ROH La Donna del Lago: now on BBC iPlayer

Saturday 15 June at 18.00 BST on BBC radio 3

Rossini’s La Donna del Lago recorded in May at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

World time converter in the side bar  – >

photocredit: Bill Cooper/ROH

In the words of the BBC:

Based on Walter Scott’s The Lady Of The Lake, Rossini’s opera illustrates the Romantic fascination with Renaissance Scotland as a place of wild emotion and political confrontation. This new production by John Fulljames celebrates not only the historic Scotland in which the action of the opera takes place, but also the Scotland of the 19th century, the period of Rossini and Sir Walter Scott. The production highlights the beauty of the Scottish landscape, of which the heroine, Elena, is a symbol, while not forgetting the struggles and battles that feature in all retellings of Scottish history.

Elena, the Lady of the Lake, longs to be united with her true love, Malcom. But her father, the rebel Duglas, is determined that she will marry the Highland chief Rodrigo. Torn between love and duty, she finds her plight is made all the more complicated by Uberto, a handsome stranger who nobody seems to know much about.

Link to BBC iPlayer for 7 days

Elena – Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano)

King James of Scotland – Juan Diego Flórez (tenor)

Malcom – Daniela Barcellona (mezzo-soprano)

Duglas – Simon Orfila (bass)

Rodrigo – Colin Lee (tenor)

Albina – Justina Gringyte (mezzo-soprano)

Serano – Robin Leggate (tenor)

A Bard – Christopher Lackner (baritone)

King’s Soldier – Pablo Bemsch (tenor)

Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Michele Mariotti, conductor

video courtesy of kyokolondon

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Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes

ROH quick guide to the opera

Some audience reactions and comments

Q&A with Joyce DiDonato

Review from the FT

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White Shirt Weekend

Joyce DoDonato makes some sassy White Shirt moves as Octavian

In rehearsal …

photocredits:Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano

and in performance …

Der Rosenkavalier Teatro alla Scala 2011

HAVE A WONDERFUL WHITE SHIRT WEEKEND!

( I will – I’m in Bratislava on my way to Budapest! )

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Joyce DiDonato recent masterclass from Juilliard now on Youtube

THANK YOU JUILLIARD SCHOOL!

screengrab from video

Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato gave a master class at Juilliard on Friday, January 25, 2013. She worked with four voice students and followed up with a brief Q&A period

Link to playlist on YouTube - be quick, some already deleted

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DiDonato as Romeo on the radio

Anyone who missed Joyce DiDonato’s Romeo in The Capulets and The Montagues from San Francisco Opera last year may like the chance to catch it on the radio or catch it again?

photocredit: Cory Weaver

Giulietta: Nicole Cabell.
Romeo: Joyce DiDonato.
Tebaldo: Saimir Pirgu.
Lorenzo: Ao Li.
Capellio: Eric Owens.

San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Frizza.

Here is the San Francisco Opera page with the details, photos and video.

The radio broadcast stream is here  on Monday 4 February at 04.00 GMT so if you live on the west coast USA …. that’s good for you!

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Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda with DiDonato

Saturday 19 January 2013 at 18.00 GMT on BC radio 3

Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda live from the Metropolitan Opera, New York

World time converter in the side bar  – >

Director David McVicar turns to the second opera of Donizetti’s Tudor trilogy, which explores regal characters at fateful moments of their lives. 

In the words of the BBC:

Facts rarely get in the way of a good story in the world of opera and Donizetti’s history-based Maria Stuarda is no exception: its dramatic climax is a meeting that never happened. When queens Elizabeth and Mary confront each other, regal pride, years of hatred and mistrust (plus, of course, love-triangle issues) ignite one of Donizetti’s most compelling scenes. ‘Vil bastarda!’ screams Mary Stuart at her cousin once removed. And the opera is full of Bel Canto plums leading up to Mary’s final moments before her execution. As ever at the Met, a stellar international cast has been assembled, headed by Joyce di Donato and Elza van den Heever as the regal rivals.

BBC iPlayer time now expired

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Maria Stuarda, Queen of Scotland ….. Joyce DiDonato (mezzo)
Elisabetta, Queen of England ….. Elza van den Heever (soprano)
Anna Kennedy, Maria’s companion ….. Maria Zifchak (mezzo)
Roberto, Earl of Leicester ….. Matthew Polenzani (tenor)
Lord Guglielmo Cecil, Chancellor of the Exchequer ….. Joshua Hopkins (baritone)
Giorgio Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury ….. Matthew Rose (bass)
Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Maurizio Benini, conductor.

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video courtesy of FathomEvents

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Live in HD in selected cinemas world wide

Personal perspective from The Earworm

Review from operaworld.com

Review from The Financial Times  ….

“Once again, primary problems begin, and end, in the pit.”

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re:Joyce

Try this at home!

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Taken from the latest recording by John Wilson and his orchestra and sung by Joyce DiDonato – “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel by Rogers and Hammerstein. Some of you may not be fans of “the musical” but let’s face it – a good tune is a good tune, however it is packaged, a gorgeous voice can excel in any context and who gives a damn about supposed sentimentality? If you are of a certain age this musical may rekindle musical memories. If you are younger then give Rogers and Hammerstein a go .. you may like it!

Friday photo

THESE iPADS GET EVERYWHERE

Joyce DiDonato worships at the altar of the iPad   records with the John Wilson Orchestra

A still taken from the video below

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Seriously though, if you are not yet aware of John Wilson and his fabulous orchestra

just have a listen to this …

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You have to agree – that really is some orchestra!

And for those of you who listened to this a few weeks ago -

John has what you would call a posh Geordie accent!

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HAVE A NICE WEEKEND!

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Joyce DiDonato live from the Wigmore

Friday 6 July at 19.30 UK time

Joyce DiDonato live from the Wigmore Hall, London.

Review from The Arts Desk.      Review from The Independent

Joyce Didonato - mezzo-soprano with David Zobel - piano

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Joyce is donating 5  personal photos of Venice for auction.

The proceeds go to “Wigmore Hall Learning“

Programme - 19.30

Vivaldi - From Ercole sul Termodonte:  Onde chiare che sussrrate.  Amato ben

Fauré - Cinq mélodies ‘de Venise’

Rossini - La regata veneziana

Schubert - Gondelfahrer

Interval – “Requiem for a Garden of Eden” – information

Schumann - From Myrthen: Zwei Venetianische Lieder

Head - Three songs of Venice

Hahn - Venezia – Chansons en dialecte vénetien

BBC iPlayer time now expired

image from Wiki commons

About this concert

Named as Gramophone’s Artist of the Year in 2010, DiDonato, a committed recitalist, here celebrates her love of the baroque and 19th-century bel canto, but extends it outwards in a programme themed around another of her passions, Venice.

Joyce DiDonato live from the Barbican

Joyce DiDonato with the New York Philharmonic

Live from The Barbican Hall, London

Also on BBC radio 3

Friday February 17th 2012  at 19.30 UK time

World time converter in the side bar  – >

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Link to BBC iPlayer- time now expired but clip available

 Quoting David Gillard of The Radio Times:

“Anglo-American musical relations are firmly cemented here as the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Alan Gilbert, gives the UK premiere of English composer Thomas Adès’s already much acclaimed Polaris, written for the opening of Frank Gehry’s new concert hall in Miami. The sea and the stars are the work’s twin themes, conjured in music that shimmers and ripples through an extraordinary sonic range.
American mezzo Joyce DiDonato is the soloist in Berlioz’s exquisite song cycle Les nuits d’été (Summer Nights) and the concert ends with two seminal orchestral works, Stravinsky’sSymphony in Three Movements and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe Suite No 2.”

Thomas Adès:  Polaris  (UK premiere)

Berlioz:  Les nuits d’été

8.15: Interval

Stravinsky:  Symphony in Three Movements
Ravel:  Daphnis and Chloe Suite (No 2)  – free scores

New York Philharmonic 
Alan Gilbert – conductor
Joyce DiDonato - mezzo-soprano

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Joyce DiDonato talks to Adam Sweeting of The Telegraph 14.02.2012

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Live from the Met: The Enchanted Island on BBC radio

 THE ENCHANTED ISLAND

This production is available COMPLETE on  YouTube

Live from the Metropolitan Opera, New York

Saturday 21st  January at  18.00 UK time on BBC radio 3

World time converter in the side bar  – >

photocredits:Ken Howard/Met Opera

The Enchanted Island (Music by Handel, Rameau and Vivaldi and others)

Link to BBC radio 3 for live feed, synopsis and beautiful photos

This performance is NOT available on iPlayer!

The Enchanted Island is a pasticcio opera written by British librettist, composer and translator Jeremy Sams in collaboration with the Baroque music expert William Christie.  Pasticcio operas, common during the 18th century and baroque period, are essentially a “cut and paste” of various works by different composers set to new librettos to create a brand new opera. The Enchanted Island features baroque music from Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, Leclair, and more. In keeping with the music, the libretto is a sort of mashup of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest retold by Sams. Though the music is 18th century, Sams keeps the libretto in English and refrains from using pronouns like “thee” and “thou” in an effort to appeal to today’s audience.

Presented by Margaret Juntwait with guest commentator Ira Siff

Prospero…..David Daniels (countertenor)
Sycorax…..Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano)
Ariel…..Danielle de Niese (soprano)
Neptune…..Placido Domingo (tenor)
Caliban…..Luca Pisaroni (baritone)

Miranda…..Lisette Oropesa (soprano)
Ferdinand…..Anthony Roth Constanzo (countertenor)
Helena…..Layla Claire (soprano)
Hermia…..Elizabeth DeShong (mezzo-soprano)
Demetrius…..Paul Appleby (tenor)
Lysander…..Elliot Madore (baritone)

Production:

Devised and Written by Jeremy Sams
Production: Phelim McDermott,

Costume Designer: Kevin Pollard

Lighting Designer: Brian MacDevitt,

Choreographer: Graciela Daniele
Animation & Projection Design: 59 Production

Joyce DiDonato as Sycorax

The sets were designed by Julian Crouch

Synopsis from The Met

FABULOUS photo gallery from Ken Howard

Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Sams

Review from The New York Observer

Review from The Classical Review (blog)

The trailer on YouTube

Joyce DiDonato site

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This performance is also

Live in HD at selected cinemas

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Cendrillon from ROH – on BBC radio

Massenet’s Cendrillon with DiDonato, Coote and Podles

Recorded at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Wednesday 4th January at 00.30 UK time

( That’s Tuesday night at 12.30! )

World time converter in the side bar  – >

Joyce DiDonato as Cinderella with her Prince Alice Coote

photocredit:  The Royal Opera / Bill Cooper 

BBC iPlayer time has now expired

Massenet’s Cendrillon in a staging by French director Laurent Pelly with an all-star cast including Joyce DiDonato and Alice Coote.  Massenet’s score stays true to Perrault’s well-known Cinderella story, but adds a coloratura soprano fairy-godmother, and some ravishing duets for Cendrillon and her prince.

Joyce DiDonato (Mezzo-soprano: Cendrillon)

Eglise Gutiérrez (Soprano: La Fée)

Alice Coote (Mezzo-soprano: Le Prince Charmant)

Ewa Podles (Mezzo-soprano: Madame de la Haltière)

Jean-Philippe Lafont (Baritone: Pandolfe)

Madeleine Pierard (Soprano: Noémie)

Kai Rüütel (Mezzo-soprano: Dorothée)

Jeremy White (Bass: Roi)

Harry Nicoll (Tenor: Doyen de la Faculté)

Dawid Kimberg (Baritone: Surintendant des Plaisirs)

John-Owen Miley-Read (bass: Premier Ministre)

Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Bertrand de Billy (conductor)

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This was broadcast live by the BBC in July 2011 and here is the link to the

page with excellent photos by Bill Cooper and a synopsis

Information from the BBC radio3 website

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For those who prefer to watch as well as listen to this production you can tune in Here to the free streaming provided by La Monnaie. It is the same production with a different cast and the user friendly site is is English, French and Dutch. This opera will be available on demand and free until January 19th. Click here for comprehensive further information and interesting video clips.

Many thanks to the Opera Lover who provided the link and brought this to my attention.

image from Opera Today

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This production will be available within the next few days to watch in cinemas in many countries. Here is the link to see if there is a showing near you – you can search by post code.

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White Shirt Weekend …….. Bosom Buddies

Bosom Buddies

or

Pillow talk

We have been contemplating over the last few weeks the tough life that our beloved trouser mezzos have on stage. With weapons to wield and dangers to face how on earth do their stage personas sleep at night?  I guess the answer may have to do with the more pleasant aspects of what they are required to do.  But, hang on a minute!   –  snuggling up to a voluptuous soprano may not be everyone’s idea of a good time. I wonder what these fabulous singers make of this part of their performing life? Actually, if they find woman to woman romancing  difficult or unappealing doesn’t it show what amazing actresses they are to be so convincing?

Here are a few examples …..

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All photos are screen grabs from video except for the last one which is The Guardian

Susan Graham and Renee Fleming Der Rosenkavalier, The Met. 2010

Octavian prepares the way for some serious action singing.

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Joyce di Donato and friends, Le Comte Ory, the Met. 2011

Whereas  Isolier seems to have it all,  - and then some!

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Brigitte Fassbaender  and Gwyneth Jones,Der Rosenkavalier,  München 1979

This Octavian has a huge range of pillows (!) on which to rest his head.

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Kiri te Kanawa and Tatiana Troyanos,  Der Rosenkavalier, New York, 1982.

 ….  as does this one. Now there’s a smile of contentment!

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Vesselina Kasarova and Anja Harteros. Alcina. Vienna 2010

Pillows galore and some meaningful R & R for Ruggiero

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Anne Schwanewilms and Anke Vondung. Der Rosenkavalier, Dresden 2007

 but this Octavian obviously has a lot to learn.

First Rule of White Shirt Wearing …

When romancing a lovely soprano, cuffs must be rolled!

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…   and goodness knows what’s going through the mind of Prince Charamant!!

Photograph: Tristram Kenton

Alice Coote and Joyce di Donato. Cendrillon. ROH 2011

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Whatever meaningful moments you have in store

HAVE A WONDERFUL WHITE SHIRT WEEKEND!

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Cendrillon live from ROH on BBC radio.

Massenet’s Cendrillon live from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

with Joyce di Donato, Alice Coote and Ewa Podles

Saturday 9th July 

18.45 UK time on BBC Radio 3

World time converter in the side bar  - >

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LINK to BBC radio 3. Listen on demand iPlayer time now expired

and FABULOUS photos by Bill Cooper

Live from Covent Garden, the Royal Opera House presents its first production of Massenet’s Cendrillon in a staging by French director Laurent Pelly with a cast including Joyce DiDonato and Alice Coote.

Massenet’s score stays true to Perrault’s well-known Cinderella story, but adds a coloratura soprano fairy-godmother, together with duets for Cendrillon and her prince.

Presented by Donald Macleod, who is also joined by Sarah Lenton to discuss the background to Massenet’s opera, and interviews the cast and conductor about their rôles in it.

photocredit: Bill Cooper / Royal Opera House

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Joyce DiDonato (mezzo: Cendrillon),

Eglise Gutiérrez (soprano: La fée),

Alice Coote (mezzo: Le Prince Charmant),

Ewa Podles (mezzo: Madame de la Haltière),

Jean-Philippe Lafont (baritone: Pandolfe),

Madeleine Pierard (soprano: Noémie),

Kai Rüütel (mezzo: Dorothée),

Jeremy White (bass: Roi),

Harry Nicoll (tenor: Doyen de la Faculté),

Dawid Kimberg (baritone: Surintendant des Plaisirs),

Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra, conductor Bertrand de Billy.

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video from ROH

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DURATION 3 hours 15 minutes

First Night Impressions and EXTRA GORGEOUS PHOTOS from Intermezzo

Short  review  from The London Evening Standard

Another  review  from What’s on Stage

Review by Paul Guest for Ceasefire

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ALSO COMING UP

Cendrillon from The Royal Opera House on The Big Screen

LIVE at 7.30pm on Wednesday 13 July

This opera is available to watch on The Big Screen in many areas of the UK.

Trafalgar Square, London | Canada Square, Canary Wharf | High House Production Park, Purfleet | City Hall, Donegall Square, Belfast

| Millennium Square, Bristol | The Market Place, Derby | Market Square, Dover | Festival Square, Edinburgh | Centre Square, Middlesbrough |

Chapelfield Plain, Norwich | The Piazza, Plymouth | Castle Square, Swansea

White Shirt Weekend …. Particular Partos

PARTICULAR PARTOS

or

” I’d know that voice anywhere! “

It’s well known in certain circles that I’m partial to a Parto or two. So here we have six delightful mezzos giving their version of  Parto,parto, ma tu ben mio  from La Clemenza di Tito. All you need to do is identify which is which. There are no tricks this week. No-one sings twice!  So, listen in to the excerpts and see how many you can identify correctly. There should be at least one  you will know! Guesses or confident answers in the comment box please. You may recognise more than you expected but not everyone’s favourite mezzo is here.

EDIT: on July 5th

5 opera/mezzo-lovers were brave enough to attempt this and 4 of those  [ Wonderful White Shirt/White Shirt Friendly Women, of course ] were correct on all counts. Many others listened to the excerpts but, this time, were not tempted to have a go.

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The answers were:

2.  CECILIA BARTOLI 

photo from cd cover

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3.  JOYCE di DONATO

photocredit: Seila Rock

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5.  ELINA GARANCA

photocredit: website

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6.  SUSAN GRAHAM

photocredit:metoperafamily

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4.  VESSELINA KASAROVA

screengrab from video

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1.  TATIANA TROYANOS

photocredit:handelmania

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Should be easy , no?

Whatever Partos you’re imparting …

HAVE A WONDERFUL WHITE SHIRT WEEKEND

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Ariadne auf Naxos LIVE from the Met. on BBC radio

Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos

Live from the Metropolitan Opera New York

on BBC radio 3

SATURDAY 7th MAY at 18.00 uk time    

time converter in the side bar

Violeta Urmana, soprano, sings Ariadne       

Photocredit:  Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

In the grand house of an 18th century nobleman preparations are underway for the performance of a serious new opera, Ariadne auf Naxos, to be followed by an Italian comic opera. But due to a mix up with the timings, the performers are told that both operas are going to have to be performed at the same time. The composer will have to cut his opera, and the troupe of comedians will be let loose on the opera seria, trying to cheer Ariadne up with singing, dancing and advice about love.

Presented by Margaret Juntwait and Ira Siff.

Ariadne ….. Violeta Urmana (soprano)  and  Bacchus ….. Robert Dean Smith (tenor)  -   the two stars of the young composer’s opera. They are both conceited, self-centered artists, concerned only with their own careers.

The Composer ….. Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano) a “trouser” role, i.e., a male character played by a woman - a passionate young man. Sure of his talent, yet fragile and sensitive to criticism. His artistic ideals have yet to be tempered by real-life experience.

Zerbinetta ….. Kathleen Kim (soprano) -  the coquette-ish star of the Italian comedy that is also being presented for the wealthiest man in Vienna. She is a resourceful and charming woman.

Harlequin ….. Vasili Ladyuk (baritone)  Scaramuccio ….. Mark Schowalter (tenor) Truffaldino ….. Joshua Bloom (bass) Brighella ….. Paul Appleby (tenor) –   the quartet of men who perform as Zerbinetta’s comic suitors.

The Music Master ….. Thomas Allen (baritone) - the experienced, kindly music teacher of The Composer. He wants to help his young student’s career as much as possible.

The Dancing Master ….. Tony Stevenson (tenor)

A Wigmaker ….. David Crawford (baritone)

A Footman ….. James Courtney (bass)

An Officer ….. Noah Baetge (tenor)

The Major-Domo ….. Michael Devlin (spoken role)

Metropolitan Opera Chorus,  Conductor ….. Fabio Luisi.

Kathleen Kim sings Zerbietta ( photo from last year )

Photocredit:  Marty Sohl  2010 The Metropolitan Opera

DURATION 3 hours

Access to FREE SCORES               PREVIEW from Superconductor ( blog )

There is an interesting  REVIEW  of the final dress rehearsal on Parterre Box ( blog )

more lovely photos HERE

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Here is the remarkable Tatiana Troyanos singing Composer’s Aria (Sein wir wieder gut…)

from The Met. production of 1988

courtesy of goldengate79

Listen to Le Compte Ory on BBC radio.

Live from The Metropolitan Opera New York

Saturday 9th April at  18.00 uk time,  13.00 EDT

world time converter

Act 2 trio comedy antics!  Video from Metropolitan Opera

LINK to BBC radio 3 web site for live feed, synopsis, good photos and information

Unfortunately this broadcast has NOT been archived for re-listening on BBC iPlayer

Count Ory is determined to win the countess Adele, and will do anything to get access to the castle where the women are, including disguising himself and his men as nuns. Rossini’s sparkling comedy Le Comte Ory has its Metropolitan Opera premiere with tenor star Jan Diego Florez as the count, Diana Damrau as Adele and Joyce DiDonato in the trouser role of Isolier.

Juan Diego Florez as Comte Ory and Joyce Didonato as Isolier.

photocredit:Marty Sohl /Metropolitan Opera

Presented by Margaret Juntwait with guest commentator Ira Siff.

 

Countess Adele ….. Diana Damrau (soprano)

Isolier ….. Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano)

Ragonde ….. Susanne Resmark (mezzo-soprano)

Count Ory ….. Juan Diego Florez (tenor)

Rimbaud ….. Stephane Degout (baritone)

The Prompter ….. Rob Besserer (baritone)

Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera.   Conductor ….. Maurizio Benini.

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DURATION 3 hours 15 minutes

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For extra ( White Shirt) perspective on this opera head over to  Towanda’s or   Anik’s

 

REVIEW from The New York Observer

REVIEW from Opera Today    

REVIEW from The Washington Post

INTERVIEW with Joyce di Donato about this production

Live Broadcasts Around the World

Le Comte Ory will be experienced by millions of people around the world this season in movie theaters, on the radio and on the internet, through distribution platforms the Met has established with various media partners.

This April 9 matinee will be transmitted to more than 1,500 movie theaters in 46 countries around the world as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

The March 24 opening performance will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78 and XM channel 79, as will the April 5, 9 and 14 performances.

The March 24 and April 14 performances will also be available via internet streaming at the Met’s web site www.metopera.org.

This April 9 matinee will also be broadcast live over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.     LINK to radio station finder