DVD: Rodelinda with Antonacci, Scholl

Rodelinda. Glyndebourne 1998. Production: Jean-Marie Villégier. Cast: Anna Caterina Antonacci (Rodelinda), Andreas Scholl (Bertarido), Umberto Chiumino (Garibaldo), Louise Winter (Eduige), Kurt Streit (Grimaldo). Conductor: William Christie with the OAE. Further information here.

In genereal, these baroque operas do well with updating, and this is no exception updating Händels 1725 opera to the 1930´s in a stylish film noir production. Simplistic, contrasing colours and silent screen type acting and lighting, this is an exceptionally successful update.

For once, the action is straight-forward and reasonable: The queen Rodelinda believes her husband, the rightful King Bertarido to have been killed by Grimaldo, who tries to win her in marriage. However, loyalty and fidelity prevails.

Anna Caterina Antonacci´s expressiveness and presence easily outweight her occasionally shaky tones. Combined with beautiful singing from then up-and-coming counter tenor Andreas Scholl in his operatic debut and not a single weak link in the rest of the cast, this is an easy recommendation.

Andreas Scholl and Anna Caterina Antonacci (Io t´abbraccio):

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

All singers: 4-5

Jean-Marie Villégier: 5

William Christie: 4-5

Overall impression: 5

The alternative MET Anniversary Gala

I hereby present "The alternative Metropolitan Opera Anniversary Gala" introducing 10 top artists: 8 singers, 1 director and 1 conductor. All active today enjoying high-profile careers - everywhere else but at The Met. All artists have in common that they have never appeared at the Met, for more, or rather less, obvious reasons.

Artists known (at least to me) to make their debuts in upcoming seasons such as Miah Persson, Annette Dasch, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Nadja Michael etc. are excluded.

Anna Caterina Antonacci as Carmen:

Emily Magee as Gutrune in Götterdämmerung:

Veronique Gens as Donna Elvira:

Anne Schwanewilms as Carlota in Die Gezeichneten:

Anna Larsson in the Mahler 3rd symphony with Claudio Abbado:

Irene Théorin as Turandot:

Petra Lang as Venus:

Johan Reuter in Maskarade:

And the conductor Mariss Jansons with the director Martin Kusej in Lady Macbeth from Mtsensk:

Carmen on DVD: Shattering Antonacci and Kaufmann in 2006 London performance

Carmen. Royal Opera Covent Garden 2006. Production: Francesca Zambello. Cast: Anna Caterina Antonacci (Carmen), Jonas Kaufmann (Don José), Ildebrando D´Arcangelo (Escamillo), Norah Amsellem (Micaëla). Conductor: Antonio Pappano. Further information here.

Director Francesca Zambello opted to create a "realistically desolate" production of Carmen for the Royal Opera in order to reflect on the every-day background on which the drama unfolds. And she succeeds admirably, presenting dreary, rusty simple sets and singers in period costumes. Admittedly, it could have been much worse. And indeed, with the cast presented I am inclined to not care about Zambello´s staging at all.

Ironically, most Carmen performances end up with plenty of praise for Micaëla and Escamillo, as more often than not Don José and Carmen doesn´t really kick it off. Oppositely here. Ildebrando D´Arcangelo looks great as Escamilla, but I don´t really take to his grainy voice. Same goes for Norah Amsellem as Micaëla, whose vibrato, though less obtrusive here than in the Berlin Carmen, really does her no favor. However, I am inclined not to care about these issues either as both Anna Caterina Antonacci and Jonas Kaufmann are shattering as the leads with stage chemistry and acting making this, by far, the best Carmen on DVD.

Anna Caterina Antonacci is not a mezzo-soprano and though her center voice lies higher than the traditional Carmen, she pulls both the cards scene and final scene off, vocally as well. Her stunning and completely involving acting is on a level of its own, places her Carmen in a league with very few members.

Jonas Kaufmann superbly portraits Don José´s change from obediant, rational soldier to a virtually insane man. Though Don José really is a whimp, Jonas Kaufmann avoids making him appear as such. Vocally, it does sound like he pushes hard for the top-notes, however Plácido Domingo has always sounded like this in his seemingly endless career.

Combined with a straight-forward engaged reading from Antonio Pappano, this is one of the most successful productions of the last decade for the Royal Opera.

Anna Caterina Antonacci and Jonas Kaufmann: Final scene

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

Anna Caterina Antonacci: 5
Jonas Kaufmann: 5
Norah Amsellem: 3-4
Ildebrando D´Arcangelo: 4

Francesca Zambello: 4

Antonio Pappano: 4-5

Overall impression: 5

Anna Caterina Antonacci: Superb solo disc Era la notte

Anna Caterina Antonacci: Era la notte. Released 2006. Further information here.

Giramo´s La Pazza, Monteverdi´s Lamento d'Arianna and Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda as well as Strozzi´s Lamento.

Such is the content of soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci´s as yet only solo-disc released in 2006. A soprano, of whom it is often said, that she should be experienced live to be fully appreciated. However, her performance on this disc is nothing short of superb, infusion life and commitment into every inch of this repertoire. Without selling short on vocal precision and intonation.
Not to miss is Monteverdi´s Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorina, where Antonacci takes the part of both lovers, who actually end up in mortal combat, not recognizing each other .

For early music lovers, this disc is a must. So is a new solo disc by Anna Caterina Antonacci, despite her recent successes, still vastly underrated.

Anna Caterina Antonacci with the first part of Il combattimento di Tancredi et Clorinda (audio only):

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

5

Les Troyens DVD from Paris with superb Anna Caterina Antonacci

Les Troyens. Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. Production: Yannis Kokkos. Recorded 2003. Cast: Anna Caterina Antonacci (Cassandre), Susan Graham (Didon), Gregory Kunde (Enée), Ludovic Tézier (Chorebe). Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner. More details here.


These performance of Les Troyens were staged in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Berlioz birth at the Paris Châtelet Opera 2003.

Yannis Kokkos created a much-celebrated aesthetic as well as eclectic production mixing elements from several centuries such as 20th century raincoats with synthetic fibre made breastplates, antique gowns and the like.

The sets were classic and simple: In Troy, the war state, the colours were brown/gray with a flight of steps in the background beneath projected images of a city amongst which the white head of the Trojan horse appears. Eventually Troy is invaded by army-clad machinegun soldiers. I sill haven´t figured out exactly how they managed to create the reflected images of the steps at the back of the stage, at times showing us the back of the authors, at other times showing us the actual action.

In Carthage, the female pacifist state, the colours were bright blue and white. Images of the sea were projected in the background.
Anna Caterina Antonacci is a superb Cassandra, a powerful actress with a gloriously rich, though not large voice. She is well-matched with Ludovic Tézier´s fine Chorebe in a cast with virtually no weak links.

Perhaps the greatest achievement is that Gregory Kunde managesto survive the devlishly difficult part of Enée.

I have never found Susan Graham to be a particularly interesting singer, however many have found her Didon moving - I simply did not. I lack intensity and drama in both acting and voice. I much preferred Anna Pokupic as her sister Anna (who according to the ancient Greek legend follows Enée to Rome and commits suicide caused by jealousy of Enée´s wife).

John Eliot Gardener conducts the period instrument Orchestra Révolutionnaire et Romantique, using Berlioz's original orchestration including saxhorns in a rather light reading. For admirers of period performances I imagine this to approximate the ideal. Personally I´d much prefer the sumptuous orchestral sound of modern-day instruments.

If Les Troyens was a symphony for orchestra and tenor (Plácido Domingo as Enée), I´d recommend the Levine-conducted version available on DVD from the Metropolitan Opera. However, for the rest of the MET DVD I find the staging dark and dull with no chemistry between the protagonists and with seemingly unending ballet sequences.

A BBC documentary with plenty interviews is included as bonus material.

Anna Caterina Antonacci and Ludovic Tézier in the Act 1 duet:

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

Anna Caterina Antonacci: 5
Gregory Kunde: 4
Susan Graham: 3
Ludovic Tézier: 4

Kokkos production: 4

John Eliot Gardiner: 3

Overall impression: 4