Monday, April 06, 2009

Help! Kiri Te Kanawa interview on SIRIUS tonight (and other things)

Does anyone know where I can find a recording of the Kiri Te Kanawa interview that took place during the first intermission of Die Walküre tonight on Sirius? I would really appreciate it!

I haven't made time for blogging lately (couldn't you tell?), but maybe I'll get back to it. Funny, when I have time to do it, I have nothing to report.

One thing I will say - Karita Mattila was outstanding in Sibelius's Luonnotar at Carnegie Hall on Saturday night. She used every ounce of her resources. It was a stunning thing to witness.

I had been eager to hear Saariaho's Mirage, but it disappointed me.

I've been attending Cycle I of the Ring at the Met, and I've seen a few other productions this season. Lots of stuff that's new to me - Thaïs (well first stage production I've seen), Il Trovatore, Adriana Lecouvreur (loved it! was surprised that I like it so much), and The Nose (here in Boston).

On Friday, went to Ian Bostridge's Boston recital. Had been eager to hear him live. It's was an all-Schubert program, which isn't such a great thing. He was born to sing Handel, Mozart, Britten, and mélodies - I don't love his Schubert. Still, it was a pleasure to hear him sing those 24 lovely songs.

Final thing to mention before I close this - went on a Patron Backstage Tour of the Met on Saturday. That was so cool. It was quite something to stand on the stage of the Met, and even to walk a bit on the staging of L'elisir d'amore, seeing the auditorium as the performers do. And I caressed the gold curtain.

UPDATE:

Wanted to add: there might be a revival of Thaïs, which would be lovely of course - but, if Renée Fleming is to do another revival, I would rather see a return of Rusalka. I caught the matinee performance last month - I'd last seen this production five years ago, and it was even more beautiful this time around. It's a shame that this gorgeous production, with a first-rate cast, was not captured on DVD. There's definitely a need for such a recording - please, I hope the Met will bring it back as an HD presentation. Really, that final scene, where Rusalka walks on water, is one of the most beautiful things I've seen anywhere.

Also, saw the second preview of Waiting for Godot. I won't go into details - loved the staging, and the acting - it seemed, though, that the actors were still feeling their way around. I look forward to catching another performance or two later in the run.

Caught 33 Variations as well. Wit and Proof have similar themes and are, I might say, masterpieces. I wouldn't say the same of this one. Jane Fonda's performance, however, is something worth seeing. It's Jane Fonda! And I loved her in this part..