Next weekend: Rigoletto a Mantova

After Tosca in Rome, La Traviata in Paris, RAI TV is preparing Rigoletto in Mantua (very close to Verona) that will be live broadcast to more than 100 countries next weekend. The show will be split in two days and the broadcast is scheduled for Saturday 4 [at 20:30 (cet)], and Sunday 5 September [at 14:15 and 23:30 (cet)]. Check your local listings...

It is supposed to be fully live and it will be directed by Marco Bellocchio. Even though Marco is a brilliant film director, I don't expect much from his operatic adventure as these mammoth-size projects are regularly in the claws of traditionalists.

Rigoletto is not my fave Verdi at all, but since this will be a global operatic event I wouldn't want to miss it either.

The RAI Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Zubin Mehta, and Placido Domingo will be  Rigoletto (!) for the whole weekend. Julia Novikova will be our Gilda, Vittorio Grigolo  The Duke of Mantua,  Ruggero Raimondi Sparafucile, and Nino Surguladze Maddalena.

The above pic is a collage of 4 photos taken during the rehearsals by C. Giglioli, and below is one with Placidone, plus a 'long' trailer.

Ed: Videos available on YouTube - click here

Mimi Harteros and Rodolfo Grigolo in TCE

I don't like Puccini. I actually hate "La Bohème"! So -you may ask- why the heck I would go to Le théâtre des Champs-Élysées (TCE) and listen to this horrid opera?! The answer is Anja Harteros. I was completely flabbergasted by her Elsa in "Lohengrin" which I saw last summer in Munich: the production was all about Jonas Kaufmann and he was very good, but Anja completely stole the show.
Her voice is big enough, her harmonics are beautifully composed and very different in live from what you get from her recordings, her vocal dexterity is impressive, and she sings all the high notes with an astonishing ease. Combined with Vittorio Grigolo -an excellent young tenor- I had my guarantee for a good evening.

And good it was! Anja was head and shoulders above the rest, Vittorio sang beautifully too,  The Bayrische Staatsoper orchestra was magnificent as usual, the other singers were good too, and so I survived "La Bohème" ;)

Hope Anja will be back here and sing something else [anything but Mimi ;) ]