Les Vepres Siciliennes (ROH)

[Prommer]

This opens tonight, and I'm going! After much Wagner, I'm looking forward to a slice of rare-ish middle Verdi, with Pappano conducting and Stefan Herheim directing his first opera in this country. Should be very interesting! I know little of the work...

[gurnemanz]

Have a good night. It sounds enticing. The daughter of friends of ours is dancing in it and they are going along. The father has no interest in opera and is not sure whether to look forward to what will be quite a long session.

[underthecountertenor]

This opens tonight, and I'm going! After much Wagner, I'm looking forward to a slice of rare-ish middle Verdi, with Pappano conducting and Stefan Herheim directing his first opera in this country. Should be very interesting! I know little of the work...

Interesting that Marina Poplavskaya is no longer singing in the first three performances, replaced at very short notice by Lianna Haroutounian (who also replaced Anja Harteros for much of the run of Don Carlo last season, to considerable acclaim). The ROH website is citing illness as the reason for the replacement, but there is some evidence that it is not quite as straightforward as that (including a comment on the ROH web page announcing the cast change, which has rather surprisingly not been removed). Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing it, and to hearing the excellent Haroutounian again, on Monday.

[underthecountertenor]

I'd add, re gurnemanz's post, that the son of a colleague is acting in alternate performances. The colleague therefore got to see the dress and was mightily impressed (despite having no great interest in opera), so maybe gurnemanz's male friend should be encouraged to give it a try (though I wouldn't normally recommend LVS as a place to start, for Verdi or opera in general!)

[underthecountertenor]

Some good reviews in, though I understand that Haroutounian didn't entirely cover herself with glory on opening night. What did you think, prommer?

[Prommer]

Overall, a very interesting night: Haroutounian started tentatively, rose well to the thrilling outbursts, cracked once quite badly scooping up and down the stave in the latter stages (was it in the Act V bolero or earlier?), but recovered. The production is a hoot - not vintage Herheim but this isn't vintage Verdi, let's face it. However, his tropes beat most other current directors' tropes, and they be tropes which are intelligently, lovingly and musically (if pervily) done. No suspicion that he doesn't like the music etc which is an impression one often gets. Michael Volle was superb in the difficult role of Montfort; Erwin Schrott a camp but thrillingly resonant ham as Procida, and Bryan Hymel negotiated Henri well (just cannot warm to his voice at all). The band and Pappano were on good form, as were the chorus. Spotted in the audience: Herheim in a dinner jacket with what looked like his mum; Mark Elder who did this years ago at ENO I think; Rupert Christiansen of the Telegraph looking like he enjoyed it, at least after Herheim's mum had gone and fair nobbled him in the interval. Greater love... Received well at the curtain calls, though some booing from upstairs emanating either from the Amphi or the jockey club, couldn't discern which...

[underthecountertenor]

Overall, a very interesting night: Haroutounian started tentatively, rose well to the thrilling outbursts, cracked once quite badly scooping up and down the stave in the latter stages (was it in the Act V bolero or earlier?), but recovered. The production is a hoot - not vintage Herheim but this isn't vintage Verdi, let's face it. However, his tropes beat most other current directors' tropes, and they be tropes which are intelligently, lovingly and musically (if pervily) done. No suspicion that he doesn't like the music etc which is an impression one often gets. Michael Volle was superb in the difficult role of Montfort; Erwin Schrott a camp but thrillingly resonant ham as Procida, and Bryan Hymel negotiated Henri well (just cannot warm to his voice at all). The band and Pappano were on good form, as were the chorus. Spotted in the audience: Herheim in a dinner jacket with what looked like his mum; Mark Elder who did this years ago at ENO I think; Rupert Christiansen of the Telegraph looking like he enjoyed it, at least after Herheim's mum had gone and fair nobbled him in the interval. Greater love... Received well at the curtain calls, though some booing from upstairs emanating either from the Amphi or the jockey club, couldn't discern which...

Thanks prommer: very much looking forward to seeing this tonight.

[Prommer]

News just in: you will see Marina Poplavskaya tonight after all - she's back in...

[underthecountertenor]

Yes, so I see. Although the cast page lists Marina for tonight but still Lianna for Thursday. It seems to me that the ROH's original explanation for Marina's non-appearance (for 'at least the first three performances') is now looking pretty threadbare.

[Prommer]

And how did you find it, underthecountertenor?

[underthecountertenor]

I loved the production in principle, prommer, though there appeared to be some obvious technical issues that meant that the sets didn't always move as miraculously as they might (and at one point one of the revolving slats - for want of a better word occurring to me - didn't revolve back into place, leaving backstage action, and panicky looking ballet dancers, exposed to those of us on the right hand side of the auditorium).
I don't know if you've heard from other sources about Poplavskaya. I would say that hers was possibly a career (and even career-defining) low. Comparisons with Florence Foster Jenkins (especially at the end of the bolero), La Gran Scena Opera Company at its most parodic and the 'drunk' Carmen of Dragana Jugovic (you tube hit) all came to mind. In her lower register she resorted to a form of sprechgesang to produce any power, whilst her upper register was completely out of control, hollow, and riddled with bad intonation. All the vocal ensembles involving her were therefore badly compromised. In short, I cannot see how the ROH can possibly allow her to sing this role (or indeed any role) again. It seemed clear that she was not ill, merely incapable of singing the part.
Sadly her appearance seemed (unsurprisingly) to infect the whole show to some extent, putting everyone on edge. Pit-stage co-ordination was sometimes badly awry, and it is entirely possible that the set problems stemmed from eggshells being trod. The orchestra acquitted itself brilliantly, as did the chorus (co-ordination problems apart), and Volle and Schrott were wonderful. Hymel also did well (I don't mind his voice in French repertoire, but this isn't really French repertoire, is it?) But, as I say, whenever MP was on, there were problems, and one could sense everyone in the house, on both sides of the pit, clenching. Such a pity, and I would really like to go again if possible if and when they take Marina off for good.
It's certainly not vintage Verdi, as you say, prommer. Apart from anything else, he clearly had problems setting a French text idiomatically.

[LHC]

I loved the production in principle, prommer, though there appeared to be some obvious technical issues that meant that the sets didn't always move as miraculously as they might (and at one point one of the revolving slats - for want of a better word occurring to me - didn't revolve back into place, leaving backstage action, and panicky looking ballet dancers, exposed to those of us on the right hand side of the auditorium).
I don't know if you've heard from other sources about Poplavskaya. I would say that hers was possibly a career (and even career-defining) low. Comparisons with Florence Foster Jenkins (especially at the end of the bolero), La Gran Scena Opera Company at its most parodic and the 'drunk' Carmen of Dragana Jugovic (you tube hit) all came to mind. In her lower register she resorted to a form of sprechgesang to produce any power, whilst her upper register was completely out of control, hollow, and riddled with bad intonation. All the vocal ensembles involving her were therefore badly compromised. In short, I cannot see how the ROH can possibly allow her to sing this role (or indeed any role) again. It seemed clear that she was not ill, merely incapable of singing the part.
Sadly her appearance seemed (unsurprisingly) to infect the whole show to some extent, putting everyone on edge. Pit-stage co-ordination was sometimes badly awry, and it is entirely possible that the set problems stemmed from eggshells being trod. The orchestra acquitted itself brilliantly, as did the chorus (co-ordination problems apart), and Volle and Schrott were wonderful. Hymel also did well (I don't mind his voice in French repertoire, but this isn't really French repertoire, is it?) But, as I say, whenever MP was on, there were problems, and one could sense everyone in the house, on both sides of the pit, clenching. Such a pity, and I would really like to go again if possible if and when they take Marina off for good.
It's certainly not vintage Verdi, as you say, prommer. Apart from anything else, he clearly had problems setting a French text idiomatically.

I was there too and, sad to say, agree with much of what you say about MP.

I know she divides opinion and has come in for a lot of stick from some quarters, but I have seen her give very strong performances in the past. However, she seems to be going through something of a crisis at the moment. I hope that she can come through this and re-build her technique, because at her best she is an estimable performer.

She deserves some credit for appearing last night as, with the indisposition of her original replacement, Haroutounian, I suspect that if she hadn't agreed to appear, the Opera House would have had to cancel the performance.

[Prommer]

Well, t'aint French at all really, is it? Can we PLEASE not just have a proper casting for Italian opera (whether Frenchified or no)? They got it right with Don Carlo, but frankly I would have wanted the same cast even if they had sung it in French. Hymel to me is marmite on toast.

The case of La Marina is in danger of buggering up what could be a hit (more or less).

[underthecountertenor]

I would be VERY surprised if La Marina were to appear again in this run. Haroutounian is booked as cover for every performance, as I understand it, and I imagine that arrangements are being made in case of her continued indisposition on Thursday. Were I a betting man, and were Wm Hill to open a book....

[LHC]

I would be VERY surprised if La Marina were to appear again in this run. Haroutounian is booked as cover for every performance, as I understand it, and I imagine that arrangements are being made in case of her continued indisposition on Thursday. Were I a betting man, and were Wm Hill to open a book....

I hope you placed that bet...

http://www.roh.org.uk/news/cast-change-rachele-stanisci-to-perform-in-les-vepres-siciliennes-on-thursday-24-october

Neither Haroutounian nor Popsy will be singing tonight, although Haroutounian will be miming on stage (presumably because she had the benefit of more rehearsals and knows the staging better than Popsy).

Of course, what happens with the rest of the run (and indeed the cinema broadcast) remains to be seen