BaL 17.03.12 - Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos

[ucanseetheend]

Great to hear Richard Osborne again , not heard him on 3 in yonks, remember the days when he presented Record Review .. ahhhh

[BBMmk2]

Is it me? I didn't think that this opera not for me?

[ucanseetheend]

Is it me? I didn't think that this opera not for me?

Was that a joke or very bad double negative grammar?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Was that a joke or very bad double negative grammar?

Don't be so mean.

Mind you, the first sentence reminds me of the joke about someone arriving at the Pearly Gates.

St Peter: Who's there?
Newcomer: It is I.
St Peter: Oh no! Another b***** teacher.

[Alf-Prufrock]

I thought this a most interesting and informative BAL. The historical slant was right up my street. I have the Levine DVD and enjoyed watching it only a couple of weeks ago. The 50s Karajan was extremely good, I thought, but I can take any amount of Schwarzkopf in her glory years. This is not the case among all posters here, I know, but I am determined not to let them rule my tastes!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I can take any amount of Schwarzkopf in her glory years. This is not the case among all posters here, I know, but I am determined not to let them rule my tastes!

Good for you!

I just ... can't; well, not when singing German - I have no problem with her Mozart/da Ponte recordings.

We Forumistas are a well-disposed bunch: I adore Kathleen Ferrier, but I'm still on the friendliest of terms with Brassbandmaestro who, shall we say, doesn't!

[Ferretfancy]

When I was in my early twenties, a neighbour asked me to help a friend of his to set up some stereo equipment in his flat. This lead to an invitation to go with him to the opera, so there I was at Sadlers Wells in the company of an older gentleman to see Ariadne auf Naxos,a rather unusual choice for a first operatic experience! I was completely baffled, but enjoyed the evening. Unfortunately my benefactor had other things in mind, so that was that!
Nevertheless, opera exerted a grip, so my next adventure was Siegfried at Covent Garden. Of course, I should have started with Carmen or Boheme, but I did get to love Strauss and the Ring, but I have yet to see Ariadne again.

[Panjandrum]

Was that a joke or very bad double negative grammar?

I can see various possible readings of this somewhat gnomic utterance:

a) Am I alone in not liking this opera? It's not for me.
b) Am I alone in thinking I did not like this opera, and thinking it wasn't for me?
c) Am I alone? I thought this opera wasn't for me but have revised my view and realise it is ruddy marvellous.

Perhaps BBM will see fit to enlighten us.

[verismissimo]

I can see various possible readings of this somewhat gnomic utterance:

a) Am I alone in not liking this opera? It's not for me.
b) Am I alone in thinking I did not like this opera, and thinking it wasn't for me?
c) Am I alone? I thought this opera wasn't for me but have revised my view and realise it is ruddy marvellous.

Perhaps BBM will see fit to enlighten us.

My 9 year old daughter would know how to answer this: "Whatever..."

[Nick Armstrong]

"I can take any amount of Schwarzkopf in her glory years."
Good for you!

I just ... can't; well, not when singing German - I have no problem with her Mozart/da Ponte recordings.

We Forumistas are a well-disposed bunch: I adore Kathleen Ferrier, but I'm still on the friendliest of terms with Brassbandmaestro who, shall we say, doesn't!

I am also very well disposed to Betty Blackhead generally, and I don't care if it's German or Italian she's singing in. Four Last Songs, Marschallin, Countess... even Cherubino on an old 45rpm of my dad's.

But not Ariadne...

I've been thinking about this, and listening a couple of times to the BAL plus the extract from Sinopoli's version played on Monday morning, plus my only CD set of the piece which is the Levine DG... sadly with Tomowa-Sintow in the title role.

The problem for me is that as discussed elsewhere, I was introduced to and entranced by this piece in the ROH performances in the 80s with Jessye Norman in title role. There was something so epic about her way with this music - not apparently artful, just a generous stream of golden sound, that the more 'operatically mannered' ladies like Tomowa-Sintow, or the more delicate 'lieder-singer' approach of Schwartzkopf, just leave me cold. The Sinopoli version is a non-starter for me I think, because worse than that, I simply can't bear the sound that Deborah Voigt makes.

Good BAL though, balancing and demonstrating the various approaches.

If ONLY the BBC would release their recording of that ROH performance with Norman and Kathleen Battle...!!! I think I'm going to make this a private campaign...

PS A dose of Jessye, in the silly costumes of the Met production (the ROH ones were much cleaner and better) - but get a load of the way she sings "licht" just after 1'50"... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRr5A...eature=related

PS2: hunting for any clips of the ROH production, I put this into google:

ariadne tate jessye battle

and the first result was my contribution to the thread here about 'My top 6 performances ever attended' - amazing visibility we have on this Forum!!!

[Belgrove]

... the more 'operatically mannered' ladies like Tomowa-Sintow, or the more delicate 'lieder-singer' approach of Schwartzkopf, just leave me cold.

I agree entirely. To push a metaphor far too far, Schwartzkopf et al conjure the image of a pedalo, whereas Norman is a splendid galleon in full sail.

I dug out the programme for the ROH production in 1985. What luxury casting! In addition to Jesse Norman and Kathleen Battle, Norman Bailey was the Music Master, James King - Bacchus, Ann Murray - The Composer, Olaf Baer - Harlekin. It also had the best Major Domo I can recall in Paul Hansard, a disembodied voice dispensing his supercilious directions via an intercom, before arriving in person, deus ex machina-like, in an elevator to deliver the bombshell that the entertainments are to be performed simultaneously.

It ended with the attending guests either nodding off or leaving the opera in boredom, with Ariadne and Bacchus sinking into their reverie amid a starry night with more spangles than a Klimt painting. Magical stuff.

I made a recording of the BBC broadcast which was stolen along with my Walkman. I was mortified, not by the loss of the Walkman but by it's contents, which I'm sure the thief promptly recorded over.

[Nick Armstrong]

I agree entirely. To push a metaphor far too far, Schwartzkopf et al conjure the image of a pedalo, whereas Norman is a splendid galleon in full sail.

I dug out the programme for the ROH production in 1985. What luxury casting! In addition to Jesse Norman and Kathleen Battle, Norman Bailey was the Music Master, James King - Bacchus, Ann Murray - The Composer, Olaf Baer - Harlekin. It also had the best Major Domo I can recall in Paul Hansard, a disembodied voice dispensing his supercilious directions via an intercom, before arriving in person, deus ex machina-like, in an elevator to deliver the bombshell that the entertainments are to be performed simultaneously.

It ended with the attending guests either nodding off or leaving the opera in boredom, with Ariadne and Bacchus sinking into their reverie amid a starry night with more spangles than a Klimt painting. Magical stuff.

I made a recording of the BBC broadcast which was stolen along with my Walkman. I was mortified, not by the loss of the Walkman but by it's contents, which I'm sure the thief promptly recorded over.

That's a shocker, belgrove! Sorry to hear that.

You suddenly make me think: did I put the BBC broadcast on a cassette? I had a crappy old Hitachi machine then... but I did do some taping. I must dig those boxes out!

I would not have thought of the pédalo-galleon comparison but I completely get what you mean It's true.

And yes, great cast and production I remember that they played on the fact that old Jim King who must have been north of 60 was supposed to be a 'young God' - in his hessian pyjamas, he looked anything but that, à la 'amateur dramaticals', and there was sniggering among the other characters...

Which made it all the more tremendous and moving when his and Ariadne's cloaks unfurled into that enormous, glittering, Klimt 'baldacchino'... Unforgettable stuff

[Barbirollians]

I heard snippets of this but missed the end . Who did RO choose ?

[LeMartinPecheur]

On CD, the DG Sinopoli.

[gordow01]

I was looking for what my old tape of Ariadne is, clearly its this ROH Norman Battle Tate performance, I wish I could find the prologue.
I would like to second requests to the BBC to please put it out on cd if they can.