Kay,

This was a marvelous review and I enjoyed reading it very much. I
agree with Christine that it is apparent you are a professional
writer! I can almost close my eyes and picture the opera scene-by-
scene as I read through it.

Now, I will look forward to seeing the Vienna "Werther", although I
cannot imagine Marcelo as a "tormented, psycho-stalker" character.
The opera itself is one of my favorites due to the hauntingly
beautiful music. I'm not sure about the updated setting, but I will
keep an open mind.

Thank you, Kay!

Diane

--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, "Kay" <kay3914@m...>
wrote:
>
> Thanks to Christine, I have seen the Vienna "Werther" TV broadcast
> and Oh, my! This "Werther" is everything she and Tom Ryan have
said.
> I am quite stunned and haunted by it. More than ever, I am looking
> forward to seeing it in Vienna this summer.
>
> Now I know that some opera purists might scream, "It's
> not 'Werther!'" and they may be right, but for what it is, it is
> fabulous! True, the actions of the two principals are often at
odds
> with the libretto (although the music itself seems perfectly
matched
> with the drama of the new concept). Werther and Charlotte
certainly
> put a great deal more into their scenes together than is written
> there, but whether or not one likes the staging and drastically
> changed concepts, the singing is gorgeous and the acting is
> spellbinding.
>
> The conducting by young Philippe Jordan is splendid. The director
is
> Booed, suggesting that some in the audience did not know what to
make
> of this Fifties version. Perhaps they could not reconcile such
> passions and obsessions coming from people who hang out in the
back
> yard, sitting on lawn furniture and drinking beer. Maybe that is
what
> the director envisioned. One need only read newspaper headlines or
> watch Court TV to know that the simplest of us is capable of
> tempestuous passion, blind obsession, and even violence.
>
> Watching Marcelo's performance, it struck me that this whole
updated
> concept could have been created specifically with him in mind. I
can
> think of no other tenor who could bring off the role, as it is
> conceived here, as convincingly as Marcelo does! He is spectacular
in
> every way!
>
> Because of his very macho appearance and voice, I couldn't quite
> visualize him playing the role conventionally as the rather fey,
self
> absorbed, self pitying, romantic poet. Here, he starts off quite a
> normal guy, cute and romantic, but his growing frustration,
> suffering, and sexual obsession soon turn him into a tormented,
> psycho stalker. Werther asks himself if his love for Charlotte is
> truly pure. Here, the answer is definitely, No.
>
> His entrance in Act III - even though it is not shown on TV as
> vividly as Christine described it in the house - scared the
daylights
> out of me! The expression on his face, in a very...long...pause,
is
> chilling! (For a man who appears to be so pleasant off stage to
> become so terrifying ON stage - now that's acting!)
>
> Truly, the action that follows could stop the heart. After a
> sublimely beautiful "Pourquoi me reveiller," the scene builds to a
> shocking climax, then Werther's heartbreaking remorse. We feel
that
> earlier he may have been only contemplating taking his life - now
he
> has no choice.
>
> Elina Garanca is gorgeous and sings beautifully, although I can't
> quite figure out her (or the director's) interpretation of the
role.
> She appears cold, truly a Hitchcock icy blonde, almost malevolent
at
> times, laughing inappropriately but without warmth in places,
seeming
> conflicted with neuroses while retreating to a facade of
> respectability. A tease who torments both Werther and her husband,
by
> Act III she has become rather psycho herself. Perhaps because she
is
> pregnant, she sees her own dreams slipping further out of reach.
>
> The interaction between Werther and Charlotte is so intense and
> compelling, so dialogue-driven, that it is easy to forget one is
> watching an opera - it could be a dramatic stage play, perhaps by
> Tennessee Williams, with beautiful music.  Tom Ryan mentioned
> Hitchcock influences, as indeed there are, and I also feel hints
of
> Scarlett and Rhett, George and Martha, Blanche and Stanley.
>
> Adrian Erod is terrific as Albert, another character who is not
> overly stable. His conversation with Werther is amusing - his
smug "I
> have her and you don't" attitude is met with sneers, a challenging
> handshake, and a weird little smile from Marcelo's Werther. I also
> love Albert's little "Well, that's over; cheer up, girls," sort of
> gesture at the end of Act II.
>
> Werther is a tale told of secrets and lies; here, everyone lurks
> about, eavesdropping and spying on one another.
>
> Like Christine, I especially love Acts II and III. Marcelo's
singing
> is simply breathtaking - powerful, beautiful, tender, perfect.
> His "un autre son epoux" burns with nervous tension and agitation
as
> we see the beginning of sweet Werther's descent into despair. I am
> thrilled at last to SEE him sing my favorite of his
solos, "lorsque
> l'enfant" (it must have been a favorite of the cameraman, too,
since
> we are treated to a wonderful closeup). The way he swoops down
from
> the spinetingling high note to "appelle moi" - it is to die!
>
> Marcelo is so handsome! His dark good looks and Garanca's pale
beauty
> are striking together. The costumes, for the most part (I think
Nehru
> jackets came later, but this one looks great on him), are quite
> authentic. Charlotte starts out in a pale dress but her later
> costumes are progressively darker. Conversely, Werther first
appears
> in a dark jacket and ends up in a white (although bloody) shirt.
> There is probably no significance to these costume colors, and the
> effect may not be intentional, but the exchange of color shades
seems
> almost to reflect an intense psychic bond between the two, an
> absorption of one another's personas.
>
> The set is a bit odd, appearing at first as though they all live
in a
> giant tree house.
>
> In the past, the character of Werther could be regarded simply as
a
> romantic, eccentric misfit. Because of contemporary experiences
and
> paranoia we must see him as something more sinister.  I am
guessing
> that the director found the Fifties (and I don't necessarily
agree)
> to be a time of repression and hypocrisy that would accommodate
> Charlotte's decision to marry a man she doesn't love (would a
woman
> in the Fifties really keep such a pledge to a dead mother?) as
well
> as Werther's growing erotic obsession.
>
> At the end, we see that Werther is happy, or at least at peace and
> content, dying in the arms of the woman he loves, without ever
having
> to put that dream of love to the test of disappointments and
> banalities of reality. Charlotte, on the other hand, has avoided
the
> reality of a passionate relationship by retreating to a loveless
but
> respectable marriage, only to be left with the wreckage of that
> marriage. Now she is the frantic, agitated one. Her own
desperation
> surfaces as she manhandles the dying Werther - we want to
yell, "Hey,
> stop shaking him and maybe he'll live!"
>
> Albert's presence in the final scene is a bit disconcerting,
because
> Charlotte clearly knows he is there. Yet, I was not at all
bothered
> by the ending - it goes quickly. Albert holds her shoulders as if
to
> comfort her, but as she turns to him, covered in Werther's blood,
he
> pulls away, repulsed, and runs from her as she falls to the floor.
>
> Kay

Thank you for your kind words about my Werther comments. If I were an
opera reviewer, I would be like a mother hen with one chick: writing
only about Marcelo's performances! Actually, I think just about
anyone in this group could do a better job than the New York critics.

There is much more I wanted to write about the Vienna Werther. . .
and probably will.  I should have mentioned that even though I didn't
quite understand Garanca's Charlotte, I thought her performance was
magnificent. Her voice is clear and beautiful and seems effortless
and secure for one so young. Her acting is equally compelling. She is
also surely one of the most beautiful women in opera – in the world! –
  and is unquestionably destined to be a major star. She dazzled me
last year as Stefano in R&J and I looked forward to seeing her again.
Marcelo and Elina look and sound so fabulous together, this Werther
could not be as amazing as it is without them.

Now I am watching Marcelo's Lucia di Lammermoor from Tokyo, 2004,
released commercially on DVD and CD, with Mariella Devia. After the
shocks of Werther, it is an interesting change of pace to see a
traditional opera, "old fashioned" in the best sense of the word.
This is a gorgeous production with lavish, magnificent period
costumes.

Marcelo is superb, of course. His voice is so beautiful, so
effortless, rich, and pure. His "fra poco me recovero" is sung so
masterfully with the powerful climax, then followed by the
heartbreaking final aria, each note lovingly caressed. He looks quite
dashing in the elegant costumes and beautiful hair extensions. He
owns this role, as he does so many others, and I hope he never drops
it from his repertoire. If he does, though, we will have some
marvelous audio and video recordings to cherish.

Devia is splendid, as always. Her silvery voice becomes one with the
flute, holding us in her spell, the cadenza showering us with
shimmering notes.  She goes gently into madness with no histrionics,
just her voice creating the tragic escape from reality. Of the eight
or nine Lucias I have seen or heard with Marcelo, she may be my
favorite.

Carlo Colombara's Raimondo is gorgeously sung and acted, and his
sorrowful "Cessi, ah cessi" with the chorus is tremendously moving.

Sadly, the Enrico of Renato Bruson has a bicycling-on-railroad-tracks
wobble and goes fiercely off pitch in places, doing some damage to
the sextet and creating excessively tense moments at Wolf's Crag.

Other than that, this Lucia is a beautiful production with fine
singing.

Kay

Thanks for your detailed review, Kay. It is always interesting to see
or read other people's opinions.

I agree with your opinion on Marcelo's acting in the third act. He was
really intense. And those wonderful pianissimi in the final act. How
can someone sing so softly and clearly at the same time while lying on
the back? That impresses me really a lot.

TR

The German operamagazine 'Opernglas' writes about the
premiere of Werther in Vienna:

José Carreras, Neil Shicoff, Alfredo Kraus: They all
were/are outstanding artists and especially in Werther
they were/are successful with very clear-cutted,
individual portraits. In Vienna these comparisons
were/are legendary and were/are until today
benchmarks. With Marcelo Alvarez now another special
favorite of the audience was available. And he had not
to fear at any time lively discussed comparisons with
his predecessors because of his dazzlingly form on the
day. His performance found the right tone for the
introverted sufferings, took bribes with brilliant
passagio and could increase in the next moment to
sanguine passion. At the same time he renounced of
dramatical overpressure, often used to appeal to the
public, and led his voice always on line.

Then they write that he could have added a little to
his acting in the first two acts, but that he might
have been nervous, and that you could see the sparks
fly in the last two acts when the drama culminated.

And I have to add that I also saw this in this way,
but it was a premiere and you could see clearly that
Marcelo improved in acting from performance to
performance, especially in act II, and he couldn't top
his acting in acts III and IV, that was extraordinary
since the premiere.

There is also a very interesting interview with Alagna
in the magazine, in which he says the same which
Marcelo always says: operasingers are the people for
whom the audiences are going in the operahouses, not
for the stagedirectors. He also says that he doesn't
like very much to sing in Germany because of the
productions and that the people don't like to see
empty stages for hours and most of the time also dark
stages. What should be modern is the direction of the
persons and that it is ridiculous that singers must
sing in absolute loyality to the partitura but
stagedirectors are overruling the authors. But like
Marcelo he also says that most of the singers don't
dare to say something against these circumstances and
as I can see, they are right, if one doesn't want to
make things what the directors are demanding, he is
replaced by another singer (if he is not very famous).
But that is not fair to the audience, buying tickets
for a certain artist!

Maybe you also have read that Vargas jumped off before
the premiere of Rigoletto in Munich (in the production
only Gilda and Rigoletto were humans, all others were
apemen!) and was replaced with a tenor who could not
reach him the water, as they say in Austria, and
Marcelo said in Vienna that he might not make any new
contracts with Munich, the singers have to build an
union.

So, let's hope that after Marcelo, Vargas and Alagna
there will be more singers in the future who will have
their courage!

Christine








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Hi again,

I also read in the Opernglas that Gheorgiu will be
Tosca in London in June 2006, so Marcelo will sing
there Cavaradossi in June 2006. But I think the
detailed schedule for London will come soon.

Christine




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Good morning everyone,

I am not usually up and dressed at this time on a Saturday morning, but
I shall shortly be setting out for London to attend the general
rehearsal of the Ballo in Maschera at Covent Garden.  Hope to have some
good news for you about that later!

Canterbella

--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, "canterbella"
<canterbella@y...> wrote:
> I shall shortly be setting out for London to attend the general
> rehearsal of the Ballo in Maschera at Covent Garden.  Hope to have
some
> good news for you about that later!
>

Just a quickie this evening to let you all know I enjoyed it very much,
as I am sure will everyone else who is planning to attend performances
of this production.  Tomorrow I will write some more detail about it,
but this evening I have a guest arriving for dinner soon so I don't
have time to do it justice.  I got back later than I planned, because
after waiting for Marcelo at the stage door (hope to have one or two
photos to upload from that when the film is finished) I went for a
drink with some other friends who were there.

Canterbella

Hi,

can someone translate the following article?

http://actualidad.terra.es/cultura/articulo/marcelo_alvarez_quiere_probar_limite\
s_239217.htm

I was running it through a translator and again there
is written that Marcelo wants to stop singing with 50.
It is also said that he wants to make a CD with Sony
with Neapolitan songs and maybe also zarzuelas.

Christine

P.S.: I am glad to hear that the dressrehearsal was
fine and am looking forward to Canterbella's report
and much more for next Friday!






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Thank you for the translation, Lidia! But it is too
much work for me alone! Hope you don't mind that I
post it in the group?

Christine

  --- Lianne Boyd schrieb:
> Hi, Christine!
> Here is my attempt at it.  Hope it is
> understandable.  Thanks for all your comments.
> Love, lidia
>
> Marcelo Alvarez wants not only to test his
> limitations but also live his personal life
>
> MA, who will be singing in a new production of Ballo
> on Tuesday, spoke of his passion for testing new
> roles.  He also stated that there is more to life
> than to perform.
> ”I want to be able to enjoy life more.  The singing
> profession is a very demanding one and we need to
> breathe and reflect over who we are, over family
> values and friends” –the 46 year old singer said.
> These issues do not prevent him from devoting all
> his energy to his roles -both the old and the new
> ones he will be adding to his repertoire.
> He says the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden is
> his favorite venue.  He waits for their offers
> before accepting others.
>
> ”At Covent Garden I can sing and express myself
> freely”.  “I feel loved and respected” he adds. As
> for his next role, he says he feels more comfortable
> singing Ricardo than Gustaf  III.   Then follows the
> well known reference as to why the 2 versions.
>
> “I enjoy performing this character.  The Count is a
> lively and humane person.  I believe my connection
> with the king would have been rather cold.”
>
> He seems delighted with the rest of the cast members
> (T.Hampson, K.Mattila, A.Pappano)
> He has many projects.  Next year he’ll be singing on
> a new production of Tosca with A.Gheorghiu and later
> that season, Bohème, Trovatore and Carmen.
>
> He would also like to make a recording for Sony
> including Neapolitan songs mingled with zarzuelas.
> Within the zarzuela repertoire he has sung Luisa
> Fernanda at the beginning of his career and the
> opera Marina by Emilio Arrieta.
>
> He says there are some great zarzuela arias such as
> those from La Dolores or La Tabernera del Puerto
> which he would like to sing just for sheer pleasure.
>
> He says he likes outdoor concerts such as the three
> tenors concert.  He mentions the fact that although
> Kraus was reluctant at first, he later gave them a
> try.
>
>  Kraus was well aware of his limitations regarding
> repertoire and there lies his greatness, he adds.
> He says he is not as strong as P.Domingo.  He
> considers himself to be “latino” and passionate as a
> singer and he wants to test his limitations.
>
> He also knows how to take care of his voice and
> pauses for 2 days in between performances.  “I agree
> with Kraus on that regard” he explains.
>
> As for the fact that he started singing rather late,
> he remembers that three years later he had already
> sung in the major opera houses in the world.
>
> “By the time I sing Trovatore and Carmen I’ll be 46.
>  I want to be able to sing them well at the age of
> 50.  I would also like to finish soon” he says.
> ”I don’t want a very long career with not enough
> time to live my personal life” adds Alvarez who has
> a 7 year-old son.
>
>
> Christine <christine_at_1999@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> can someone translate the following article?
>
>
http://actualidad.terra.es/cultura/articulo/marcelo_alvarez_quiere_probar_limite\
s_239217.htm
>
> I was running it through a translator and again
> there
> is written that Marcelo wants to stop singing with
> 50.
> It is also said that he wants to make a CD with Sony
> with Neapolitan songs and maybe also zarzuelas.
>
> Christine
>
> P.S.: I am glad to hear that the dressrehearsal was
> fine and am looking forward to Canterbella's report
> and much more for next Friday!







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What the professional critics will think about this production
remains to be seen, but I am sure that it is going to be very popular
with audience members in general.  This time I was one of the lucky
ones who were allocated a ticket in advance, but two of my friends
came to join the queue and they both thought it was well worth the
effort (they are general opera lovers rather than particular fans of
any of the singers in this)

The production is done in the Boston version.  I am more used to the
Swedish setting, in which I think the plot makes more sense, and in
this the action had been updated to the middle of the 19th century,
so it was after the USA was an independent country and it made even
less sense than usual.  But perhaps one should not think too deeply
about these matters.

Anyway the costumes were lovely (especially in the actual ball
scene), in what we in the UK would call "Victorian" style.  Marcelo
was mainly wearing ceremonial uniform except in the last act when he
had dark evening clothes.  In this production you don't have to wait
long to see him because during the overture the curtains come apart
slightly to reveal him sitting asleep on a gilded chair with his
overcoat laid over him.

The opening scene was in front of a drop-curtain like tapestries. The
scene with Ulrica looked as if it was under the pier or something.
People were looking in through some wire netting from walkways on
several levels. The place with the gallows looked like a derelict
building lot with rubbish and stuff like building rubble strewn
about, certainly not the sort of place where I would feel happy to go
alone at midnight!

The scene in Renato's house was done at the front similar to the
first scene, then the backdrop rose from that and Marcelo was sitting
alone on the stage with a mirrored backdrop. So you could see two of
him ;-))

Then for the ball scene the mirror tilted to point downwards, and you
could see people at a lower level arriving at the ball, as if the
stage was upstairs in a gallery.  This was one of those moments when
the audience applauds the stage design! (But I heard some person
complain afterwards and say it made him feel ill to look at it)

They always say before a rehearsal that you should not judge it like
a performance, perhaps the singers may not "sing out", but both times
I have seen Marcelo in rehearsal he always seemed to me to be giving
it all he's got, which of course was very good.  In this Hampson and
Mattila were excellent as well, but one or two others I would like to
reserve judgement about until I have heard them in a proper
performance.  However overall it was very good.

Going up I had been a bit apprehensive, what if I hated the
production, and I am going to two performances as well?   But after
seeing it I can't wait for the performance on Friday.

Afterwards I went to the stage door and my two friends came with me,
one of them had never done such a thing before, but he got an
autograph from Marcelo for a friend in the US.   Also I saw there the
woman I met first in Naples last year and later at the CG Werther.
She is not on the internet so can't join the group, but she had heard
about it and said she would like to meet Christine.  She is going to
every performance, so I am sure we shall see her on Friday.  When
Marcelo came he was his usual self, very friendly and laughing,
my "friend from Naples" got a kiss.  I have taken some photos, but
there are three more on the film to use before I can get it developed
(I hoped also to get some of Hampson for a friend who is a fan of
his, but we got fed up with waiting for him), any way I am sure I can
finish it on Friday evening and then get it developed the next day.

On Friday in The Times there was an article with an interview with
the director of this production.  I will upload it into the files
section, I think it is interesting especially for anyone who will be
seeing the production but it is nothing specifically about Marcelo so
we may not want to leave it there permanently.

Canterbella

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the fansofmarceloalvarez
group.

   File        : /INTERVIEWS/Times article 8 April 2005.doc
   Uploaded by : canterbella <canterbella@...>
   Description : Interview with director of CG Ballo in Maschera

You can access this file at the URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fansofmarceloalvarez/files/INTERVIEWS/Times%20arti\
cle%208%20April%202005.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
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Regards,

canterbella <canterbella@...>

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14933-1550644,00.html






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This article begins:

"It hardly seems possible that it is only seven years since the
Argentinian tenor Marcelo Alvarez made his debut with the Royal Opera.
Then he was in the light "tenorino" role of the romantic hero in
Donizetti's Linda di Chamonix."

Certainly it hardly seems possible to me, I did not think the Royal
Opera had ever done Linda di Chamonix within living memory. I would
have gone if I had known about it. Is it true? Seven years ago would
put it during the time when Covent Garden was closed, and if it had
been done by them somewhere else that would perhaps explain how I came
to miss it.

Canterbella

Hi Miriam,

it must have been because I have a recording of it :-)

It was in Nov. 1997 with Devia, Marcelo, Corbelli,
Miles; Elder

See you soon!

Cheers
Christine
--- canterbella <canterbella@...> wrote:

---------------------------------

This article begins:

"It hardly seems possible that it is only seven years
since the
Argentinian tenor Marcelo Alvarez made his debut with
the Royal Opera.
Then he was in the light "tenorino" role of the
romantic hero in
Donizetti's Linda di Chamonix."

Certainly it hardly seems possible to me, I did not
think the Royal
Opera had ever done Linda di Chamonix within living
memory. I would
have gone if I had known about it. Is it true? Seven
years ago would
put it during the time when Covent Garden was closed,
and if it had
been done by them somewhere else that would perhaps
explain how I came
to miss it.

Canterbella





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--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, Christine
<christine_at_1999@y...> wrote:
> Hi Miriam,
>
> it must have been because I have a recording of it :-)
>
> It was in Nov. 1997 with Devia, Marcelo, Corbelli,
> Miles; Elder
>

Do you know where the performance actually took place?  Covent Garden
closed for the refurbishment in July 1997.  Then the company did
performances in various venues including tours in foreign countries.
Possibly this was a concert performance, usually those are only done
twice and perhaps neither date may have been convenient.

Canterbella

In the internet I found: RFH London, Graham Hall

Christine

--- canterbella <canterbella@...> wrote:

---------------------------------

--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, Christine

<christine_at_1999@y...> wrote:
> Hi Miriam,
>
> it must have been because I have a recording of it
:-)
>
> It was in Nov. 1997 with Devia, Marcelo, Corbelli,
> Miles; Elder
>

Do you know where the performance actually took place?
  Covent Garden
closed for the refurbishment in July 1997.  Then the
company did
performances in various venues including tours in
foreign countries.
Possibly this was a concert performance, usually those
are only done
twice and perhaps neither date may have been
convenient.

Canterbella





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Hi,

here is a Spanish review of London's ballo (and a
translation with a translation machine):

http://actualidad.terra.es/cultura/articulo/ballo_maschera_marcelo_alvarez_24506\
9.htm

' a Ballo in Mascherá, a triumph for Marcelo tenor
Alvarez The opening last night of ' a Ballo in
Mascherá, Giuseppe Verdi, in the new coproduction of
the Covent Garden, the Real Theater of Madrid and
Opera de Houston (the U.S.A.), was an authentic
triumph for the Argentine tenor Marcelo Alvarez and
the rest of the extraordinary interpreters. Seven
years after his debut in the prestigious London
coliseo with a Pretty paper of ' tenorinó light in '
of Chamonix', of Donizetti, Alvarez it accepted
challenge, one of most difficult of his race, because,
according to it admitted to EFE, likes to prove the
limits of its voice. And the Argentine tenor was
decidedly to the height of the challenge: its voice,
that some have compared with the one of Pavarotti by
their freshness and power, sounded at any moment
wonderful, and its mutual understanding with the
distribution companions was total. The central
personage of ' Il Ballo... ' is a favorite of the
líricos tenors by the possibilities that which offers,
since it alternates the líricos moments with the
comedians and the dramatic ones, turns to him a
specially complex roll. But Alvarez he saw himself him
enjoy his personage, to whom, with his Latin
temperament, he transmitted vitality, calidez,
humanity and passion.

The pairs and tercetos with the wonderful Finnish
soprano Karita Mattila (the loved Amelia) and the
American baritone Thomas Hampson (Ricardo, the
faithful friend transformed into assassin) caused
emotion chills and provoked ovaciones and ' bravos' of
the audience to the three interpreters. Brilliants
were also the Swedish soprano Tilling Stretcher, in
the paper of the young paje Oscar, and the Italian
mezzosoprano Elisabetta Fiorillo like Ulrica, the
witch whom visits the protagonist in her cave and to
that predicts that it will die at hands of first that
its hand narrows. The young teacher of the Italian
baton Antonio Pappano, specialist in the verdiano
repertoire, operated with virtuosity all the dramatic
and líricas possibilities of the verdiana score and
managed to extract the maximum of the singers,
including the choral parts, so important always in
Verdi. The scenic direction, in charge of also the
film director Mario Martone, was, nevertheless, more
irregular, mainly in the first scene, where there was
no a good game of actors, although improved as the
action won in dramatic intensity until its culmination
in magnicidio final during the dance of masks. The
scenery, from Sergio Tramonti, throwing to
traditional, is not either absolutely convincing,
although there is a good idea in the final scene with
a gigantic mirror that reflects the first audience
whom it has ahead and soon, when inclining, the scenes
of dance in the pit behind proscenio. Martone used for
this new production the version of ' Il Ballo... '
that locates the historical facts - the murder of king
Gustavo III in charge of a noble group in the
Drottningholm theater, of Stockholm 1792 -, not in the
cut of Sweden but in then the distant American
colonies. Verdi had problems with the censorship of
its time that did not see with good eyes the murder in
scene of an European monarch and with the help of his
libretista, Somma, transferred the action to Boston
(the U.S.A.) and turned to the king Ricardo governor,
count of Warwick. To Alvarez it does not displease to
him, but all the opposite, who Martone has decided on
the count because it very sees like a personage '
humanó him, ' a man wanted by its culture, its
intelligence, its sense of humor'. ' With the King the
relation would have been more fríá, admits the tenor.
Terra The Present time - EFE









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I put three photos of the new London Ballo in our photos section.

Love the 'burns!

Kay

Hello.I'm new member.I found two photos of Ballo.I put them in the
stage photos holder.It's so nice!

operafan

Hello operafan,

welcome to our group and thank you for the fotos!

Christine

--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, "msoperafan"
<msoperafan@y...> wrote:
>
>
> Hello.I'm new member.I found two photos of Ballo.I put them in the
> stage photos holder.It's so nice!
>
> operafan

I should have mentioned, I put the photos in a new Ballo 2005 folder.
It is interesting to see the mirror effect people are talking about.

So far the reviews have been disappointing, but I am sure we will
enjoy it. As I recall, the London reviews for Luisa Miller were
negative. . . and we loved it!

Kay
--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, "Kay" <kay3914@m...>
wrote:
>
> I put three photos of the new London Ballo in our photos section.
>
> Love the 'burns!
>
> Kay

--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, "Kay" <kay3914@m...> wrote:
>
> I should have mentioned, I put the photos in a new Ballo 2005 folder.
> It is interesting to see the mirror effect people are talking about.
>
> So far the reviews have been disappointing, but I am sure we will
> enjoy it. As I recall, the London reviews for Luisa Miller were
> negative. . . and we loved it!
>
> Kay
>

I have scanned two pictures from the newspapers (the pictures were the
best thing about the reviews), they came out better than I had
expected, and I have added them to your album.

See you tomorrow!

Canterbella

Welcome, operafan! You are our 70th member! Thanks for the photos. I
didn't realize you had posted them elsewhere, but the more Marcelo
photos, the better! Thanks also, Canterbella.

Kay

--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, "msoperafan"
<msoperafan@y...> wrote:
>
>
> Hello.I'm new member.I found two photos of Ballo.I put them in the
> stage photos holder.It's so nice!
>
> operafan

I was at the performance last night and also there were Christine,
Kay, some other friends of Christine and some other people I know.

The evening started rather strangely when they announce that they had
to delay letting the audience into the auditorium and asked us all to
stay in the bars etc.  I think some people were getting rather
worried that this could be due to the illness of a singer, but my
feeling was that it must be some technical problem on stage.
Eventually they let us in only ten minutes before scheduled curtain-
up, so that was late because everyone cannot find their seats in such
a short time.

Acts 1 and 2 went fine. One of my friends (not a particular fan of
anyone) said he could not understand why the reviews were so bad.
Then after the second interval there was a bit more delay before Act
3 started.

What I did not mention in my review of the rehearsal was that before
the ball scene started they turned up the house lights slightly for a
minute or two, not all of them, just the pretty ones with little
lampshades along the fronts of the balconies.  From the place I was
sitting then I was too high up to see that they were all reflected in
the mirror and last night I could only see a part of them, but I
think this must have created a very beautiful effect seen from the
lower levels.

Then instead of the mirror going backwards at the bottom to make it
tilted, it just went up and disappeared, and the back part of the
stage which had been lower down and only seen in the mirror was at
the same level, with a wall across and some doorways.  Perhaps people
who did not know what was supposed to happen might not have realised
anything was wrong (except that the dark top half of the stage looked
rather strange), but I felt disappointed especially for my friends
who were not seeing it the way it was intended to be.  I shall be
interested to hear from Christine and Kay what happens at the
performance on Monday.

Afterwards there was a big crowd at the stage door, Marcelo was
laughing a lot and pleased to see his regular fans, especially those
who had come a long way to see him.  I managed to finish my film and
have just posted the four best pictures from both occasions into the
Ballo 2005 album.

Canterbella

This was written by the friend referred to in my earlier posting.  We
sort of crossed in the post on the Parlour, when he wrote this he had
not read the posting I had just sent which explained why the ball
scene seemed such an anti-climax.  I think you will all be happy to
read most of what he says about Marcelo.

Canterbella

--- In parlourofoperalovers@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Silverman"
<ssilverm@b...> wrote:
Sixteen hours after the curtain fell on last night's performance I am
still
struggling to make sense of the savaging that this production took
from the
newspaper critics, as it appears, to me at least, that Covent Garden
has
something of a success on its hands with this show.

Updated to the American civil war, Mario Martone's direction and
Sergio
Tramonti's sets provide an evocative and credible context for the
drama. The
prison-like multi-level cage for Ulrica's den, and the derelict
bombed-out
interior that provides the setting for Act II are especially
effective.
Other scenes  are staged in a merely functional manner in front of
decorated
cloths that hide more complex sets to be used later.  However some
aspects
of the production left me puzzled. Riccardo's Act III aria is
performed in
front of a giant mirror, covering the full width and height of the
stage,
and reflecting the auditorium and pit. As the house lights are raised
we
appear to be on the verge of a stunning coup de theatre, but at the
final
moment the mirror is lifted and replaced by an anti-climactically drab
ballroom. Another startlingly dud moment occurs during the final
ensemble of
Act III scene ii when the set is conspicuously and laboriously struck
by
stagehands dressed as liveried African flunkies, making it impossible
to pay
attention to either the music or the drama. Some remedial work on
moments
such as these for future revivals will yield an outstanding
realisation.

Musically, the performance was remarkable for the uniformly high
levels of
excellence from everybody involved. Marcelo Alvarez may well possess
the
most beautiful tenor voice on offer today. His warm, fluid timbre and
sensitive phrasing reminded me throughout the evening of Carreras at
his
best. Although he has the vocal resources to stand and let rip in the
best
Italian tenorial tradition, he is too intelligent and sophisticated a
singer
to rely solely on that. He has a wide dynamic range at his command
and uses
it to its full. He is gifted with a melting mezzo voce and is not
afraid to
use it. However, while vocally he captures the essence of Riccardo,
his
acting remains generic. His reliance on stock gestures is all the more
noticeable alongside the greater histrionic abilities of Mattila and
Hampson. It also seemed to me that the top of his voice was not quite
as
free and ringing as it was when I heard him in Werther last September.

I had expected Thomas Hampson to confirm the view that I had formed
from
radio broadcasts about his singing of Verdi roles - that he shouldn't
be
doing it. Well I'm glad that he does, and that I've had the
opportunity to
hear him. He clearly is not a Verdi baritone. He does not possess the
appropriate vocal weight and one has the feeling that he is constantly
singing at the edge of his resources. Consequently, at moments of
high drama
he occasionally has to resort to tricks such as shouting and
distorting
pitches. Also his insistence on singing up to F# above middle C
without
covering sounds unidiomatic, not to mention vocally dangerous. That
aside,
his portrayal of Renato was stylishly sung and dramatically intense.
The
anger, sadness and sense of betrayal in "Eri tu"was searing. I was
suprised
at how easily his beautiful and essentially lyric voice filled the
auditorium.

Karita Mattila  ..... I might just stop there in order to avoid
sinking
irretrievably into a puddle of  gushing hyperbola. Suffice to say
that her
rendition of "Morro, ma prima in grazia" is possibly the most
wonderful and
cathartic thing I have experienced in thirty years of going to the
opera,
and I am not exaggerating.  One might point to the occasional
tendency to
attack exposed high notes from underneath or some highly un-
italianate vowel
sounds, but that really did not matter in the overall scheme of
things.
Throughout the evening the voice gleamed, soaring effortlessly over
the
loudest tuttis and unfailingly responding to every turn in the drama
and
every nuance in the text. Her scenes with Hampson were electric.

In the smaller roles, Camilla Tilling was an effective if unremarkable
Oscar, and Elisabeth Fiorillo's fruity Ulrica was by no means stingy
with
her chest voice.

As is now becoming routine, Antonio Pappano drew wonderful sounds
from the
ROH orchestra. At times almost Wagnerian, at others as delicate and
initmate
as a chamber orchestra as he highlighed individual instrumental
phrases in a
way that seems totally fresh. Last night he made wonderful use of
rubato,
suspending pauses until the tension was almost unbearable. I
particularly
liked the way the accelerated tempo that accompanied the return of
the main
theme in "E scherzo od e follia" added an undercurrent of paranoia to
the
forced levity.

This was a great evening in the opera house, enhanced by the pleasure
of meeting Miriam, Jane and Toby again.

Screw the critics!


Steve Silverman


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
--- End forwarded message ---

Hi,good news! Marcelo's new DVD will be on sale on the 1st of June in
Japan.It's live recording of the concert with Mariella Devia in Tokyo
in 2004.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00092QTS
G/qid=1113930434/sr=1-
2/ref=sr_1_10_2/250-8160718-0260252

operafan

Hi,

I am unfortunately back from London :-(

In the ballo 2005 album you will find 9 new fotos, please load the
full size pictures down quickly because I delete them from time to
time.

Not all fotos are very sharp, but we are happy that we have fotos at
all, because as always in London you couldn't buy a foto or the poster.

So my friends Christa from Munich and Sylvia from Vienna made fotos
from the curtain calls and then they fotografed the poster: by day, by
night, from the side, ... because the poster was behind glass we
couldn't do the fotos by daylight and also not with flash, it was
funny when we stood there and made about 50 fotos of the poster!

Will write soon more, it was a wonderful time in London, as well with
Marcelo as with all my nice friends.

Christine

Great pictures, Christine!!!  Thanks!!! lidia
--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, "Christine"
<christine_at_1999@y...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I am unfortunately back from London :-(
>
> In the ballo 2005 album you will find 9 new fotos, please load the
> full size pictures down quickly because I delete them from time to
> time.
>
> Not all fotos are very sharp, but we are happy that we have fotos
at
> all, because as always in London you couldn't buy a foto or the
poster.
>
> So my friends Christa from Munich and Sylvia from Vienna made fotos
> from the curtain calls and then they fotografed the poster: by day,
by
> night, from the side, ... because the poster was behind glass we
> couldn't do the fotos by daylight and also not with flash, it was
> funny when we stood there and made about 50 fotos of the poster!
>
> Will write soon more, it was a wonderful time in London, as well
with
> Marcelo as with all my nice friends.
>
> Christine

--- In fansofmarceloalvarez@yahoogroups.com, Christine
<christine_at_1999@y...> wrote:
> Hi again,
>
> I also read in the Opernglas that Gheorgiu will be
> Tosca in London in June 2006, so Marcelo will sing
> there Cavaradossi in June 2006. But I think the
> detailed schedule for London will come soon.
>
> Christine
>

The detailed press release about next season is now on the ROH
website.  There will also be Bryn Terfel as Scarpia in the cast with
Marcelo.  But the whole production is double casted and it is still not
completely obvious which performance dates will be the first cast (this
being the one with Marcelo). Dates run from 13 June to 8 July.

Canterbella

Hi,

seeking desperately for fotos of ballo in the internet I found a very
nice one on the Hampson(g) homepage. Have added it to 'ballo 2005'. It
is a foto which was taken after the premiere on 12th of April.

Christine