Marnie Breckenridge as Cunegonde I

Festival Opera - 2005 production of Bernstein's Candide conducted by Michael Morgan, directed by Michael Scarola, sets/lighting by Matthew Anatky

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Marnie
• Breckenridge
• soprano
• opera
• glitter
• gay
• Candide
• Cunegonde
• Bernstein
• coloratura
• lyric

[roaming49er]

This is FANTASTIC!!!! What a great singer -- after hearing "Glitter and Be Gay"so many times sung dreadfully, she manages to do this difficult aria with such ease and presence. Brava!!!!

[lryanut]

Terrific performance! Saw Marnie at the Bear Valley Music Fest last summer and she knocked me out with this and other great renditions. Get your website up to date so we know when we can see you again!

[MikadoObsessed]

Marnie Breckenridge is a fabulous singer. i know because i was in the chorus when she starred in Hansel und Gretel in Indianapolis, Indiana.

[mattro1000]

Honestly, every conductor is gonna have this song going at different tempos. Every conductor's taste is different. I think this tempo is really interesting I would like to know why he chose this speed.

The lady that's playing Cunegonde, I think, isn't fit for this role. I really do like her voice, but I feel like her acting is very bland.

[confuciusjonny]

P.S. The tempo for this song was generally faster (and more effective) in London, so I'd say the conductor here just has poor taste.

[confuciusjonny]

I have to agree, I think the tempi here are too slow and make the song rather heavyhanded. The directorial interpretation too, I think, is hideous. 'My wardrobe is expensive as the devil' - I don't think so! And what's with all that dreadful champagne flute schtick (with empty bottle and plastic liquid)! Atrocious. Breckenridge is a fabulous singer and actress (saw her as Cunegonde in Candide at the ENO, London recently.) Sadly she was lumbered with overly indulgent staging there too.

[JuillHope17]

before i start: whoever has been marking my comments down is a cry baby and needs to speak with me personally. now, how would i know? because i own a score, and i have several recordings including the one conducted by bernstein and for the most part: his tempos are very differen't from the ones in this performance. if it was not to aid the singer, than it is just that the conductor does not have a good knowledge of the work.

[Adloom]

How in the world would you know if the tempo was "taken slower to aid the singer"? And why do you have such a fowl 'mouth'? Opinions are fine, but your frustration here has nothing to do with tempi. It's clear you are passionate about the art form. Let that love infuse your comments here.

[JuillHope17]

i'v eproved my point, and "peter" continues to try and see past the visual facts i have presendted by spitting lies right and left. my final comments on this video are: a wonderful cunegonde, but a disgusting conductor.

[PeterPetronovich]

What do I mean who are you? I don't understand what's so difficult about this question. Who are you?

I said there are not exact tempo markings for allegro molto. The tempo taken here is approximately 120. I'm sorry if it upsets you, but a 12-point variation in tempo is not that great. There is much more to a musical performance than exact tempo markings.

[JuillHope17]

(to go the the link, just copy and paste what i tyed and take out the spaces, otherwise it wont work)