Snowy blast from the past: Music for the approaching blizzard
Here we are again, under threat of the White Death, people frantically stocking up on milk and toilet paper (there's got to be a severe, mid-Atlantic shortage of that stuff by now), canceling or postponing events before the first flake even falls from the sky. Ain't it grand?
Speaking of grand, I figured this would be a good time to seek out another of my universally acclaimed, blog numbers-busting blasts from the past -- this time related to snow, of course. And that made me think of grand opera.
I couldn't find a clip of the avalanche scene in Catalani's "La Wally" or the atmospheric snowy opening to the third act of "La boheme," but the end that third act from Puccini's gem should work as well. I think you'll find a 1979 snippet from La Scala worth a look and listen, since it features the radiant soprano Ileana Cotrubas, giga-star tenor Luciano Pavarotti and sublime conductor Carlos Kleiber.
And maybe this lovely, snow-flecked glimmer from the not-so-distant past will help calm your nerves as blizzard hysteria rises around you:
Comments
Tim,
Now there is a opera that lends itself to concert format Catalani's "La Wally". It has a mesmerizing score, with vocal fireworks and it's outlandish and hard to stage finale begs for a first rate concert version. plus when was the last time it was even performed in the mid-Atlantic? Maybe WNO could trim 2-3 of the 14 performances of Madam Butterfly and add a concert opera. wishful thinking I guess. Have you been following the comment wars on Anne Midgette's W-Post blog? it seems many of her readers feel next season is a little too safe and that 14 performances of Butterfly might be a few too many. Peace!
Great suggestion for a concert version of "La Wally." The one production I got to see featured a tiny swirl of stage snow off to one corner. An avalanche it wasn't.TIM
Posted by: operainBaltimore | February 5, 2010 10:43 AM
During last weekend's snow storm, WNO asked its online facebooks fans and followers to name their favorite opera storm moments. We got some great responses. Definitely some Bohemes, but also Onegin, Vanessa, Billy Budd, Snow Maiden, Life of a Tsar. We posted links to videos on our FB page too...something to check out while you're snowed in!
Thanks muchly. (I guess I finally have to break down and get with the Facebook thing.) TIM
Posted by: Michelle P. | February 5, 2010 11:15 AM