BaL 19.10.19 - Verdi: La Traviata

[Judith Robbyns]

I do think this was better than last week and also that the reviewer's comments were all right (mostly). Judged by this week, I felt that the motive for the discussion format was (supposed to be) to allow the reviewer to be less formal, to apparently ad lib - even if the ad libs were prepared well in advance. And 'less formal' is what the BBC thinks is more desirable because 'formal' puts some listeners off. Not me though.

On accent - “On the pronunciation front I don’t think American Italian is any worse than English Italian . Even within Italy there are so many different accents ( not to mention dialects) so a notion of “correct” Italian pronunciation is a bit of an illusion.“

I felt the Italian accent was ‘correct’ enough, though ‘incorrect' is NOT an illusion even if 'correct' is. My somewhat perverse grumble is that when people are speaking English they should modify any accent very slightly when interjecting something in another language, rather than imitating the other language ‘how she is spoke’. But that is a personal preference. I don’t think the other accent should stick out like a sore thumb by being overemphasised. My own opinion.

For me 6/10. I too would prefer Interpretations on Record.

[Master Jacques]

How so? I took him to mean simply that (these days?) she gets a lot less notice than she deserves. Suggest you look up the word in a dictionary!

Why do I need to look the word up? Mr E said Moffo was "unsung", which is completely untrue. Even these days. There was a full page spread on her Thais and its virtues (by a professional director, as I recall) in Opera a couple of months ago. "Unsung" in context implied she was overlooked or forgotten. Which she patently is not.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Why do I need to look the word up? Mr E said Moffo was "unsung", which is completely untrue. Even these days. There was a full page spread on her Thais and its virtues (by a professional director, as I recall) in Opera a couple of months ago. "Unsung" in context implied she was overlooked or forgotten. Which she patently is not.

If the reviewer thinks she's currently under-appreciated, he's surely entitled to say or suggest so without being jumped on as an ignoramus.

[Master Jacques]

With the hope of avoiding more shots from snipers, I'll come clean and say why I found this morning's BaL display so noxious. There was a basic reason, over and above Mr E's misinformation, hyperbole and lack of grasp over Verdi and the work's discography (I will provide examples of those if anyone cares to message me, as I don't want to irritate and bore everyone who enjoyed this BaL any further!)

I'm referring to his personal lack of courtesy towards professional colleagues. It's one think to flag up that you find Thomas Hampson (a great singer on his day) miscast, but quite another to say that he was so bad that you weren't going to waste time playing him. It's one thing to praise John Pritchard's conducting over and above Richard Bonynge's, but to say that it was a mercy RB wasn't conducting his wife in that particular live performance was to insult a good professional conductor who is still - in his 90s - doing valuable work (especially in the realm of 19th century British opera, and French and Hungarian operetta).

This lack of courtesy towards colleagues seems something Mr E has been prone to in the last few years, and there are signs it may be affecting his career adversely (thus perhaps the increased emphasis on personal presenting for BBC Radio and TV??) I'm not interested in taking sides on that, but certainly found his rudeness this morning went beyond acceptable criticism into the realm of bitchy, personal attack. Anyone interested can check this Norman Lebrecht blog from 2017- and Lebrecht is of course on Mr E's side (as I am myself, when it comes to his instrumental playing - which I wish he would stick to!)

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2017/05/defence-mahan-esfahani/

[Master Jacques]

If the reviewer thinks she's currently under-appreciated, he's surely entitled to say or suggest so without being jumped on as an ignoramus.

And by the same token, I think I'm entitled to suggest that he was talking rubbish, by saying she is "unsung" when she's not! It was as if Mr E wanted to take credit for resuscitating a dead reputation. She remains highly regarded and much discussed by opera fans around the world. Enough said, I think.

[Master Jacques]

I don't think 'unsung' in this context meant 'forgotten' but less generally appreciated/praised these days as she once was.

But Judith, she isn't - relatively speaking. You might as well say that Tebaldi or Callas is "unsung", compared with the level they once enjoyed. The culture has moved on. Quantifiably, there has been a rise in the number of Moffo reissues lately, not a fall. So what he said was misleading, and wrong.

[Judith Robbyns]

I tried to delete that comment - although there seemed to be two ways to do it, neither of them worked. Perhaps I'm not allowed to!

On your other points, I understand what you mean in that I felt he was rather inflexible about what he wanted from the three main characters and for him Thomas Hampson wasn't Germont, and this guided his choice, or rejection, of certain versions. I just took that as the way he chose to tackle the subject. I do prefer a more objective approach. However, on whether he was misleading or wrong I won't pronounce. I'm not very keen on later 19thc opera so don't listen to much.

[Master Jacques]

I tried to delete that comment - although there seemed to be two ways to do it, neither of them worked. Perhaps I'm not allowed to!

On your other points, I understand what you mean in that I felt he was rather inflexible about what he wanted from the three main characters and for him Thomas Hampson wasn't Germont, and this guided his choice, or rejection, of certain versions. I just took that as the way he chose to tackle the subject. I do prefer a more objective approach. However, on whether he was misleading or wrong I won't pronounce. I'm not very keen on later 19thc opera so don't listen to much.

"Rather inflexible" is a beautifully kind way of putting it, Judith! He had an idea for each of them in his mind, which wasn't to be moulded by anything he heard - one of the powers of great singing, is it's ability to change our perceptions of character in action. He wasn't open to that, or at least wasn't listening for it. And his ideas of those characters were mainly in his own head, only loosely related to Verdi's drama (or indeed music).

[Judith Robbyns]

"Rather inflexible" is a beautifully kind way of putting it, Judith!"

Thank you. I do think kindness is important!

It was in this respect the exact opposite of Interpretations on Record where different possible approaches by the musicians are examined. Only then does one decide which one is most to one's taste.

[Master Jacques]

It was in this respect the exact opposite of Interpretations on Record where different possible approaches by the musicians are examined. Only then does one decide which one is most to one's taste.

Well said: which is why when offering comments on performers, we all need to observe those basic courtesies. Perhaps we are all a little bit more cavalier than we should be, when it comes to commenting on alternative views or tastes!