The Fairy Queen at Cité-μ

The Fairy Queen, Cité de la Musique in Paris, February 15 2011

Philip Pickett ..... conducting

Mauricio Garcia Lozano ..... director

Joanne Lunn ..... soprano

Dana Marbach ..... soprano

Faye Newton ..... soprano

Christopher Robson ..... countertenor

Tim Travers-Brown .... countertenor

Ed Lyon ..... tenor

Joseph Cornwell ..... tenor

Michael George ..... bass-baritone

Simon Grant ..... bass-baritone

New London Consort

Aix 2010: Pygmalion (3)

A quick look back at Aix 2010 [yes, I still have that Don Giovanni wandering in my head!]: I noticed that Oedipus Tyrannus posted the video of Pygmalion on YT.

It is a very refined visual show, musically nearly perfect, and even if you're not too much into dance (such as the case with me) I believe you could appreciate the supreme delicacy combined with "naturalness" of Trisha Brown's  choreography. All four singers are impeccable and Les Arts Florissants & William Christie are at their best. I blogged about this twice already: here and here.

Could there be a better tenor in this repertoire than Ed Lyon?!

Brussels, June 13 2010

Even if you don't particularly like baroque, you cannot but give in to this beauty. It's only 50 min long, and split into 7 videos: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 . Enjoy!

Aix 2010: Pygmalion (2)

Last night we --the lucky subscribers to Mezzo-TV-- could see, live from Aix en Provence, Pygmalion by Rameau, a dance-opera brilliantly staged by  Trisha Brown. The story of a sculptor who falls in love with his creation and begs the goddess to bring her [sculpture] to life, is told by means of modern dancing, involving lots of clever and interestingly constructed topology and fancy positions by both the dancers AND the singers. The orchestra  Les Arts Florissants was marvelous and its boss, maestro  William Christie, simply has this music in his veins. You never feel it as monotonous or flat. It lives!

 Ed Lyon with dancers from The Trisha Brown Dance Company

The singers... aaah the singers: to me Ed Lyon is in the world of tenors what Anja Harteros is in the world of sopranos right now -- can't do wrong. That musicality, that command, sheer beauty of his voice and that diction -- you can't hear that every decade. Sophie Karthäuser and  Emmanuelle de Negri were both wonderful as ever, but the surprise came from Karolina Blixt who we obviously didn't know, as this was her first important international appearance. Her superb scenic presence is backed by a healthy mezzo voice -- with a dark timbre wonderfully fitting  Phaedra [she actually excelled in the first part of the evening, i.e. in Hippolytus and Aricia] One more brilliant Swedish (mezzo)-soprano: what do they feed them with over there? :)


This show practically closes Aix-en-Provence 2010, which I will certainly never forget, mostly because of that Don Giovanni (I'm still hung up on it! ;) ). A huge shoutout to the director of the festival Bernard Foccroulle for providing such a great quality level of the orchestra, conductors, singers AND for a delightful mixture of brilliant directors! I'd remind you that we already the program of Aix-en-Provence 2011.

3 more pics behind...

Aix 2010: Pygmalion

The last of five operas at this year's Festival in Aix-en-Provence is Pygmalion and is to be premiered coming Friday, July 16. This production of Jean-Philippe Rameau's  opera/ballet is directed by Trisha Brown and William Christie will conduct his amazing Les Arts Florissants. The cast includes the most brilliant Ed Lyon, as well as excellent Sophie Karthäuser, Karolina Blixt,  Emmanuelle de Negri. The show was pre-premiered last month in Amsterdam, received mixed reviews, but again everyone praised the brilliance of the singers...

Sophie Karthäuser and Ed Lyon in Trisha Brown's production of Pygmalion

Very good news is that Mezzo TV will provide us with live broadcast of the show on Tuesday, July 20 at 21:00 (cet).

We will barock you (1): Acis and Galatea at La cité de la musique

 Acis and Galatea, La cité de la musique, May 4, 2010

Joanne Lunn and Ed Lyon

Philip Pickett  conductor
 

Ed Lyon  Acis
Joanne Lunn  Galatée
Michael George  Polyphème
Joseph Cornwell  Damon
     Andrew King  Coridon
Faye Newton  
Jelena Kordic
Simon Grant


New London Consort

Hello New York! Titania, Oberon and the crew are coming...

I see the sensational Jonathan Kent's production of The Fairy Queen is coming to New York this month [to BAM], and the show is not sold out!!! Whata... 

 The Fairy Queen, Jonathan Kent's production presented at the Opéra Comique in Paris, January 2010

Trust me guys, you don't want to miss out on this one. It's so much better than the usual Met soup... It's one of those shows that stays with you forever. [ DVD will be released after the run in New York.]

I saw it both in theater and recorded and it's soooo much better in the theater -- you can see better the details and feel that special spark between the stage/pit and the audience. 

If Love's a Sweet Passion, why does it torment?
If a Bitter, oh tell me whence comes my content?
Since I suffer with pleasure, why should I complain,
Or grieve at my Fate, when I know 'tis in vain?
Yet so pleasing the Pain, so soft is the Dart,
That at once it both wounds me, and tickles my Heart.

I press her Hand gently, look Languishing down,

And by Passionate Silence I make my Love known.

But oh! I'm Blest when so kind she does prove,

By some willing mistake to discover her Love.

When in striving to hide, she reveals all her Flame,

And our Eyes tell each other, what neither dares Name.

 The Fairy Queen, Purcell (Act Three)