Alagna tonight

[stefano]

Alagna sounds far better tonight than previous performances of Carmen
this season; more lyrical, less leathery. Interesting, he took the
high note at the end of the flower song (à toi) forte, rather than
softly. Given that he flubbed earlier attempts at ending with a
pianissimo, this probably made sense, although I sense tonight he
might have pulled it off well (the end of his first act duet with
Micaela was sung softly and beautifully). I actually prefer a forte
ending, unless the tenor really can deliver a reliable pianissimo,
rather than just bunt. Tonight's performance is the best of the
Carmen run thus far, perhaps because it is the last Sirius broadcast
with the present cast.

Frank A.

[[e-mail]]

Post by stefano
Alagna sounds far better tonight than previous performances of Carmen
this season; more lyrical, less leathery.  Interesting, he took the
high note at the end of the flower song (à toi) forte, rather than
softly.  Given that he flubbed earlier attempts at ending with a
pianissimo, this probably made sense, although I sense tonight he
might have pulled it off well (the end of his first act duet with
Micaela was sung softly and beautifully). I actually prefer a forte
ending, unless the tenor really can deliver a reliable pianissimo,
rather than just bunt.   Tonight's performance is the best of the
Carmen run thus far, perhaps because it is the last Sirius broadcast
with the present cast.
Frank A.

I'm sorry I missed the broadcast. At one performance that I saw, which
was not broadcast, Alagna was also excellent, getting a great piano Bb
in the Flower Song that night, and was in fine voice throughout the
performance.

Ed

[wkasimer]

Post by stefano
Alagna sounds far better tonight than previous performances of Carmen
this season; more lyrical, less leathery.  Interesting, he took the
high note at the end of the flower song (à toi) forte, rather than
softly.  Given that he flubbed earlier attempts at ending with a
pianissimo, this probably made sense, although I sense tonight he
might have pulled it off well

Frank, as much as I admire Alagna's desire to sing the end of the aria
as written, the unfortunate reality is that he has never been able to
do so. Even in the studio, on a recital disc earlier in his career,
when his voice was at its most flexible, he had to resort to falsetto
crooning.

I much prefer the soft ending, but like you, the singer has to be able
to do it well. As I recall, Winbergh, Vickers, and Carreras were able
to pull it off.

Bill

[Faye xx]

Post by wkasimer

Post by stefano
Alagna sounds far better tonight than previous performances of Carmen
this season; more lyrical, less leathery.  Interesting, he took the
high note at the end of the flower song (à toi) forte, rather than
softly.  Given that he flubbed earlier attempts at ending with a
pianissimo, this probably made sense, although I sense tonight he
might have pulled it off well

Frank, as much as I admire Alagna's desire to sing the end of the aria
as written, the unfortunate reality is that he has never been able to
do so.  Even in the studio, on a recital disc earlier in his career,
when his voice was at its most flexible, he had to resort to falsetto
crooning.
I much prefer the soft ending, but like you, the singer has to be able
to do it well.  As I recall, Winbergh, Vickers, and Carreras were able
to pull it off.
Bill

Thanks for the report - glad to hear he's in such good voice. He
didn't attempt the pianissimo ending in London last October
either.......

Faye xx

[wkasimer]

Thanks for the report - glad to hear he's in such good voice.  

I'm listening to last night's broadcast right now, and I don't think
that I'd call this "good voice". The singing is mostly pretty
effortful and ugly. Not as out of tune as usual, though.

Bill

[stefano]

Post by wkasimer

Post by Faye xx
Thanks for the report - glad to hear he's in such good voice.

I'm listening to last night's broadcast right now, and I don't think
that I'd call this "good voice". The singing is mostly pretty
effortful and ugly. Not as out of tune as usual, though.
Bill

Bill, I was comparing how Alagna sounded last night to earlier
performances I heard in the present run at the Met. In that sense,
good is a relative term. You might recall my post after the primo,
which was very negative, despite the fact he had been ill. Last
night, I felt obligated to even out the score a bit. I wouldn't say
it was "ugly," yet at times it certainly was "effortful." He never
was a spinto, though foolishly moved into this repertoire at the
probable cost of what might have been a spectacular career. Remember
how he sounded in the first Romeos? An absolutely beautiful lyric
tenor with a ringing top. Unfortunately, this sounds like an all too
typical refrain, thinking, for example, of Carreras, Leech, and
Villazon, who come immediately to mind. You would think everyone
would have learned from Pippo, but apparently the so called "curse of
Caruso" continues; no one can be a great tenor who does not do the
range of Caruso's roles. As for the present, more often than not we
are stuck with who is available. And so, despite the fact that
Licitra was really terrible in Turandot (he should have been "fired"
as he was last season, unfit to face the public), we will have to
endure him in Aida. Despite the scandal at La Scala, I would prefer
Alagna to that, or to Botha who I never found convincing as an Italian
tenor, though he has a better voice, or rather a voice in better
shape.

Frank A.

[shortspark]

Post by stefano

Post by wkasimer

Post by Faye xx
Thanks for the report - glad to hear he's in such good voice.

I'm listening to last night's broadcast right now, and I don't think
that I'd call this "good voice".  The singing is mostly pretty
effortful and ugly.  Not as out of tune as usual, though.
Bill

Bill, I was comparing how Alagna sounded last night to earlier
performances I heard in the present run at the Met.  In that sense,
good is a relative term.  You might recall my post after the primo,
which was very negative, despite the fact he had been ill.  Last
night, I felt obligated to even out the score a bit.  I wouldn't say
it was "ugly," yet at times it certainly was "effortful."  He never
was a spinto, though foolishly moved into this repertoire at the
probable cost of what might have been a spectacular career.  Remember
how he sounded in the first Romeos?  An absolutely beautiful lyric
tenor with a ringing top.  Unfortunately, this sounds like an all too
typical refrain, thinking, for example, of Carreras, Leech, and
Villazon, who come immediately to mind.  You would think everyone
would have learned from Pippo, but apparently the so called "curse of
Caruso" continues; no one can be a great tenor who does not do the
range of Caruso's roles.  As for the present, more often than not we
are stuck with who is available.  And so, despite the fact that
Licitra was really terrible in Turandot (he should have been "fired"
as he was last season, unfit to face the public), we will have to
endure him in Aida.  Despite the scandal at La Scala, I would prefer
Alagna to that, or to Botha who I never found convincing as an Italian
tenor, though he has a better voice, or rather a voice in better
shape.
Frank A.

Speaking of Jose Carreras, what do you all think of this piano note in
the Flower Song?

shortspark

[stefano]

Post by shortspark

Post by stefano

Post by wkasimer

Post by Faye xx
Thanks for the report - glad to hear he's in such good voice.

I'm listening to last night's broadcast right now, and I don't think
that I'd call this "good voice". The singing is mostly pretty
effortful and ugly. Not as out of tune as usual, though.
Bill

Bill, I was comparing how Alagna sounded last night to earlier
performances I heard in the present run at the Met. In that sense,
good is a relative term. You might recall my post after the primo,
which was very negative, despite the fact he had been ill. Last
night, I felt obligated to even out the score a bit. I wouldn't say
it was "ugly," yet at times it certainly was "effortful." He never
was a spinto, though foolishly moved into this repertoire at the
probable cost of what might have been a spectacular career. Remember
how he sounded in the first Romeos? An absolutely beautiful lyric
tenor with a ringing top. Unfortunately, this sounds like an all too
typical refrain, thinking, for example, of Carreras, Leech, and
Villazon, who come immediately to mind. You would think everyone
would have learned from Pippo, but apparently the so called "curse of
Caruso" continues; no one can be a great tenor who does not do the
range of Caruso's roles. As for the present, more often than not we
are stuck with who is available. And so, despite the fact that
Licitra was really terrible in Turandot (he should have been "fired"
as he was last season, unfit to face the public), we will have to
endure him in Aida. Despite the scandal at La Scala, I would prefer
Alagna to that, or to Botha who I never found convincing as an Italian
tenor, though he has a better voice, or rather a voice in better
shape.
Frank A.

Speaking of Jose Carreras, what do you all think of this piano note in
the Flower Song?
http://youtu.be/_WbiHVGB6zg
shortspark

I know this video well, having recorded it myself when it was
telecast. At the time, Carreras was singing like a God. Not only a
gorgeous voice, but IMO the best phrasing of any of his
contemporaries. He is not a "French tenor," and purists might take
exception to his pronunciation and style, but these things never
bothered me at all, within obvious limits (for those who recall the
rather singular baritone-tenor Thomas Burns in Faust). One of the
least "French" recordings of Carmen is the one with Corelli, Price and
Merrill, but to me it is perhaps the most exciting, with large, full-
bodied "Italian" voices. In any event, thanks for posting the
Carreras clip. I had forgotten just how beautiful it was.

Frank A.

Frank A.

[[e-mail]]

Post by stefano

Post by shortspark

Post by stefano

Post by wkasimer

Post by Faye xx
Thanks for the report - glad to hear he's in such good voice.

I'm listening to last night's broadcast right now, and I don't think
that I'd call this "good voice".  The singing is mostly pretty
effortful and ugly.  Not as out of tune as usual, though.
Bill

Bill, I was comparing how Alagna sounded last night to earlier
performances I heard in the present run at the Met.  In that sense,
good is a relative term.  You might recall my post after the primo,
which was very negative, despite the fact he had been ill.  Last
night, I felt obligated to even out the score a bit.  I wouldn't say
it was "ugly," yet at times it certainly was "effortful."  He never
was a spinto, though foolishly moved into this repertoire at the
probable cost of what might have been a spectacular career.  Remember
how he sounded in the first Romeos?  An absolutely beautiful lyric
tenor with a ringing top.  Unfortunately, this sounds like an all too
typical refrain, thinking, for example, of Carreras, Leech, and
Villazon, who come immediately to mind.  You would think everyone
would have learned from Pippo, but apparently the so called "curse of
Caruso" continues; no one can be a great tenor who does not do the
range of Caruso's roles.  As for the present, more often than not we
are stuck with who is available.  And so, despite the fact that
Licitra was really terrible in Turandot (he should have been "fired"
as he was last season, unfit to face the public), we will have to
endure him in Aida.  Despite the scandal at La Scala, I would prefer
Alagna to that, or to Botha who I never found convincing as an Italian
tenor, though he has a better voice, or rather a voice in better
shape.
Frank A.

Speaking of Jose Carreras, what do you all think of this piano note in
the Flower Song?
http://youtu.be/_WbiHVGB6zg
shortspark

I know this video well, having recorded it myself when it was
telecast.  At the time, Carreras was singing like a God.  Not only a
gorgeous voice, but IMO the best phrasing of any of his
contemporaries.  He is not a "French tenor," and purists might take
exception to his pronunciation and style, but these things never
bothered me at all, within obvious limits (for those who recall the
rather singular baritone-tenor Thomas Burns in Faust).  One of the
least "French" recordings of Carmen is the one with Corelli, Price and
Merrill, but to me it is perhaps the most exciting, with large, full-
bodied "Italian" voices.  In any event, thanks for posting the
Carreras clip.  I had forgotten just how beautiful it was.
Frank A.
Frank A.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

And this very Carreras was only a month or two before his leukemia
diagnosis! Many thought he was already singing very badly compared to
ten years earlier, and in some cases he was. He had already unwisely
sung Aida, Turandot, Forza, Don Carlo, Chenier, and other roles that
were simply too spinto for Jose. But, as this clip proves, he still
could sing very beautifully right up to his illness.

Ed

[J]

Post by ***@aol.com
And this very Carreras was only a month or two before his leukemia
diagnosis! Many thought he was already singing very badly compared to
ten years earlier, and in some cases he was. But he still
could sing very beautifully right up to his illness.

I think you can hear, in a few spots, that he's pushing it. But, oh
my, the diminuendo to the soft high note is lovely indeed. And Baltsa
might be carved from stone, so indifferent is her Carmen to this
lover's plea--nothing shows on her face but sadness.

[[e-mail]]

Post by wkasimer

Post by stefano
Alagna sounds far better tonight than previous performances of Carmen
this season; more lyrical, less leathery.  Interesting, he took the
high note at the end of the flower song (à toi) forte, rather than
softly.  Given that he flubbed earlier attempts at ending with a
pianissimo, this probably made sense, although I sense tonight he
might have pulled it off well

Frank, as much as I admire Alagna's desire to sing the end of the aria
as written, the unfortunate reality is that he has never been able to
do so.  Even in the studio, on a recital disc earlier in his career,
when his voice was at its most flexible, he had to resort to falsetto
crooning.
I much prefer the soft ending, but like you, the singer has to be able
to do it well.  As I recall, Winbergh, Vickers, and Carreras were able
to pull it off.
Bill

To judge from the Youtube I've seen, Kaufmann can also manage this to
near perfection.

Ed

[wkasimer]

Post by ***@aol.com
To judge from the Youtube I've seen, Kaufmann can also manage this to
near perfection.

This one? Fabulous!:

Bill

[wkasimer]

Here's Vickers:

Not bad, but there's a recording of him, in English, from a decade or
so earlier, that's even more impressive.

Bill

[Kitty G]

Post by stefano
Alagna sounds far better tonight than previous performances of Carmen
this season; more lyrical, less leathery.  Interesting, he took the
high note at the end of the flower song (à toi) forte, rather than
softly.  Given that he flubbed earlier attempts at ending with a
pianissimo, this probably made sense, although I sense tonight he
might have pulled it off well (the end of his first act duet with
Micaela was sung softly and beautifully). I actually prefer a forte
ending, unless the tenor really can deliver a reliable pianissimo,
rather than just bunt.   Tonight's performance is the best of the
Carmen run thus far, perhaps because it is the last Sirius broadcast
with the present cast.
Frank A.

Saw this, too. Garanca is a marvel--absolutely wonderful. I was
somewhat worried because of the bad press for Alagna (he is not a
favorite) but thought he did far better than advertised in the role.
He is not a particularly exciting performer (to me) but he seemed to
do well in the role.

I will say the staging helps all singers. The set design pushed them
all toward the lip so much of the production has the singers standing
forward so they can project better. Nice visually because it brings
them closer to the audience--which I like--but perhaps just a bit of a
cheat.

Alagna was front and center and on the lip for the Flower Song. He
did fine.

But the star was Garanca.

Tonight, Stiffelio. Know Senor Cura is not to everyone's taste so I
look forward to a first hand accounting.

Kitty

[gggg gggg]

Post by stefano
Alagna sounds far better tonight than previous performances of Carmen
this season; more lyrical, less leathery. Interesting, he took the
high note at the end of the flower song (à toi) forte, rather than
softly. Given that he flubbed earlier attempts at ending with a
pianissimo, this probably made sense, although I sense tonight he
might have pulled it off well (the end of his first act duet with
Micaela was sung softly and beautifully). I actually prefer a forte
ending, unless the tenor really can deliver a reliable pianissimo,
rather than just bunt. Tonight's performance is the best of the
Carmen run thus far, perhaps because it is the last Sirius broadcast
with the present cast.
Frank A.