Cheryl Studer vs BSO Update
pin...@my-dejanews.com
month in Utrecht, The Netherlands….and the Bavarian State Opera/Zubin Mehta
situation. It was redacted by Marc Guilhamet of the Cheryl Studer Society.
The Society's web site is located at: http://www.total.net/~mrgdp/
---------------------------------------------------------
UTRECHT: TRIAL AND VERDICT
When, in an article published on 3 December 1998
[ http://www.total.net/~mrgdp/Press/communid.html ] in the Munich Süddeutsche
Zeitung, Helmut Mauró questioned the official reasons invoked by Mr. Jonas for
his brutal dismissal of Ms. Studer from the new production of Der Freischütz,
the Bavarian State Opera's management did not issue any explanation or
justification. Instead, in a statement to the Associated Press, they declared
that "any suggestion that [the management] acted out of anything but 'artistic
reasons' is just an attempt by Studer 'to divert attention away from her own
problems, which unfortunately were all too audible'." (1)
And that's exactly the problem with the Bayerische Staatsoper's contention:
"problems" audible when and to whom? Those alleged vocal difficulties were
certainly not audible before Ms.Studer's dismissal (Der Freischütz Affair) [
http://www.total.net/~mrgdp/Press/communiq.html ], nor at the time she should
have been singing Agathe in Munich (Triumph in Bern) [
http://www.total.net/~mrgdp/Press/communib.html ]. Neither were they
apparent to the critics who attended her recital in Utrecht on 14 February
1999.
In this recital, which covered an enormous scope of Fach, Ms. Studer tackled
in turn the German, French and Italian repertoires, singing Dich, teure Halle
(Wagner'sTannhäuser), Mein Elemer (Richard Strauss' Arabella), the Jewel Song
(Gounod's Faust), Giacomo Puccini's Un bel di (Madama Butterfly) and In
quelle trine morbide (Manon Lescaut), before ending her program with
Francesco Cilea's Io son l'umile ancella (Adriana Lecouvreur). She was
rewarded with a standing ovation from the enthusiastic audience and encored
the Hallenarie.
Equally remarkable was the reaction of the Dutch critics. For the first time
since the disagreement between Ms. Studer and the Bavarian State Opera's
management surfaced in the media, her appearance was openly seen by the press
as a trial in which audience and critics were to decide who was telling the
truth. The verdict is clear, according to Roland de Beer, who writes in De
Volkskrant of 15 February:
Cheryl Studer, de primadonna uit München die onlangs werd `ontslagen' uit
een productie van de Bayerische Staatsoper, en die sindsdien in openlijke
staat van oorlog verkeert met een chefdirigent en een operadirectie die
volhouden dat haar stem het niet meer doet, heeft het advies om langdurig
rust te nemen aan haar muiltjes gelapt. In Utrecht stond ze zondag
operafragmenten uit te voeren met het Radio Symfonie Orkest onder Eri Klas,
gewoon zoals het in een contract stond met de TROS.
Dat was moedig van Studer. Het is waarschijnlijk niet elke sopraan gegeven
het `Dich, teure Halle' uit Tannhäuser en het `Un bel di vedremo' uit Madama
Butterfly voor te dragen, plus een beladen klassieker als de Juwelenaria uit
Faust (`Ik lach bij het zien'). Zeker niet als iedereen de oren gespitst
houdt om te horen wie er nu gek is geworden: de sopraan, of de voltallige
directie van der Bayerische Staatsoper, dirigent Zubin Mehta inbegrepen.
Bovendien: één gemiste topnoot of een te gevoileerd crescendo, en daar ga
je met je claim
van 275 duizend mark schadevergoeding. Behalve de vaste TROS-luisteraar,
zal ook de
Beierse advocatuur morgen afstemmen op Radio 4.
Men zal horren dat Studer (43) het nog kan. Aan haar geluid mankeert niets,
behalve dat het op den duur wat eenvorming en weinig karakteristiek
overkomt. Maar dat is een kwestie van smaak (...).
Cheryl Studer, the prima donna from Munich who recently got 'fired' from a
Bavarian State Opera production, and who has been living in an open state of
war with the principal conductor and an opera management who insist that her
voice has gone, ignored their advice that she take a long rest (2). On
Sunday she stood in Utrecht singing opera with the Radio Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Eri Klas, as specified in her contract with the TROS, a Dutch
broadcasting company.
That was brave of Studer. It's probably not given to every soprano to sing
`Dich, teure Halle', from Tannhäuser and `Un bel di vedremo' from Madama
Butterfly, as well as a supercharged classic like the Jewel Song from Faust
(Ah, je ris). Especially not when everyone is intently listening to hear who
has gone mad: the soprano or the entire management of the Bavarian State
Opera, including conductor Zubin Mehta.
Moreover: one missed high note or a too cautious crescendo, and there goes
the claim of 275,000 German marks for which she is suing the BSO. Besides
the regular listener, the Bavarian lawyers will also be listening in on the
radio broadcast tomorrow on Radio 4.
And they will hear that Studer (43) is still up to the task. There's
nothing wrong with her
sound, except that it can come across a bit monotonous and
undercharacterized in the long
run. But that's a matter of taste (...).
There is no doubt either in Oswin Schneeweisz's mind that Ms. Studer's alleged
vocal crisis is a figment of the imagination of the Bavarian State Opera's
management. This is what this reviewer writes in the Algemeen Dagblad of 15
February:
Volgens de Opera van München heeft de legendarische Amerikaanse sopraan
Cheryl Studer een `vocaal probleem'. Des te interessanter waren haar
verrichtingen in het Utrechtse Muziekcentrum Vredenburg. Een concert dat
veel weg had van een tribunaal. Eén vraag stond centraal: kan ze nog zingen
of niet? Het antwoord: Studer zingt nog als de beste.
(...)
(...) Die rechter zal, naar alle waarschijnlijkheid, gisteren niet in het
Utrechtse Muziekcentrum Vredenburg hebben gezeten. Jammet, want dan had hij
met eigen oren kunnen horen dat Studer nog steeds één van de allergrootste
zangeressen is. Haar Gounod (juwelenaria uit Faust), Wagner (Dich, teure
Halle uit Tannhäuser), Strauss (Meim Elemer uit Arabella) en Puccini waren
van een ongelofelijk hoog niveau.
Met die stem is helemaal niks mis. Alsof Studer dat wilde bewijzen begon ze
dit programma met het hondsmoeilijke Dich, teure Halle en herhaalde ze deze
aria bij wijze van toegift. Die Halle stond als huis, werd met een zeldzaam
gevoel voor muzikaal rafinnement vertolkt. De beklaagde verdeligdde zich met
een Gounod waarbij ze een precair evenwicht tussen elegantie en drama wist
te bewaren. Met twee Puccini-aria's (Un bel di vedremo en In quelle trine
morbide) waarmee ze aantoonde dat ze nog steeds over een fenomenale
stembeheersing beschikt. Slechts dan kun je een pianissimo zo laten
vervluchtigen als Studer dat deed.
According to the Bavarian State Opera, the legendary American soprano is
suffering from severe vocal problems. This made her presence at Utrecht's
Vredenburg Music Center all the more interesting. It was therefore a concert
which took on all the trappings of a tribunal. The main question was: Is she
still capable of singing, yes or not? Answer: Studer's voice still ranks
amongst the best.
(...)
(...) I don't believe the judge was in the audience yesterday in the
Utrecht's Vredenburg
Music Center. That was a pity, because he could have judged with his own
ears that
Studer remains one of the great opera singers. Her Gounod (The Jewel Song
from Faust),
Wagner (Dich, teure Halle, from Tannhäuser), Strauss (Mein Elemer, from
Arabella) and
Puccini were of an unbelievably high calibre.
There is nothing wrong with Studer's voice. And, as if to prove it, she
began with the very difficult Dich, teure Halle, which she encored at the
end of the concert. She interpeted Dich, teure Halle with rare refinement.
The "accused" went on to defend herself with an impassioned Strauss,
followed by a Gounod in which she succeeded to keep a very delicate balance
between elegance and drama. With Puccini's two arias (Un bel di vedremo and
In quelle trine morbide), she proved that she still possesses a phenomenal
control of her vocal instrument. It's only with this highest degree of
technical mastery that a singer can produce such an ethereal pianissimo, as
was achieved by Studer.
The Utrecht verdict is clear, indeed. And if Ms. Studer is in good vocal
health, as her latest appearances have shown time and time again, what could
be the real reasons behind the BSO's allegations? Perhaps the court will be
able to put together all the pieces of the puzzle. In a future communiqué, I
hope to present those pieces which I have managed to gather thus far.
Marc Guilhamet
Secretary
Cheryl Studer Society
Montreal
Canada
21 March 1999
mr...@total.net
The above communiqué is a personal comment on the information available to
the public. It contains no inside information whatsoever and expresses solely
my own opinion: the Cheryl Studer Home Page is not an official page of the
artist, but a fan page designed and maintained by one of her fans. Moreoever,
I am in no way an official or unofficial spokesperson for Ms. Studer.
(1) "Dethroned diva's fight puts focus on opera lucre", Associated Press,
posted on CNN Web Site on 1 February 1999.
(2) Mr. de Beer aludes here to Mr. Jonas' statement: "(...) all I can
recommend is that she take stock and try to retreat a little bit, into a
situation where she can rest and learn - relearn some of the tools needed to
keep her voice going through a long career." Paul Moor, "The Opera Ain't
Over", Time, European Edition, 30 November 1998.
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
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dtritter
concerning events far from the writer's eyes and ears, in a wholly
objective and unbiased format.
with thanks for this service to an avid mankind, breathless in
anticipation of this outsider's take.
if i read this correctly, legends ain't what they used to be.
hans christian andersen, anybody?
dft
pin...@my-dejanews.com
sung:
- The 'Capriccio' Closing Scene in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona w/the
London Philharmonic under Jukka-Pekka Saraste.
- The 'Wesendonck-Lieder' in Paris under Marek Janowski (to be broadcast
on Radio France tomorrow, Tuesday the 23rd).
- Excerpts from all 3 acts of 'Tristan und Isolde' in Giessen, Germany
w/ Heikki Siukola and Julia Juon under Michael Hofstetter.
- Two concert performances Act I of 'Walkuere' in Budapest w/ Poul Elming
and Hans Sotin under Ivan Fischer (already aired by Hungarian radio).
Gabriel Bocanegra
james jorden
> The following is a new communique about soprano Cheryl Studer's concert last
> month in Utrecht, The Netherlands….
> In this recital, which covered an enormous scope of Fach, Ms. Studer tackled
> in turn the German, French and Italian repertoires, singing Dich, teure Halle
> (Wagner'sTannhäuser), Mein Elemer (Richard Strauss' Arabella), the Jewel Song
> (Gounod's Faust), Giacomo Puccini's Un bel di (Madama Butterfly) and In
> quelle trine morbide (Manon Lescaut), before ending her program with
> Francesco Cilea's Io son l'umile ancella (Adriana Lecouvreur).
These arias actually represent a narrow range of vocal challenges: any spinto or
young-dramatic soprano worth her salt includes them (or similar pieces) in her
concert repertoire. Dame Kiri te Kanawa, for example, sang such programs until
quite recently.
This is not to say that Ms. Studer sang these pieces well or badly, but simply to
point out that she set herself no particularly difficult hurdles.
> She was
> rewarded with a standing ovation from the enthusiastic audience and encored
> the Hallenarie.
Standing ovations and encores mean different things in different cities.
Broadway's LES MISERABLES has received standing ovations eight times a week for
well over a decade now.
> Equally remarkable was the reaction of the Dutch critics. For the first time
> since the disagreement between Ms. Studer and the Bavarian State Opera's
> management surfaced in the media, her appearance was openly seen by the press
> as a trial in which audience and critics were to decide who was telling the
> truth. The verdict is clear, according to Roland de Beer, who writes in De
> Volkskrant of 15 February:
>
> There is no doubt either in Oswin Schneeweisz's mind that Ms. Studer's alleged
> vocal crisis is a figment of the imagination of the Bavarian State Opera's
> management. This is what this reviewer writes in the Algemeen Dagblad of 15
> February:
Oswin Schneewiesz is, I suppose, the Martin Bernheimer of the Netherlands? With a
little perseverance, it is not difficult to find a reviewer who is enthusiastic
about any program -- especially in an out-of-the-way burg like Utrecht.
> According to the Bavarian State Opera, the legendary American soprano is
> suffering from severe vocal problems. This made her presence at Utrecht's
> Vredenburg Music Center all the more interesting. It was therefore a concert
> which took on all the trappings of a tribunal. The main question was: Is she
> still capable of singing, yes or not?
And there we have it. The question never was whether Studer was "still capable of
singing;" rather it was whether she was capable of singing FREISCHUETZ to a
standard acceptable to Maestro Mehta and the demanding public of a major opera
house. Singing a handful of carefully-selected arias proves nothing. Many great
performers continue to sings arias in concert long after they retire from the
operatic stage: Leontyne Price and Maria Callas, for example. These artists
faced the fact that they could no longer sing a complete operatic role to their
own exacting standards, and chose the less demanding route that Ms. Studer has now
apparently begun to follow. The difference is that Ms. Price and Ms. Callas were
not insisting that they were still capable of doing that which they knew they
could not.
> Answer: Studer's voice still ranks
> amongst the best.
"..heard in Utrecht this past month.".
> (...) I don't believe the judge was in the audience yesterday in the
> Utrecht's Vredenburg Music Center.
No, he had to shampoo his hair that night.
> There is nothing wrong with Studer's voice. And, as if to prove it, she
> began with the very difficult Dich, teure Halle, which she encored at the
> end of the concert.
A warhorse of hers, like Price's "Summertime," that happens to fit her voice like
a glove. I have no doubt Studer will be able to sing this piece well at 60. But
that still doesn't mean she can sing FREISCHUETZ.
> It's only with this highest degree of
> technical mastery that a singer can produce such an ethereal pianissimo, as
> was achieved by Studer.
Not true. A high pianissimo is most often achieved through a sort of vocal trick,
an unsupported falsetto detatched from the rest of the voice. Studer exhibits
this stunt on her SUSANNAH recording, where she sings very quietly and very flat
for pages at a time.
> The Utrecht verdict is clear, indeed. And if Ms. Studer is in good vocal
> health, as her latest appearances have shown time and time again, what could
> be the real reasons behind the BSO's allegations? Perhaps the court will be
> able to put together all the pieces of the puzzle. In a future communiqué, I
> hope to present those pieces which I have managed to gather thus far.
So, the case for the defense consists essentially of one review of one concert. A
good thing Ms. Studer is not accused of a capital crime, or she would most surely
hang.
--
james jorden
jjo...@ix.netcom.com
http://www.parterre.com
"Style is the most important thing in the world. Fashion is the least."
-- Quentin Crisp
Neil Fisher
writes
>BTW, since Utrecht last month, 'Die Frau Ohne Stimme' has successfully
>sung:
>- The 'Capriccio' Closing Scene in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona w/the
>London Philharmonic under Jukka-Pekka Saraste.
>- The 'Wesendonck-Lieder' in Paris under Marek Janowski (to be broadcast
>on Radio France tomorrow, Tuesday the 23rd).
>- Excerpts from all 3 acts of 'Tristan und Isolde' in Giessen, Germany
>w/ Heikki Siukola and Julia Juon under Michael Hofstetter.
>- Two concert performances Act I of 'Walkuere' in Budapest w/ Poul Elming
>and Hans Sotin under Ivan Fischer (already aired by Hungarian radio).
>
>Gabriel Bocanegra
Budapest? Valencia? Giessen? Any of these cities, who rarely receive
international opera stars, are bound to give Studer a great reception
and she knows it. The acid test will come when she deigns to show
herself somewhere where there are people who know something about opera
and are used to the best. I'm not saying that she is finished, but the
above evidence shows nothing other than a strange itinerary for a
supposedly untarnished diva.
--
Neil Fisher
dtritter
major orchestras in the little village of munich. may be somebody like
the mun.phil.gmd-designate, james levine, might be persuaded to have an
all-aria evening with miss studer. that'd show that baddie, mehta what's
what. there's a nice little band in berlin, or hamburg, or leipzig or
dresden or frankfurt...well, a whole lot of them with slightly bigger
reputations than the boys in the band in downtown utrecht.
yes, mr. fisher appears to be onto something. of course he risks being
branded an infidel or worse by gabbbbbbby.
dft
pin...@my-dejanews.com
Mr. Fisher, have you seen Studer's schedule for 1997, 1998 (and part of
1999)? It certainly doesn't read like Siberia! So, the acid test you
mention has already taken place on countless occassions. But, truly,
if you were a singer, and a too powerful and too influential force in
the industry publicly announced to the world that your "voice is
finished", that your voice suffers from "irreparable damage in all
registers", do you honestly think your phone would be ringing off the
hook with offers?
Gabriel Bocanegra
Peter
>
> >> >BTW, since Utrecht last month, 'Die Frau Ohne Stimme' has successfully
> >> >sung:
> >> >- The 'Capriccio' Closing Scene in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona w/the
> >> >London Philharmonic under Jukka-Pekka Saraste.
> >>
> >> >- The 'Wesendonck-Lieder' in Paris under Marek Janowski (to be broadcast
> >> >on Radio France tomorrow, Tuesday the 23rd).
> >> >- Excerpts from all 3 acts of 'Tristan und Isolde' in Giessen, Germany
> >> >w/ Heikki Siukola and Julia Juon under Michael Hofstetter.<<<
>
> city of 60 ooo with the smallest Opera House in Germany)
> Studer was good two weeks ago, although in comparance with the "star of the
> evening" Julia Juon (ever heard of her??) who sang a great "Brangäne" and with
> the very good Siukola her voice was relatively small. She wispered "höchste
> Lust, didn`t "sing" it, it was impressiv anyway. Our small Opera House has
> only 450 seats. It was clearly to sea/hear that Siukula (and Juon a little bit
> too) sang only with much less power then they were able to do so in a bigger
> house.
> Anyway it was wonderful that Cheryl Studer sang Isolde and it was not
> dissapointing, 400 people applauded much and were thankfull to got the chance
> to hear her.
>
> Best..............wolf(j)
Your "small" opera house sounds fascinating. Please do tell us more
about it, and also please name some of the operas that have been
performed there.
Have you done any Wagner operas there?
Thanks in advance.
Enrique Eskenazi
<ne...@fisher-family.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Budapest? Valencia? Giessen? Any of these cities, who rarely receive
>international opera stars,
I'm not taking parts in this Studer debate. Just wanted to point that
Valencia is having a short but interesting opera season. It is the only
citi in Spain where Voigt has been heard (she sang there her first Lady
Macbeth). They also have had an interesting Gotterdammerung with well
known singers: Behrens, Niskanen, Hale. Great singers have sung in
Valencia: Rysanek, Gwynneth Jones, Marton.
I ought to make this clear in honour to my friends from Valencia :-)
Regards
---
Enrique
eske...@mail.sendanet.es
Io chi sono? Eh, non lo so.
-Nol sapete?
Quasi no.
Wj598
Placido 21
fussy about my Sentas but i really liked her al ot..warm singing.BUT Sinopoli
does NOT LET HER hold iop notes..and that bothers me!!!!! I kid about her but
essentially I do like her..and have the Lucia and Traviata and other perf....it
is that she spreads herse;lf thin and that might be the problem...I wish these
conductors would allow more expansivity..(Is that the word??) in singing...as
ever CH
Charlie, baritono somewhat supremo,gradually becoming an internet legend in my
own mind. Soviero and Zeani rule together (with Resnik)
pin...@my-dejanews.com
Voigt, Behrens, Hale, Rysanek, Jones, Marton in Valencia? I thought
they were HOT S---! Jorden and Co., would you care to explain this
newfound development?
Gabriel Bocanegra
Neil Fisher
>Voigt, Behrens, Hale, Rysanek, Jones, Marton in Valencia? I thought
>they were HOT S---! Jorden and Co., would you care to explain this
>newfound development?
>
>Gabriel Bocanegra
I am *not* part of Jordan and co! It is against my better judgement that
I got embroiled in this row, and here is my view, which I hope strikes a
medium between the two warring factions.
I would love to find out that Studer still has the voice that wowed
Bayreuth with her Elisabeth in the late 80s. But only a total ignoramus
(Or Studer herself) would try to claim that she has decided to sing in
Utrecht, Giessen, or Budapest, for their artistic credentials. (Valencia
may well be an exception.) btw, I tried to hear her Valencia concert in
London but she fell suspiciously ill that day. Not ill enough to cancel
her Giessen performances soon after though...
But why don't we wait for her Ariadnes in Vienna and then take a
judgement? Meanwhile let the hagiographers try and weigh up the
evidence, and let the devil's advocates hope for recovery rather than
condemn: Why revel in someone's misfortunes? And whatever state Studer's
voice is in, I agree with Bocanegra in his indictment of Peter Jonas.
No-one with such power should have the right to air such a damning
opinion.
--
Neil Fisher
NBPalmer1
Frankfurt which I have visited often.
Several years ago I went to La Fanciulla del West at Giessen. I remember
little of it, other than the American tenor, Colenton Freeman, and the
ultratraditional staging. I went to a production of Marguerite too (aka.
Faust!)
NICK/London
james jorden
> Voigt, Behrens, Hale, Rysanek, Jones, Marton in Valencia? I thought
> they were HOT S---! Jorden and Co., would you care to explain this
> newfound development?
Not that responding to a ranting maniac will do any good, but here goes.
The names you mention are all "boxoffice," i.e., they are popular stars
with many fans who buy tickets. Ms. Studer, thanks to her many
recordings and well-received stage performances, is also "boxoffice,"
probably more so than Ms. Voigt, since Ms. Studer has been at this a
good deal longer.
Other members of this newgroup will be glad to tell you that they do not
consider Mmes. Behrens, Jones or Marton to be at the zenith of their
respective careers. That is something they have in common with Ms.
Studer.
pin...@my-dejanews.com
Neil Fisher <ne...@fisher-family.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> I am *not* part of Jordan and co! It is against my better judgement that
> I got embroiled in this row, and here is my view, which I hope strikes a
> medium between the two warring factions.
>
> I would love to find out that Studer still has the voice that wowed
> Bayreuth with her Elisabeth in the late 80s. But only a total ignoramus
> (Or Studer herself) would try to claim that she has decided to sing in
> Utrecht, Giessen, or Budapest, for their artistic credentials. (Valencia
> may well be an exception.) btw, I tried to hear her Valencia concert in
> London but she fell suspiciously ill that day. Not ill enough to cancel
> her Giessen performances soon after though...
>
> But why don't we wait for her Ariadnes in Vienna and then take a
> judgement? Meanwhile let the hagiographers try and weigh up the
> evidence, and let the devil's advocates hope for recovery rather than
> condemn: Why revel in someone's misfortunes? And whatever state Studer's
> voice is in, I agree with Bocanegra in his indictment of Peter Jonas.
> No-one with such power should have the right to air such a damning
> opinion.
> --
> Neil Fisher
About the London cancellation, here's what Marc Guilhamet of the CS
Society posted to Opera-L on 26 Feb 1999 under the subject:
"About Cheryl Studer's Cancellation in London"
Hi, everyone
Since there has been an announcement and some speculation on this list
about Cheryl Studer's recent cancellation in London, I thought it would be
appropriate to establish the facts.
The London event was the last concert of a mini-tour which took the London
Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Jukka Pekka Saraste to Spain: Madrid, on
20 Feb., Valencia, on 21 Feb., and Barcelona, on 22 Feb. Ms. Studer flew
from Barcelona to London on 23 Feb. and the next morning realized she was
coming down with some kind of flu bug. She alerted the management by
telephone at about 10:30 a.m., to let them know that she was not feeling
well, but waited until a replacement could be found before making her final
cancellation announcement. Incidentally, this was the first time Ms. Studer
had cancelled an opera performance, concert or recital since 26 Sept. 97,
when she had to opt out of her third performance of Ariadne auf Naxos at
the Vienna State Opera, also for health reasons.
pin...@my-dejanews.com
dtri...@bway.net wrote:
> if i read this correctly, legends ain't what they used to be.
> hans christian andersen, anybody?
>
> dft
Yes, very sad. Baffling how anyone is called a legend these days.
If these critics only knew! If they only knew that the true, unsung
legend is none other than Tritter's wife, Rita Shane.
Gabriel Bocanegra
dtritter
>
> In article <36F5FBD1...@bway.net>,
> dtri...@bway.net wrote:
> > if i read this correctly, legends ain't what they used to be.
> > hans christian andersen, anybody?
> >
> > dft
> ----------------------
>
> Yes, very sad. Baffling how anyone is called a legend these days.
> If these critics only knew! If they only knew that the true, unsung
> legend is none other than Tritter's wife, Rita Shane.
>
> Gabriel Bocanegra
...whom this brainless adolescent does not know, knows nothing about and
has never heard. gabbbbby is the dilemma of perception: are idiots born
and not made, or vice versa. either way, you come out with the
ill-mannered child whom harvard is trying vainly to disown.
do drop down to new york, gabbbbby, and give us a call, where the lady
you don't know will be glad to make your acquaintance with a quick kick
in your testes...if any.
dft
pin...@my-dejanews.com
dtri...@bway.net wrote:
> [Rita Shane]...whom this brainless adolescent does not know, knows
> nothing about and has never heard...
...nor do I give a rat's arse.
> do drop down to new york, gabbbbby, and give us a call, where the lady
> you don't know will be glad to make your acquaintance with a quick kick
> in your testes...if any.
>
> dft
I wouldn't waste a dime.
BFD, Tritter, BFD!
Gabriel Bocanegra
pin...@my-dejanews.com
Bavarian State Opera's new production of 'Freischuetz' as it appeared in
the March '99 issue. Jochen Breiholz wrote:
"In 1997, acclaimed theater director Thomas Langhoff and designer Juergen
Rose presented an exemplary 'Bartered Bride' at Bayerische Staatsoper. High
expectations for their second opera collaboration - 'Der Freischuetz', which
opened on October 31 - were disappointed. Apparently, the designer has run
out of ideas. For Kuno's house, he simply copied Daland's house from his
1993 staging of 'Der Fliegende Hollaender' for Bayreuth, only this time it
was green. At the Wagner festival, the house turned upside down during
Senta's duet with the Dutchman; here, the house tilted from its normal
position to a raked angle for the Wolf's Glen scene. Instead of taking the
piece seriously, the production team degraded it to a superficial, loose
chain of well-known tunes, dressing it in the Lederhosen fashion of Bavarian
folklore.
Petra Maria Schnitzer, Langhoff's Marenka in 'The Bartered Bride' and
real-life companion of tenor Peter Seiffert (who sang Jenik in the Smetana
and Max in 'Freischuetz'), had publicly stated she would sing the role of
Agathe long before Cheryl Studer was fired from the production, giving fuel
to the notion that there was some plot against Studer. Though Schnitzer had
been near-ideal as Marenka, she did not even come close to the mark as
Weber's pious heroine - fine piano singing and intelligent phrasing alone
don't make an accomplished Agathe. Dorothea Roeschmann's Annchen, on the
other hand, left no wishes unfullfilled. It was pure joy to listen to her
crystal clear, flawless singing, and to watch her light up the stage with
girlish charm. As Max, Seiffert shaped his big Act I scene and aria ("Nein,
laenger trag'ich nicht die Qualen") with beautiful lyricism and assumed a
warmly colored clarion quality for the more dramatic passages at the aria's
ending - without ever forcing his voice. All through, the tenor was in great
form, something that cannot be said of Ekkehard Wlaschiha, who practically
barked the part of Kaspar. Alfred Kuhn limned Kuno with his solid bass,
Martin Gatner made the most out of the unrewarding Ottokar, while Jan-Hendrik
Rootering seemed bored as the Hermit. Except for occasional problems in
keeping musicians and singers together, Zubin Mehta conducted with verve,
though regrettably without ever breaking through the music's surface."
JDavis6627
>legend is none other than Tritter's wife, Rita Shane.
I know this wasn't meant as a compliment - but the poster obviously has never
heard the lady, so just blathers on and on. Actually, his mindless statement
is closer to the truth than he can know. I have heard many of Miss Shane's
performances and can assure you that she indeed had the right stuff.
Jon Davis
Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns
because they taste funny?
dtritter
>
> In article <36F9EDDE...@bway.net>,
> dtri...@bway.net wrote:
>
> > ...whom this brainless adolescent does not know, knows nothing about and has never heard...
>
> ...nor do I give a rat's arse.
nor should you, gabbbby, since that's your favorite meal.
it's a house specialty in giesen, music capital of the universe.
pin...@my-dejanews.com
Dear Tritter and Davis,
Just by coincidence I heard Rita Shane today for the first time, by
pure accident and much to my amusement. I was not impressed in the
least! If you don't believe me, here are the recording details:
The Magic Flute
Live recording, March 1, 1972
Cleveland Concert Assn.
Cleveland Concert Orchestra & Chorus
James Levine, Conductor
Robert Sadin, Chorus master
Sarastro, Ezio Flagello
Queen, Rita!
Tamino, Seth McCoy
Pamina, Benita Valente
Papageno, Donald Gramm
Papagena, Susan Belling
High Priest, Ara Berberian
Three Ladies, Karen Altman, Maria Ewing, Gwendolyn Killebrew
Three Boys, Michael Miller, Mark Fox, Douglas Harris
Monostatos, James Atherton
Priest, James McCray
Two Men in Armor, James McCray, Ara Berberian
Solo Flute, Paul Nadler
Seems to me that singing in Valencia, Giessen and Budapest beats the
hell out of singing in Cleveland or the shower. Tritter, ask your wife
about that. Studer's Queen of the Night leaves Shane's far behind, by
a long, long margin.
Regards,
Gabriel Bocanegra
james jorden
recording studio) performances of the Queen do you most like?
--
David Shengold
Unlike some of the people who say ungracious things about her in an effort
to bait her husband, I heard Miss Shane in live performance at the Met, in
THE MAGIC FLUTE in 1977 and as Berthe in LE PROPHETE In 1979. She was
excellent both times, musically dead-on in killingly difficult music and
dramatically impressive. I never heard Edda Moser (my recorded ideal) as
the Queen of the Night live, but along with Luciana Serra one blazing and
on-pitch night in San Francisco in 1987, Rita Shane is the best Queen I've
heard live in the house. As Berthe she was stylistically and vocally far
more at home than Renata Scotto had been; working opposite Chauvet and Horne
she really made something touching of this largely ungrateful part.
It was not a voice of especially wide compass, but hey, she wasn't trying to
sing Norma and Lady Macbeth.
I remember there was an LP of her on that Louisville Orchestra label that
issued so much contemporary music for a while- the Brentano lieder of R.
Strauss and something modern, right? She is also on the RCA highlights disc
LPs of RINALDO and ATHALIA with Arleen Auger.
David Shengold
----------
In article <19990325195246...@ng143.aol.com>, nbpa...@aol.com
(NBPalmer1) wrote:
>>Just by coincidence I heard Rita Shane today for the first time, by
>>pure accident and much to my amusement. I was not impressed in the
>>least! I
>
>Rita Shane means very little to me, I must confess. However, I just looked her
>up in the New Grove Opera Dictionary
>
>This is an extract "her New York City Opera debut was in 1965, as Donna
>Elvira; she subsequently sang with most American opera companies and in
>Amsterdam, Chicago, Geneva, Milan , Munich and Salzburg. She is best known for
>her portrayal of the Queen of the Night, her debut role at the Metropolitan in
>1973. In 1979 she created the title role in Argento's Miss Havisham's Fire at
>NYCO. Her penetrating voice, combined with an impressive top extension and
>coloratura facility, established her in roles including Konstanze, Lucia,
>Lulu, Violetta, and Zerbinetta.
>
>Seems like a distinctly worthwhile career to me, and I must look out for
>recordings. Maybe she never quite made it to Giessen but I doubt if that
>concerns her - has anyone actually been there? We have been to two opera
>performances in that town, and I don't think her career will have suffered
>through lack of exposure in that frankly insignificant centre of opera.
>
>Regards NICK/London
>
>
NBPalmer1
Enrique Eskenazi
looked her
>up in the New Grove Opera Dictionary
>
>This is an extract "her New York City Opera debut was in 1965, as
Donna
>Elvira; she subsequently sang with most American opera companies and in
>Amsterdam, Chicago, Geneva, Milan , Munich and Salzburg. She is best
known for
>her portrayal of the Queen of the Night, her debut role at the
Metropolitan in
>1973. In 1979 she created the title role in Argento's Miss Havisham's
Fire at
>NYCO. Her penetrating voice, combined with an impressive top extension
and
>coloratura facility, established her in roles including Konstanze,
Lucia,
>Lulu, Violetta, and Zerbinetta.
>
>Seems like a distinctly worthwhile career to me, and I must look out
for
>recordings.
Rita Shane sings Marguerita de Valois in Les Huguenots conducted by
Marzendorfer (live, Wien 1971) with Gedda as Raoul, Tarres as Valentine,
Justino Diaz as Marcel (Myto 961.141). When I bought the recording
(mainly out of interest for the opera and for Gedda) I knew nothing of
the soprano and I was agreeable surprised by her singing.
Enrique Eskenazi
Enrique Eskenazi
Enrique Eskenazi
Enrique Eskenazi
Frank Schneiders
> Tell me, which of Ms. Studer's live (i.e., not stitched together in the
> recording studio) performances of the Queen do you most like?
>
Not many if any, I suggest. The real point is that in her highdays
Studer has been a great singer but never a queen of night (save as a
marketing product that should show that there is no limit and here is an
all-in-one singer). She could manage the notes for the record (in a
moderate speed) but on stage it is another matter. Even such
stratospheric singers like Gruberova abandoned the role from their
repertoire because it is a killer and if you get a bit nervous about it
you can forget the evening.
This cast sounds interesting, by the way. Levine at the beginning and
some singers I would like to listen to in "Zauberfloete". How as
Flagello as Sarastro? And who knows more about Seth McCoy, the only one
of the bigger part singers I don't know?
Frank
> > The Magic Flute
> > Live recording, March 1, 1972
> > Cleveland Concert Assn.
> > Cleveland Concert Orchestra & Chorus
> > James Levine, Conductor
> > Robert Sadin, Chorus master
> > Sarastro, Ezio Flagello
> > Queen, Rita!
> > Tamino, Seth McCoy
> > Pamina, Benita Valente
> > Papageno, Donald Gramm
--
http://members.aol.com/schoen1a/welcome/home.html
David Shengold
The first thing to say is that singing a major concert date in 1972 with the
Cleveland Orchestra, then considered one of the best and by some *the* best
in the United States, is not an engagement to be compared with singing in
Giessen!!! Plus here we had in Benita Valente, still in 1999 an estimable
performer, one of the world's greatest Paminas (at the time matched I would
say only by Helen Donath, Lucia Popp and perhaps Edith Mathis) and an
excellent Papageno- the best I've seen-- in Donald Gramm. Seth McCoy was a
well-respected African-American tenor who made most of his career in the
concert repertory: good musician, nice tone, not too dynamic onstage. A few
years after this he sang Tamino at the Met, where I believe his only other
role was as the Tenor in DER ROSENKAVALIER (in which I heard him twice,
opposite Johanna Meier and later Anna Tomowa-Sintow in the 1979-80 season.
The recordings which come to mind are Rakhmaninov's MONNA VANNA and a
collection of Music of the American Revolution both with Sherrill Milnes
(these are both on CD) some Bach cantatas with Valente under Blanche Moyse,
and a MATTHEW PASSION with Ameling, Finnilae, Haefliger , Luxon and McDaniel
under Somary on Vanguard. I believe McCoy died two or three years ago, but
would be happy to learn otherwise. The young Maria Ewing and Gwendolyn
Killebrew as the 2nd and 3rd Lady is not exactly scratch casting either.
David Shengold
----------
In article <1dp9fz5.1g4...@dialup14-39.access.nacamar.de>,
pin...@my-dejanews.com
frank_sc...@magicvillage.de (Frank Schneiders) wrote:
> This cast sounds interesting, by the way. Levine at the beginning and
> some singers I would like to listen to in "Zauberfloete". How as
> Flagello as Sarastro? And who knows more about Seth McCoy, the only one
> of the bigger part singers I don't know?
> Frank
>
> > > The Magic Flute
> > > Live recording, March 1, 1972
> > > Cleveland Concert Assn.
> > > Cleveland Concert Orchestra & Chorus
> > > James Levine, Conductor
> > > Robert Sadin, Chorus master
> > > Sarastro, Ezio Flagello
> > > Queen, Rita!
> > > Tamino, Seth McCoy
> > > Pamina, Benita Valente
> > > Papageno, Donald Gramm
>
> --
> http://members.aol.com/schoen1a/welcome/home.html
--------------------
The recording is a far cry from interesting. Funny that, for a bunch of
world-class singers (with LEGENDARY Rita Shane at the top of the heap),
the recitatives are all in English and everything else in German.
Apparently, it was more important for the production team to have the
Cleveland public understand the recitatives than everything else.
Or perhaps it was that these world-class singers had limits, such as
language barriers...And then there's Shane's SPLENDID coloratura that
night!
pin...@my-dejanews.com
"David Shengold" <shen...@pobox.upenn.edu> wrote:
> The first thing to say is that singing a major concert date in 1972 with the
> Cleveland Orchestra, then considered one of the best and by some *the* best
> in the United States, is not an engagement to be compared with singing in
> Giessen!!!
Please read again. It was not the Cleveland!
> >> > The Magic Flute
> >> > Live recording, March 1, 1972
> >> > Cleveland Concert Assn.
> >> > Cleveland Concert Orchestra & Chorus
> >> > James Levine, Conductor
> >> > Robert Sadin, Chorus master
> >> > Sarastro, Ezio Flagello
> >> > Queen, Rita!
> >> > Tamino, Seth McCoy
> >> > Pamina, Benita Valente
> >> > Papageno, Donald Gramm
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
David Shengold
As I understand it this was an orchestra that consisted mainly of Cleveland
Orchestra players under Levine's direction. We are still not talking
Giessen. As for your ignorant aspersions on the linguistic abilities of the
cast, they are ludicrous. Gramm came from a German-American family
(Grambsch) and was a brilliant linguist along the lines of Gedda. Miss
Valente,
a pupil of Lotte Lehmann, made her early career in Germany singing opposite
Fritz Wunderlich, and sang her first Paminas in Freiburg. Believe me, the
woman knew Pamina in German in 1972. (If anyone would ever reissue her
lovely 1976 Desmar lieder recital with Richard Goode, you could hear her
excellent German style for yourself.) Miss Shane sang scores and scores and
scores of performances of the Queen in German all over the world. Flagello
sang Sarastro in German at the Met. McCoy recorded Bach alongside Ameling
and Haefliger.
Whatever your agenda is here, please give it a rest.
David Shengold
----------
In article <7dh3qf$l8d$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, pin...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
>In article <1dp9fz5.1g4...@dialup14-39.access.nacamar.de>,
> frank_sc...@magicvillage.de (Frank Schneiders) wrote:
>
>> This cast sounds interesting, by the way. Levine at the beginning and
>> some singers I would like to listen to in "Zauberfloete". How as
>> Flagello as Sarastro? And who knows more about Seth McCoy, the only one
>> of the bigger part singers I don't know?
>> > > The Magic Flute
>> > > Live recording, March 1, 1972
>> > > Cleveland Concert Assn.
>> > > Cleveland Concert Orchestra & Chorus
>> > > James Levine, Conductor
>> > > Robert Sadin, Chorus master
>> > > Sarastro, Ezio Flagello
>> > > Queen, Rita!
>> > > Tamino, Seth McCoy
>> > > Pamina, Benita Valente
>> > > Papageno, Donald Gramm
David Shengold
pin...@my-dejanews.com
to be preferred over Studer. But don't worry, she will most likely
mean much less to you once you hear her. But be careful about saying
anything remotely negative about Shane, for you will incur the wrath
of her husband, a very nice gentleman by the name of Dan Tritter. And,
by the way, also be careful about saying anything remotely positive
about Studer, for you will also incur his wrath and that of his ilk.
And don't think for a moment I am not aware of how you feel about Studer.
So I am not expecting to hear anything remotely positive about her from
you. What this means is that Tritter & Co. already welcome you with open
arms.
Gabriel Bocanegra
---------------------
> In article <19990325195246...@ng143.aol.com>,
> nbpa...@aol.com (NBPalmer1) wrote:
>
> >Rita Shane means very little to me, I must confess. However, I just
> looked her
> >up in the New Grove Opera Dictionary
> >
> >This is an extract "her New York City Opera debut was in 1965, as
> Donna
> >Elvira; she subsequently sang with most American opera companies and in
> >Amsterdam, Chicago, Geneva, Milan , Munich and Salzburg. She is best
> known for
> >her portrayal of the Queen of the Night, her debut role at the
> Metropolitan in
> >1973. In 1979 she created the title role in Argento's Miss Havisham's
> Fire at
> >NYCO. Her penetrating voice, combined with an impressive top extension
> and
> >coloratura facility, established her in roles including Konstanze,
> Lucia,
> >Lulu, Violetta, and Zerbinetta.
> >
> >Seems like a distinctly worthwhile career to me, and I must look out
> for
> >recordings.
pin...@my-dejanews.com
jjo...@ix.netcom.com wrote:
> Tell me, which of Ms. Studer's live (i.e., not stitched together in the
> recording studio) performances of the Queen do you most like?
Studer did not record the Queen of the Night live, and I think
she should be condemned and murdered for committing the offense of
doing it in a studio. No other soprano or singer before her set foot
in a recording studio, lets remember. Studer invented the whole
concept, damm it! And now look what's happening: everyone's in them!
Personally, I prefer her live recordings to many of her studio ones.
I think her voice records much better live.
Now, would you care to comment on Voigt's LEGENDARY recording style? I
hear she has NEVER needed a retake.
Gabriel Bocanegra
Verdiva
Husband Routine yet again?
Ms. Shane has never posted here, so it is impossible that she has offended
anyone here.
How about giving her a break.
Enrique Eskenazi
ver...@aol.com (Verdiva) wrote:
Curiously, these posts bashing-Shane-in-order-to-hurt-her-husband
achieve a paradoxal effect: they bring the attention on a singer that
many of us didn't know before, and move to get her (pitifully few)
recordings, discovering in that was a considerable singer.
NBPalmer1
>So I am not expecting to hear anything remotely positive about her from
>you. W
Not so, Gabriel.
I most certainly remember writing to you to the effect that I very much enjoyed
Studer's performances of Elsa at Bayreuth and Covent Garden during the early
and mid-80's. I have been very positive indeed about her
NICK/London.
pin...@my-dejanews.com
pin...@my-dejanews.com
ver...@aol.com (Verdiva) wrote:
> Do we really have to go through the Let's Beat Up on Rita Shane to Get at Her
> Husband Routine yet again?
>
> Ms. Shane has never posted here, so it is impossible that she has offended
> anyone here.
>
> How about giving her a break.
You are right. Do not think for a moment that I am unaware of what I
write and how. So yes, I too realize it is a cheap shot to drag in
Tritter's wife, Rita Shane, into this melee.
But you see, it is not entirely up to me to end the cycle of lies,
recriminations, cruelty, hypocrisy and double-standards that permeate
this NG.
By the rules of logic, if it is "fair game and sport" and "open season"
on Cheryl Studer, ravaged voice or not, past her prime or not, able to
carry a tune or not, it then follows that everyone else is subject to
the same treatment.
It is not very complicated. It is about keeping fairness and repaying
in the same currency.
pin...@my-dejanews.com
"Enrique Eskenazi" <eske...@mail.sendanet.es> wrote:
> Curiously, these posts bashing-Shane-in-order-to-hurt-her-husband
> achieve a paradoxal effect: they bring the attention on a singer that
> many of us didn't know before...
...mysteriously...
> and move to get her (pitifully few) recordings, discovering in that
> was a considerable singer...
...that couldn't shine Studer's shoes.
dtritter
>
> ...that couldn't shine Studer's shoes.
gabbbbby, out of kindness, among those who actually have heard both, i
don't think you would want to test that moronic notion.
i can testify that rita shane sang and was not in the shoshine business.
i have no knowledge of what cheryl studer does for outside income.
dft
pin...@my-dejanews.com
dtri...@bway.net wrote:
> gabbbbby, out of kindness, among those who actually have heard both, i
> don't think you would want to test that moronic notion.
> i can testify that rita shane sang and was not in the shoshine business.
> i have no knowledge of what cheryl studer does for outside income.
>
> dft
Well, last I heard she was shining shoes. It is good for resting the
vocal chords, as recommended by Mehta and Jonas. And you know, she
has obliged to their kind concern.
Gabriel Bocanegra
dtritter
>
> In article <36FD7FAA...@bway.net>,
> dtri...@bway.net wrote:
> > gabbbbby, out of kindness, among those who actually have heard both, i> > don't think you would want to test that moronic notion.
> > i can testify that rita shane sang and was not in the shoshine business.
> > i have no knowledge of what cheryl studer does for outside income.
> >
> > dft
> -------------
>
> Well, last I heard she was shining shoes. It is good for resting the
> vocal chords, as recommended by Mehta and Jonas. And you know, she
> has obliged to their kind concern.
apart from the substandard grammar exhibited here by gabbbbbby, will
someone tell him how to spell c-o-r-d-s. in case any of you has a
regard for fact, rather than gabbbbbbby's fancy, maestro mehta has had
no comment whatever on miss studer, if indeed any thought about her
crossed his mind. his operatic concerns appear to be on the subject of
currently active operatic artists,
dft
pin...@my-dejanews.com
dtri...@bway.net wrote:
> apart from the substandard grammar exhibited here by gabbbbbby, will
> someone tell him how to spell c-o-r-d-s.
Thank you. I make mistakes too, but only on rare occasions.
> [maestro mehta] his operatic concerns appear to be on the subject of
> currently active operatic artists,
Well, you and Rita should know!
dtritter
>
> In article <36FE4A80...@bway.net>,
> dtri...@bway.net wrote:
>
> > apart from the substandard grammar exhibited here by gabbbbbby, will
> > someone tell him how to spell c-o-r-d-s.
>
> Thank you. I make mistakes too, but only on rare occasions.
not as disastrous as your mother's.
dft
David Shengold
Die Wahrheit! Die Wahrheit!
I do not consider that I have "an agenda" here, except to correct
misstatements of fact and also to relay my own experiences of fine singers
whom you seem anxious to trash on scanty to non-existent grounds.
David Shengold
----------
David Shengold
Matthew B. Tepper
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://www.deltanet.com/~ducky/index.htm
My main music page --- http://www.deltanet.com/~ducky/berlioz.htm
And my science fiction club's home page --- http://www.lasfs.org/
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
pin...@my-dejanews.com
Tritter, honey, mom sends her regards. I know I can be a little dense,
but she still loves her son. She also adores Studer. :-)
Much love, hugs and kisses,
dtritter
> > >
> > > Thank you. I make mistakes too, but only on rare occasions.
> >
> > not as disastrous as your mother's.
> >
> > dft
>
> Tritter, honey, mom sends her regards. I know I can be a little dense,> but she still loves her son. She also adores Studer. :-)
it's too late to apologize
pin...@my-dejanews.com
Matthew B. Tepper
pin...@my-dejanews.com
> It is not entirely up to me to end the cycle of lies, recriminations,
> cruelty, hypocrisy and double-standards that permeate this NG.
>
> By the rules of logic, if it is "fair game and sport" to continually
> debase Cheryl Studer, if it is "open season" on her, ravaged
> voice or not, past her prime or not, able to carry a tune or not,
> then everyone else is also "up for grabs", to be held up to the same
> double-standards and treatment, to the same kind of abuse.
>
> It is not very complicated. It is about repaying in the same currency.
> It is about keeping fairness balanced.
Matthew B. Tepper
pondered what I'm pondering as follows...
>
>In article <7dorpg$e...@chronicle.concentric.net>,>-------------------
>
>To my understanding, the trial takes place next month. That's all I
>know about it.
>
>Gabriel Bocanegra
Thanks. So, does that mean that until that time, there is no update?
william d. kasimer
> Thanks. So, does that mean that until that time, there is no update?
We should all be so fortunate.
Bill
--
William D. Kasimer
wk...@mindspring.com
wk...@juno.com
pin...@my-dejanews.com
ducky兀deltanet.com (Matthew B. Tepper) wrote:
> So, any word on how the actual trial is going?
-------------------
To my understanding, the trial takes place next month. That's all I
know about it.
Gabriel Bocanegra
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------