My last weekend
5 June 2008 12:35![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
christabel_daaeI guess I should have written this before, but I make such a bad journalist... Will always be postponing to tell my POV on something until it's completely needless.
Anyway, here I am. So on Friday, May the 30th, despite the terrible week after me (exams, tests and - last, but not least - obtaining a visa for Germany) I decided to go to the opera. They gave Bellini's 'Norma' that night. I have already listened to this 'typical belcanto piece': I have a recording with Maria Callas. The music is nice, though I usually prefer composers of later 19th century.
Quite usual for me, I went alone, without any companions. As usual again, I bought 'the inconvenient seat' - one very often have a chance to change it; even if I didn't this time, I came for music, not the view. Fortunately the theatre was rather void.
Wandering around the building before the performance, I took again some photos. Rather poor quality, but nice interiors.
And the great chandelier. Collecting photos of chaldeliers in theatres is my weakness!
As for the performance itsekf, it was very nice. Much better than I had expected. Two main heroines, Norma and Adalgisa sang quite nice, especially the latter (probably I didn't like Norma only because I don't like dramatic sopranos at all). The Roman hero, however, was a disaster. But that happens, isn't it? The scenery was very nice, as well as the costumes - in spite of being more close to Indian saris than to mantles of druids.
Here are some of my scans of the programme - they show you what it was like.
The great disadantage of the piece is that it consists of two acts - but each one is two hours length. Why didn't they make four acts? Aida has four, as wel as Traviata - and three entr'actes are always very useful.
I also must confess of a terrible thing. I couldn't sit till the very end. Remember, I was absolutely exhausted after my week, I felt like I'm an oversqueezed lemon. I was afraid of fainting - or falling asleep any moment. Going to opera surely wasn't such a good idea. So shortly after the beginning of the 2nd act, during the applause to Norma and Adalgisa's duet, I left the building.
Saturday evening, May the 31th, was far better. Me,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
soldaja and Alyona, another friends of ours, a graduate from our university went to the operetta. There was a gala named 'Vivat, operetta' with not only our soloists, but Lithuanian guests as well. An enchanted evening, no other words!
The first part was dedicated to opera, the second one to operettas and musicals (or only one musical, 'My Fair Lady', to be precise). Both parts had ballet turns as well, they were probably not faultless, but pleasant to watch.
While in the first part the airs were difficult, the singers didn't show their best, however, greatly improving in the operetta part. Except one. Laimonas Pautenius. Baritone. In the first part he sang Escamillo's couplets - and HOW HE DID IT! His voice and appearance reminded me throughout the whole concert of my dearest Géza Egyházi (I watched a lot of clips of Egyházi in concert, so I do know how he looks without vamp make-up). In the second part of the concert he sang two more songs, a love duet from 'Bajadera' and MY FAVOURITE AIR OF MR X!!! I haven't experienced such 'swoon' for rather long. I guess I should find out more info about this performer.
To finish with, here's the great chandelier in operetta. I think the Phantom should like it more than our opera variant)
Anyway, here I am. So on Friday, May the 30th, despite the terrible week after me (exams, tests and - last, but not least - obtaining a visa for Germany) I decided to go to the opera. They gave Bellini's 'Norma' that night. I have already listened to this 'typical belcanto piece': I have a recording with Maria Callas. The music is nice, though I usually prefer composers of later 19th century.
Quite usual for me, I went alone, without any companions. As usual again, I bought 'the inconvenient seat' - one very often have a chance to change it; even if I didn't this time, I came for music, not the view. Fortunately the theatre was rather void.
Wandering around the building before the performance, I took again some photos. Rather poor quality, but nice interiors.
And the great chandelier. Collecting photos of chaldeliers in theatres is my weakness!
As for the performance itsekf, it was very nice. Much better than I had expected. Two main heroines, Norma and Adalgisa sang quite nice, especially the latter (probably I didn't like Norma only because I don't like dramatic sopranos at all). The Roman hero, however, was a disaster. But that happens, isn't it? The scenery was very nice, as well as the costumes - in spite of being more close to Indian saris than to mantles of druids.
Here are some of my scans of the programme - they show you what it was like.
The great disadantage of the piece is that it consists of two acts - but each one is two hours length. Why didn't they make four acts? Aida has four, as wel as Traviata - and three entr'actes are always very useful.
I also must confess of a terrible thing. I couldn't sit till the very end. Remember, I was absolutely exhausted after my week, I felt like I'm an oversqueezed lemon. I was afraid of fainting - or falling asleep any moment. Going to opera surely wasn't such a good idea. So shortly after the beginning of the 2nd act, during the applause to Norma and Adalgisa's duet, I left the building.
Saturday evening, May the 31th, was far better. Me,
soldaja and Alyona, another friends of ours, a graduate from our university went to the operetta. There was a gala named 'Vivat, operetta' with not only our soloists, but Lithuanian guests as well. An enchanted evening, no other words!The first part was dedicated to opera, the second one to operettas and musicals (or only one musical, 'My Fair Lady', to be precise). Both parts had ballet turns as well, they were probably not faultless, but pleasant to watch.
While in the first part the airs were difficult, the singers didn't show their best, however, greatly improving in the operetta part. Except one. Laimonas Pautenius. Baritone. In the first part he sang Escamillo's couplets - and HOW HE DID IT! His voice and appearance reminded me throughout the whole concert of my dearest Géza Egyházi (I watched a lot of clips of Egyházi in concert, so I do know how he looks without vamp make-up). In the second part of the concert he sang two more songs, a love duet from 'Bajadera' and MY FAVOURITE AIR OF MR X!!! I haven't experienced such 'swoon' for rather long. I guess I should find out more info about this performer.
To finish with, here's the great chandelier in operetta. I think the Phantom should like it more than our opera variant)
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no subject
Date: 5 Jun 2008 11:14 (UTC)))))))
no subject
Date: 5 Jun 2008 14:39 (UTC)no subject
Date: 5 Jun 2008 17:19 (UTC)http://muusika.kul.ee/arhiiv/200507/lugu6.pdf
я бы хотела на это посмотреть))
no subject
Date: 5 Jun 2008 18:47 (UTC)А я его фотки нашла!!!
Вот тут справа)
А эта мне особо понравилась)
no subject
Date: 5 Jun 2008 18:50 (UTC)Мне вот интересно, это репетиция без костюмов - или такая авангардная постановка "Демона"?
no subject
Date: 6 Jun 2008 13:03 (UTC)Это он на каком-то конкурсе получил первое место. И даже отрывок исполнения - ария князя Елецкого из "Пиковойц дамы" - прилагается.
http://www.xxiso.ee/competition/audio/pautienius.mp3
no subject
Date: 6 Jun 2008 14:10 (UTC)no subject
Date: 6 Jun 2008 14:26 (UTC)