Good morning to all of you.
Here is a message for the ones among you, who have a broad choice of
television channels and who like Monteverdi's 'tale put into music'.
If the idea of having such an opera visually performed on a quite
modern way, though, I'm not asserting that in order to look at it,
you can sacrifice a video casette with your favourite film...
This monday after-noon, yes TODAY, between 13:00 and 15:00 GMT, that
(first?) opera will be broadcast by the second programme of French-
speaking Belgian television (R.T.B.f. 2).
It is a production of the 'Théâtre royal de la Monnaie' (the Brussels
opera) played in May 1998 and May 2002, co-produced by the 'Brooklyn
Academy of Music' and the 'Festival lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence'. René
Jacobs conducts livelly and sensually throughout the whole
performance. Mrs Trisha Brown, former dancer and choreographer
nowadays (quite famous, even on the European side of the Atlantic
ocean so it seems), gives us an enscenery based on quite artificial
and hieratic gestures (sometimes almost 'disembodied') who seems in
open contradiction with René Jacobs' energetical and fluid music;
notwithstanding this, when (and if) one can get to ones markers in
such a kind of modern dancing, the visual aspect of the opera can
serve the music and move the audience. The decor and the clothing
could have won a prize as the most 'kitch' ones all-times. The
ensembles are marvellous: Collegium vocale Ghent (Herreweghe's
choir) and Concerto vocale (Jacobs' own period orchestra).
Very quickly, the cast: Orfeo John Mark Ainsley; Euridice & La
Musica (introduction, only sung by:) Sophie Karthäuser; the others
are in the credits.
Sorry not to have warned you earlier.
Get a quick hand at your video or dvd recorder, you Monteverdi fans!
Have a good week. Belgian greetings.
C. Songeur.