Opera Today

It is with fascination that I avail myself of the fruits of modern technology.

Practically immediately after they finished singing it, Coloraturafan posted a film of a concert version of Verdi's Otello from Cincinnati, starring singers I was not familiar with but whose names I had heard:  Gregory Kunde, Tamara Wilson and Egils Silins.  It turned out to be exciting and beautifully sung.

And now I am listening to an audio of Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala in Lohengrin in Dresden.  This performance also included Evelyn Herlitzius as Ortrud.  I'm only about halfway through it, but Anna's diction is excellent.  Sunday's performance was on Wagner's birthday, so afterward they all appeared in the square and sang a bit for the crowds.  He's very good, but she is astounding.  No one gets that much intensity into her singing.  It is my suspicion that Netrebko wanted to do a traditional Lohengrin.  It was a small price to pay.

And then there is the "O sole mio" by Cecilia Bartoli, performed as an encore to a recital in Bad Kissingen just a couple of days ago with the theme Melodie italiane.  We should all have noticed that as she approaches her 50th birthday, she has finally done crossover. 

I might want to also have a life.