Showing posts with label Loy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Loy. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Aix 2010: Alceste

Arte Live Web treated us royally this year and we could see live broadcast of three out of five operas created for the Festival in Aix this year.

The fact that the fourth opera presented at this year's festival --Gluck's Alceste, directed by Christof Loy-- won't be TV broadcast or webcast come like comes like "bad news".

Freiburger Barockorchester is conducted by maestro Ivor Bolton, and always brilliant Véronique Gens and an excellent Canadian tenor Joseph Kaiser are in the cast. The reviews are quite OK.
You could tell the critique became more careful when reviewing Christof Loy's work, as if they wouldn't want to repeat the last year's half-embarrassment when they collectively thrashed his Tristan in London, andonly a couple of months later the very same production picked up the Best New Opera Production Award for 2009 in the UK. ;)

A scene from Christof Loy's Alceste presented in Aix: Véronique Gens and Joseph Kaiser

 One thing is sure, everyone (critique, fans, colleagues...) is full of praise for Véronique Gens. The title role is apparently very hard on a soprano and it appears that the current state of her voice is perfectly suitable for Alceste. So, no TV broadcast, nor webcast planned -- I bet there will be a DVD out before the end of the year...

I found only one short video about Alceste on the site of France3, which is appended below.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

New donna del lago in Geneva

While waiting for La Donna del Lago with Juan Diego Florez and Joyce DiDonato in Paris in June, we're keeping our eyes and ears opened to what's happening in Geneva where Joyce sings her first Elena, in the new production by Christof Loy.


Gregory Kunde and Joyce DiDonato in the new production of La Donna del Lago in Geneva [photo lifted from the GTG website]

Below you will find the video of an interview with Joyce on Swiss television, which also contains a couple of excerpts from this new production (it's in French BUT with English subtitles  - enjoy!)


Update: Always reliable Mei was actually in Geneva and saw the show last night. Read her short and enthusiastic review!

Joyce la Diva Yankee herself brings a few keys for an easier reading of the Christof Loy's -- "Breaking the waves" inspired-- production. Enjoy!