Reviews

For the first reviews of yesterday in Hamburg click here, here and here =)

(Hope that translations will follow soon, but I'm a little bit busy today...)


Sensual soprano with dangerous intensity

Anna Netrebko, the currently opera‘s most famous diva, needn’t to capture her audience hearts, cause she owns them already.

As the currently most famous opera diva entered the Laeiszhalles’ stage with her breathtaking robe, you dream a short second to be Oskar Matzerath and be allowed to go missing under her skirts with Kashubian dimension and to listen thence to her beautiful voice. But then we pull ourselves together, keep brave our seats and let ears and mind lave in this indescribable feminine melody sound, which La Netrebko let in Lyudmila’s cavatina “Grustno Mne” out of Glinka’s “Ruslan and Lyudmila” stream out of her gorge.

Her always eminent sensual soprano got within the years still more corporal. She shapes each tone like the sound become equivalence yonder bends, which accelerate the men heartbeat. However she isn’t a coquettish female; she sings with a delightful power and unsophisticatedness. Her superb voice is beautiful shaded in the depth and owns a nearly dangerous intensity aloft. During Sylva Varescu’s song “Heia, heia ! In den Bergen ist mein Heimatland” out of the “Gipsy Princess” reeled the coordination between soloist and orchestra, at the aria “Un bel di vedremo” in Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” overtook Anna Netrebko a tiny ailment, which she handled indeed perfect.

The singer herself seems to be happier as at her both previous performances in Hamburg in CCH and at the Derbypark: disengaged, warm-hearted, like the everlasting girl out of the folk. When the fairly Prague Philharmonic choir sings a few beats without her, then she turns around and listens to the singers. This makes the choir happy – and the audience may meanwhile enjoy her beautiful back view.

The Minsk born mezzo soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk had cloth bad luck: she looked like being dressed by the tailoring Cinderella. But what does such outwardnesses mean, if such a subtle and maestoso knows how to deal with her impavid fathoming the depths voice ? La Semenchuk saved at this stars’ gala evening the musical gravity, which sometimes fall behind cause of the event character of this performance. First during her encore, the “Carmen” aria, melt the singer noticeable and let also visual her hair down.

Bryn Terfel has no problems at all with this. The bass-baritone from Wales is the nee pulling focus, an ingenious player and party boy, who affords little, marked acting trimmings, for clarifying the audience his particular roles. As Sportin’ Life out of “Porgy & Bess” by George Gershwin plays he with pleasure the bay boy with a cigarette in the mouth and profane patter. Terfel can bawl and roar, it’s a delight. As type honest guy with Joe-Cocker-appeal is he not above, to announce the not TV watching audience before his encore “The Impossible Dream” out of “The Man From La Mancha” by Mitch Leigh short the intermediate result of the world championship qualifying game Germany against Azerbaijan – in German. That our language is closer to him then the French one – his “Le veau d’or out of Gounod’s “Faust” stayed completely incomprehensible – proved he furthermore at the touching simple and beautiful sang aria by Wolfram von Eschenbach “O du mein holder Abendstern” out of “Tannhäuser”.

The Prague Philharmonics ploughed valiant till reputable through the inclusive encores 20 pieces of the evening. During the instrumental pieces perverted meanwhile the in places bizarre disproportional hand acting of the conductor Emmanuel Villaume the pleasure by taking a look on stage. Should it be valued as a sign of the audiences’ mellowness, that the absolute “Anna ! Anna !” reeling was missing, the people first stand up from the seats in the end and then however lapsed into even already impolite sluggish rhythmical clapping, which couldn’t allure the three sing stars to no more following encores ? The gigantic triumph was this gala anyway not.

All the more this feeds the dream, to hear Miss Netrebko one time a whole evening long, without gain and also without colleagues impetus. Dito Bryn Terfel, dito Ekaterina Semenchuk. For this would have also Oskar Matzerath bang the drum.

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Breathless aspiration

Successfull concert with Bryn Terfel and Anna Netrebko at the Laeiszhalle

Anna Netrebko, the mirror finish soprano from St. Petersburg, and Bryn Terfel, the singing natural phenomenon from Wales, performed the day before yesterday together at the music hall. The both spoiled by success opera singers are indeed worlds apart.

The avowed soccer fan Terfel, who also interlaces short the score at half time of the German and Welsh world champion ship qualifying games at an arias’ begin, plays so smart, variable and intelligent with his imposing bass-baritone voice, is furthermore such a staggering performer, as if comedic clownish Dulcamara out of Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” or as terrifying dark Mephisto out of Gounod’s “Faust”, that we long for him finally again as guest at the state opera.

The thoroughbred singer shimmers like in dreams stylistically appropriate between Belcanto and Verismo, between Gershwin and Wagner, for with giving his encore “The Impossible Dream” follow still in Sinatra’s footsteps. At the concerts’ peak level, the “Te Deum” out of Puccini’s “Tosca”, are it his enigmatic shaded, lurking hushed and first then heroic crowing notes, with which he paces off vocally perfect the operas’ whole emotion chart.

And Anna Netrebko, the by the promotion flossy silver bullet of the commerce classical, who should vindicate the ticket prices of till 350 Euro ? She seems to be likable, very focused and soprano creamy like always. But her stage presence stays on average. Her well controlled voice may got a little bit dramatic and warmer rotundity after her pregnancy, really unique is her beautiful timbre even not now. (I don’t think so at all – her timbre is totally unique…) And her Butterfly, which comes closer with the big aria “Un bel dì vedremo”, stays the false front of a tragically lover.

Too calculated are the affects, she blows the exposed phrases with too much air, so that her breath runs out for the big aspiration legato. In the duet “Quanto amore” out of Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore”, which she plays and acts adorable together with Bryn Terfel, instead she catchs with coquettish bel canto chirp, light voice and easy parlando. Bellini’s keenly awaited “Sonnambula” aria deprived she us instead: for Netrebko’s fans a meagre result of an exiguous concert, which hold besides Terfel the Prague Philharmonic under Emmanuel Villaume and the mezzo Ekatarina Semenchuk engaged running.

First pics of "Anna in Hamburg" =)

In the afternoon on the way to the rehearsal

At the concert

Gala concert with JK and Bryn Terfel on 04th September in Moscow

At Jonas' schedule on his homepage you can read that he will give a gala concert with Anna and Bryn on 04th September at the Roter Platz in Moscow ! Wow ! Lucky you, who are able to be there !!! I will try to find a more about it, but have a bit patience ;)

Rolando in Istanbul

Rolando will give a gala concert on 29th June in Istanbul at the Hagia Eirene ! His first appearance in Turkey ever !


Barenboim to receive lifetime achievement award at İstanbul fest

Daniel Barenboim, the world-renowned pianist and conductor billed as the “builder of musical bridges,” will receive the Lifetime Achievement honor of this year’s İstanbul International Music Festival, which promises a star-studded lineup in its 37th edition.

The festival, organized annually by the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Art (İKSV), will mark its 37th edition, featuring around 20 performances, from June 5-30. The 25-day festival will open with a concert by the Borusan İstanbul Philharmonic, the festival’s orchestra in residence, under the baton of its young conductor, Sascha Goetzel, in the historic ambiance of the Hagia Eirene Museum, one of the festival’s regular venues.
The 67-year-old Barenboim, praised for his work with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, an ensemble of young Arab and Jewish musicians which he co-founded with the late Palestinian-American intellectual and activist Edward Said, will receive his award on June 30, prior to his closing performance with the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra. In the meantime, Ayhan Baran, a well known İstanbul State Opera and Ballet (İDOB) singer whose career spans over half a century, will receive the festival’s 2009 Award of Recognition, İKSV said in a written statement. Baran will receive his honor during the festival’s opening ceremony on June 5.

Rolando Villazon, a Mexican star tenor who has been struggling with laryngitis for the last few months, canceling scheduled appearances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, is scheduled to sing at a gala concert on June 29 at the Hagia Eirene in what will be his first appearance in Turkey. Villazon will be accompanied by the Borusan Philharmonic under the baton of Marco Zambelli during the concert.

Tickets for the festival will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at www.biletix.com and Biletix sales points across the city.

Click here


Many, many thanks to Maxi for the information !