Verdi vs.Wagner

[jean]

Someone has just drawn my attention to this:

http://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/verdi-vs-wagner-200th-anniversary-stephen-fry/

[Prommer]

Will be there, as a 40th birthday present from two masochistic friends, who along with my wife have agreed to attend. Pure pleasure for me, possibly torture for them! Nice that the musical examples will be performed live.

Wagner has Philip Hensher as his 'advocate', Verdi Norman Lebrecht. Chaired by Stephen Fry.

I suspect what will happen is that Lebrecht will mainly concentrate on an anti-Wagner schtick rather than extolling the sunny virtues of Attila and Nabucco, but I may be very wrong... we'll see.

Should be entertaining at least, and possibly even informative.

[amateur51]

Have a great time Prommer and Happy Birthday!

If it gets dull, or if you think Hensher's having it too easy, could you bring yourself to ask a question relating to Britten? That'll slow Hensher down, I reckon

[Mary Chambers]

If it gets dull, or if you think Hensher's having it too easy, could you bring yourself to ask a question relating to Britten? That'll slow Hensher down, I reckon

Oh, he'd have plenty to say....

I do understand that this event is a sort of debate, but really, Verdi VS Wagner? It's not a competition.

[Prommer]

Oh dear, well, in a way for sport I would like to bring up Britten but I don't want to be the berk who has wandered into the binary debate and annoys everyone who's enjoyably being partisan by suggesting the Third Way. Also I just cannot put the great BB on quite this level of operatic distinction, in all honesty. These are gods!

[Prommer]

This is going to be NL's line...

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/09/in-the-verdi-vs-wagner-war-there-is-only-one-good-guy.html

Both great, totally different, so you have to go for the nice guy.

[Mary Chambers]

. Also I just cannot put the great BB on quite this level of operatic distinction, in all honesty. These are gods!

And BB isn't? How dare you!

[mercia]

there seems to be another Verdi/Wagner discussion, today on Radio 3, 12:15pm - Mr Fry seems to be the common denominator to both events - and no doubt Tom will be tripping over himself to create the longest question ever

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03b2fzx

[Mr Pee]

Thanks for the heads-up, Mercia.

Speaking for myself, it's Wagner all the way. The whole Verdian style does nothing for me, I'm afraid, although there's no doubt that he wrote some beautiful melodies. I much prefer Puccini when it comes to late romantic Italian opera- it seems less four-square, less stylised somehow.

And Simon Callow's one man show about Wagner opens tonight at the Linbury:-

http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/inside-wagners-head-by-simon-stokes

Could be fascinating. Simon Callow is always worth seeing, I think.

[JimD]

...totally different...

Well, yes: one a flawed but revolutionary genius, the other a very talented and effective boiler of Italianate pots. I can't see the contest.

[Prommer]

Heavy emphasis from the Verdians, I suspect, on his portrayal of women (La Traviata), human relationships (father/daughter), and the later operas to bolster the weight of the case (Otello, Falstaff). Also much mention of Don Carlos.

[Flosshilde]

but really, Verdi VS Wagner? It's not a competition.

As Mr Fry said just now, it's not a balloon date, nobody's going to be thrown out of the basket.

[Mr Pee]

Just found this video of the whole debate on Slipped Disc:-

http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2013/09/new-video-verdi-vs-wagner-who-really-won.html

Haven't got around to watching it yet, but will endeavour to do so.