Hoffmann
edo...@gmail.com
I find it disjointed, and perhaps that's because of the various
versions that have been performed.
In all my years of going to the opera, I probably have not seen
Hoffmann more than 10 times total.
I am off to see it tonight, and am hopeful that I will like it, though
I have heard less than good things about the production, and I did not
like Calleja on the broadcast of the prima. I think Martin
Bernheimer's review sounded pretty much as I felt listening to him. I
hope he changes my mind tonight.
Do some of you like or dislike Hoffmann? A doppo!
Ed
shortspark
I love Hoffmann, Ed. It has been a favorite opera of mine for a long
time. The best I ever saw in person was with Alfredo Kraus. His
diction, his stage movement and interpretation were all just
wonderful. And his singing could not have been better, including a
very surprising interpolated high C in the "Klienzach" aria that
nearly knocked me out of my seat. Not in the power of it so much but
I was totally surprised by it.
I am a big tenor fan and this is one opera where the tenor is on stage
all the time. Like Werther, this is an opera that the tenor must take
from the outside and bring in, reaching into his soul for true meaning
and interpretation before singing the first note. He must never sound
like your typical, extrovert tenor. Shicoff was a master at doing
this and one of the reasons why his portrayal of Hoffmann has long
been admired.
Yes, the story is strange in that all the women in his life care more
about themselves than they do Hoffmann and even one is a doll! Yet
the story makes sense just so long as the muse is well defined.
Nicklaus is a minor player in the music given, but the most important
character next to Hoffmann himself. It is Nicklaus that defines
Hoffmann. Having said all this, had Hoffmann been written for a
baritone I probably would not have quickly dismissed it but I know I
would not care for it as much as I do. Be sure to give us your
impressions after the performance.
shortspark
shortspark
Pat
> Do some of you like or dislike Hoffmann? A doppo!
>
> Ed
=====================
I loved the Shicoff - Morris video, really loved it, but I have never
enjoyed it very much when just listening to it.
I think the acting/staging element is as important in Hoffman as in
almost any opera, and I thought the (old)? Met staging, and the
Shicoff/Morris/Bradley,Troianos/Alexander/Quittmeyer acting was just
terrific (albeit weakest in the Belle Nuit scene). The final touch,
when the Muse inspires the tortured Hoffman to take up his pen again,
was a real coup de theatre.
Pat
edo...@gmail.com
I agree with both of you. For some reason that is beyond my knowledge,
the current Met version does not have this part near the end where the
muse inspires Hoffmann. I think it is one of the most (and possibly
only) moving parts of the opera, when the tenor again takes up that
soaring melody from the Venetian scene. And- one of the best
performances I have seen of this is with Mr. Domingo, on a video that
I got years ago. I believe it was from Covent Garden, around 1980.
I have been somewhat lucky in my few Hoffmanns. My first, sadly, was
Giuseppe Di Stefano, attempting, and utterly failing, in the role at
the old Met in 1965. It was said that he wanted dearly to sing at the
old Met once more in its final season, and all Bing offered him where
three Hoffmanns, which Pippo had never learned. He learned it, and was
supposed to sing three performances. I was at the first, which turned
out to be the last. To this day, it was one of the most painful
experiences witnessing this performance that I have had in an opera
house.
I saw Domingo do a fine Hoffmann with Sutherland and Bacquier in 1973,
and all around it may have been the finest Hoffmann I have seen. And
Neil Shicoff, who is the finest Hoffmann I have seen.
A very close second would be the great Alfredo Kraus, whom I saw in
London in 1991. Kraus was already 60 or so, but was magnificent. Yes,
he threw in all those high notes, and the London audience went
untypically wild after the Keinzach song.
Tonight I saw Calleja, and sorry to say, I was not impressed, The
voice is big, with a sort of soft grained honey sound, but there is no
"point" or focus to his voice, I think. It is loud with no squillo
whatsoever. It is like a pretty foghorn, if there is such a thing. At
intermisson, I was discussing Calleja, and someone said he sounded
like an emasculated tenor. I knew what she meant, because, as I wrote
after the Sirius broadcast, there is not enough chest voice in his
singing. All good singing must be a perfect, or as near perfect
balance of chest resonance and head resonance. I only hear head
resonance when I listen to Calleja. I was not impressed at all, though
I think he did better than he had done at the prima.
I don't have the cast in front of me, but Netrebko was far and away
the most stunning singer on stage. Her voice was huge, gorgeous, and
creamy. There seems to be little she cannot do in a congenial role
such as Antonia. I was sorry she didn't have more to do.
I have seen written that the Olympia had a voice that was too small
for the Met. I don't agree at all. From by seat in balcony box 10, she
could be heard very, very well. It is not a big voice, but it is
projected very well. I actually heard her much better than I heard the
Nicklause, who was inaludible on a number of ocassions.
The production was a non-production. There is almost zero scenery, and
the stage is almost always bare and stark, and empty.
Not terribly offensive, but absolutely nothing worth looking at.
I thought Levine's conducting was fine. I enjoyed the evening because
I have not seen Hoffmann that often, and was glad I went, but if I
went back, it would only be for Netrebko.
Ed
shortspark
wrote:
Good review, Ed. I can not believe they omitted that part of the
Epilogue. I was listening last night on Sirius and unfortunately fell
asleep at the first act intermission! That is one of the most
important scenes in the whole opera, not only for the terrific musical
impact, but that it identifies for the first time what Nicklausse has
been doing on stage all evening. Without this scene how does the
audience know that Nicklausse was successful in her mission to draw
Hoffmann away from the women to her (poetry)? The Domingo video which
indeed was from Covent Garden, shows this perfectly. Now that was a
production with the right sets and costumes in the manner this opera
should be presented.
shortspark
Ricky Jimenez
>There is almost zero scenery, and
>the stage is almost always bare and stark, and empty.
>Not terribly offensive, but absolutely nothing worth looking at.
*(!#%^$(! Well I would find that offensive. Why bother to watch? I
suppose next season's Ring will be like that too. This is to save
money or to be really "with it".
J
wrote:
>
> Tonight I saw Calleja, and sorry to say, I was not impressed, The
> voice is big, with a sort of soft grained honey sound, but there is no
> "point" or focus to his voice, I think. It is loud with no squillo
> whatsoever. It is like a pretty foghorn, if there is such a thing.
Ed, that's priceless. Not only is it very funny, it makes clear (to
those of us who've not heard him in the house) how the voice comes
across, and why you don't like it.
Pat
>
> Good review, Ed. I can not believe they omitted that part of the
> Epilogue.
> shortspark
================
There are umpteen different versions of Hoffman out there, but years
ago, when I was gobbling up all the Opera books I could find, I
remember noting that few if any of the various synopses of "Hoffman"
in the standard reference works alluded to that ending. I suspect it
was a recent 'addition,' that hadn't been part of the standard text,
if one can use such a phrase when speaking of "Les Contes de
Hoffman".
Has anyone seen that epilogue in Cross or Kobbe or any of the other
scriptures of Opera?
Pat
rich...@gmail.com
it or not, is that it is another raked stage. This is both expensive
and tricky (both for the singers, and for moving a lot of heavy
scenery). I tend not to like raked stages, particularly in opera, but
that was the choice, and in a sense, once you make that decision, you
have made a lot of decisions subsequent to that. I would never call
the set of Hoffman bare or stark, in part because there is so much
(and arguably too much) in the way of costuming. The Venice Act is
quite beautiful, I think, and the Olympia act almost too crowded. The
Antonia act tends to be bare and I am not sure of the reason for that
in terms of the concept, except maybe as a counterpoint to the Olympia
act.
On Dec 12, 9:11 am, Ricky Jimenez <ricky...@bestweb.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:53:33 -0800 (PST), "premiereop...@aol.com"
wagnerfan
"Ricky Jimenez" <rick...@bestweb.net> wrote in message
news:9b87i5diddsqhisif...@4ax.com...
Why do you suppose the new Ring will be like it - its a different director
and judging by his previous MET work (Damnation of Faust) - could be quite a
show!!!. Wagner fan
Daniel Kessler
Henry wrote:
> premie...@aol.com <edo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > In all my years of going to the opera, I probably have not seen
> > Hoffmann more than 10 times total.
>
> Well, that's eight times more than I have.
>
> Here's a way-out trivia question for the real anoraks:
>
> The first time I ever heard a first-class opera company was Hoffman, in
> Paris in the 1974-75 season. Does anyone know who the singers were /
> might have been? (I'm really asking, by the way; I have no
> recollection.)
I saw that production at the Garnier...there were many cast changes...and
different singers assumed different roles...but I think Christine
Eda-Pierre was always Antonia and maybe you heard Mady Mespl� as
Olympia...while the title role was sometimes sung by Nicolai Gedda but on
the night I attended...it was Alain Vanzo.
Baritone Tom Krause sang most of the nemises roles and Michel S�n�chal sang
Frantz.
It was a Patrice Ch�reau production...
wagnerfan
"Henry" <henr...@eircom.net> wrote in message
news:1jbavci.zx5a70grgrl8N%henr...@eircom.net...
> Daniel Kessler <dkes...@pop.cybernex.net> wrote:
>
>> Henry wrote:
>>
>> > The first time I ever heard a first-class opera company was Hoffman, in
>> > Paris in the 1974-75 season. Does anyone know who the singers were /
>> > might have been? (I'm really asking, by the way; I have no
>> > recollection.)
>>
>> I saw that production at the Garnier...there were many cast changes...and
>> different singers assumed different roles...but I think Christine
>> Eda-Pierre was always Antonia and maybe you heard Mady Mespl� as
>> Olympia...while the title role was sometimes sung by Nicolai Gedda but on
>> the night I attended...it was Alain Vanzo.
>>
>> Baritone Tom Krause sang most of the nemises roles and Michel S�n�chal
>> sang
>> Frantz.
>>
>> It was a Patrice Ch�reau production...
>
> Thanks very much.
>
> cheers,
>
> Henry
I believe that was Chereau's first opera production. Wagner fan
Daniel Kessler
wagnerfan wrote:
I believe that was Chereau's first opera production. Wagner fan
When you think about it...he hasn't done all that much opera and a lot of his
fame seems to rest on that Bayreuth "Ring"...there was also "Cosi" for Aix a few
years ago. But his "From the House of the Dead" (recently seen on the Met stage)
must be one of his finest achievements.
J
>
> There are umpteen different versions of Hoffman out there, but years
> ago, when I was gobbling up all the Opera books I could find, I
> remember noting that few if any of the various synopses of "Hoffman"
> in the standard reference works alluded to that ending. �I suspect it
> was a recent 'addition,' �that hadn't been part of the standard text,
> if one can use such a phrase when speaking of "Les Contes de
> Hoffman".
>
> Has anyone seen that epilogue in Cross or Kobbe or any of the other
> scriptures of Opera?
It is given that way in the New Grove (Sadie), which notes that--in
the original production--the roles of Nicklausse and the Muse were
given to two separate singers.