Der Rosenkavalier Act I (MET 1982) 1/9

[JawigginsH]

Is act 2 or 3 uploaded?

[JawigginsH]

please intro?!?

[domi2020]

Opera can't get more erotic than this- this production and cast for me (except maybe for the Sophie) is the ideal!!!. I prefer Bonney to Blegen. We shall have to wait another lifetime to hear such glorious voices again. It's absolute bliss! I agree- Kiri nearly baring her chest for all and sundry!!!

[RRydnew]

@domi2020

I heartly agree with Dame Kiri showing some cleaveage but did you see the one with Fleming, Graham and Schafer? Where KTK , TT and Blegen are more sensous, Graham, Fleming and Schaefer are more PHYSICAL! They actuallly kiss each other. Also, Christina Schaefer does a wonderful Sophie to Susan Graham's last offical (yeah, right) Octavian. This Kavalier will always be my fave but you have to check the others out. Great fun and wonderfully sung.

[domi2020]

@RRydnew Actually there is a great deal of kissing when KTK sang with Howells in CG production under Solti. If it wasn't for Troyanos being the post I think we would have seen a great deal more but then ...it might have been censored too but anyways...we will unlikely to see such beautiful voices on stage again!..for quite some time.

[RRydnew]

@domi2020

I didnt know that!! is it on youtube? 

[RRydnew]

@domi2020

Try Damarau in Salome!  NC-17 minimum!

[emma41093]

Could Kiri show anymore cleavage lol

[RRydnew]

None taken. I fully understand the syntax and the semantics yet, I just find it easier to say "range" because I live here in Dallas and its a small but very appreciative market. Here that word is applied to singers and how they sound/interpret just as it applied to terrain. EVERYTHING on that range is considered. Hopefully, you werent being sarcastic. I wasnt. I still think a contralto would be interesting but the entire opera would have to be keyed down to accomidate. 

[andrea585ny]

@RRydnew I often try to imagine different voice types in certain roles or specific singers doing roles against type. It's always nice to imagine how operas would sound if things were shaken up a bit. Sometimes it misfires - Richter's Giulio Cesare (1970) comes immediately to mind :)

[rlee1976]

Troyanos was glorious in this role! Name me any mezzo of our time today who can match her artistry and musicianship? Some come close but cannot match it!

[RRydnew]

@rlee1976

susan graham

[rlee1976]

What the heck are you guys talking about? I have the score and it says "soprano" for Octavian in it! Even lyric mezzos have a hard time getting up to the high A's that are in this role, let alone contraltos. A contralto voice would not fit a 16 or 17 year old boy's aura when personifying this role.

[andrea585ny]

I agree rlee1976. I really wish people would stop using "range" when the correct term is "tessitura" And the tessitura of this role is too high for many mezzos let alone a contralto. Would people really rather see Horne in this?

I'll take tall, dark and handsome (not to mention sensually voiced) Troyanos over short, plump and cherubic Horne any day.

I love Jackie but I wouldn't want to see her as Octavian.

[RRydnew]

@andrea585ny

What about Upshaw? I still say (despite the composition and Troyanos' wonderful voice) the contralto would suit the role better. A touch more masculine without being too low. BTW my Choirmaster says range or tessitura is acceptable. Well, he must have missed the lesson at Julliard.

[andrea585ny]

@RRydnew Sorry didn't mean to offend. How it was explained to me a million years ago: Range = the number of notes a singer's voice encompasses. Tessitura = the specific range of pitches in a given role. Horne and Troyanos have basically the same range but the differences in timbre make the tessitura of this role a bit dodgy for Horne. I have no doubt that if Marilyn sang this role it would have been transposed down as it would not have rested comfortably in the meatiest part of her voice. Cheers

[andrea585ny]

@RRydnew After watching this scene a few times I went back and read older posts. After re-reading my post and your post from a few months ago I see that I wrote range/tessitura instead of range/timbre. Must have been thinking a sentence ahead. My bad. But I still stick by the fact that there is a difference between range/tessitura. The former being a general term and the latter a specific term. I'll proof-read next time :) Peace

[RRydnew]

@andrea585ny

None taken. Itsgood to have someone else know the difference between range and timbre. Getting the facts straight never hurts only helps. Maybe I am a bit biased because I sing contralto and do radio spots now and then. PeaceOut

[RRydnew]

No matter how many times I see this opera, I am still amazed that they would use a mezzo rather than a contralto for Octavian. I know finding a true contralto in this biz is like trying to find an recent english champion at Wimbeldon but...I never liked mezzos in this role.

[oOcallasOo]

I know, it seems just so much more practical using a contralto for this role. But Octavian is in many aspects similar to the role of Cherubino in Mozart's Figaro - those boys are on the verge of manhood, not quite childs yet not quite adults. Both roles have been written exclusively for mezzos - look it up, neither composer even considered a contralto. In my opinion, it makes the roles far more erotically charged to have them sung as breeches parts...

[RRydnew]

Yes, I know that both roles were composed for mezzos and yet I still would like to hear a contralto do this role. I think it would sound better and more like a young man whose voice has already broken and is now just leveling out to the adult male range. You just cant do that with a mezzo unless they have the range of a Marlyn Horne.

[RRydnew]

Again, with the sight of Kiri @ 6:33...another cold shower!

[RRydnew]

Sie Ruh mein Hertz! Kiri is breathtaking despite the costume and singing. Time for cold shower!

[RRydnew]

Thanks for posting and espically seeing Kiri from 3:29-4:11.