Thursday, February 02, 2006

Rigoletto: I worship Anna Netrebko

Under the impassioned baton of Placido Domingo " Rigoletto " came to life last night. A packed house waited breathlessly for the entrance of Anna Netrebko, rumored to be a the greatest soprano of our time. When the Duke of Mantua, tenor Rolando Villazon, sang his "Questa o Quella" I almost lost consciousness. A thrill went through my whole body - it must have been something like my pal Stafford experienced when she had her nipples pierced. Pain, ecstacy, love... I swooned: Villazon is that rarest of commodities - A perfect tenor with a large package.

He sings" Fidelity is slavery, freedom is being a ladies man etc." etc. we've heard this crap before but never like this!
Hunchback Rigoletto always makes me a little uncomforatable.

Act 11 - Oh God the scenery! The costumes! How I love it! Gilda (Anna) is with her maid in her little hovel when daddy Hump appears. The first few notes were a little dark and muddy, after about a minute she warmed, the middle register is stronger than any soprano we've see in years - but that extension on top - PERFECT!!!! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAEEEE!

I love her. I love her.

At the end I expected at least two or three audience members to offer up themselves as a sacrifice so Gilda would not have to die.

Why don't people throw roses to these singing Divinities?

I guess this is the tailend of Russia's communist patronage of musicians coming to fruition.
Juilliard is still something like 95% Chinese and Eastern Europeans. Get hip America. Musicians need to be carefully nurtured from earliest hildhood,..it's a priesthood.

Another question - we have plenty of Opera Gaymen but where are the Opera Dykes?

OK see you at the Opera.
BTW Does anyone want to take me to intermission dinner at the Metropolitan Opera Restuarant? I'll order the cheapest thing on the menu - Clam Chowder - 11 bucks.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's an
unfortunate
byproduct
of our time
that too
many audience
members don't want
to risk
losing their cool.
But divinities
of all kinds need
abandon! As
do all of us.

7:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let's
hope
the
record
label
doesn't
burn
Anna
Netrebko
out
with
the
usual
salesmanship.

7:34 PM  

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