">Forum Views ()
">Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Imported Bruennhilde has some success in Met debut
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Imported Bruennhilde has some success in Met debut
By MIKE SILVERMAN,For The Associated Press AP - Tuesday, April 7
NEW YORK - The eleventh-hour cancellation by esteemed American soprano Christine Brewer left the Metropolitan Opera's season-ending revival of Wagner's "Ring" cycle in crisis.
ADVERTISEMENT
No Bruennhilde, no "Ring." And this isn't just any revival _ it's the final appearance of the 20-year-old ultra-traditional production by Otto Schenk, scorned by some critics but beloved by the Met's well-heeled, conservative audience.
So the company took a desperate gamble, importing Swedish soprano Irene Theorin (i-REN TAY-OR-IN), who had never before sung in the U.S.
It didn't entirely pay off. At Monday night's premiere of "Die Walkuere," Theorin started off weakly, with some shrill "ho-jo-to-hos" and underpowered vocalism in the great Annunciation of Death scene that forms the dramatic heart of Act 2. She improved considerably in Act 3, however, singing with far more command and managing high notes that, if not exactly thrilling, were centered and well-supported and had a glint of the metal that all Bruennhildes need. She moves gracefully on stage and impersonated the girlish warrior maiden as well as anyone since Hildegard Behrens, who sang when the production was new.
As is often the case in this most-popular of the four "Ring" operas, the best singing of the night came from brother-and-sister lovers Siegmund and Sieglinde. The South African tenor Johan Botha has a clarion voice that's also capable of great tenderness and makes one overlook his somewhat awkward stage bearing. Surely Botha is a candidate to take the next step in a few years into the ultimate heldentenor role of Siegfried, titular hero of the next opera in the cycle.
The great German mezzo-turned-soprano Waltraud Meier inhabits the role of Sieglinde with such intensity and rich high notes that her weakened lower register seems a small price to pay. It's astonishing that this is the first time Met audiences have gotten to see her perform the entire role, but better late than never.
The veteran American bass James Morris has been a mainstay as Wotan since this production was launched, and though his vocal powers are diminished, his regal authority and ability to cut through the orchestra at climactic moments are not. Excellent contributions were made, too, by Swiss mezzo Yvonne Naef as Wotan's nagging wife, Fricka, and by the black-voiced English bass John Tomlinson _ long a formidable Wotan himself _ as Sieglinde's cruel husband, Hunding.
James Levine conducted the orchestra with his customary deep feeling for the dramatic sweep as well as the more lyrical and brooding qualities in the score.
The same cast will perform "Die Walkuere" on Saturday afternoon in a performance broadcast on the radio. Theorin sings one performance as Bruennhilde in "Siegfried" on April 18, and after that the role is split between another Swedish soprano, Katarina Dalayman, and American soprano Linda Watson.
When the final curtain comes down on "Goetterdaemmerung" on May 9, the production will be dismantled to make way for a new, presumably more adventurous, "Ring" directed by Robert Lepage that will debut beginning in the 2010-11 season.
___
On the Net:
htttp://http://www.metopera.org
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
0 users recommend
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle
Song-a-day Mann a budding Internet starAFP - 56 minutes ago
Original Beatles digitally remasteredReuters - 1 hour 21 minutes ago
Beatles catalog to be digitally remasteredAP - 1 hour 57 minutes ago
Stars salute Strait as ACM's Artist of the DecadeAP - 2 hours 1 minute ago
Part of 'Cuckoo's' hospital to be saved for museumAP - Wednesday, April 8
Most Popular – Entertainment
Viewed
Journalists get shock with 'sexy' White House call
World's first hands, face transplant
Dubai shrugs off crisis with new budget airline
Explosives chemical found in US baby formula
Fed strikes currency swap deal with central banks
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Tuesday, 7 April 2009 Iran's Ahmadinejad says waiting for U.S. policy change
| International
|
Venezuela cracks down on anti-Chavez leaders
| International
|
Four blasts in India's Assam kill 8 before PM visit
| International
|
Yahoo looks outside its walls with new music service
| Technology
|
Sun tumbles as IBM talks fail, outlook uncertain
| Technology
|
Time Warner laying ground for possible AOL spin
| Technology
|
AP cuts newspaper rates, moves to protect web news
| Technology
|
Two Crichton novels to be published posthumously
| Entertainment
|
Italy finds quake survivors, but hopes fading
| International
|
Japan seeks strong U.N. response on North Korea rocket
| International
|
Seven car bombs kill 37 across Baghdad
Cuba's Raul Castro meets U.S. officials
| International
|
Venezuela's Chavez backs Obama's conflict-free call
| International
|
Series of bombings in Baghdad Shiite areas kill 37
Obama says U.S. is not at war with Islam
Italy quake kills at least 179; scores saved
Israeli police demolish home of Jerusalem attacker
Fed strikes currency swap deal with central banks
Dubai shrugs off crisis with new budget airline
As Iraq rape trial begins, attorneys attack law
Nigeria dismisses U.S. warning of possible attack
| International
|
World's first hands, face transplant
Blair: Skepticism about peace after Netanyahu win
Black Monday in Baghdad as car bombings kill 32
Asian summit to discuss rocket and recession
| International
|
Crisis-hit Russia faces tough year: Putin
Massive earthquake hits off Kuril Islands
| International
|
US automaker Ford slashes debt by 9.9 bln dlrs
Cuba's Raul Castro meets US lawmakers
Salesforce offers customers free service
| Technology
|
Raul Castro meets with 6 visiting US lawmakers
Page first turned on e-book idea long ago
| Technology
|
US fighter jets scramble, chase stolen plane
Labels bet flexibility boosts iTunes sales
| Technology
|
US-TECH Summary
Gates urges 'reform,' cuts in US weapons programs
Salesforce offers customers free mobile service
Obama to wrap up Europe tour
Industries, countries scrap over high-tech metals
Report: Number of attacks on aid workers surges
Tough times for Poles in Ireland
Son says accused nazi guard has illness
Labels bet flexibility boosts iTunes sales
Experts argue if NKorea's launch suggests progress
Page first turned on e-book idea long ago
Chechnya doesn't need independence: Kadyrov
Clinton pressing UN on North Korean launch
Italian rescuers hunt survivors as quake kills 179
NASA astronaut to send Twitter updates
Nazi guard Demjanjuk to fight deportation order
French police find huge ETA explosives cache
Foreign telecom barriers hindering competition: US
AP to take on Web piracy, cut rates
Salesforce offers customers free mobile service
Chris Brown pleads not guilty in Rihanna abuse case
| Entertainment
|
Paul-and-Ringo duet thrills Beatles fans at benefit
| Entertainment
|
Budget-conscious Hollywood in grip of remake fever
| Entertainment
|
Dutch soldier, 4 insurgents killed in Afghanistan
Malaysia to revive caning in schools
Gossip writer out of job after Wolverine review
| Entertainment
|
Fire damages Beijing museum built for Olympics
Unusuals brings offbeat humor to cop drama
| Entertainment
|
Sri Lankan president says rebel myth shattered
Actors union negotiators meet, deal report said premature
| Entertainment
|
US seeks strong response to NKorea rocket launch
China launches sweeping health care reform plan
Khmer Rouge jail chief details torture methods
US: 4 insurgents killed in southern Afghanistan
Budget-conscious Hollywood in grip of remake fever
OneAsia Tour's Pine Valley Beijing Open called off
Jackie Earle Haley to be Freddy in 'Elm St' remake
Thai PM vows to prevent 'civil war'
Breakthrough in Hollywood actors' deadlock: report
Hollywood warns Bollywood on 'Button' remake
S.Korean won ends down 0.6 pct on bank worries
Seoul shares end at new 6-month high; techs up
FACTBOX-S.Korea's $2 bln sovereign bond sale at a glance
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
World Bank: East Asia faces slower growth
Budget-conscious Hollywood in grip of remake fever
Japan's central bank keeps interest rate unchanged
Tehran wall art illustrates peace offensive
Vietnam to raise minimum state salary by 20 pct
Israel hopes pope helps image, brings cash
World Bank: China's recovery could start this year
Paul-and-Ringo duet thrills Beatles fans at benefit
Philippines March inflation slows to 6.4 percent
Miley Cyrus still adjusting to life as a superstar
SKorea-US trade deal could come sooner: advocate
"Unusuals" brings offbeat humor to cop drama
Singing serial killer faces death sentence
Korea Hot Stocks
Gossip writer out of job after "Wolverine" review
Review: `Observe and Report' should cease, desist
Singer Chris Brown denies Rihanna assault
Moldovan protests turn violent after Communist win
| International
|
Israel destroys part of Palestinian attacker's home
Baghdad car bomb kills 9 in Shi'ite area
| International
|
Pakistan, U.S. stress trust, disagree on drones
| International
|
As Iraq rape trial begins, attorneys attack law
Spain sacks economy chief as government struggles
| International
|
Merkel cuts short surprise Afghan trip
Ailing lender RBS to cut up to 9,000 jobs
Peru's Fujimori convicted of human rights crimes
| International
|
Sudan's Bashir vows to try Darfur war criminals
| International
|
Britain's ailing RBS to cut up to 9,000 jobs
Israel carries out missile test: Defense Ministry
| International
|
Hopes for recession turnaround take a hit
Gunman kills one, then self, in German court shooting
| International
|
Shooter kills one, then self at German court
East Asia faces slower growth: World Bank
US seeks strong response to NKorea launch
Obama ends Europe trip with tour of Istanbul mosque
Obama: Accord on climate will be tough
Australia to invest $31 billion in broadband
| Technology
|
Castro welcomes US lawmakers
Google helps, not hurts newspapers, executive says
| Technology
|
Australia to build $31 billion broadband network
At least two dead in German court shooting
Scuffles as London police end Tamil demo
Chris Brown pleads not guilty in Rihanna abuse case
| Entertainment
|
China moves to make competitive publishing giants
Original Beatles digitally remastered
| Entertainment
|
McCain urges respect of human rights in Vietnam
Malaysia's ruling coalition wins first of 3 votes
Ex-Khmer Rouge tells how he put prisoners in pits
Elephant tramples Dutch tourist to death in India
UNESCO gives posthumous award to Sri Lankan editor
Australia to build $30 bln broadband network
Pakistani stocks end at highest close this year
Protestors trap Thai PM inside beach hotel
Rare megamouth shark caught, eaten in Philippines
S.Korea orderbook reaches $2 bln in bond sale-source
Philippine inflation eases to 6.4 percent in March
Bank of Japan leaves interest rates unchanged
S.Korea to set up $3 bln fund to buy ships -report
Pakistan's monetary policy may ease -central bank
LaBelle, Jones to be honored at Apollo concert
Taiwan dlr falls on risk concerns, c.bank movement
Part of 'Cuckoo's' hospital to be saved for museum
World Bank sees shrinking China exports in 2009
Imported Bruennhilde has some success in Met debut
ADNOC to visit South Korean refiners
Police fire shots at demonstrators in Papua
An overview of Indonesia's parliamentary elections
Indonesia prepares for parliamentary elections
Singapore News
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights