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Post by bimse on Oct 18, 2017 11:31:14 GMT
Is anyone seeing Semiramide? I must admit I'm not seeing it, I can't justify the expense of a trip to London and Covent Garden prices, not in view of the fact I watched the live streaming from Munich a few months ago.
I thought the cast were wonderful , I always enjoy Daniela Barcelona (met her once in Pesaro , she was delightful , but that's for another thread). Joyce diDonato was superb as well , as expected.
It's a difficult opera to stage , but I thought the setting was good and interesting .
If I lived locally I'd happily take a cheap seat or a standing place to see it again, but as I say the addition of transport and accommodation in London can't be justified at present.
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Post by tmesis on Oct 18, 2017 12:05:30 GMT
I'm seeing this in about a months time. I wouldn't miss any opera at ROH with DiDonato in the cast.
She's also doing a recital there, with Pappano on piano, in June 2018, so that's mandatory too.
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Post by n1david on Oct 18, 2017 12:24:34 GMT
Yes, I'm there on the 22nd, also on the strength of DiDonato. I don't know the opera at all, so I'm looking forward to seeing something new.
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Post by Mr Snow on Oct 18, 2017 15:50:13 GMT
We'll be there on the final performance in two months time! Have just secured a S/H CD set of Sutherland/Horne/Bonyange for £12 and will be fully prepared.
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490 posts
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Post by bimse on Oct 18, 2017 16:14:11 GMT
We'll be there on the final performance in two months time! Have just secured a S/H CD set of Sutherland/Horne/Bonyange for £12 and will be fully prepared. I always enjoy the Cheryl Studer/Samuel Ramey/Jennifer Larmore recording . I saw Jennifer Larmore as Arsace in Berlin, she was sensational , and it was an excellent production, very well imagined , Semiramide as a Jackie Onassis type character. |
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Post by bimse on Oct 18, 2017 16:17:10 GMT
I'm seeing this in about a months time. I wouldn't miss any opera at ROH with DiDonato in the cast. She's also doing a recital there, with Pappano on piano, in June 2018, so that's mandatory too. Joyce DiDonato is tremendous, saw her as Romeo in a very dark production of I Capleti e I Montecchi in Zurich , well worth seeing, it's on DVD , I'd recommend it to Bellini and DiDonato fans . |
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Post by n1david on Nov 24, 2017 18:48:33 GMT
Saw this on Wednesday and enjoyed it on the whole. Went mainly for Joyce DiDonato, and she didn’t disappoint. Her duets were also superb and I thought there was a really high quality of sing8ng, particularly in the duets with Barcelona. The chorus were particularly glorious.
I didn’t like the staging, the set was very boxy, and the cast were very static. For example, I couldn’t understand why the statue at the start went through the ceiling, and with the face towards the pitched roof - just didn’t make sense.
All in all it was a good night, but I’m not sure I’d rush to see it again, especially with this staging. But it does reinforce my view that Joyce DiDonato is one of the finest voices work8ng in opera today and I’d pay to see her in anything.
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Post by bellboard27 on Nov 24, 2017 19:01:09 GMT
I went last Sunday. Loved the singing, but agree the acting was too limited. I didn’t mind the set design, but more could have been done with the opportunities arising from the plot.
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Post by tmesis on Nov 26, 2017 17:14:45 GMT
Right from the word go you knew this was going to be a special evening; Pappano gave a simply delicious performance of the oft-performed overture and the ROH orchestra sounded, as they should, in the highest international class. Didonato was absolutely outstanding in this hugely demanding role, technically superb, emotionally living every note and also a terrific actress. At this present moment, I can't think of a more impressive female singer on the international circuit. But the whole thing was fantastically well cast with not a weak link. To single out just two - Lawrence Brownlee has a great bel canto tenor and Daniela Barcellona was superb in the trouser-role of Arsace (she sang an absolutely exquisite duet with Didonato.) Pappano conducted it all with huge panache - is their no style of opera he can't conduct?
Hell, I even quite liked the production!
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