Act 1, Die Walkure - O süssestes Wonne to end of Act

Clifton Forbis, Eva Maria Westbroek
Conductor: Bernard Haitink
March 13, 2009

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Clifton
• Forbis
• tenor
• opera
• Walkure
• Wagner
• aria
• Eva
• Maria
• Westbroek
• soprano
• Sieglinde
• Siegmund

[sadnikroman]

Bravo EVA,  genial !!!!

[visse264]

This combination of beautiful singing and acting (facial expression) of Eva-Maria is truly stunning. Also a big bravo for Clifton.

[wTrevorh]

Nicely done!

[wotancat1]

en mi opinión, actoralmente tenemos a la sucesora de Meier, particularmente cuando veo a Eva, me recuerda a Meier, claro que será difícil superar a Meier, pero seguro solo hay la muerte, jaja

[PILA4807]

J'ai eu la chance inouïe d'assister à ce concert... Et je découvre tout à fait par hasard cette vidéo. Ce fut un moment exceptionnel, de part l'engagement vocal et même physique des chanteurs, magnifiquement soutenus par l'orchestre. La vision de cette vidéo ravive le brulant souvenir de ce spectacle exceptionnel en tout point Acoustique, direction, orchestre et chanteurs.... Un grand moment !!!!:

[jpryan31]

fabulous! and the orchestra is outstanding!

[TheTenorjeff]

Where can I get this on DVD??? I need to see the whole act, it is so fantastic!!

[visse264]

@Loismustdie26 I don't think the way Westbroek is singing Sieglinde is a sign of the times. It's just her voice, there's no big philosophy behind it, in my opinion. You might call it 'a hectic translation', I just think it's passionate and beautiful. She's thoroughly convincing, in all aspects. I don't think it's much use to compare singers, unfair in a way. But having heard Nilsson singing Sieglinde, I'm definitely not convinced it sounded better than Eva. That's for sure.

[Loismustdie26]

@williamforever1958 The stark contrast in the 2, chomping immediacy and sloppy-ish tech by West holds a mirror we dislike seeing, but also in tandem w/ Nils holds a mirror to the past, and allows us to better see the past, see who we are how we've changed and where we're going.

And that is not just Wagnarian, but Opera IMHO. I don't think its done accidentally. Comparisons only further serve a greater message. So Id urge comparison, but not ultimatums. We loose much of Wagner's intent that way.

[Loismustdie26]

@williamforever1958 I really want to stress that, as i currently listen to Nilsson I hear what you're saying, but for me Wager, expressed himself in a way very different from Verdi or Berlioz. His stories were much less about actual events and people and rather about the ideas associated. And the more hectic translation delivered by Westbroek is significantly more attuned to today. It can be argued that a "more hectic translation" mirrors a less disciplined and worse society, but I disagree:

[Loismustdie26]

@williamforever1958 I find your comment very intriguing. While I agree that the current upheaval in opera has led to an evolution that is significantly more like a regression than anything else (see the most recent Met Don Carlo). However I feel like german opera has held itself decently well against the rushing tides of mediocrity. Yes Nilsson is a better singer than Westbrook, no question, but Westbrook has more faithfully translated the larger Wagnarian message more faithfully to the 2010s.

[williamforever1958]

@visse264 Thanks for your statement. What I want to say is, that in opera, espacially in dramatic opera, the main thing is the clear and harmonic sound and the relaxed but powerful singing. Then came the acting and the passion. Both, Eva and Clifton have wonderful voices but are singing with too much pressure. The don't sing with the orchestra, the are fighting against the music. If you want to here what I mean, take a look at some clips of Theo Adam, Birgit Nilsson or Giovanni Martinelli.