Wolf-Ferrari I gioielli della Madonna

[adriano]

Thanks, Alan :-)
There is a small addendum - which has nothing to do with criticism: I just learn from a Bratislava manager that the recording was done with the Radio Symphony just because the Opera Orchestra had refused to record the piece with Haider. They may have been offended after Haider had resigned for the end of this season because of the budget shortenings I've mentioned earlier in this thread. Haider was mad to hear that the Philharmonic was given 1,5 million more and 600'000 were taken away from the Opera. Well, this is not the only Theatre getting such suprises... If we go on like this, suppose that in a few years there will be just one Opera House per nation. And music lovers who cannot travel or pay high ticket fees, just go to a cinema and watch a direct TV broadcast... Here in Zurich we already have a cinema offering such programs.
And, as far as Mr. Kim, the tenor of the Bratislava CD is concerned, he will not be singing on the cpo recording for sure: his Naxos contract says that he is not allowed to record this part again over a period of 5 years. Did cpo know about this recording? They even may, perhaps, withdraw from the idea of issuing another "Gioielli" now there is already a new one - and available at such cheap price!

[Alan Howe]

An interesting thought. I wonder who's understudying for Kim in Freiburg?

[adriano]

They should be called to suggest Montero :-)
Incidentally, the Wolf-Ferrari symphonic opera excerpts CD, conducted by Neville Marriner (EMI, 1992,) is very beautiful and recommendable! It also contains a suite of "Gioielli".
And nobody should miss to listen to WF's oratorio "La Vita Nuova"! A real masterwork. It was recorded by Koch-Schwann in 1994. Three years before, the same label produced another recommendable CD with WF's "Idillio Concertino" (Obeo, 2 Horns and strings) and the Concertino for English Horn, 2 Horns and Strings.
Having to deal with WF these days in this forum, I rediscover quite a few jewels in my CD collection! :-)

[Gareth Vaughan]

I agree most heartily about "La Vita Nuova" - a gloriously moving piece. I was amazed when I heard it first, and it gives me great pleasure every time I play the CD.

[Alan Howe]

Oh dear. Something else for the list...

[adriano]

 

[Ebubu]

It seems there has been a change in the Freiburg cast, and that Mr. Kim will not sing the rôle of Gennaro anymore, and will be replaced by Hector Lopez-Mendoza.
It also seems to me that the Freiburg production will be sung in german, and not in italian (thus the title "Der Schmuck der Madonna")

http://www.theater.freiburg.de/index/TheaterFreiburg/Monatsspielplan.html?SpId=75488

[adriano]

Excellent news! That the piece will be sung in German is, in the case of Wolf-Ferrari, quite normal. He himself insisted that his operas should be sung in both languages - and some of them were first performed in German anyway. In other words, he took particular care to write his vocal lines suitable for both languages. WF, like Martucci, Sgambati and Busoni, felt himself a bi-cultural spirit. Last but not least, his real name was Hermann Friedrich Wolf, his father was Bavarian, his mother Italian. In the 1930 he psychically suffered very much, by seeing his two beloved countries taken over by Nazis and Fascists.
My friend Laureto Rodoni has some interesting info on his WF website:
http://www.rodoni.ch/busoni/wolfbusoni/
and there is an offical site too (presumably done by Friedrich Haider)
http://www.wolf-ferrari.com/

[Alan Howe]

I don't think it'll be sung in German: it's simply that the opera is known by its German title in Germany. In England it's known as 'The Jewels of the Madonna', but does that mean it'd be sung in English?
Evidence, for anyone with good ears, here:
http://www.swr.de/swr2/kultur-info/kultur-regional-musik-der-schmuck-der-madonna-theater-freiburg/-/id=9597116/did=17071258/nid=9597116/ryym0r/index.html

[Ebubu]

Oh, OK, Alan.  However I think I presumed that (it was sung in german) because I had SEEN it written somewhere (maybe on the Freiburg program brochure ?), but now I can't seem to find it.

[Alan Howe]

It was definitely sung in Italian, as this quote from the the review by Jochen Rüth confirms:

"...wie die italienisch gesungene Premiere dieser wahren Opernrarität vor nahezu ausverkauftem Großen Haus des Theaters Freiburg am gestrigen Abend zeigte."
http://www.deropernfreund.de/freiburg-12.html

[Alan Howe]

...and the tenor, Hector Lopez-Mendoza, sounds extremely promising:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNEN6EFx0vs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_bMFqUfyhA
Wow!!

[adriano]

Good to know, thanks Alan. I perused various reviews, but not that one - and even the promotional site of the Freiburg House does not mention this; so why on earth they do not use the original Italian title? They have done "Francesca da Rimini", so they should alss translate this into "Francesca von Rimini" :-)
Looking at the productions photos, once more one has to deal with a typical "Deutsches Regietheater" ejaculation, of which I have seen dozens everywhere and of which I am tired since decades... To set up a piece "psychologically" (as they always call it) and transport it into another epoch with some extra shrill ideas is much easier than to study the music and the libretto and to find out what's all in there. All has to be effectful and colorful...

[Alan Howe]

Thank goodness there won't be a DVD, then!

[Ebubu]

Looking at the productions photos, once more one has to deal with a typical "Deutsches Regietheater" ejaculation

Yeah, it was the same Kirsten Harms who attempted to ruin the Königin von Saba production....
But at least, in Freiburg, they seem to have a knack for discovering promising talents and giving them chances !!!

Anyway, I'm going back to Freiburg in June, to hear 1 or 2 performances of these "Jewels" along with a performance of Boïto's Mefistofele (and then on to Bielefeld, for a Sondheim Little Night Music).  In Freiburg, my only disappointmoint so far has been a rather terrible Sweeney Todd.