Met Turandot, 30 Jan 2016

[Pulcinella]

Did anyone listen to, or go to the live screening of, the Met Turandot yesterday?
I'm not aware of hearing Nina Stemme before, but can't help wondering if she has ruined her voice by singing too much Wagner.
She was anything but the icy princess.
The sets sounded interesting, and were given the usual approval from the audience, but I was glad I saved my money and listened at home rather than going to our local cinema.

[Flosshilde]

"can't help wondering if she has ruined her voice by singing too much Wagner. She was anything but the icy princess."

I'm not sure how the second follows on from the first. I think perhaps the 'icy princess' thing is a bit over-emphasised anyway; she's passionate in her desire for vengance, & equally passionate when her defences fall & she embraces Calaf. I listened (up to the point when Calaf got the riddles right, then dinner called) because Nina Stemme was singing, & wasn't disappointed. I was more concerned about Calaf - I wondered how he would manage 'Nessun dorma.

The production, judging by the photographs, was a typical Zefferelli production - lavish, not expense spared.

[Pulcinella]

I would like the princess to have a crystal-clear voice, not one with a vibrato a mile wide!
Eva Turner does it for me: terrifying in its purity.

I just can't help wondering if singing the big Wagner roles (and singing in big houses?) creates problems (Gwyneth Jones comes to mind, as an example).