Pierre Brévignon has written a book in French about the American composer Samuel Barber, Samuel Barber: Un nostalgique entre deux mondes.

Pierre Brévignon a interviewé des chanteurs qui ont particulièrement défendu Barber au disque (Gerald Finley, Roberta Alexander, Barbara Hendricks…) mais aussi ceux qui ont eu le privilège de créer ses œuvres, comme Martina Arroyo, la première à avoir interprété Andromache's Farewell, ou Tom Krause, créateur de la cantate The Lovers. Ne manque à l’appel que Fischer-Dieskau, pour qui furent conçues les 3 Songs, op. 45, dernier cycle de mélodies du compositeur.

Ce livre se lit fort agréablement, et les nombreuses analyses musicales n'y rebutent pas le lecteur non-musicologue.

–Laurent Bury, “The Misfit,” forumopera.com

“November brings the Philharmonia Orchestra and its acclaimed conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen to Avery Fisher Hall. On November 18, Maestro Salonen leads the orchestra in Mahler’s Symphony No. 9. November 19 is a concert performance of Berg’s searing tragic opera Wozzeck. English baritone Simon Keenlyside sings the title role. The role of Marie, his wife, will be sung by German soprano Angela Denoke, who received wide acclaim opposite Keenlyside in the Paris National Opera production of the opera in 2008.”–Lincoln Center press release

Because of illness, Simon Keenlyside will be replaced by Lucas Meachem in upcoming performances of Le nozze di Figaro, the Royal Opera House has announced.

The Royal Opera’s production of Verdi’s Macbeth will be released on DVD on 31 January 2012 in the United Kingdom and on 8 February in France. No word yet that I am aware of as to American release.

COMPOSER: Giuseppe Verdi
TITLE: Macbeth
TRACKS: Extra features: Cast gallery / Interviews with Simon Keenlyside / Raymond Aceto and Liudmyla Monastryrska. Rehearsing Macbeth with Antonio Pappano.
ORCHESTRA: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
CONDUCTOR: Antonio Pappano
ARTISTS: Simon Keenlyside, Liudmyla Monastryrska, Raymond Aceto, & Steven Ebel

LABEL: Opus Arte

With Simon Keenlyside making his British role debut, as an athletic, brooding Macbeth and Liudmyla Monastyrska as his Lady, both imperious and subtle, this performance, masterfully conducted by Antonio Pappano, goes far beyond mere sound and fury. ‘…an impressive company showcase, full of moments when chorus and orchestra are at full throttle. Whipped up by Antonio Pappano’s baton, they sound truly thrilling.’ The Guardian.

DVD, amazon.co.uk

DVD, Crotchet Classical Music

DVD, hmv.com

DVD, amazon.fr

Blu-Ray, amazon.co.uk

Blu-Ray, Crotchet Classical Music

Blu-Ray, hmv.com

Blu-Ray, amazon.fr

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Links to reviews of live performances

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Clash hastened Opera Boston’s demise

Leading mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly is used to defying expectations, writes Andrew Clark

I attended a performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra this afternoon at Symphony Hall in Boston.

PROGRAM:

Friday January 6, 2012, at 1:30 p.m.

HAYDN: Symphony no. 88 in G

TURNAGE: “From the Wreckage,” Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra

Håkan Hardenberger, trumpet

–Intermission–

STRAUSS: “Also sprach Zarathustra,” Tone Poem for Large Orchestra, Opus 30

Marco Lehninger was the conductor, filling in for Andris Nelsons who canceled to stay with his wife for the birth of their first child. Lehninger is an assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

I was unhappy with the performance of the Haydn symphony. So as not to tweet anything unkind on the spur of the moment, I tweeted during intermission that maybe I had not been in the mood for the Haydn, but, to be frank, I really think the orchestra’s performance was subpar. It was as if they don’t know what a Haydn symphony, or this one in particular, is supposed to sound like. The performance lacked any sparkle, and it seemed as if the players were not 100% ensemble for some of the ensembles. It also appeared that the conductor was not in control of the orchestra, and I don’t think that would be entirely his fault.

The Turnage trumpet concerto, about fifteen minutes long, was not unpleasant. The soloist first plays a flugelhorn, then a standard trumpet, and finally a piccolo trumpet. What the piece has to offer is largely superficial. I don’t think that repeated listening would yield any additional depth or nuance. The composer came on stage at the end to receive some of the applause. He had not taken part in the pre-concert talk of Robert Kirzinger and Håkan Hardenberger. It was very gracious of Mr. Hardenberger to participate in the talk, and it was a pleasure to hear him.

After intermission came Richard Strauss’s tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra. On the whole I enjoyed it. The orchestra sounded wonderful at times, and never less than OK.

Reviews of the Thursday night performance:

Boston Classical Review

Boston Globe

Boston Musical Intelligencer

Simon Keenlyside is reported to be sick, and will be replaced by Leo Nucci in three performances of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera at the Vienna State Opera this month. Keenlyside was to have made his role debut as Ankarström.

“Eine doppelte Besetzungsänderung gibt es für die anstehenden
Termine von Guiseppe [sic] Verdis ‘Un ballo in maschera’ an der Wiener
Staatsoper: Kammersänger Leo Nucci springt für alle drei
Vorstellungen der Oper für den erkrankten Simon Keenlyside als Graf
Rene Ankarström ein. Zum Auftakt am 12. Jänner ist außerdem
Barbara Haveman anstelle der ebenfalls erkrankten Eva-Maria Westbroek
als Amelia zu sehen. Am Pult wird Philippe Auguin stehen.”–diepresse.com

Chandos is releasing on compact disc a recording of a 1981 performance by the English National Opera of Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande in English. Release date is today January 2, 2012, at amazon.co.uk and later in the month, January 31, 2012, at amazon.com.

“This live BBC broadcast of Claude Debussy's ground-breaking opera Pelléas and Mélisande was recorded at the Coliseum in 1981. The unique performance is now available on CD for the first time, as part of Chandos Opera in English historical series, performed by the English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus under Sir Mark Elder, with the soloists Neil Howlett, Eilene Hannon, and Robert Dean playing out the tragic love triangle.”–from CD description at amazon.co.uk

Anna Netrebko out of Covent Garden Traviata

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