www.parterre.com and consistent (more later on 0 how big an asshole he (While we're at it, there are more than purely technical W), but a lot of the ideas seem entirely arbitrary. reason for leaving Act Two indoors. Butterfly is What kind of mother symbolically trapped in this little box. She can't get out. Now, when a director varies a traditional piece of staging, Like the Butterfly on the table. Belasco and Puccini it's his way of making the audience re-examine that weren't fools, you know.) dramatic moment. Like, say, when Frank torsaro has blindfolds her two-year- Violets tear the crucifix from her neck, he makes us And so on to the (attempted) applause -grabber final ` realize the utter desperation of Trm Da! morir si curtain - Butterfly. with gore, crashes through gimne." One idea of Del Monaco's that works this way the s"and tumbles down the sans to her death. (If is his first image of Act Two: Butterfly barefoot, washing only a helicopter mild land to take away the Pinkerton!) old and leaves What the fuck does Del Monaco think him on a We think-she's not a doll. It's cheap and ugly. clothes in her back yard. She's a tough, realistic woman. Ws a briliant touch. But "Con orar muore" means? It's about having a choice. what are we to rake of Suzuki snaking out of the house Butterfly chooses honor. She must die wd dignity or else swing unattended? during the humming chorus and bedding down in the her life is meaningless. Wasted. Pointless. And, to be garden? It sets up "Gia it sole; sure, but at the cost of brutally practical - uninteresting. r And what kind of production of Madams B &&#,,vl eaves naturalistic, earthy, 'un-pretty" show. Fair enough. you wondering what kind of mother Butterfly is? It's making Suzuki look like a slacker. ButterAyhas a long history of cute: mix-m-uene by, X What is tragedy? Tragedy is theater that says, "life may been a week since I saw the prima of the new Giancarlo apparently, Kate Pinkerton ("May I kiss you? You-.W.) s suggestion that be hard, even unbearable. But it has meaning." Tragedy del Monaco production at the Met (12/1), and I'm still l^ Or Butterfly's reaction to Slarpkess' or at least by her "artistic" brother Karl who's recycling says, "You are not just an animal." working on it Is Del Monaco trying to say that Butterfly Pinkerton may never rerun. Wham' goes the kettledrum. those ideas they all d ought were so cunning in Mikdo in , who falls forward out is an unfit mother? Is she subconsciously trying to hurt St Louis last season. ("Now, ladies in the peach kimonos, 4& And thud! goes Cathy Malfkam t4 of her chair and lands on her face in the dirt. And What does the Met Butterfly say? the kid to get back at Pinkerton ? Is she so maddened by twirl your parasols! Bonze, where' s your purple scarf Sharpless just sits there and looks at her. grief that she is unaware of her actions? Or are we to with the alligraph. Fireflies! Cue the fireflies!") S. assume the Trouble is so precocious he an take are of (Scotto at this point simply dropped the pillow she was It says, "You are just meat." himself? holding. A shock, yes. But not a heart attack.) Besides But that kind of windowdresserie is the exception these malting Sharpkss look like an irsetnitfre boob , this bit of )A)))).11)) days. Think of the dark, harrowing productions directed the laws of physics. A woman can't fall Or is Del Monaco more interested in striking a visual by Coruro, Yuck, Russell , Prince. business defies Even Scotto's shoestring forward from a relaxed seated position - her center of Highest praise to Catherine Malfitmo. She is an artist image than plausible dramatic action? met revival in '87 (the source of many a critical snicker) gravity a too low. (Try it, ladies.) Again, brava to the (we knew that already from her Violetta, Mimi, and mace a number of telling points - I will never fortet singer, but even Malfiano, one of the two or three forest lulu, to name just a few) and the voice is in fine fettle. Well, our first four guesses are either absurd , irrelevant, Go-cio-san practically beating a tanx-d out of or too ultra- singkng actresses in the world today, can't pull the fall off She is a versatile singer and a credit to any open beyo do to get past Joseph Volpe (he then collapsing, spent ("sicua fede" is great, wouldn' but it eats without getting a laugh. Ws clumsy, and, worse, it's house. Keep her here! Don't let her get t let Del Monaco put sunglasses on Pinkerton, for energy). So taking the story seriously is nothing new; God's sake. unmotivated. away! Could I request the Irurrnrg+rls as a logical You think he's gonna let Butterfly hurt her these days is to be expected. r kid?) So what's eft u an idea that looked like it occurred baD next step? And she'd be wicked in the Met's kinkorama to Trevor Nunn at 3 in the Warning These are details. But there's one choice of Del Monaco's IawX while MiulaipNwas What's tough is finding poetry in the squalor oW out of town. . But del s lethal. He sets Act Two/Three (no intermission, All directors get 3 AM ideas, and they Monaco wastes time hitting us on the head with points v that' as an exterior - in the garden. It's an enormous sell adorable. He can even make looking always look lousy the next morning once the fatigue that are dear enough A arrgh !) already. Who out there musses the °a overgrown back yard in the Universal Studios Theme Park = 'a ts hirt look cute. 1'd love to see him products get flushed from the brain. The problem is, point that Pinkerton is thoughtless and shallow ? Listen style so beloved of Met audiertces. It's impressive to look teamed up with la Malfitano in Manor or fault Or sometimes you can't think of anything better to take the to "Amore o grillo. " A rich kid talking about his ethic e at, I guess. You really can shake a tree and have flowers perhaps even in some opera for which the Met has an place of the idea that you now know sucks. baby doll in the sing-songfest of operetta tunes. He's a c fall dawn. But the various comings and goings look stagy acceptable physical production. If Levine and Volpe brat A lightweight The kind who gives white boys a bad and ilogical. Del f lonaco even blows the tavp de tbvtre had a brain between them, wed have a Cathy/Ricky I cannot read the hearts of men, but the kid on the swing name. But that's not enough for Del Monaco . He has to of the appearance of Kate (frost Suzuki realizes who that /e/lfarthis year. Ah, well. looks lice a 3 AM idea to me. And is neither the only one make Pinkerton a drunken thug and turn the love duet . nw wr is, then Butterfly - "Wlw is she? Don't tell me, nor the worst one in this staging. into date rape. All praise to Richard Leech for doing the ' I knww.1 If the dame with the parasol is loitering The rest of the cast was nothing special - Dwayne collegial thing and trying to be Stanley Kowalski (even onstage through the whole third act , there's no suspense Croft is sort of like Thomas Hampson without And I was so looking forward to this new production. Del though he knows as well as we do he 's really Jay Gatsby), Monaco's fanrt l& - and poor Suzuki has to yell "la's his wife! This will Ham pson's looks (i.e., not much of anything). was great (So Minnie's first entrance but can you imagine waiting three years for that? Tell is a little weak. Put Gwyneth kill poor Butterfly!" right in Mrs. P's face ! But there late )ones into a revival and me he's lazy, tell me tea's slow, greatl But tell me he's youll notice her kicking the saloon doors open, don't is, there's no place to send her, so (I'm blushing as 1 type I would rat call the conducting "amateurish," because brutal and alcoholic? If C"-san is that desperate, worry.) And his f&&k this, it's as hxribly wing as that) she even has to that word implies love for one's art "Incompetent" is was a well-thought-out solution that masochistic, she's material for Jerry Springer or an to a very problematic opera So what the fuck happened Ifsten to her husband sin g "Addio forito asil." Even in closer. ABC move of the week. But who wants to sit through an to Buttedlj? 1904 that runt count as mental cruelty. We're eh opera about her? 1 day wordering if poor Trouble isn't entering a very Prediction: a restaging by a staff sage director. del Del Monaco' 7 dysfunctional family indeed. And all because of an Monaco takes his name off the production. Routine s intent seems clear enough - he wanted a At least the treatment of Pinkerton seems thought-out a f insoluble bleclim problend triumphs. q0 -10099^- use Od` With political correctness at its Mussorgsky in the role of tIae w height 1 erjl flung , it was only a matter of unappreciated artist and his critics r Weyta CG Mud will b e I time before a similar form of as reactionarv conservarivPS _14 ,.^ 1, .07 p NW revisionism maoe its way into the r Mussorgsky ' s later version of of the modern Cult of Faust legend . The Rake's L performance of classical music . Boris ^s from this ;. has rightly been hailed as a ^° l Facelessness, Ramey has no right Progress draws freely i The symphonies of Mozart , ry tale of the frustrated i4 groundbreaking composition of I to criticize his great predecessor cautiona U Beethoven and even Brahms are barbaric splendor , but his original scholar who sells his soul to the C routinely " r for histrionic talents himself ^ rescued" from the is not so much primitive as it is Devil in hopes of learning the philistine practices of 19th lacks. amateurish . y the presence of meaning of spiritual fulfillment. century Romanticism by period Undeterred b Seen September 27, Samuel his more-famous colleague, bass Avoiding the sharply delineated i instrument specialists . Ramey was in characteristically i Dimitri Kavrakos walked off with view of Christian good and evil Musicologists now enjoy a vogue exasperating form as Czar Boris. by supplying that characterizes earlier versions usually reserved for select } the evening's honors Blessed with prodigious vocal ^• resplendently sung of the legend, Stravinsky says maestros. Operas are slavishly an idiomatic, resources, Ramey evinced none of 's narratives. something quite unique about the performed today in the native ^i account of Pimen the interpretative imagination and in a large cast need for striking Satanic wagers. tongue of the composer -- Also noteworthy insight that used to be considered were Patrick Denniston, a Wisely compassionate, regardless of whether the singers a sine qua non of any bass Stravinsky' s view of mortal folly or their audiences are versed in promising new tenor, as the performing the title role. Ramey' s is exquisitely mirrored in W. H. that language. In short, Pretender Dimitri and Vladimir received cantabile phrasing illuminated Auden's haunting text. Seen tradition of any sort has become OQ Ognovenko, outrageously lewd, many of the domestic episodes, . Glamour queens October 19, Lyric Opera's suspect. as Varlaam Progress but his by now customary doubtlessly missed the Polish act production of The Rake 's As with most well-intentioned flaunting of a well-developed splendidly captured its creators ' causes , fanatical forces seem with its primping mezzo-soprano chest was no substitute for regal (remember delicate Mignon insight into the sadness of the determined to hijack the charisma . Perhaps the restraint of Dunn?) and hunky ballet boys in human condition. authenticity movement. Lyric Ramey' s characterization was part As the hapless rake Tom, tenor Opera of Chicago's opening night the polonaise but Catherine of the evening's corrective, Mistress of the Inn Jerry Hadley demonstrated why production of Mussorgsky's Boris Cook s earthy mission, but it was impossible to was some compensation. he has become so renowned in Godunov is a case in point . ta k e the megastar seriously as a Stein Winge's stage direction this role. Although not fully Having already mounted both the larger-than-life ruler driven mad b ' recovered from a sinus ailment thoroughly y Yr was unnecessarily busy : having discredited Rimsk Y - guilt and self-recrimination . that plagued him on the opening ,Q , the Simpleton privy to everything Korsakov edition and the In an interview with the night of this performance , Hadley thecomposer's own a ^>I that transpired onstage ruined the 1872s n revision of Chicago Tribune, Ramey stated was admirable in every way. Rich the opera , lyric has now o . '*. S' a concentrated effect Mussorgsky pted to that he had been turned off byb the 2r Yt . character in dynamic variety , his singing perform Mussorgsky' s 1869 " ^ intended this prophetic screaming of the late Martti '4i, Q^ never sacrificed diction to original -- a decision prompted by to have. Bruno Bartoletti's Talvela's in his frequent traversals .^ conducting was attentive to gratuitous displays of tonal the rigid scholarship of the times of th ka;5 e role at the met. Well, 1 pacing and mood. Ultimately splendor. Most importantly, rather than a careful assessment heard many of Talvela' s progress s misguided , Lyric's Boris scores a Hadley made the rake' of strengths and weaknesses performances of Boris in the hollow victory for musical toward ruin and death deeply among all the available materials. 1970s and 80s and recall nothing moving, not simply titillating. The Mussorgsky 's original is little correctness. in his work that would qualify as 11 to"^ audience, obviously spellbound by more t han a glorified rough draft, screaming . What I do remember One of the more delightful bits the depth of his portrayal, sat lacking the contrasts and epic is Talvela's frighteningly intense motionless throughout the Bedlam di of trivia associated with mension of the work it would depiction of the dementia that Any artist capable of later become Stravinsky's The Rake 's Progress scene . . Although the eventually overwhelms Boris, a quelling the fidgety gaucheries of composer was pressured to is that the composer saw the graphically convincing piece of Lyric audiences is deserving of undertake an extensive rewrite of ogarth originals on which the acting that was splendidly offset visiting every accolade. ` Boris, it is presumptuous of by the opera is based while Finnish bass ' tender Chicago's very own Art Institute. As Anne Trulove, soprano Ruth today' s revisionists to cast farewell to his son . As high priest , Although few operas can be said Ann Swenson made something aangerous d/lu rllrfl/• I to have been inspired by paintings memorable of her every utterace. exci ti ' . - - ^s%V or engravings , many works have Blessed with the same engaging it thBQ RpELLO used as their source the medieval vulnerability as the young Victoria n ^f IZ '+ de los Angeles or Mirella Freni, his chamber-sized ensemble. t beloved charms. wrong-headed as Lawrence's Eve Swenson was just as home in the In returning Stravinsky's Heard November 7, Freni's Harrington act. Worst of all, lyrical sentiment of her final masterpiece to the city that gave re astoundingly well-preserved Bruno Bartoletti 's conducting was lullaby as the coloratura fireworks it birth, Lyric Opera scored its first soprano caressed the ear with the an embarrassingly senile affair: of the show-stopping cabaletta, unqualified triumph of the season. ^^C?b same warm , sunny, thoroughly tempos were set and maintained go to him. A word to the wise, idiomatic sound that has delighted with appalling inconsistency. c Egadl Is a verismo opera revival though, Ruth Ann: lay off the Chicago audiences for }three Still, Freni, beautifully framed by a Taco Bell. (Can y ' all believe that upon us? Giordano 's Fedora, a generations. Always a fin de siecle prime representative of the "slice production borrowed recent CD cover for EMIT sympathetic and touching figure from La Scala, redeemed all. May of life" movement in late Italian "Positively Golden "? It should on stage, Freni was surprisingly she and others of her calibre a work loathed by critics have been called " Positively opera, effective in her embodiment of continue to bring us the best of Divine ." The only thing lacking for its melodramatic excesses and ; the virago aspects of the princess verismo. was the Meyerbeer arrangement loved by audiences for its well- Fedora, who pursues her fiance 's of "These hips were made for spring of melody, has resurfaced e'd murderer with ferocious zeal. Speaking of the best of bllssln'.") at Lyric Opera after .an almost 35- I e Given the dearth of quality verismo, a weekend jaunt to While ultimately unvaried, bass year hiatus . At that time , vocal ' sopranos emerging from Italy in Washington, D.C. allowed me to Samuel Ramey's characterization giants Renata Tebaldi , Giuseppe di j^ recent years, Freni 's portrayal hear Giordano's better-known of the demonic agent Nick Stefano and Tito Gobbi were on 4rt glowed like unearthed treasure Andrea Chenier in a concert Shadow was arresting for its hand to breathe life into an opera, a 3 from a long-dead culture. Indeed, version by the Washington world-weary dimension and like Puccini's Tosca, based on a nothing quite so authentic and Concert Opera . Modelled on Eve deadpan humor . As Baba the "well-made" play by Victorien (D glamorous as the autumnal Freni Queler's Opera Orchestra of New Turk, Felicity Palmer 's pungent Sardou for his favorite faghag, has graced the Lricyn stage ai York, this organization currently mezzo-soprano riveted attention Sarah Bernhardt. Crammed full of ^►^ long time. A stupendous presents two operas a season in almost as much as her flowing historical detail , cloak-and-dagger performance. the intimate Lisner Auditorium on beard. intrigue, and extravagant plot Alas, Freni was on her own for the George Washington University Graham Vick's direction, developments worked out with most of the evening, receiving campus. This season began with abetted by designer Richard almost mechanical efficiency, precious little support from her Bellini's Norma (starring Nelly Hudson's riotous color schemes Fedora requires interpreters ,; HA 11 colleagues . Overly hyped, Miriciou) and concluded in and provocative costume choices, capable of life-or-death Domingo-protege Jose Cure October with two performances sometimes encouraged an commitment to make sense of its 4 revealed an underwhelming tenor of Giordano 's Andrea Chenier. unnecessary vulgarity in both high-octane theatricality. ^bt afflicted with all sorts of vocal Heard October 8, the Giordano performers and audience. On the It is precisely this need for llaS a: deficiencies, the most annoying of was made notable by the first- other hand, who would want to performers blessed with c- which was a recurring tendency ever appearances of Ben Heppner forego to sight of Gweneth Bean distinctive and individual dramatic 7 t to sing off-pitch. Tall, dark and in the title role and Diana Soviero as Mother Goose sauntering out in gifts that has kept interest in the 'handsome, Cura has an ass that as Maddalena di Coigny. merry widow, pink feather verismo operas on low-flame since toJ could melt butter but it did not To record collectors weaned on miniskirt and stiletto heels? (For the heyday of Tebaldr and . , dispel the stolid impression made Gigh, Del Monaco and Corelli, the first time in Lyric history, cries company. Fortunately, after a x by his acting. Too bad the opera Heppner's poet may have lacked of "Big and beautiful , girl!" and depressing reign of faceless, was not reset in the Renaissance: idiomatic flavor but he never "Work it!" resounded through the plastic and drab divas (you know tenors in tights often reveal relied on stock sobbing and Civic Opera House.) Overall, Vick who they are), the emergence of sizable endowments of a different macho strutting to make his moved the action along with a number of volatile veristas kind. points . Using Bjoerling and Gedda clarity and simplicity. The (Agnes Baltsa, Maria Guleghina, Cynthia Lawrence had the daft as his models , Heppner sang with decision to transfer the Bedlam Diana Soviero) has made the brilliance required for the flighty intelligence, his vocal line clean scene from the notorious prospect of encountering Fedora Countess Olga but seemed yet ardent . Heppner ' s tenor is not madhouse to the pastoral in opera houses throughout the hellbent on upstaging Freni--a all of a piece, being comprised of landscapes of Tom's demented world a reality again . Lyric's tasteless display of dubious a beautifully compact and ringing mind was a telling one. Playing choice for its recent production artistic intentions and poorly upper register and an the important keyboard solos from was the ever-adorable Mirella I contained ego. No one expected unsupported, nasal bottom. the podium , conductor Dennis Freni. At 60, Freni demonstrated Jonathan Summers as De Siriex to Nevertheless , Heppner Russell Davies elicited the once more that age cannot wither be another Gobbi but his commanded the sweeping phrases requisite crispness of attack from her well-known and rightly persistent tastefulness was as of his famous arias and suggested &1,,# q -- ree sex is going to be involved in the arts. Even the Mae U, the rarely encountered sexual his singer's needs but allowed too ambiguity that underscores this many indulgent tempos. a We character (just what is the scoop Washington Concert Opera is a between Chenier and his hinging fascinating company and I will buddy, Roucher, anyway? As follow their future progress with Chenier tells Maddalena , 'Ours is interest. a love of souls.' Hmmm.) -- EWO BORDELLO Soviero's Maddalena served r.3 a ijuL -b- notice that the red-hot momma species is not yet extinct . OGvero and Scotto queens chattered gleefully at intermission about this new verismo goddess and Soviero, already renowned for her Puccini heroines, seems destined to join the ranks of those legendary divas who specialize in angoscia and disperata. After carefully nurturing her lyric voice on countless Violettas and Mimis, Soviero now possesses the interpretative maturity and amplitude of voice to undertake heavier repertoire. In the famous La mamma morta, her phrasing was glorious, the words drenched with feeling, with the movement of Maddalena's narrative shaped by an innate gift for rubato. In the big duets with Heppner, Soviero alternated pianissinw Silo MM W&MR phrases of heartstopping loveliness with outpourings of firm MUSIC DIRECTOR/accompanist for New ORera surrmrer 93. richness in forte climaxes. Unlike Theater's Tosco. Performances early Performers are ukwsmamUld working. Some the risibly elephantine (if well- pay. Call sung) portrayals of Milanov, Farrell and Caballe, Soviero made ESTABLISHED WORKSHOP COMPANY seeks venues for free petfotraaices of Adriam the character' s progression from Lecouvreur (May) MW Flpm (July). Call 917- callous girl to generous woman deeply moving. PATRON WANTED for aspiring, but Italian baritone Michele Porcelli extraordinarily talented (and kinds humpy. too) ,, tried valiantly as Gerard to ti young draantic Kom. I have the voice. but need compete with these two the time and the finds go explore and develop it in parterre box is about its fullest -- word processing just doesn't cut it. heavyweights, but relentless Z Please take me out of my We of drudgery aid rezt embering when forcing of his basically attractive 3 help me perfect my &W If iitemsied, call 212- ► instrument left him almost opera was queer and ; . voiceless by the opera's end. The dangerous and others, including Metropolitan 4.; If You have any 'siwatim' you'd like to have ,r,l exci ti nq and making 3 Opera comprimaria Margaret I listed here, contact Flit. 77us is a tree service ill u aq our readers. (Please keep sds - a reasonable it that way again. Lattimore as Bersi, were a length. Pe reserves the right to edit all arts, - o'l competent lot. General director especially more comaining wrtxularty exp;cit Mdu Stephen Crout was sensitive to sexual t onteat (cc-yowl uh-hubt).1 ; z=' Ia- fir-7so- M114 CL) ^ A p. p J ' UMM . 6. . L.- it is. But who should have been a screwm, Iwt is well, it is what etter understoodTosca's titter the scene fizzled, despite a few has b Her costume was no horror at the discovery that fief good gags. if a lie- that real life has no broad cues out or art is help-- this . Vera/ Ira chiffon. She made up real shape or meaning eau-de-nil en else have for it in the Rosenkavalier trio, doesn't spare us. Wh literally bar- that though-- the Maltese falcon could you seen a 105-Ca makes the mendacity of La his verse from scratch. Because with C,od2 J Crespin lessons in singing and gaining Gran Scena Opera di New York she doesn' t care what he has to give Vera's idiosyncratic phrasing t ^ nothing less than a revelation. In Dietrich lessons in blasee . Oh, say. ("But enough about you!") is oddly heroic; it's like she's the what is rumored to what anOrtrud she would make! by their New Now, when " real' singers do composer of 'Vissi d'arter' not York farewell, those darn divas Marion worked better. It was this duet, they try to play the Puccini. Like Scotto and Olivero celebrated their thirteenth(!) all about La Gran Scena's first and meaning of the text-- flirtation, before her, La Dementia under- year with an evening of de- avoidance, consummation. best gag-- the tension between But portrayal. stands that life is just raw mate. lightful subversion. this Semiramide and Arsace play performance and more: rial until style gives it shape. It's And subvert they did. At the the subtext inherent (What interests Marion in the music : of a purely vocal message: murder is November 27 performance, t h e this pair don't--can't feel any- luring Des Grieux with promises her public with easy, pianissimo high G is hard. comedy was sharper and harder thing for each other. Self-love is sex or bewitching A final word: thank you, Gran than I ever saw it before. Some endless pianissimi?) all these two chunks of cardboard Scena, for slipping a little more very serious messages indeed lurk can And Vera Galupe-Borszk does muster. "He" is confidently out of the closet. Whatever the behind these girls' slapstick. clueless; "she" impetuously cal- nothing less than epitomize the Ira Siff sexual preferences of the artists "We are in Babylon," an- culating dichotomy that is diva. (and you could cut your- , involved (I believe they are a l l nounced SN•Ivia Bills in introduc- self on her jawline!) has seen and heard it all (well It's as much with flu happily married family men), ing "Serbami ognor" from Semi- (tin -is a Keanu Reeves / Valentina almost-- he was in bed attitude is queerer than rarnitic 's Met fare- their . Are we ever! Here's a guy Cortese Sweet Bird of Youth, and the night of Fremstad confronta- Ley la queer- tough, sassy, pretending to bea diva pretending somehow uplifting: if an airhead well); he knows more than to be a Queen in love with a guy like her can get a job as Gencer's therapist does about the tional. Queen of we opera Please, Gran Scena, let this be pretending to bea woman pretend- Babylon, there' burden of expectation We need s hope for all of us. Vera only yo^^mthafarewell. ing to be her son . The casting alone Or consider Gabriella Tonnoz- queens heap upon our idols. . iMiry a4UA ..,.-- , -- is a primer on gender confusion. iti-Casseruola's decisive evidence is pnysicany r.ri. W H And Babylonian indeed was that beautiful voice and beautiful '^s' ' N• -A N Ct Philene Wannelle and Mirella singing aren't at all the same Frenzi 's excursion into fabu- thing. Keith Jurosko mimics the lousness via Rossini 's endless cracked tone and hit-or-miss roulades. Just when you think the breath support of the elderly Queen has nothing more to say, diva, but what music he makes of she restates her case once more, parasite. seeks The first Rose of Srrnnner! Could with even more elaborate decora- even Adelina Patti (obviously one tion. Eventually we realize she of )urosko's role models) ever have had nothing much to say in the sung with such a combination of host organism first case. She just loves to hear exquisite control and natural It's tough producing a newsletter without W herself talk ( sing). At great expression? And who living today length a word processor she comes to a full cadence can give such lovely shape to a . Won't you help me? Let (as if to say, - Rut, enough about simple tumor mordent? me use your computer and laser printer for me... " ). But the train of musical No, not everything was per- . a few hours each month and together we thought has ground to a halt; as feet... surely the massively self- far as she's concerned, if Arsace -1j can reform the world of opera . confident Carmelita delta Vacca- ^ t Beep me has something to say, he can start Browne in full grovel as Amneris tlfa anytime: JNNNN^M A. • • , 0 ` is going to be involved in the arts. Even the t 6' -r A ~^\ shows, where C1e P reUlUtN • l,yeat Arena di Verona will feature ` E1. Come up and Ghena Dimitrova as 1W IJ r18 `, . ^ .* I ; it , ^yy Joan Crawford ' and Cecelia Gasdia as "Christina." JanuaryTaking a leaf from Robin Givens' book, Further casting is not set, but rumor 1 has it the cameo role of "Bette Davis" has been erstwhile ingenue Kathleen Battle (remember offered to 'Mara Zampieri. August her?) will make a dazzling comeback as a sexy "bad : John Corigliano's 7 L success at second-guessing Mozart ((Ghosts of Versailles) girl" in such roles as Manon, Lulu, Violetta and will lead to his attempt at a sequel to Madama Butterfly. Rizzo (Grease). February: Piaygid will enjoy a significant The opera will be set on a lush Pac fic island where "crossover' success when Thomas Hampson bares all in a . Butterfly's son becomes the protege of a bisexual American pictorial entitled 'Forward Placement." Sales of the mag will :y composer-conductor. Working title: Trouble in Tahiti. soar after the enveiling in Times Square of a billboard September: Shocker! Leonle Rysanek will featuring the baritone clad in a Calvin pain jockstrap. announce that she and Dorothy Loudon are the Release of his new all-Grieg CD "ich liebe mich'will coincide with the debut of Hampson's Saturday morning cartoon i same person, explaining, "This sort of thing happens' show (which also features his little buddy Jerry Hadley). all the time. When have you ever seen Regina March: Hildegard Behrens, Brigitte co Resnik and Cyril Ritehard together?" October: I ^" j'"After being named People's "Sexiest Man in the World," it's Fassbiinder and Jessye Norman will join what is Tam ^ ^ left of their forces to form an all -giriz band called o downhill all the way for Dn*ri Hvorostovsky when he's .' , 4 arrested for beating up a sailor in a gay-for-pay bar in San 'T1iE VOLUPTUOUS HORROR OF JUNE AIRDIERSOF 4 Francisco. In return for charges being dropped, the Apdt Soi-disont Wunderkind Peter Selars will once more kitco baritone will agree to performing community service (i.e., •^ attempt to shock the world by commissioning Quentin ,being auctioned off for charity at the International Mr. n to create an updated text for Humperdinck's Tarantino Drummer 195 competion .) November: Marilyn Ag Hdnsel and Gretel. Look for Dwayne Croft to star as composer Ezra Laderman will take his shot at L _ •Aaffrav nnhmou" May: A -vala at Alice Tullv Hall will ?a international fame with his opera buffa Absolutely launch a new designer fragrance from Maria Fabulous. The Met's lavish Colin Graham Ewing, "Wg Mac6A of Alask: Sir Peter Hall Q C5 production is scheduled to feature Carol Vaness himself created the slogan: "Most of the time you ^?j (Patsy) and Cheryl Studer (Edina). After they O. can't smell it. And even when you can, it's like a bad cancel, the roles will be taken by Patricia imitation of a cat in heat. But what an actress!" 2e Schuman and Lauren Flanagan, dooming the June: Andrew Lloyd Webbees tenure as Artistic Director of _ • the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, will last exactly six opera to instant oblivion. December. Fans of Maria Callas " weeks: he will leave In a huff after Bernard Haftk protests will rejoice to hear that the ghouls at EMI will exhume v , the casting of Glenn Close as Bellini's Norma. In his yet another CD's worth of material La Divina refused to ^ ` ^^y defense, fans of the billionaire composer will point with okay while she was alive. The disc, tentatively entitled Over . pride to the one new production of Lloyd Webber% Her Dead Body, will include such collector's items as incumbency: EBjoh Moshinaky's staging of Flotow's Martha =_'Hernando's Hideaway" (duet with Pier-Paolo Pasollini) and several Verdi rarities (performed live in John Ardoin's starring Felicity Loft and Dennis Off. July: Cilea's will be heard after shower.) The cover of the album will feature an original "lost" opera Mamma carissima Tom of Finland drawing of leather-clad opera queens decades of justified neglect. A lavish revival at the grovelling at the foot of a Greek Orthodox cross on which La Callas is Impaled. F t is got were singing in. Hampson did a little bit out because of early reviews complaining better . But it was von Stade who turned the that the male gymnasts, who cavorted on I NEVER WILL FORGET night into a total' personal triumph. jungle gyms throughout the opera, wore Amazingly, you could understand every white bikini briefs, while the nuns that they word she sang . It was possible, whenever it raped during the final orgy scene were SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Each autumn, You know it's a had night at Macbeth when was her turn, to look down from the totally nude . The curious flocked to see if ►1. 1 those opera queens who live in the Central the most the most applause and the only supertitles and watch her. this was true, and the answer was "yes" and 1 States must decide which coast to fly to for cheers go to Macduff, sung by Li. .yes." their opera clusters. Sometimes, we splurge and do both coasts, but this year, the little Trovatore was of the same level. In fact, Our final opera was the by-now-famous ' coven we travel with voted to eschew for a moment I thought 1 was at the Met. Trip #2 was much better. - Mefistofele production with Ramey in the'f Lincoln Center completely and go to San Millo had been indisposed for the first three title role. He was loud, virile, and Francisco twice: once in late September and performances, but showed up at the fourth, We saw the first performance of Massenet's spectacular. Margison, although a very again in early November. We saw seven which we attended. She tried Milanov rare Herodiade, with Domingo as John the bulky young man, produced a big sound `operas and did we ever have a lark! Grand Posturing at the footlights, but did Baptist sounding better than I've heard him with good high notes that suggest maybe he not have the Milanov Grand Vocalism to sound in 15 years . It made me long to hear can take over when Pavarotti steps down. The high point of trip number one was the accompany it. She cheated during her first him do La Juive as soon as possible. Miss Millo thrilled some of the house with her Rossini Otello with Chris Merritt flouncing cadenza and omitted the high notes, Zajick was even kinder and stronger as Prison Scene acting and singing. Carol around the stage like Little Richard at the remaining tentative for the subsequent hour. Wrodiade, although, like Verdi's Don; Neblett ; was not in good voice, but looked Court of Versailles, making bizarre sounds She did the standard butchered version of Carlo, she suffers the fate of being a title stunning as Helen of Troy. The chorus was which can only he described as those a the role: one verse of the first cabaletta. character whose music is weaker than all of amazing, whether as angels, townsfolk,' rooster must make while being castrated. neither verse of the Act IV cabaletta . the co-stars', so its easy for her to get lost devils, or Greeks. As devils, the men wore Some of his Squawks above High Screech However, during the middle of the >7I; in the shuffle. body stockings with very realistic-looking, must have hurt him more than they did us. Miserere , everything suddenly clicked for dangling genitalia that had many an opera Visually, things were quite bizarre. There her and she started giving us great voice. Miss Fleming was back as Salornk, and was glass steaming up. was a giant golden lion that came down like temperament, fire, and presentation. The quite good, especially in the fabulous love a pinata and dominated the stage for two duet with baritone Gavanelli was actually duet that ends Act 1, but I kept wishing I For some bizarre reason, during the curtain -acts. When we went to Desdemona's exciting. I found myself applauding. could hear a more vohtptuous voice sing the calls it was Neblett, not Millo, who went to bedroom for Act 3, the audience hooted in role. Juan Pons, as H6rod, did not have the the wings to bring out conductor Julius delight to find this giant lion positioned atop The show was stolen , however, by Miss best of nights. He was under-voiced and Rudel. I didn't understand the protocol of it the enormous walk-in bed, holding parts of Zajick, who was so loud, strong and pallid, which was a shame because H6rod all, but then I seldom do. the mosquito netting in his mouth like thick domineering that she blew everyone else off seems to have the opera's most gorgeous strands of saliva . Cecilia Gasdia then tried the stage. I kept telling people she had to music to sing . I kept wishing Milnes (circa After this matinee, we were able to rush two to sing the Willow Song, but the wrong be miked in order to sound that loud. But 1978) was singing the role. blocks to the east to see Monserrat CabaII6 mood had already been established. they correctly reasoned that, if miking were get out of a town car to enter a record shop involved, it would have been attached to All that delirious saxophone and clarinet for an autograph signing session . The small For those who may not have known the Mr. Armiliato, whose Manrico was weak obligato made me fear syphilis of the ear. mob awaiting her cheered her more than story of Otello, there were mime characters and often inaudible. During the single The sets and costumes were lavish. Miss Millo or Neblett had been cheered, which on stilts acting out the story during any non- intermission, we buzzed excitedly about the Zajick looked like she stepped out of a proved something about yesterday versus vocal interludes . For these excesses, the low-lying white clouds with giant brown DeMille Hollywood epic. The three ballets today. production team got booed during the final chopsticks in them which dominated the seethed appropriate and Domingo got curtain call . One local wag was quoted Convent Scene. I'm still waiting for an cheered to the rafters (or rather to that During our second trip, we encountered accurately as saying , "if this had been the explanation. bizarre "earthquake safety netting" that other opera queens who breathlessly shared Verdi Otello, it would have been OJ and keeps plaster from falling on the audience). with us some rumors of next season's Nicole, but since it's the Rossini, they The most interesting part of the first trip This was a high glamour night the Met repertoire for War Memorial; we feel we a turned it into Michael Jackson and Lisa was Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons, wishes it could do. will probably eschew the Met again next Marie." We laughed. which locals wanted to cheer about. autumn , since we really want to see i Bolena,^ Unfortunately, it merely made me want to Then we saw Prokofiev 's The Fiery Angel Thomas' Hamlet, Anna That trip also involved a Verdi Macbeth go out and rent the Glenn Close video as with Galina Gorchakova roaring her way Cenerentola, and Russian and Ludmilla, tPwith the witches doing slo-mo bungee soon as I got back home. through what must be the most difficult which I don't believe the Met will be doing,- Gjumping into the most minimal of sets. marathon soprano role in twentieth century next season. ,-James Morris, who would have been better Although sung in English, supertitles were opera . Her Renata was amazingly riveting cast as Banquo, instead made an attempt at projected to let us know what the characters . t and admirable. Our performance was asell- - RICHARD BREATH & PFTER HUNTER the title role, without comfortable high notes were saying, and -- boy! -- did we need or much success. Dame Gwyneth Jones was s rt1 them! You couldn't even tell what language t^tj; w in such dreadful voice that what applause (if any) Renee Fleming and Mary Mills 14 she did receive must have been out of pity. The Banquo was Robert Lloyd. Y^a JL{',ANK1"TLi' 1VlAl;LV1VA1L004111 I was often home idE and `lonely at t, t t was } use my roommate commued to snake connections with airli ne pilots. She wasn't the only can member who found „n a.. u,ur. its we went around the country, a kx of the men and women in the cast began pairing 4 and I suppose I found that slightly scandal- ous. 1 was a nice Jewish girl, and in those days nice Jewish girls lived at home with their parents and mimmed virgins until they gm marred My idea of a big evewag was an occasional dinner out with my roommate and Jimmy , who sang in the chorus, and Frank, my leading man. We'd order two ink dinners and split them four ways,, and then absc ond with an the rolls in the bread basket Jimmy knew how lonely I was as a result of my roommate nightly 's ' excursions, so he took it upon himself to inform Mama of5 what was going on. My mother was very grateful and wound up hiring him as chaperone. _ It didn't take me long to discover that Jimmy and Frank were gay. It was the first time I'd ever come into contact with homosexual- ity, which was still very much in the close thew. Nobody talked about it at a11 Jimmy and Frank trusted me, and I liked them a lot They `.u their friends were very cozy people, and made a point of including m in all their parties. W those days, shoe was an underground netwolx of homosexuals, and they took care of their own. Very few of the gay men stayed in hotels; wherever we went, they had friends to stay with. Jimmy never failed to invite me to their friends' houses, and boy, did they have splendid hunitute. My initial impression was that homosexuals had a natural -2 &ift for finding the best places to shop.