alcina: splendid harteros, odd kasarova in duchess of devonshire ballroom performance

Alcina, DVD. Vienna State Opera 2010. Production: Adrian Noble. Conductor: Marc Minkowski with Les Musiciens du Louvre. Cast: Anja Harteros (Alcina), Vesselina Kasarova (Ruggiero), Kristina Hammarström (Bradamante), Veronica Cangemi (Morgana), Benjamin Bruns (Oronte), Adam Plachetka (Melisso), Alois Mühlbacher (Oberto).

Well-educated British readers (I know there are some out there) will need no explanation as to who was Georgiana Cavendish (1757-1806), the Duchess of Devonshire, famous for her soirées in the Devonshire House in London. Some may know her from Keira Knightly´s portrait in The Duchess, 

And we are, in fact, witness to such a soirée in The Duchess´ ballroom in London Piccadilly, where she is staging a performance by Händel´s Alcina (written in 1735 it could well have been performed here) performed by herself (as Alcina obviously) and her friends.

An intimate dining-room atmosphere, which suits the piece well, especially as it opens up into a field of almost neon-green grass and a clear blue sky (see above), which contrasts with the dark dining room atmosphere complete with servants and (perhaps?) her dissatisfied husband, the Duke, who seems to pop up a couple of times.

The director is Adrian Noble, British and former director of Royal Shakespeare company, also responsible for the staging of Macbeth at theMetropolitan opera in 2008.

Would it not have been obvious to make Ruggiero into Charles Grey, 2^nd Earl of Grey, the gentleman with whom The Duchess has an illegitimate child after he had courted her in her saloon for some time? But no, this seems not to have been Adrian Nobles errand, as Ruggiero, as played by Vesselina Kasarova, in the beginning of the opera, clearly is a female friend of the Duchess.

To begin with Vesselina Kasarova: This woman´s singing is downright strange and peculiar. In fact, it is one of the most peculiar things I have heard on stage for a long time. When I heard her live in this part five years ago I found her “absolutely brilliant”. Now she is absolutely bizarre. Did these, almost yodling peculiarities really develop within the latest five years or did I just not have the ear for them then? 

Her Alcina five years ago as well as now is Anja Harteros, who is a splendid Alcina, and an elegant Duchess of Devonshire, adapting to baroque style with an almost vibratoless top. Probably not the kind of role she will continue singing if she also wants to move into the heavier Wagner, as she has said (Senta).

While Veronica Cangemi was  far too thin-voiced, especially in the top as Morgana, Kristina Hammarström was a solid Bradamante. Most impressive, though was boy soprano Alois Mühlbacher as Oberto, with spot-on coloratura and solid intonation. He is 15..

Baroque operas are not plat du jour in Vienna. Before this production the latest one being L´incoronazione di Poppea in the 1060´s. Accordingly, it is not the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in the pit but the baroque specialists Les Musiciens du Louvre effectively conducted by Marc Minkowski.

Vesselina Kasarova with Mi lusinga il dolce affetto, judge for yourself:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Anja Harteros: 4-5

Vesselina Kasarova: 2-3, perhaps to be re-evaluated

Veronica Cangemi: 3

Kristina Hammarström: 4

Adrian Noble´s production: 4

Marc Minkowski: 4-5

Overall impression: 4

the top 10 opera singers of today

renée fleming

anna netrebko

angela gheorghiu

anja harteros
joyce didonato

elina garanca
juan diego florez

jonas kaufmann

dmitri hvorostovsky

rené pape

1. 2nd revision of list on March 7th 2012, where plácido domingo is replaced by anja harteros. next to go are a) dmitri hvorostovsky if he does not improve upon his singing or b) angela gheorghiu if she does not expand her repertoire.
2. 1st revision June 17th 2012 after thorough deliberations, where waltraud meier and karita mattila from the initial list have been replaced by joyce didonato and juan diego florez.

Although there is most certainly always a subjective element to any top 10 list, the size of the singers career and popularity are important parameters alongside vocal quality.
My entirely subjective top 10 list below (random order):

eva-maria westbroek
anne schwanewilms (mainly in lieder)
waltraud meier
anna caterina antonacci
magdalena kozena (lieder and concert mainly)
karita matila
jonas kaufmann
peter mattei
gerald finley
rene pape

La Scala Lohengrin 2012 season opening

Lohengrin. Teatro alla Scala, December 2012 opening night, streamed. Production: Claus Guth. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim. Cast: Jonas Kaufmann (Lohengrin), Annette Dasch (Elsa), René Pape (Heinrich), Evelyn Herlitzius (Ortrud), Tomas Tomasson (Telramund), Zeljko Lucic (Heerrufer).

At 7 pm, German soprano Annette Dasch received a phone call in her Berlin home. If she could possibly come to Milano and sing Elsa in the new Claus Guth production of Lohengrin the next evening for the season opening of La Scala in Milano, as Anja Harteros was ill? To be televised directly, obviously. 3 hours later she was on the plane. The next day, she had a 2 hour session with Claus Guth and 10 minutes with Daniel Barenboim. She had worked with Barenboim before, but not in Wagner operas, as well as with Claus Guth. And she had sung Elsa to Jonas Kaufmann´s Lohengrin in 2009 in Bayreuth, in a production where Elsa is a disturbed character, not entirely unlike her characterization in this production.

Claus Guth is particularly known for emphasising the darker sides of standard repertoire work - just take a look at his Nozze di Figaro or Cosí fan tutte, both available on DVD. His favourite century is the 19^th century (source: himself) and setting his Lohengrin in a repressive Biedermeier society seems just like the thing he would do. We are in an open space surrounded by balconies and doors. A piano and some stretches of grass represent the past with frequent flashbacks of Elsa playing the piano under Ortrud´s rough guidance. Elsa and her brother were  repressed (if not physically abused) as children. It is this repressive society that Elsa longs to leave, and thus she conjures up Lohengrin, a sickly, neurotic wretch whom she clearly does not love and finally rejects. Also frequently seen on stage: A child with swan feathers and Lohengrin more often than not curled up in a fetal position. According to an interview Claus Guth´s agenda evolved around how people arrived at their own happiness after a deprived childhood. He raises plenty of questions, however. Such as why Lohengrin has to be so sickly? While it is excellent with a staging raising plenty of questions I ultimately felt that the lack of consistency and interpersonal relations (especially between Elsa and this sickly Lohengrin) were the weakness of this staging. 

For Jonas Kaufmann, the ultimate romantic hero, one could wish for him to appear in a slightly more traditional production or at least one where he is allowed to show the romantic/as written in the score sides of Lohengrin:  In 2009 in Bayreuth he was in the middle of a rat experiment, later that year in Munich he was a carpenter, and here in Milano he is a neurotic fragment of Elsa´s fantasy, stripped of all pretenses, rolling on the floor curved in fetal position.

His singing, however, is formidable and he just seems to get better and better. A couple of years ago one would often hear that he could not go on singing like that, with his shaded tenor pushing for the high notes. That criticism is nowadays seldom heard. Anyway, I for one, have always thought that, unlike Villazon, his singing seems rock solid. Really he is virtually beyond competition as Lohengrin today.

Annette Dasch is a formidable actress, and creates an intensely moving portrayal of Elsa, quite better than her performance at Bayreuth. However, legato lines and blooming topnotes still are not her specialty and Anja Harteros remains the better singer of the two while Annette Dasch clearly is the superior actress.

René Pape was superb in what is a medium-opportunity role for him and Zeljko Lucic was luxury casting as Heerrufer.

As for the socalled villains, they were unfortunately disappointing. Tomas Tomasson was heavily overmatched and Evelyn Herlitzius, though a fine actress, was wobbly and frankly unpleasant to listen to. Could Barenboim not have called Waltraud Meier for this, really?

The Scala orchestra plays formidable for Barenboim. As I noticed some years ago when he conducted Tristan and Isolde here, there is a particular expansive sound to the orchestra, not heard when he conducts his Berlin hometown orchestra.

Official production trailer:

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Jonas Kaufmann: 5
Annette Dasch: 4
René Pape: 5
Tomas Tomasson: 3
Evelyn Herlitzius: 3

Claus Guth: 4
Daniel Barenboim: 5

Overall impression: 4

Munich Don Carlo with Kaufmann, Harteros, Pape

Don Carlo. Bayerische Staatoper, January 22 2011 LIVESTREAMING. Prod: Jürgen Rose. Cond: Asher Fish. Cast: René Pape (Filippo), Jonas Kaufmann (Don C), Anja Harteros (Elisabetta), Anna Smirnova (Eboli), Daniel Boaz (Posa), Eric Halfvarson (Inquisitor).

• According to the opera house about 459.000 people watched the free online-streaming, which worked perfect in my region (Scandinavia).
• Jürgen Roses semi-abstract and dark production serves the opera well, though in some scenes I´d wish for a torch to be able to see exactly what was going on.
• In my opinion the 5-act version is too long and it serves the work to cut the Fontainebleau scene, both dramatically and musically - Jonas Kaufmann (as seen in the intermission interview) unsurprisingly does not agree.
• Jonas Kaufmann is probably the most convincing Don Carlo on stage since Plácido Domingo, italianitá or not.
• For once Carlo a believable alternative to René Pape´s King Filippo, of which everything has been said previously on this blog on more than one occasion.
• This version includes the wonderful lacrymosa, later to be incorporated in the Requiem, sung by Filippo after Posa´s death.
• Most regal of the cast was Anja Harteros in both appearance and with a wonderful bloom to her singing. Though I can fault her nothing, and many may feel she lacks nothing at all, I miss an emotional connection with her. Marina Poplavskaya provides this, but vocally she is not at Harteros´ level.
• A better lead trio may not be seen today.
• Daniel Boaz did his best as a late substitute for Mariusz Kwiecien, though I´d have preferred the latter.
• Anna Smirnova has heft but not much else as Eboli.
• A Grand Inquisitor in his prime would be great for a change.
• This performance will not be released on DVD (according to Munich Intendant).
• Asher Fisher was good, has vastly improved (or learned) from his years in Berlin with Daniel Barenboim.

Kaufmann Lohengrin DVD with Harteros, Richard Jones from Munich

Lohengrin. DVD. Bayerische Staatsoper München 2009. Production: Richard Jones. Conductor: Kent Nagano. Cast: Jonas Kaufmann (Lohengrin), Anja Harteros (Elsa), Michaela Schuster (Ortrud), Wolfgang Koch (Telramund), Christoph Fischesser (Heinrich).

Richard Jones´ production of Lohengrin in Munich was The Wagnerian Talk of the Season 2009-10 mainly as this was Jonas Kaufmann´s debut in the title role. As well as his first major role in a new production in his home-town Munich, where he was never recognized until he undisputedly had made his name elsewhere.

It seems like Richard Jones concept evolves around an ironic interpretation of the bourgeois dream, of a traditional living and family, with Elsa and Lohengrin quite literally building a house together dressed as carpenters. A house, which Lohengrin eventually sets on fire when he leaves. Now, I have seen several productions by Richard Jones, which work. Most notably a superb Rusalka in Copenhagen a couple of seasons ago. Thus speaking, he is capable. So, one wonders what òr who on earth made him think that extracting all the interpersonal drama replacing it with something as boring as watching people building a wooden house works? To be answered clearly: It does not work. Some free advice: Forcing a fixed idea onto an opera with no seeming interest in the personal relations almost never works.

Jonas Kaufmann was exactly the stellar Lohengrin he was made out to be - romantic, present, and with a barytonal sound, that I honestly prefer. He doesnt always sound entirely effortless, but neither did Domingo in his prime. Please, could we see Jonas Kaufmann in another production?
Anja Harteros received unanimous praise for her Elsa, both during the run of performances and for this DVD. As for this DVD, I simply do not agree. She has the bloom and the legato lines, but for me, the two major detractors about her singing is 1) she basically leaves me cold and 2) she is singing out of tune. As for 2), she may have had an off night, as her intonation has been spot-on the times I have heard her live, but "einsam in trüben tagen" was about 1/4 note flat more often than not. Admittedly she warmed up during the 2nd act, but I am really allergic to singers being flat.
The former Munich opera intendant found the originally contracted Waltraud Meier too old for the part and replaced her with the passable, but nothing more, Michaela Schuster. Crazy. However, the new intendant does not agree, so now one may see Waltraud Meiers Ortrud in Munich.
 Also crazy that the producer didn´t chose another night for filming Telramunds major scene, Act 2 scene 1, as the otherwise competent Wolfgang Koch was about a tact behind the conductor at several of his outbursts.

Kent Nagano is far better here than on his previous DVD from Baden-Baden, less restrained, with more passion - hovewer his transparency will never put him in the league of great Wagnerian such as Thielemann or Barenboim, just two mention two currently active.

So unless you are a die-very-hard fan of Jonas Kaufmann, look elsewhere for a Lohengrin on DVD.


The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Jonas Kaufmann: 5
Anja Harteros: 3
Michaela Schuster: 3
Wolfgang Koch: 3
Christoph Fischesser: 3-4

Richard Jones: 2
Kent Nagano: 3

Overall impression: 2 - because on DVD the director really does count

Fura del Baus: Tannhäuser

RAI footage of the unforgiving Karol Wojtyla (aka Pope John Paul II) accompany the third act of the new Fura del Baus staging of Tannhäuser at Scala. Predictably met with booing at opening night.
Otherwise the Catalán theater makers look like themselves:

Record of the year 2009: The Verdi Requiem

Verdi: Requiem. Orchestra e Coro dell´Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Rome, 2009. Live recording. Cond: Antonio Pappano. Soloists: Anja Harteros, Sonia Ganassi, Rolando Villazón, René Pape. Further information here.

As far as I am concerned this is THE release of 2009. And a Verdi Requiem of a quality I have not heard in decades of recording. All the pieces come together for Antonio Pappano, despite an odd engineering choice, making the initial 2 minutes inaudible. But from there on, there is very little to criticize in a performance of rare coherence. Combined with an excellent soloist quartet this is not to be missed.

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

5

Berlin Verdi Requiem: Smashing La Scala chorus with René Pape back in top-shape

Verdi Requiem. Berlin Philharmonie, April 9th 2009. Soloists: Anja Harteros, Luciana D´Intino, Guiseppe Filianoti, René Pape. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim with La Scala orchestra and chorus.

The short version:

A smashing performance of the Verdi Requiem in the Berlin Philharmonie.

Superb La Scala Chorus.

René Pape is back in super-shape.

The long(er) version:

Dedicated to the victims of the recent earth-quake in Italy, this Good Friday performance started with one minutes silence, as requested by Daniel Barenboim from the podium.

From then on it was full speed forward in a thrilling performance on all levels: The La Scala orchestra, obviously very familiar with the piece followed Daniel Barenboim closely, pulling out all the stops without retorting to empty bravado at any point. A balance Daniel Barenboim does not always achieve in his non-Wagnerian repertoire, but here he certainly did. The sheer power of the Dies Irae virtually knocked one back in the seat. Accompanied by the superb La Scala chorus and a quartet of soloist, not to be seen better anywhere, this could very well look like a recording project.

Most importantly, René Pape was back after illness, both looking and sounding his usual self on a very good day, easily the stand-out of the very fine quartet of soloist. Though it does become increasingly obvious that his voice continues to move upwards and parts of the score seems rather low for him (such as the Lux aeterna), you will have to go back longer in time than my (rather good and long-reaching, by the way) memory reaches to hear singing of comparable beauty and expression in this part.

Excellent singing also from the rest: Anja Harteros, seemingly ideal in the lirico-spinto soprano part, Luciana d´Intino´s firm and secure mezzo and Guiseppe Filianoti delivering a performance making one question the decision to fire him after the Don Carlo dress rehearsal earlier this year at La Scala.

Overall impression: 5

DVD: Salzburg Idomeneo with Harteros, Kozena, Siurina, Vargas

Idomeneo. Salzburg Festival 2006. Production: Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann. Cast: Ramón Vargas (Idomeneo), Magdalena Kozena (Idamante), Ekaterina Siurina (Ilia), Anja Harteros (Elettra). Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington witht the Salzburger Camerata. Further information here.

Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann has created a minimalistic staging using simple, bright colours, in which he stage extends in front of the orchestra. Thus the singers continually circle the stage appearing on all sides of the orchestra located in the middle. These sorts of minimalistic setting obviously leave ample space for the music to shine, however when as loosely directed as seems the case here, they also place great demands on the artists, as they are basically up there, entirely naked.

And in that respect, the protagonists range between fine and excellent.
Magdalena Kozena is vocally ideal as Idamante with her smooth and light, agile mezzo. On stage, however, she seems uncomfortable and her Idamante appears a hyperactive neurotic. Though, who know, he perhaps is a hyperactive neurotic? And in her scenes with Ekaterina Siurinas beautifully sung and stylishly acted Ilia they did appear convincingly in love. Notwithstanding the intrigues from Anja Harteros mightily impressive Elettra, to be heard below in her mad scene. As the only one, Ramón Vargas disappointed somewhat as a rather dry-sounding Idomeneo.

Vivacious accompaniment from Sir Roger Norrington and the Salzburger Camerata.

This is part of the Mozart22 collection, the DVD-recordings of Mozart´s entire operatic output to celebrate the 250th year of his birth at the 2006 Salzburg Festival.

Idamante (Magdalena Kozena), Non ho colpa:

Anja Harteros: D´Oreste, d´Ajace

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

Magdalena Kozena: 4
Ramón Vargas: 3
Anja Harteros: 4-5
Ekaterina Siurina: 5

Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann´s staging: 4

Sir Roger Norrington: 4

Overall impression: 4

Posted by terezqa on YouTube

Anja Harteros: Bella voce

Anja Harteros: Bella voce. Arias by Mozart and Haydn. Pinchas Steinberg conducts the Wiener Symphoniker. Released 2006. Further information here.

For German soprano Anja Harteros (born 1972), winning the 1999 Cardiff Singer of the World competition was the major breakthrough. However, she has carefully build her career from there and has now emerged as the perhaps most promising lirico spinto soprano of her generation.

Considering Anja Harteros´ potential in the lirico spinto repertoire (Don Carlo, Simone Boccanegra, La Traviata etc.) where few others excel, and those who do are basically long gone, the choice of arias (Mozart and Haydn) for her debut disc seems rather strange. As does the title of the disc- bella voce - considering the repertoire.

That said, Mozart has played a major role in Anja Harteros´ career, especially Donna Anna, Figaro-Countess and Elektra (Idomeneo), the latter two included on this disc together with Fiordiligi´s two arias (Cosí fan tutte) and three concert arias. Accompanied by Haydn´s Berenice, which concludes the disc.

Anja Harteros sings Mozart with the same punch and floating expressions she brings to Verdi. It is great Mozart-singing, but it would be even greater lirico spinto repertoire singing. Anja Harteros´ expressive range is impressive: She brings the needed dramatic punch to Mozart´s answer to Lucia de Lammermoors Mad Scene, Elettra´s D´Oreste e d´Ajace as well as the quiet dignity to the Figaro-Countess in Porgi, amor. And she manages both the coloratura and trills of Fiordiligi. As well as placing an individual stamp on it all.

Below, Anja Harteros in Elettra´s Mad Scene (D`Oreste, d´Ajace) from Salzburg 2006:

Posted on YouTube by mozart 1192

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

4-5

Oslo Don Carlo: Superb Pape, Harteros, Mattei in Hytner kitsch production

Don Carlo. 5-act Italian version. Norwegian National Opera, Oslo. September 20th, 2008. Production: Nicholas Hytner. Cast: René Pape (Filippo), Anja Harteros (Elisabetta), Peter Mattei (Posa), Alfred Kim (Don Carlos), Ingebjørg Kosmo (Eboli), Ketil Hugaas (Grand Inquisitor). Conductor: Marco Guidarini. Further information here.

Nicholas Hytner´s production of Don Carlo is the first staged opera production at the absolutely magnificent new Oslo Opera house. The production comes from Covent Garden, where it earlier this year received extraordinarily mixed reviews ranging from disastrous to brilliant, and is scheduled at the Metropolitan Opera in upcoming seasons. Nicholas Hytner is an esteemed theatre director (as well as director of the National Theatre, London) and to be honest, I had expected much more from him.

Nicholas Hytner has in fact created a very conventional Don Carlo, which most of all looks like 70´s style kitsch with several of the tableaus distinctly reminiscent of plastic replicas of religious artifacts. Or just plastic replicas of anything. It´s occasionally semi-aesthetic kitsch, with singers in mostly unflattering period-style costumes, but nevertheless kitsch. It doesn´t look like Hytner directed the Oslo production himself, but I doubt that Elaine Kidd did not follow his instructions closely. The lack of insights into the motives and interactions of the characters surprised me, coming from a director who is apparently "opposed to stereotypes". The only truly outstanding dramatic performance was that of René Pape, which I somehow doubt may be attributed to the stage director. Production photographs and reviews from the London performances here.

First of all, German bass René Pape delivered the most shattering performance of Filippo I have ever seen, including many of his own previous shows. A broken man, from start to finish, laying his soul completely open, he was simply heartbreaking. Completely different from his usual appearances and if I hadn´t seen him approach something like this in last years Boris Godunov, I frankly wouldn´t have thought him capable of it dramatically. Somehow I doubt that Nicholas Hytner/Elaine Kidd is responsible for this, as none of the other singers even approached that level of acting. If he is going to perform like this as Boris in Dresden in December (which I for several reasons suspect he will) it will be worth traveling a long way to see. Vocally, he was as perfect as ever, not even worth mentioning. That said, I strongly disagree with Hytner on this characterization of Filippo, which seems far too monodimensional and insightless.

Only in one scene were the sets kitsch-free, luckily it was in the most important one - Act 4 scene 1 with Filippo and the Grand Inquisitor. The Grand Inquisitor seems always cast with basses on their way up or down. I am not sure which category Ketil Hugaas belongs to, but the part needs a major voice in it´s prime to fully carry it off.

I would be surprised if Anja Harteros doesn´t become 1st choice worldwide as Elisabetta. This performance was her role debut, and already at this early point I cannot name a better interpreter of the part today. Her voice is certainly big enough, she is unstrained and on pitch. Furthermore, she looks the part. Her singing is very straight forward, with a minimum of portamento, stylishly not unlike Karita Mattila´s previous interpretation. I have only one but..., which is that for some strange reason I find Anja Harteros somewhat unengaging. Not only as Elisabetta, but as a performer in general. Those not sharing this general reservation, will most probably find her perfect.

Peter Mattei is a great and very noble Posa with a soft-grained clear and beautiful voice. However, the role needs a bit more ring to it, particulary in the confrontation with Filippo, where he furthermore looked too much an adolescent schoolboy next to René Pape, not the oldest Filippo on the circuit either. An aspect of the part Thomas Hampson mastered superbly earlier this year in Vienna. That said, Peter Mattei approaches being top choice for this part as well.

Hytner clearly built this production around Don Carlo, with him appearing in front of the sets between most of the scene changes. A fine approach, especially if you have a singer with the dramatic and vocal strenghts of a Plácido Domingo in his prime at your disposal. Read: To make this concept work you need a stronger presence than Alfred Kim, who is simply too easily forgotten despite fine singing. Ingebjørg Kosmo got away with Eboli´s fiendishly difficult part impressively well and managed to hold her own among these international top-singers.

Marco Guidarini and the orchestra also performed at a higher level, than I had expected. It´s hardly their fault that I simply find the 5-act Don Carlo too long..

Compared with the London cast (broadcast only), I´d say this Oslo cast wins 3-2. An easy 3-2, perhaps even a 4-1.

Peter Gelb over at the Metropolitan Opera must now have something to think about: To bring this kitsch to Met audiences in replacement of their much-loved, traditional Don Carlo production (notwithstanding I personally find it undead)....well, good luck. I will believe this production to replace the old one at the Met when I see it.

The bottom line (scale of 1-5, 3=average):

René Pape: 5
Anja Harteros: 4-5
Peter Mattei: 4
Alfred Kim: 3
Ingebjørg Kosmo: 3

Nicholas Hytner´s staging: 2-3

Marco Guidarini: 4

Overall impression: 4

Berlin: Verdi Requiem with Barenboim, Villazon, Pape etc.

Earlier this week, two performances of the Verdi Requiem were given in Berlin, with the Berlin Staatskapelle conducted by Daniel Barenboim and with soloists Anja Harteros, Sonia Ganassi, Rolando Villazon and René Pape (more here).

Generally there was praise to everybody involved in particular the male soloists and Daniel Barenboim, but overall reviews were very positive.

Tagesspiegel:

There was something touching to his performance, even though Villazóns famous subtleness has little power next to the sonorous René Pape and the soprano singers.

Berliner Morgenpost:

Rolando Villazón has recovered his cheerful singing and demonstrated his old skills undisturbed in a new garb. René Pape would have been sincerely missed if he did not take part in an occasion like this...

Major applause for Anja Harteros and Piotr Beczala in Traviata at Deutsche Oper Berlin

La Traviata. December 17th, Deutsche Oper Berlin. Production: Götz Friedrich. Cast: Anja Harteros (Violetta), Piotr Beczala (Alfredo), Markus Brück (Germont pére). Conductor: Renato Palumbo.

The biggest applause I have yet seen at the Deutsche Oper went to Anja Harteros and Piotr Beczala in Götz Friedrich´s old La Traviata production Monday evening.

Anja Harteros without doubt is a first-rate Violetta, tall and dark with a clear voice and unstrained coloratura. She looks the part and act convincingly as well. She does however have a tendency to hit the notes rather sharp and her vibrato is too large especially in the middle register for someone as young as she is. But I do not think her Violetta may be matched by many others today.

Matched by Piotr Beczala, simply an ideal Alfredo with his clear warm voice and appealing stage presence. Not to forget Markus Brück´s fine Germont pére.

Also a well-deserved success for the resigning (and much critiziced) musical director Renato Palumbo. He did have some trouble synchronizing with the singers, but so they did over at the State Opera, where Daniel Barenboim had more than average trouble synchronizing the Don Giovanni with René Pape a couple of days ago, making Palumbo keep rather good company here..

Alcina: Superb Harteros and Kasarova in Munich Loy production

Alcina. Prinzregententheater, Munich. July 2007. Production: Christoph Loy. Cast includes Anja Harteros (Alcina), Vesselina Kasarova (Ruggiero). Conductor: Christopher Moulds.

First of all, Alcina is really a long opera, totalling 4h 30 min, with intermissions. And some say Wagner operas are long...

Christoph Loy´s Alcina is both simple and aesthetic. Audiences at Bavarian State Opera´s Prinzregententheater responded with raptuous applause, in particular for Vesselina Kasarova, Anja Harteros and Christopher Mould. And understandably so - for Händel afficionados, this seems as close to heaven as anything on an opera stage may aspire to be.

Needless to say: It was a first-rate performance. Vesselina Kasarova was absolutely brilliant in the trouser part of Ruggiero with her dark, virtuous mezzo and androgynous appearance. Interesting how she will do in the heavier repertoire, she seems determined to take on , beginning with Carmen in Zurich.

Anja Harteros beautiful, clear and stylistically solid soprano combined with her dark-haired slender looks makes it hard to come up with arguments as to why she isn´t the ideal Alcina.

Combined with Christopher Moulds´ inspired orchestra and an excellent supporting cast, I cannot imagine a better advocate for Alcina than this production, rumoured to be taped for DVD release as well. Apparently, the audience agreed, responding with several minutes of applause after each individual aria as well as standing ovations at the end.