2008

Miscellaneous Article Excerpts

Chicago Tribune BEST OF 2008 CLASSICAL MUSIC, By John von Rhein |Tribune critic December 21, 2008 From Muti to 'Manon,' it was a banner year for classical music in Chicago .... Lyric Opera of Chicago drew big, enthusiastic crowds to its fall and early winter lineup of Massenet's "Manon," (ah, Natalie Dessay and Jonas Kaufmann!), Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers," Berg's "Lulu," George and Ira Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" and Puccini's "Madama Butterfly." The shows were strongly cast and, in the best Lyric tradition, were presented at a very high level. ... Playbill Arts: 2009 Munich Opera Festival Program Details Announced 21 Dec 2008 Highlights from the upcoming summer Festival will include several Verdi favorites, a new production of Lohengrin starring Jonas Kaufmann, and concert performances by such names as Angela Gheorghiu, Diana Damrau and Waltraud Meier.  The main point of interest will be focused on the festival premiere of Wagner’s Lohengrin in the National Theatre on July 5. For the tenth time, Kent Nagano will mount the podium of the Bavarian State Orchestra to conduct a new production. Richard Jones directs an all-star cast headed by Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros and Michaela Schuster.... ...On the concert front, star soprano Angela Gheorghiu will perform in a gala with the Bavarian State Orchestra on July 27. Diana Damrau (July 5), Waltraud Meier (July 20) and Jonas Kaufmann (July 26) will also present song recitals. MusicOMH: Review of 2008: Classical and Opera Our regular reviewers give their personal opinions of the highs and lows of 2008. KEITH MCDONNELL I was thrilled by Elektra, beguiled by La Calisto, and bowled over by Jonas Kaufmann's sensational role debut as Cavaradossi. Scotland on Sunday, aus einem Edinburgh Preview, August 2008 Often, the star performer can be surprisingly humble, as veteran accompanist Helmut Deutsch points out. "When Jonas Kaufman finished his studies, he was almost painfully shy during rehearsals. He'd say, 'May I ask you this?' and 'I'm sorry to interrupt.' He couldn't forget I'd been his teacher. I had to stop it very quickly or we would never have had a normal working relationship." The Telegraph Most romantic opera duets of 2008 Rupert Christiansen's pick of the duos who brought the most romance to the stage. 1 Anna Netrebko and Jonas Kaufmann in Verdi's La Traviata at the Royal Opera House Time Out NY: Best Classical Albums of 2008 By Steve Smith 9 Jonas Kaufmann Romantic Arias (Decca) The virile German tenor issued the year’s most satisfying collection of operatic arias. The Times The 100 best recordings of the year 11 JONAS KAUFMANN Romantic Arias (Decca) The dashing German tenor shows his versatility in popular Italian and French arias, and in his native repertoire: thrilling as Gounod’s and Berlioz’s Faust, and in the Prize Song from Meistersinger. Musicweb international (Editors choice of the recording of the year 2008) Göran Forsling Romantic Arias Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) Prague PO/Marco Armiliato rec. 2007 DECCA 4759966 Since so many fine opera recitals have come my way this year: I eventually settled on Jonas Kaufmann’s debut recital. He may be the finest German tenor since Fritz Wunderlich and combines a marvellous voice with great musicality and unerring sense of style. Margarida Mota-Bull Romantic Arias Jonas Kaufmann (tenor) Prague PO/Marco Armiliato rec. 2007 DECCA 4759966 A wonderfully expressive, smooth and warm tenor's voice and a delicately romantic performance. A new lyric tenor from Germany with a clear diction that will clearly prove wrong the idea that German is a harsh language, unsuitable for singing. PRESS RELEASE: Highlights of MIDEM Classical 2009  PARIS, Dec 05, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- MIDEM Classical will put the spotlight on musical encounters of all shapes and sizes at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes from 18-21 January 2009. This wide-ranging event is designed to help professionals understand how the market is moving and allow them to discover a generation of young artists alongside major international performers, notably singers..... ....German tenor Jonas Kaufmann will also attend as a special guest, invited to present the trophy to Carlo Bergonzi and to present his latest DVD, Carmen, published by Decca in October 2008.... ....Within this framework, Jonas Kaufmann will be making a special presentation of the film "Jonas Kaufmann, A Perfectly Normal Hero" (Clasart Classic) on Tuesday 20 January 2009, Auditorium I and J, between 5.30-6.30pm.... Opera News, Dezember 2008 Auszug aus einem Artikel/Interview mit Angela Gheorghiu über Madama Butterfly ….Until now. After countless offers to sing Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Gheorghiu finally went into the studio in July and recorded it. This is a leap. Gheorghiu is very aware that her past recordings have led to stage engagements — some of them rapturously received (La Rondine), others less so (Tosca). "I'm sad I don't have Puccini today, because otherwise, I could ask him not to do that second act [of Butterfly]. Because of the second act, it's too tough. I want to keep my voice." She thinks it would help to have the tenor around more in Act II, even though most people can agree that his absence is a dramatic necessity. But Gheorghiu is a romantic about it: she thinks Pinkerton was really in love. She and Jonas Kaufmann, her Pinkerton on the recording, disagreed on this point. Gheorghiu explains, with a laugh, "He thought [Pinkerton] is, he said in Italian, figlio di putana. I thought, at least once in the duo ['Vogliatemi bene'], he is in love and it is a love duet." Kaufmann, who clearly adores working with Gheorghiu, counters good-naturedly, "All the things he says about women — it's pretty disgusting." Still, he concedes, "The moment when the theme of the duet starts, it creates such a beautiful atmosphere. And in that atmosphere, obviously we are [carried] away." It's nice to know in this day and age, when full-length studio recordings are becoming rarer and rarer, that colleagues can still come together to record their thoughts on this literature…. The Times, November 29, 2008 Best Christmas gifts for music lovers CLASSICAL JONAS KAUFMANN: Romantic Arias Of the three young tenors who have broken away from the pack - Juan Diego Flórez, Rolando Villazón and the swarthy Kaufmann - my money's on this guy. His first big-label release is a stunningly versatile tribute to the tenor's art. Dessay and Kaufmann Among 2008 Charles Cros Award Winners Acclaimed soprano Natalie Dessay, quickly-rising German tenor Jonas Kaufmann and conductors Pierre Boulez and William Christie were among those honored by the Academy Charles Cros at the Cité de la Musique in Paris on Nov. 21. In its 61st year, the prestigious French academy recognizes important recordings and DVDs in a wide variety of genres..... .....German Tenor Jonas Kaufmann, the newest superstar on the international opera stage, was awarded the Lyric Soloist prize for his Decca/Universal CD of "Romantic Arias.".... The Independent: Too big for La Bohème: svelte singers are the new shape of opera A younger, less elitist audience wants to see stars who move athletically on stage and look like the characters they portray. Ian Griggs reports Sunday, 14 September 2008 ……..While it would have been acceptable to audiences in the 1980s to watch a three-hour production of La Bohème with Pavarotti in which the famous tenor would not move at all, those days are now gone. The new crop of performers require a higher level of fitness than before as they dart about the stage. .......However, Ms Padmore adds: "Audiences still expect wonderful voices and I don't think they just go to see beautiful people – but it's a bonus if the singer looks like the character." She insists it is too early to write off the statuesque stereotype; some Wagnerian roles, for example, still demand a "bigger physique". Nevertheless, Marina Poplavskaya and Emma Reed, stars of the ROH's current production of Don Giovanni, are the prima divas among a new crop of svelte performers. Others typifying this new breed include Anna Netrebko and her partner Erwin Schrott, Jonas Kaufmann and Danielle de Niese……… …….. Jonas Kaufmann, 39 German tenor. Appeared as Jose in 'Carmen' at the Royal Opera House in 2006 and as Alfredo in 'La Traviata' at the Metropolitan in New York. Described by critics as the finest tenor his country has produced in 50 years. Film: drama, passion, tragedy, great songs This English-subtitled BBC film of a January 2007 performance caters for both ends of the opera scale. Buffs get a chance to see tenor Jonas Kaufmann – tipped as the next Domingo – deliver his career-making Don José. But director Francesca Zambello's traditional costumes, not to mention a critically acclaimed cameo from Pollyanne the donkey, make for terrific entertainment, too. Arts Alliance Media: Press release LIVE OPERA AND BALLET FROM THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE IN A CINEMA NEAR YOU... Press release Schedule of Royal Opera House performances Participating Venues, Cinemas in UK, Spain, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Norway (Die Carmen Produktion des Royal Opera House soll ab März 2009 in der Webseite genannten Kinos gespielt werden. In Deutschland sind das zur Zeit: CINEMAGNUM 3D Kino Frankfurt, CINEMAGNUM 3D-Kino im Mainfrankenpark, CINEMAGNUM 3D-Kino im Rundkino Dresden, CINEMAGNUM 3D-Kino im Weimar Atrium, CINECITTA Multiplexkino, Traumpalast Kino Esslingen, Cinema Muenchen, Schauburg Kino Karlsruhe, Cinedom Köln, Hofgarten Belzig (Raum Berlin)) MARCH 2009 29th CARMEN, Royal Opera House (Opera) The Spanish heat and gypsy passion of Carmen take to the stage in Francesca Zambello’s vibrant production. Starring Anna Caterina Antonacci, Jonas Kaufmann, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo and Norah Amsellem. Conductor Antonio Pappano. Cleveland Orchestra on tour: WCLV to keep you informed of the Cleveland orchestra tour to Europe The Cleveland Orchestra is off to Europe for residencies in Salzburg and Lucerne as well as concerts in Italy. Beginning August 11, WCLV will present daily reports of the Orchestra's activiities on the airt weekedays at10:20 AM. On Saturday, August 16, we'll add reports at 5:20 PM and weekend reports on Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Also, there will be updates, reviews, pictures and videos here on the WCLV website. Betrifft: Salzburg 25. August und Luzern 31. August, Lied von der Erde Aus einem Artikel über die Divas in Beijing Konzerte: Olympic Voices (Ad hoc Konzerte?) The last-minute nature of these concerts speaks to a phenomenon that soprano Shu-Ying Li referred to in my March interview with her. In her opinion, opera in China has a different planning process from the U.S. and Europe: “Everything is so ‘present.’ We never really plan that far ahead. When we have money, we do it right away.” This makes sense — it’s what happens when you combine the country’s shortage of arts sponsors with its highly competitive market economy. If something is seen as important, money to support it may surface quite suddenly. Normally, of course, top opera singers are booked years in advance. Without that kind of long-range infrastructure and planning, it’s difficult to see opera houses in China offering consistently high-quality performances of complete operas. Meanwhile, one thing is for sure: these Divas in Beijing singers will be getting top dollar — or yuan. Just for fun: Announcement of a movie show: (Violetta with 3 Alfredos) The Lake Worth Playhouse presents an encore screening of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata, which was previously shown as part of the Opera at the Lake Worth Playhouse series. The production was recorded in HDTV format before a live audience in Milan's La Scala where Verdi himself premiered at in 1872. Particularly worth noting in the cast is the debut at La Scala of Angela Gheorghiu in the role of Violetta; Ramón Vargas, Jonas Kaufmann and Massimo Giordano are the three Alfredos. La Traviata is the tender tragedy of Violetta Valéry, a Parisian courtesan who sacrifices all for true love. From the spirited Sempre libera, a bravura vocal showpiece, to the melancholy Addio del passato, her world-weary lament, Violetta goes through every emotion in the broad spectrum of human experience. (um irgendwelchen Missverständnissen vorzubeugen: Der Alfredo im Film ist Ramon Vargas) Ballet and opera - with popcorn Paula Citron, March 29, 2008 The latest player in high-definition cinema screenings is the vaunted Royal Opera House Covent Garden, home of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera. Sunday kicks off ROH's first series of offerings at Empire Theatres in 17 cities across Canada. While these four ballets and one opera are not live performances, they were recorded live at the ROH and give the audience the feeling of being in London in the flesh, so to speak. The ROH is starting off with its artistic guns blazing. ... The other ROH screenings still to come are all gilt edge. The 2006 production of Carmen, which stars Anna Caterina Antonacci (Carmen), Jonas Kaufmann (Don José) and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (Escamillo), is all spectacle. Zambello took Bizet's work into grand opera replete with donkeys and flamenco dancers.