that this observation might be different in cities.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. As to the jarring things, they may have jarred in the close-up HD cinema world more than they would in the auditorium. Certainly the children's acting seemed boisterous rather than overenthusiastic to me from my position half way back in the stalls at the General. The revolve I found involving rather than annoying, but Rupert Christiansen is with you on that one (as to which I'd be tempted to say QED!). Sourbis is a matter of taste of course, and I've rarely known such a wide divergence of views as to the singing of so many principals. Again, perhaps the cinema sound exaggerated something that wasn't obvious in the auditorium? It certainly seems to me that there are both gains and losses to be had from watching HD filmed opera stagings. The age profile is a great pity, and a worry.

[Stanfordian]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. As to the jarring things, they may have jarred in the close-up HD cinema world more than they would in the auditorium. Certainly the children's acting seemed boisterous rather than overenthusiastic to me from my position half way back in the stalls at the General. The revolve I found involving rather than annoying, but Rupert Christiansen is with you on that one (as to which I'd be tempted to say QED!). Sourbis is a matter of taste of course, and I've rarely known such a wide divergence of views as to the singing of so many principals. Again, perhaps the cinema sound exaggerated something that wasn't obvious in the auditorium? It certainly seems to me that there are both gains and losses to be had from watching HD filmed opera stagings. The age profile is a great pity, and a worry.

Hiya uttt,
I have enjoyed reading your interesting views.

[underthecountertenor]

Thanks, stanfordian - and I yours.

[DracoM]

Yes, saw it locally as well.

Westbroek for me was effortful and one-dimensional, and blurred the themes [and that was surely the worst EVER interview, going out as it was to literally millions worldwide, Bet the ROH managers had toes curling - as mine were].

Zilio way OTT acting of Mamma, singing OK. Sourbis a drip. Platanias OK, more one-dimension Mafia heavy. Antonenko's Turiddu sounded a bit out of his comfort zone to me, or maybe he was saving himself? BUT his Canio/Pagliacci was spot on.

Real star for me was Giannattasio's Nedda. Top of her game, fine actor, lots of voice. Better suited to screen maybe than the others?

Band excellent. It occured to me how many tim es has the ROH actually played this score in recent years? Many continental houses do Cav&Pag pretty well as staples, but the ROH?? The chorus acting VG but clearly well-back acoustically and made almost no musical impression - love kids, direct them much in shows, BUT loathed the wrestling and terminally show-off versions we had on stage, and I hope some Stage Manager tore them off a strip for wild and distracting over-acting in a globallly beamed show. Yes, by all means have them in to create sense of community, but crikey.....!

Pagliacci production was thought-provoking, terrific - the clever interaction of levels of reality/ dream / onstage / offstage 'truths' quite brilliantly thought out and handled. The revolve was essential and I thought and excellent idea quite deliberately used to exploit and advance these interactions and the complexity of the action. And this production really lifted Pag way out of the run-of-the-mill tear-jerker.

One quibble: no sub-titles for Cav in our place. Why not? Anywhere else have same prob?

[Stanfordian]

Yes, saw it locally as well.

Westbroek for me was effortful and one-dimensional, and blurred the themes [and that was surely the worst EVER interview, going out as it was to literally millions worldwide, Bet the ROH managers had toes curling - as mine were].

Zilio way OTT acting of Mamma, singing OK. Sourbis a drip. Platanias OK, more one-dimension Mafia heavy. Antonenko's Turiddu sounded a bit out of his comfort zone to me, or maybe he was saving himself? BUT his Canio/Pagliacci was spot on.

Real star for me was Giannattasio's Nedda. Top of her game, fine actor, lots of voice. Better suited to screen maybe than the others?

Band excellent. It occured to me how many tim es has the ROH actually played this score in recent years? Many continental houses do Cav&Pag pretty well as staples, but the ROH?? The chorus acting VG but clearly well-back acoustically and made almost no musical impression - love kids, direct them much in shows, BUT loathed the wrestling and terminally show-off versions we had on stage, and I hope some Stage Manager tore them off a strip for wild and distracting over-acting in a globallly beamed show. Yes, by all means have them in to create sense of community, but crikey.....!

Pagliacci production was thought-provoking, terrific - the clever interaction of levels of reality/ dream / onstage / offstage 'truths' quite brilliantly thought out and handled. The revolve was essential and I thought and excellent idea quite deliberately used to exploit and advance these interactions and the complexity of the action. And this production really lifted Pag way out of the run-of-the-mill tear-jerker.

One quibble: no sub-titles for Cav in our place. Why not? Anywhere else have same prob?

Hiya Drac,

I sympathise. I'd have been knackered without subtitles so thank goodness we had them at our Odeon.

[Conchis]

Regarding audiences: when I attend the ROH (almost always in the ampitheatre), I'm impressed by the wide range of ages on display there. At 'straight' theatre events, though - especially outside London - I seem to be the youngest person in the audience (and I'm only a couple of years shy of the half-century).

[teamsaint]

Regarding audiences: when I attend the ROH (almost always in the ampitheatre), I'm impressed by the wide range of ages on display there. At 'straight' theatre events, though - especially outside London - I seem to be the youngest person in the audience (and I'm only a couple of years shy of the half-century).

have you been to any concerts at the Anvil Basingstoke recently , Conch ?

the age profile of the audience is extraordinary.