Various

• There are more reasons every day for me to love Alice Coote. The latest — her recital on the EMI Début label, released in 2003. I heard this for the first time perhaps a year ago, but only the first half, and I never got to hear it again. This week I bought it at a bargain bin price and swooned anew. I remembered that it was drop dead gorgeous, but remembering that is one thing; drowning in it is another. What perplexes me is that she doesn't appear to have recorded another solo album since this one. She ought. Just for me.
• I'm so devoted. Despite the higher prices (yes, I'm still bitter about that) I went on Monday afternoon to book myself in for second helpings of two operas I don't much like or want to see again, in order to see somebody I do like sing in them. Antoinette in La bohème tomorrow night (and, as a bonus, lovely Taryn Fiebig as Musetta) and Joshua Bloom as Escamillo on the 28th. I really had to push myself into the Carmen — I had at least hoped I could make it to one of the few performances where Joshua and Kirsten Chavez coincide, but they're sold out. (That's Carmen for you. The reviewers — by which I mean The Mighty McCallum and (hah) myself — were not enthusiastic.) However missing out on my third Joshua Bloom Dandini (yes, still bitter about that, too) persuaded me; it will also be nice to see Catherine Carby as Carmen — about time I saw her in a proper role, not the Bela Lugosi role in Streetcar — and Tiffany Speight as Micaela.
• While looking for something else — I forget what now — I stumbled across the information that Opera Australia will stage Fidelio in 2009. That prompted me to do a little more Googling, from which I've gleaned (look away now if you'd prefer to be surprised in August) that the 2009 season will also include Madama Butterfly, a Cav/Pag and an Aida, the last of these with imported principals, which is hardly surprising. There may or may not be a Manon Lescaut. And of course, there's presumably the Dido & Aeneas I posted about the other day, which I'm already breathlessly anticipating.
• I really, really, really like Alice Coote (and I must be a Handel geek, because my brain said Alice but my fingers typed Alcina). I'm listening to the CD while writing. She's too gorgeous to be believed. And this is five years ago. Need. More. Alice.

Comments

[David]

Hello,

In my internet browsing I have come across the following to confirm and add to what Opera Australia is planning in the future.

2009 Season

*Madama Butterfly in January with Cheryl Barker and Julian Gavin as Pinkerton

*Aida with American soprano Jennifer Wilson (Turandot for AO in 2006) as Aida

*Yvonne Kenny in l’orfeo

*Andrea Licata conducting Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci

*Fidelio with Julian Gavan as Florestan in the winter season

*Manon Lescaut in October with Cheryl Barker as Manon

Other plans

*English dramatic soprano Susan Bullock debuting with Opera Australia in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk as Katerina (undisclosed date)

Other news

*Cheryl Barker singing Emilia Marty for Netherlands Opera in Amsterdam 18 May-12 June 2009

*I have it on exceptionally good and reliable authority that the English label Chandos has a recording of operatic arias with Cheryl Barker in the pipeline as part of their Opera in English series, to be recorded within the next 12 months and with an anticipated release in later 2009.

[David]

I said l'orfeo for Yvonne Kenny but I meant Dido & Aeneas!!!

[Sarah]

Looks like our respective searches found mostly the same things. I was pretty certain I'd seen Cheryl's 2009 Butterly and Manon listed on cherylbarker.be as being for OA but as they're now listed as TBA I didn't want to jump the gun. WONDERFUL news about an Operatic Arias album for Cheryl, I wished for one a little while ago.
And Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk!!! Now that is seriously exciting news.

[Sarah]

Further notes, from various agency websites:

Simon O'Neill as Sergei in the Lady Macbeth, whenever it is.

A Zauberflote at some point, Andrew Goodwin as Tamino (no surprise there).

Strangely enough, I found out about the Aida via the management page of TAMARA Wilson, who is also apparently making her OA debut in the role next year.

[David]

Strange because the IMG website confirms that Aida in 2009 will be sung by Jennifer Wilson who you may remember from Turandot a few years ago.

I do hope OA brings back Elina Prokina again but in the right role. Like her wonderful Amelia and Tatiana and Elvira Fatykhova again!!

[Sarah]

I suppose it's possible both Wilsons have been engaged to share the role. Hardly seems likely that management for either would get it wrong.
I wasn't living here at the time of Jennifer Wilson's Turandot, however I have heard huge praise of her from various sources so am looking forward to her Aida.
Oh and Dongwon Shin, who was her last minute Calaf, is to sing Radames.

[David]

It must be Jennifer Wilson. Given her stupendous Turandot it seems that offering her Aida was a natural progression! Wonderful news that Dongwon Shin will join her. They will be stupendous together! Let's hope they find an Amneris of equal stature. Bernadette Cullen was the last Amneris when Aida last graced Sdney and she was marvellous, but the last few times I have heard her I wonder if the role is now past her?

[David]

I thought I should clarify how I know about the Chandos recording of operatic arias with Ms Barker.

I e-mailed the marketing director thanking her for the recent Katya and the marvellous Rusalka and asked about the possibility of a recital disc with Ms Barker. She informed me that it was very high on the list of the Peter Moores Foundation who oversee all recordings for the English in Opera series and that once the repertoirre for the disc had been decided upon, they would lock in a date for recording! She said that this would happen so that release for such a disc could occur in 2009. She even asked me if I had some ideas for the disc and I informed her that my wish list was as follows:

*Tatiana's letter scene
*Desdemona's Willow Song and Ave Maria
*Marietta's lied
*Salome's final scene

this is one to look forward to!!

[Sarah]

You and I seem to be of one mind. In my Christmas wishlist post (http://primalamusica.typepad.com/primalamusica/2007/12/dear-santa.html)
I wished for a Chandos recital from Cheryl, and Marietta's Lied, Salome's final scene and Tatyana's Letter Scene were all on my list too. And the Willow Song & Ave Maria should have been, it's one my favourite scenes in the repertoire and I am looking forward hugely to Cheryl's Desdemona later this year.

[David]

Snap, yes we are as one here. What a coincidence. To be perfectly honest, I don't care what she sings as long as Chandos commit to this venture and just give me more of the divine Ms Barker to relish!!

I have always been profoundly dissapointed at the lack of commitment ABC classics has displayed towards Ms Barker in terms of recital discs. Not one!!! It's a total travesty.

Have you heard her live Katya from Geneva in 2003 which can be bought from Celestial Audio? I have a copy and it's just marvellous. The sound is a little distant but the raw emotion is wonderful. Surprisingly I enjoy the Chandos English version more, but both are wonderful.

Celstial Audio was going to release a live recording of Don Giovanni from 2000 with Cheryl as Elvira and Teddy as the Don, but Opera Australia got the poops and put a legal end to it.

Celestial Audio has a live recording from Brussels of Yvonne Kenny's Nellie Melba tribute. I know you are an Yvonne fan, do you have this disc? It is wonderful. They have more Yvonne Kenny on their catelogue and some wonderful early Joan Carden from the 70s singing her wonderful lyric roles.

[David]

Hello again,

I just remembered that I also asked them, being Chandos, to consider Lady MacBeth for Ms Barker. I heard her sing an etended scena with her husband in recital a few years from Macbeth and it was stupendous. I never imagined that it would lay in her range and zone, but boy did it!!

Have you heard the live recording of Katya with Ms Barker from Geneva in 2003 available from Celestial Audio? Simply wonderful.

You might be interested to also know that Celestial Audio have quite a number of live recordings featuring Yvonne Kenny and Joan Carden in her prime. Well worth a look at!!

[Sarah]

I have Yvonne's Homage to Melba from Celestial Audio. It's very sweet. There's a Crociato in Egitto (her American debut) which I got from elsewhere. Perhaps one day I will get the Castello di Kennilworth.

Cheryl as Lady Macbeth. Wow. What a thought.

[Sarah]

PS re: Amneris, if not Bernadette Cullen, I wouldn't be surprised if they had Milijana Nikolic, who seems to be their current dramatic mezzo of choice. She's singing Mademoiselle Arvidson in Ballo in Melbourne, after Bernadette sings it here.

[David]

I have the said Castello di Kennilworth, it is worth getting. Her voice is so different in this recording, very young and lyrical and agile. It has deepened and darkened so much since this time period.

Yes that will be good if Milijana Nikolic assumes Amneris! I think she would do a fantastic job. She has the dramatic thrust needed and would be a very sexy and strong Amneris which is what you want in order for her to challenge Aida and thus produce the intensity of rivalry and friction needed between the two!!

Do you think we will get Elina Prokina and Elvira Fatykhove again?? I hope so!!!

[Sarah]

I listened to a clip of Il Castello this afternoon and I think "perhaps one day" has turned into "must have NOW". Her voice was really quite different in that period, it took me a moment to realise the clip was her, and not Janet Price. (Wonderful Janet Price, whose propitious illness secured Yvonne her starry professional debut.)
I agree that Milijana would be a fabulous Amneris, so here's hoping. I loved her Venus in Tannhäuser.
I wasn't here to hear Elena Prokina, but I did enjoy Elvira's Violetta. Just quietly I'd have preferred her as this year's Lucia, however we must have our Emma vehicle.

[David]

I could not agree more about having Elvira for Lucia! I just so agree. Is there something wrong with me? I am yet to see Emma Matthews sing and be really transported and enraptured.

I have always been disappointed with the voice which for me is small and often underpowered. I know its horses for courses in opera and responses to singers from different people and critics can be worlds apart, but where Elvira Fatykhova just left me speechless and spellbound in Violetta, Emma Matthews just leaves me neutral and a little cold!!!

Elena Prokina's Tatiana and Amelia for Opera Australia were just wonderful we have been so lucky to have her sing here.

[Sarah]

If there is something wrong with you then we suffer from the same ailment. The only exception was her "Et incarnatus est" in the Mass in C minor, though that's such a transcendent piece that I suppose it's hard not to be transported by it, regardless of singer. But I have this feeling that Emma's voice is a more basically lyric instrument than OA seems willing to allow for. The best things I have heard her in are the above mentioned Mass and Antonia in Hoffmann. The further into Joanie territory she strays, the less I'm convinced. Apparently she also has Violetta in her sights!

[David]

On a completely different matter have you come across Naxos' Great Soprano Arias series?

They have Luba Organazova, Anna Maria Sanchez, Maria Masheriokava and Miriam Gauci in this series. What is so pointed with this series is that all of these featured singers are stupendous and worth recording and as good as their more celebrated (and reputedly better) contemproraries like Mattila, Fleming and Gheorghiou.

It's a wonderful series that celebrates very deserving singers who do not get the praise they often deserve.

The two from Miriam Gauci and Luba Organazova are particularly good! Worth tracking down and listening to. Hearing Gauci sing Puccini with the colour and amplitude that she does just makes Gheorghiou's "celebrated" Puccini disc pale into com parison and in my humble opinion, seem second rate.

Hail to the underrated divas of the opera world!!!

[marcelproust]

David, it looks like you ought to start your own blog....