leonora for sunday

No no, luckily not from Pace… but the other Verdi’s opera with music i like and with M-N Lemieux recalling tossing babies in the fire.. and it’s got a quite impressive Leonora!! with quite a rich voice and very musical, along with Alagna whose voice was my favorite of all the tenors I’ve heard (6 total 😀 ) for the role Manrico. Here’s music for the rest of afternoon in the office, from Orange Festival in France, live performance from 04.aug.2015 (click on ubuntu-desktop screen capture to go to site):

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Running commentary
— open air stage!! how do the singers project?
— *very* impressive Leonora!!! vocally that is, in the first aria. Let’s read up the credit: Hui He is our soprano, she’s quite young! and already pushing full force Verdi! with quite a voluminous voice without wild vibrato. and quite rich, full of heft! I’ll have to admit to you after hearing Neb’s take last year it is super refreshing to hear such a wonderful take this time around…
— MNL has this strange gaze in her eyes! i wonder if it’s the open-air staging and they’re all staring into some screen mounted somewhere for prompts.. I quite like her singing this time compared to the other time (w/ AN)
— Scene of interaction between Azucena + Manrico is lacking something.. especially Alagna sounding a bit routine and lacking spontaneity..
— this huge stage is suuuch a contrast to the small+cozy theater in Munich! 🙂
— now i get it, this stage is so huge singers have to stand facing out in order to be heard and seen, hence it affects the dynamics greatly as it gives the image of park+sing , that and the fact you can see all of the singers constantly having to keep eyes toward the pit.. when first saw Leonora i wondered if she’s having trouble seeing the conductor, but now they all seem to do that.
— the Count sings very nicely! gives the impression he’s smitten by Leonora rather than being the super bad guy (my 7 year-old niece’s vocabulary)
— here comes Leonora again, which reminds me, perhaps it’s time to really read up the story.. for example why is she in the convent again? Verdi and putting girl in convent, tsk tsk.
— wow, goosebump clarinet! “Pourquoi ces larmes?”.. very touching, sniff
— a tense showdown, nuns vs the count’s troops! did i mention already i reallllly like her phrasing? strangely Alagna’s singing sounds quite lacking in emotion! Also lacking is a bit of chemistry between Leonora and Manrico… everyone is facing out.. but her voice through the entire chorus: very musical!
— now the real showdown, a` la Capuleti-Montecchi on the stairs!
— intermission piano to Leonora’s last music line! ❤
— hugely applause to Alagna’s singing from the audience, while Manrico and Leonora bear-hug 😀
— i love how the the two of them looking at each other to coordinate their parallel phrasing 🙂
— if i have to guess, she’s got the voice, but not quite the embodiment of Leonora, so the dynamics are a bit off between the two characters. He’s picking things up though! along with the PICCOLO!! (readers familiar with JK’s version will remember this is where he’s barging through the burning cross..)
— goosebumps again! to… bassoon? here she comes, in darkness to the fortress… “Laisse-moi, ne crains rien pour moi”.. Leonora’s going solo…
— sniff
— wow, lovely take up the pianissimo on high notes… you will believe it dear readers, she really reminds me of AH 🙂 , exquisitive (<– is that a word?) phrasing. I've decided to not look and just listen…
— déjà proche départ sans retour…
— this scene always gives me goosebumps.. rhythmic orchestra.. murmuring chorus.. Leonora’s voice rising, Manrico’s fading…
— HUH!! the audience BARGED in clapping at totally wrong time! completely interupting her line! “Au prix de ma vie!”
— BRAVAAAA, i so impressed!
— wow, Leonora on the floor, “j’ai voulu mourir en demeurant tienne”, amazing ascent to soft high notes.. more goosebumps
— and with that, a wrap up. Yes, am partial, i can only hear Leonora.. and she is the reason you listen to this production. simply impressive!!