The Homer of Seville (and the groupies of opera)

I have to say that I was a little offended that most of the groupies were old women... what about the young people? Well, gotta keep up the stereotypes, right? =P
I thought that it was such a funny episode! At one point there is this exchange between Mr. Burns and Homer Simpson:
Burns- "Homer you're a star!"
Homer- "Yeah!"
Burns- "An opera star!"
Homer- "...oh..."
hahaha I had a good laugh about that one. After Homer's "freak accident" he realizes that he has a miraculous tenor voice... but only if he sings on his back. So, at the end of La Boheme he pushes the dead Mimi off the bed and lies on it so he can sing his final "Mimi!"s. Quite hilarious.
Yes, Mr. Placido Domingo does make an appearance. Not a very flattering appearance, but funny all the same. Homer even says "Out of all the Three Tenors, you are my second favorite! No, wait, I forgot about the other guy... You're my third favorite, sorry!" I thought that was pretty funny too.
The main premise of the episode is to demonstrate how far some groupies will go to be with the stars. It's quite weird, I'm not going to lie. The president of Homer's fan club tries to kill him after he denies her. Sounds like many operas, doesn't it?

At the end Homer says one final hysterical line that I think does us opera fans some good:
"I'm quitting the opera, it's just too popular!"

=)

Homer of Seville

I just want to let you all know that tomorrow evening the new Simpsons episode will be titled "The Homer of Seville." Homer Simpson thinks he's a tenor and takes lessons from none other than Placido Domingo himself! Yes, Domingo is playing himself in this episode. Needless to say, I'll be hooked to the TV tomorrow night. I'll be back to tell you how it was, if you don't catch it.

Happy Listening!

Angela Gheorghiu Gets FIRED and more other news

Let's do the "other news first."
It has been announced that, to many people's dismay, Isabel Bayrakdarian has taken (ahem) a 9 month hiatus. Her replacement will be soprano Lisette Oropesa who will sing Susanna at the premiere of Le Nozze di Figaro and at least one other performance. Ms. Oropesa is a member of the Met's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Very impressive. Maybe I'll see her then? If I'm not seeing her, then I might be seeing Ekaterina Siurina or our lovable TBA in the role of Susanna.

ANGELA GHEORGIU HAS BEEN FIRED FROM THE CHICAO LYRIC OPERA. Ms. Gheorghiu was fired from the production of La Boheme because she "missed 6 out of 10 rehearsals, including a piano dress rehearsal and both staging rehearsals with the orchestra." She apparently also missed a critical stage-orchestra rehearsal. Ms. Gheorghiu also violated her contract when she left unanounced to go to New York. Oh, and one more thing, La Gheorghiu was spotted at the premiere of Gounod's Romeo et Jiuliette at the Met. And who was staring as the leading man that night? None other than her husband, Roberto Alagna. Coincidence? I would think not. =O Scandaloussssss

Lucia Madness and Other News

I'm extremely overjoyed to announce that a part of Natalie Dessay's mad scene can be heard on youtube. It's not a video (that has been removed from youtube, sorry), but you can hear how well she did. This is the famous "Spargi d'amaro pianto."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XesQJl7PdKY


In other news, it has been announed that Anna Netrebko's Met I Puritani is set to be released on DVD in January!!!!!!! This is very exciting news! Now I'm just waiting for them to announce that Onegin and Barbiere are being released. Those were by far my two favorite broadcasts. To not release them would be a crime on the Met's part.

I've just been notified that the long awaited LA Opera production of La Traviata with La Fleming and Mr. Bean (I mean, Rolando Villazon) is going to be released on October 30th. Oh wow, that seems awful close to my birthday =0 well if that isn't an interesting coincidence... Maybe this year I'll give myself a late birthday present?

WELCOME TO THE MET!

Happy 2007-2008 season!!!!!!! I'm listening to the opening night Lucia courtesy of the Met website. I'm now listening to Margaret Juntwait (my faaaaavorite announcer!!!!) interview Blythe Danner about opera and acting in opera. What a star studded event, eh? We also heard from tenor Marcello Giordani.

I'm not going to say anything about the singing because I want to wait until at least the mad scene/sextet is done.

****Quickie update: Remember that tenor Stephen Costello I told you all about who is taking over one of the Edgardos? Well, he just had a cameo in Lucia as Arturo and oh my gaaaawwwwd this kid is amazing!

***Another update: Sextett just started!!!! I'm absolutely in love with this part of the opera... Too bad it's only a meager attempt =O. oops. The highlight of the sextet HAS to be Levine's conducting. Marcello Giordani, I really hate saying it, has sounded like he's been struggling the whole opera. Dessay isn't delivering as I expected either. WOAH Dessay interpolated a little high note just now at the end. Have to say, the sextet was a let down. Too bad, it's one of the greatest sections in all of opera.

Relyea is sounding better than he usually does on these UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL live webcasts. I'm glad because no one else is deliveringggg! Where's the fabulous Dessay I keep hearing about? Where's my lovely Giordani? Maybe I'll like Dessay better in the house? We'll see.

The finale of this act is so fastttt! bravo Levine! It's so exciting this way! Faster faster faster faster!!!! Crash those symbols! Woah, Dessay is going for every high note she can! I give the girl props. Giordani could barely keep up with the tempo, but whatever.

****Placido Domingo is being interviewed!!! I'm smiling just listening to him. His accent is AMAZING. He's conducting tomorrow, by the way, Gounod's Romeo et Juiliette. It's one of his favorite operas apparently (???? really?). He likes french operas and he likes the challenge of conducting an opera. I love this guy. He's amazing. <3's>

I mean, I love Marilyn Horne, but how long is this intermission??? Unbearableeeeee

*quickie note: This bartione, Kwiecien, is getting on my nerves a little bit. The two lead men (Enrico and Edgardo) are just not happening tonight! What's happening? The ending of that duet was bleck. No gusto, no high notes (not that I wanted either of them to even attempt one!), no nothing! Oh well... I hope this gets better.

***pre-mad scene notes: Relyea sounds fantastic. That little ensemble bit also sounded excellent. I'm putting too many notes here, but a full review is a good review!

*****MAD SCENE NOTES:

Dessay appears at the stop of the stairs in a blood-stained wedding gown. She comes down the stairs. OH MY GAWWWWD THAT GLASS HARMONICA IS SCARY! So cool, but scary. That instrument could make anyone go crazy. She's lying on the steps ON HER BACK. She's going Anna on us!!! Ah! (i can see the stimulcast on the Times Square screen here) Now she's swaying like a loonie bin. Oh wait, she IS a loonie.

So far I give Dessay an A+. Brava! Her singing is clean and is ringing. Her laugh is totally scary, though.

This glass harmonica will not let me sleep tonight, I swear. It's totally scary.

LA DESSAY IS NOT LYING ON THE PROMPTERS BOX! Is anyone else getting the impression that Mary Zimmerman is a weirdo? A Lucia set in the 1920's? The prompter's box?

Now Lucia is hallucinating and Dessay is going over to Raimondo like "Oh hey, you're my lover right? No? Well that's okay, I'll just pretend you are." FLAWLESS COLORATURA. If I may say so myself.

Holy gosh. Dessay just screamed at the top of her lungs. I seriously got chills. That was totally mad-scene-alicious!

SPARGI D'AMARO PIANTO: sitting on the staircase, great ornamentation on the second verse! Chest voice dominationnnn on one of the notes. She's such a great singer, that Dessay! =O lying on the ground AGAIN. These sopranos like this for mad scenes.

HERE COMES THE BIG FINISH TO THE MAD SCENE. high note omggggggggg! What a screamer!!!

Audience....going....MAD for Dessay. (i personally prefer Dame Joan, but who doesn't?) WHAT A GREAT MAD SCENE! It makes up for everything that came before.

Well, since the rest of the opera really doesn't matter (lol), I'm going to bed.

This is probably a terrible post to read, but I had fun! I always do!

Happy listening!

TBAs at the Met

After lots of joking around about the many many TBA casting this season, we finaly hear who they are!!!!!

As Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor on October 25th is Stephen Costello.
The Lady Macbeths will be both Maria Guleghina and Andrea Gruber. La Guleghina, however, will be getting the bulk of the Macbeth's and even the moviecast!! =O

Lucia di Lammermoor opens this Monday, September 24th. (so excited!)
Macbeth opens on October 22nd. (way to cut it close, guys, good job.)

See the Met website for more details.

Ponselle in the Discards???

I was at my local library today (conveniently located next door to my house) looking through CDs when I cam across a lovely "L'Elisir d'Amore" featuring Luciano Pavarotti and Kathleen Battle. Naturally, I plucked it from the shelf and skipped my way to the check-out desk. Next to the desk there is a shelf labeled "Discards: 50 cents each, 3 for $1". Usually, there is nothing there for me, but today a particular book caught my eye...

The title was "ROSA PONSELLE"

The biography of Rosa Ponselle was on the Discard shelf! I was speechless! I actually asked the librarian if it was a mistake. When she she said it wasn't I happily took it off their hands. It just shocked me that Rosa Ponselle was being "discarded"!!! I'm sure this isn't foreshadowing the doom of opera, but it sure as heck surprised me!!

(PS. 5 days until the opening of the Met season!!!! =) yay!)

Don't leave Renee alone!!!!

As much as I absolutely adore Renee Fleming to no end, I still find this clip extremely funny.

Don't leave Renee alone!!!

The thing is, if you haven't seen the clip of the crazy guy going on about Briteny Spears (here) then you probably won't find it as funny as you normally would.

This video (made by the amazing La Cieca) is so over the top Renee-bashing-to-the-max that you can't do anything but just laugh at it. It's totally ridiculous and hysterically funny. Mind you, this is coming from a total Fleming-lover!

Happy watching! =)

La Divina

Maria Callas

December 2, 1923- September 16, 1977

Rolando Villazon (Is everything okay?)

It has just been announced at the Met website that ROLANDO VILLAZON HAS CANCELLED ALL HIS PERFORMANCES DURING THE RUN OF "ROMEO ET JULIETTE."
Why?
Health reasons!

???????????????????????????

He's obviously been having some trouble. It's been said "thyroid problems", this problem, that problem. I'm seriously getting worried!!!! Not "oh, he'll be gone soon" worried... just worried about his health!!!!

Get well soon, Mr. Villazon! We'll miss you! (especially if Roberto Alagna is singing the Romeos)

One reason to smile.

Well, despite all the terrible things that have occured this summer, I would like to send out a big, huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite Count Almaviva, Don Giovanni, and Eugene Onegin in the world, Sir Thomas Allen!!!!! If you have never heard this man sing.... you must. It's just amazing, especially his Count, in my opinion. I'm listening to his Onegin right now (with Mirella Freni) and at some parts I just stop what I'm doing and stare at my speakers in amazement.

Happy Birthday, Sir Thomas!!!!! =)

Luciano Pavarotti 1935-2007

I'm sorry to inform all of you that the inevitable has occurred.

Within the span of about two months we have lost two of the greatest operatic icons of all time.

Cause of death: pancreatic cancer and failed kidneys

reaction from the desk of Score Desk: devastation

We have lost possibly the greatest tenor of all time. He died in his home in Modena, Italy, surrounded by his family and friends, at the age of 71. I can't find myself able to say anything more. I'm just heartbroken by the death that occurred this morning and by the deaths in July.

New York Times Obituary:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/arts/music/06pavarotti.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Anthony Thommasini's tribute:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/arts/music/06luci.html?ref=music

Metropolitan Opera Press Release:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/news/press/detail.aspx?id=374

Tributes on Opera Chic (including statements from many of Pavarotti's colleagues):

http://operachic.typepad.com/opera_chic/2007/09/opera-chic-excl.html

http://operachic.typepad.com/opera_chic/2007/09/pavarottis-dict.html

http://operachic.typepad.com/opera_chic/2007/09/there-are-tenor.html

http://operachic.typepad.com/opera_chic/2007/09/luciano-pavar-1.html

It's a terrible day in operatic history.

Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VATmgtmR5o4

PAVAROTTI!!!!!!!!

It's good to be back.... but not when I come back to news like THIS!!!!


ROME (Reuters) - Luciano Pavarotti's health has deteriorated and the 71-year-old singer is in a "very serious condition," Italy's AGI news agency reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.
Pavarotti, who was released from hospital on August 25 after undergoing more than two weeks of tests and treatment, was being attended to at home by cancer specialists, AGI said.
(reuters.com)

WHAT? WHY?
I hope everyone here realizes that if he dies, the world will have lost two of the biggest opera icons (and best opera stars) to ever grace us mortals with their presence in a span of about 3 months!!!!!!!!!!!
They're droppin' like flies and WHO CAN SAVE US NOW??????

I'll bring some good news soon....I hope....