Fascinating Dido by Malena Ernman

I already blogged about the empirical evidence that a successful (good, witty, well assembled...) production of a French opera in Paris is extremely rare. I even believe to have understood why it is so, but discussing it now would take me far from my summerish light mood... On the other hand, if you see any English opera title in Paris don't miss the chance to see it: English operas in Paris are regularly meticulously produced, with a grain of audacity, and with superbly composed production teams...

No, no, this post is not about my beloved Fairy Queen either. It's about a production of Dido & Aeneas, that was premiered at the Paris' Opéra Comique in December of 2008, and then nearly a year ago released on DVD. Besides the fantastic Les Arts Florissants and legendary William Christie, the cast of this magnificent Deborah Warner production included Malena Ernman, Christopher Maltman, Judith van Wanroij, Hilary Summers, Lina Markeby...

And there you discover again that incredible talent of Malena Ernman's (another Swedish miracle) that we've admired many many times so far  (see in particular her sensational Julie [see also this]) Visit her [very] personal website.
She must be the most talented, wittiest, funniest... hardworking singer today. A great artist!

Why do I talk about this? Because I met today someone whom I offered that DVD of Dido & Aeneas almost a year ago --someone who's not at all into opera-- and who today thanked me for the most memorable moment of refined musical beauty (just when I thought my present must have finished on a shelf collecting the dust...)

The following video-clip is... well... just a video-clip. You need to converge to Dido's lament and feel all your foundations shaken up.

Malena Ernman, singing When I am laid in earth (preceded by Thy hand, Belinda)

    Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
    On thy bosom let me rest,
    More I would, but Death invades me;
    Death is now a welcome guest.

    When I am laid, am laid in earth, May my wrongs create
    No trouble, no trouble in thy breast;
    Remember me, remember me, but ah! forget my fate.
    Remember me, but ah! forget my fate

Many singers recorded this aria but I believe, besides Malena Ernman, the recordings of Janet Baker, Lorraine Hunt, and Véronique Gens (yes, yes!) are somewhat above the rest...

If you looooved Malena as Dido, you might wish to check out Ah! Belinda, I Am Prest With Torment 

This is also a Wilkommen post to a fellow blogger, Likely Impossibilities, who recently moved to Vienna and who will keep us posted about what's on in Operatic Austria -- at least during 2010-2011.  

Malena will sing in a new production of Semele (dir Robert Carsen) at Theater an der Wien  which opens on Sept 15th (but I suspect the tickets are impossible to get)

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)

Cos'è la bellezza? This is...

Oberon and Titania [Finbar Lynch & Sally Dexter] in the Jonatahan Kent's production of The Fairy Queen at the Opéra Comique in Paris, January 2010

See, even Night her self is here,
To favour your Design;
And all her Peaceful Train is near,
That Men to Sleep incline.
Let Noise and Care,
Doubt and Despair,
Envy and Spight,
(The Fiends delight)
Be ever Banish'd hence,
Let soft Repose,
Her Eye-lids close;
And murmuring Streams,
Bring pleasing Dreams;
Let nothing stay to give offence.

Night in The Fairy Queen, Purcell (Act Two)

Une soirée gentille à Pleyel avec King Arthur

Christophe Rousset devient une sorte de René Jacobs  dans le monde de la musique baroque. Son orchestre Les Talens lyriques est désormais un des plus connus au monde, en partie grâce à lui. De plus il a cette capacité et l'audace de proposer des chanteurs quasi-inconnus qui savent s'adapter à son interprétation de l'œuvre en question. C'était le cas ce samedi passé (23 janvier 2010)  à Pleyel pour la version de concert de "King Arthur" de Purcell.

The night I fell in love with the Queen

France loves England!

Better than this is impossible. To make the full (cca 4 hours long) play/opera, with such an enormous cast and such a respect for the work of Purcell - it's love!

It's the most remarkable combination of the baroque and modern expressions, a celebration of theater immersed in the total beauty of Sheakspearian expression and the sublime of Purcell's music.

Jonathan Kent just knows how to capture the best of British culture, and with the superb actors the success was almost guaranteed. Add to that lots of beautiful singing, the great orchestra lead by a living legend - Bill Christie.

I have a busy day today. Hope to post more on this tomorrow... Cheers

The Fairy Queen premieres tonight at Opéra Comique

Tonight is the première of the Jonathan Kent production of  Purcell's Fairy Queen at the Opéra Comique in Paris. With his Les Arts Florissants,  maestro William Christie will bring this semi-opera to life.

Hope I won't be too hard to please since I still am ecstatic about Werther with Sophie Koch and Jonas Kaufmann. Plus, I'm not too big a fan of baroque, and this is apparently a work of wagnerian length.  On the other hand every music played well sounds even better in this humanly-sized theater, which is the Opéra Comique; Jonathan Kent's introductory remarks are a big teaser for me; and then, listen to this beauty...

Video from the same production in Glyndebourne, posted on YouTube by OedipusColoneus

Off I go... Cheers!

Sheakspeare returns to Opéra Comique

I figured the new production of The Fairy Queen, which is supposed to open at the Opéra Comique coming Saturday - January 16, is a co-production with the Glyndebourne festival where this production has been premiered past summer and then kept secret so it could come out on DVD after its run in Paris.

Opéra Comique is not too big a theater, but it is nevertheless surprising to see that all the shows of this production have been sold out LOOONG in advance [including the most expensive seats!!!]
Well, that's what Sheakspeare does for you :)

To prepare for The Fairy Queen on Saturday, here is what  Jonathan Kent had to say about his production, and William Christie about decrypting the Purcell's music.