The fourth performance of Rachmaninov's first opera "Aleko", with John Relyea in the title role, and Tchaikovsky's last opera "Iolanta", with Anna Netrebko in the title role and Piotr Beczala as Graf Vaudemont, took place on Monday 27. July 2009 at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Valery Gergiev conducted the Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg. The stage director, in a co-production by the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg, was Mariusz Treliński.
Aleko
one act opera
Music by Sergei Rakhmaninov
Libretto by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenkoafter the poem by Alexander Pushkin
Reports
Our friends Anne-Laure and Roxanne, who had previously attended the premiere and the performance on 21. July, have attended also this fourth performance. Anne-Laure has kindly written the following report for the blog:
I think that it was the best performance of the four. Anna was as usual really convincing, touching (and gorgeous)as Iolanta and vocally even more secure (better projection for example) than at the premiere. This music (a trully wonderful music. Thank you Tchaikovsky!) suits her very well and she is really inspired by it even if the role is sometimes maybe a little low for her. Her singing is like velvet for the ears.
Beczala was also very good and their duet was fabulous. Markov was good too. Gergiev and the Mariinsky orchestra and chorus were really excellent. We can feel that they understand that music very well. The colors of the orchestra were magnificent.
But I think that on this night, Anna owned the stage and as a consequence she had the more cheerful applauses. The team was granted a real standing ovation and bravi (not a "false" as during the premiere, where they upped the curtain while people were standing to leave). When they brought flowers for the singers, Gergiev as usual gave his bouquet to Anna, who finally threw them to the musiciens in the pitch. Unfortunately, I think that one of them didn't see the bouquet coming, because Anna started to smile and laugh quite embarassed and shameful and made a sign of apologize before returning to her place. That was really funny.
After the performance she signed autographs, posed for pictures with fans and chatted a little bit with some of them before going to the party organized for the cast.
A shame that there will not be a dvd of this production!!!
Reports, written in Japanish, and some nice photos of the performances of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden on 27. July 2009 can be found at the Japanish blog dognorah.exblog.jp.
Photos
Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala at the curtain calls of "Iolanta" on 27. Jul 2009. Photos [1-3] by Anne-Laure
Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczala and Valery Gergiev at the curtain calls of "Iolanta" on 27. Jul 2009. Photos [1-2] by Britta
Anna at the stage door of the Festspielhaus after the performance. Photo by Roxanne. Radio Broadcasts
One of the last two performances of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" will be broadcast on SWR2 Kultur, on Sunday 7. February 2010 at 20:03
Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala were on Saturday evening at the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden, in an invited private guided tour, to visit the exhibition "Der Blaue Reiter".
Photos Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala in front of Franz Marc's painting "Blaues Pferd I" (Blue Horse I) from 1911. Photos [1-2] by Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden
UNIVERSAL MUSIC CLASSICAL MANAGEMENT & PRODUCTIONS (UMCMP), a leading international company of the UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP (UMG), and FIRST CLASSICS GmbH, the new network of German classical concerts organizers, have a long-term cooperation agreement. It includes new and innovative ways of cooperation in classic live events.
Initial projects are due to start this autumn, continuing on a larger scale in the 2010/2011 season. Existing contracts for UMCMP artists will be honored.
"For us, First Classics is the perfect partner because it focuses on artistic quality and reaches out to a well-informed public that wishes to experience the stars of classical music as well as new artistic developments," said Manfred Seipt, UMCMP managing director, in a statement. "By working closely with our group's labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and Decca, we will, through this new partnership, be able to present artists in Germany more successfully than ever before."
Andreas Schessl, managing director of First Classics, added: "The partnership with Universal Music opens up new opportunities for us to include top international stars on our prestigious concert series and also allows us to familiarize our public with the stars of tomorrow."
UNIVERSAL MUSIC CLASSICAL MANAGEMENT & PRODUCTIONS (UMCMP), with headquarters in London, is part of the UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP and is one of the leading companies in the field of artist management and event production / promotion for classical music. Among the artists managed by UMCMP they are world stars like Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón, Elina Garanca, Thomas Hampson, and many more. Jeffrey Vanderveen and Manfred Seipt are the Managing Directors of UMCMP.
FIRST CLASSICS GmbH was founded by renowned private concert organizers from Germany, mainly in the field of classical music business. It develops projects for classical music and organizes tours of top artists and ensembles.
The third performance of Rachmaninov's first opera "Aleko", with John Relyea in the title role, and Tchaikovsky's last opera "Iolanta", with Anna Netrebko in the title role and Piotr Beczala as Graf Vaudemont, took place on Friday 24. July 2009 at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Valery Gergiev conducted the Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg. The stage director, in a co-production by the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg, was Mariusz Treliński. One more performance of "Aleko" and "Iolanta", the last one of the run, is scheduled on 27. July 2009.
The cast for this third performance was almost the same one than for the two previous performances, being the only changes Irina Mataeva replacing Veronika Dzhioeva as Zemfira in "Aleko" and Mikhail Kit replacing Sergei Aleksashkin as King René and Alexander Gergalov replacing Edem Umerov as Ebn-Hakia in "Iolanta".
Aleko
one act opera
Music by Sergei Rakhmaninov
Libretto by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenkoafter the poem by Alexander Pushkin
Reports
Our friend Herbert attended this third performance and kindly wrote the following report for the blog:
What can I tell you but: Another triumph for Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala!
The third performance of Iolanta at the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden was sold out again, and it was cheered by an enthusiastic audience.
Anna sang and played the story of the princess who is unaware of her blindness and then is cured and she did it so convincingly that she must have moved everybody in the audience. It was simply overwhelming when Iolanta began to see the colours and forms created by nature for the first time in her life.
Polish tenor Piotr Beczala (Count Vaudemont) and Russian baritone Alexey Markov (Robert) also received applause during the performance for their arias. But the undisputed highlight was the duet of Iolanta and Vaudemont, Tvoyo molèan ye neponyatno (I do not understand your silence), which I have never heard any better before. It makes a big difference whether you listen to it in a concert or on CD, or if you see and hear it as an acted scene in a complete opera. The audience began to cheer and applaud even before the final tones of the music had finished (the orchestra of the Marinsky Theatre under Valery Gergiev was excellent and so was the acoustics of the Festpielhaus).
After the finale there was a rising storm of applause for the chorus, the principal singers and for Gergiev, but the house almost exploded when Anna came out for her last curtain call. Everybody rose and gave her standing ovations.
As always, she thanked not only those in the orchestra stalls near the stage but also the people in the galleries high under the roof, in the heavens , to whom she waved with her both arms.
There was a moment of scare and also of laughter when the curtain moved down in the same second when the singers wanted to step forward to the orchestra pit one more time, but nobody was hurt and the curtain went up again.
After the show a large crowd gathered at the stage door. When Anna came down the steps an official led her across the red carpet to the restaurant opposite where she was greeted with applause when entering. Piotr Beczala followed her and said that they would come back immediately. And so it was! Only a few minutes later Anna returned, wearing a red dress and holding a large bouquet of flowers in her arms. She signed many programmes and pictures, smiled when photos were taken, and then she waved good-bye and moved towards a car waiting for her leaving a happy crowd behind who had had a memorable summer night in Baden-Baden.
This morning, while I was waiting at the train station, I saw Ukrainian bass Mikhail Kit together with his wife (?) and some colleagues. I asked him if he was King René, and he smiled and answered in his deep voice: Yes, that s me. And then he signed my programme.
Videoclips
Iolanta, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 24. July 2009: 1. Scene, Iolanta's Arioso. 2. Scene. Uploaded to Youtube by Valenzisomere
Iolanta, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 24. July 2009: 6. Scene, Scene and Robert's Aria. Uploaded to Youtube by Valenzisomere
Iolanta, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 24. July 2009: 6a. Scene, Vaudémont's Romance. Uploaded to Youtube by Valenzisomere
Iolanta, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 24. July 2009: 7. Scene. Uploaded to Youtube by Valenzisomere
Iolanta, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 24. July 2009: 7. Scene, Iolanta-Vaudémont Duet. Uploaded to Youtube by Valenzisomere
Iolanta, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 24. July 2009: 8. Scene. Uploaded to Youtube by Valenzisomere
Iolanta, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 24. July 2009: 9. Scene, Finale. Uploaded to Youtube by Valenzisomere
Iolanta, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 24. July 2009: Curtain calls. Uploaded to Youtube by Valenzisomere
Photos
Curtain call after "Iolanta" on 24. Jul 2009. Photos [1-16] by Herbert
Anna Netrebko at the Hall of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden after the performance of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" on 24. Jul 2009. Photos [1-3] by Herbert Radio Broadcasts
One of the last two performances of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" will be broadcast on SWR2 Kultur, on Sunday 7. February 2010 at 20:03
Opera star Anna Netrebko will be from August 2009 the new face for Brillance Intense Couleur by Schwarzkopf. Schwarzkopf invited journalists to an international press conference on 22. July 2009 in Baden-Baden, where Netrebko was singing the title role in the rarely staged one-act opera "Iolanta" by Tchaikovsky on the previous night.
Approximately fifty journalists from Germany, France, Russia and other countries participated in the press talk with Anna Netrebko, among them chief editors and beauty editors of important lifestyle and women’s magazines. Along with Anna Netrebko, hostess Tina Müller, Corporate Senior Vice President at Henkel, took part in the press talk.
After the outstanding premiere of Rachmaninov's first opera "Aleko", with John Relyea in the title role, and Tchaikovsky's last opera "Iolanta", with Anna Netrebko making her role-debut in the title role and Piotr Beczala as Graf Vaudemont, which opened the Baden-Badener Sommerfestspiele 2009 at the Fespspielhaus Baden-Baden on Saturday 18. July 2009, the second performance, out of a series of four, took place yesterday, on Tuesday 21. July 2009. Valery Gergiev conducted the Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg in a co-production with the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg, directed by Mariusz Treliński. Two more performances of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" are scheduled on 24. and 27. July 2009.
The cast for this second performance was the same one than for the premiere and not the alternated one initially announced in the programme.
Aleko one act opera Music by Sergei Rakhmaninov Libretto by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenkoafter the poem by Alexander Pushkin
On 17. Aug 2009, within the Salzburger Festspiele 2009, Anna Netrebko (soprano) and Daniel Barenboim (piano), will give a lied recital at the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg, with works of Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The recital will be broadcast by Austrian radio Ö1 on 26. Aug 2009 at 19:30.
Programme NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • Of What I Dream in the Quiet Night, op. 40, no. 3 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • Forgive! Remember Not These Tearful Days, op. 27, no. 4 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • Not the Wind, Blowing from the Hights, op. 43, no. 2 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • The Lark Sings Louder, op. 43, no. 1 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • On the Hills of Georgia, op. 3, no. 4 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • In the Kingdom of Roses and Wine, op. 8, no. 5 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • Zuleika’s Song, op. 26, no. 4 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • Enslaved by the Rose, the Nightingale, op. 2, no. 2 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • The Clouds Begin to Scatter, op. 42, no. 3 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • The Nymph, op. 56, no. 1 NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOW • Summer Night’s Dream, op. 56, no. 2
PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • Tell Me, What in the Shade of the Branches, op. 57, no. 1 PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • To Forget So Soon (1870) PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • Frenzied Night, op. 60, no. 6 PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • Why?, op. 6, no. 5 PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • Serenade, op. 63, no. 6 PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • Cradle Song, op. 16, no. 1 PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • Was I Not a Little Blade of Grass?, op. 47, no. 7 PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • Mid Sombre Days, op. 73, no. 5 PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY • Does the Day Reign, op. 47, no. 6
The premieres of Rachmaninov's first opera "Aleko", with John Relyea in the title role, and Tchaikovsky's last opera "Iolanta", with Anna Netrebko making her role-debut in the title role and Piotr Beczala as Graf Vaudemont, have been performed on Saturday 18. July 2009 opening the Baden-Badener Sommerfestspiele 2009 at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Valery Gergiev conducted the Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg. The production, co-produced by the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg, was directed by Mariusz Treliński. Three more performances of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" are scheduled on 21., 24. and 27. July 2009.
The cast announced for all the four performance is very similar. Only the roles of Zemfira in "Aleko" and René and Ebn-Hakia in "Iolanta" are shared by two singers, getting two casts: Veronika Dzhioeva (18. and 24. July) and Irina Mataeva (21. and 27. July) are Zemfira, Sergei Aleksahskin (18. and 24. July) and Mikhail Kit (21. and 27. July) are René and Edem Umerov (18. and 24. July) and Alexander Gergalov (21. and 27. July) are Ebn-Hakia.
Despite the fact the it was initially planned to make a video recording of these performances and to release a DVD, finally this will not be done. Nevertheless, a radio broadcast of one of the performances is planned and a CD could be released.
Aleko
one act opera
Music by Sergei Rakhmaninov
Libretto by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenkoafter the poem by Alexander Pushkin
Personal Report
Last Friday, 17. July 2009, I went to Baden-Baden to attend the premiere of a really exciting double program including Rachmaninov's first opera "Aleko" and Tchaikovsky's last opera "Iolanta" on Saturday 18. July 2009. I had bought the tickets 15 month ago, in May 2008, and since then I was really looking forward to attending this performance.
I was delighted to have the possibility to see live Anna Netrebko making her role debut as Iolanta, with the maginificent Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater conducted by the maestro Valery Gergiev. Strong reasons to have such an excitement and to expect an unforgetable night! And I got the privilege to be there!
On 18. July 2009, we got lunch at the Paganini restaurant of the Bayerischer Hof Hotel, just in front of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. The members of the Mariinsky Orchestra arrived around 15:30, three and a half hours before the curtains rise. We arrived to the Festspielhaus around 17:30, when the doors given access to the Hall are opened to have a drink, have a look to the Fespsielhaus shop and to the programme of the performance. We bought the programme which was beautifully designed, including full details of the production and the cast for all the four performances, summaries of the plot of the operas in German/English, some colour photos of the rehearsals of Aleko and Iolanta and a short biography and photos of all the artists. A very nice booklet!
The performance started at 19:00 with Aleko, lasting for around 60 min, followed by a 40 min pause (it had been announced just a 20 min pause) and then Iolanta, lasting for around 90 min. Our seats were at the last row of the second balcony, on the right hand side. Full view of the stage, but quite far away, and very good accoustic. The auditorium was quite impressive, being the biggest of Germany in terms of capacity. Needless to say that the performance was sold out and the Festspielhaus was completely full.
I would say that none those operas are well known and they are hard to see live in opera houses, at least outside of Russia. I think also that they deserve more attention and should be better known, because the music is gorgeous and they include breathless arias and duets. I have to confess that I had not previously fully heard any of those operas, just the most well known parts of Iolanta, the Iolanta's aria and Iolanta/Vaudémont duet, which have been sung by Anna Netrebko in different concerts, like in Paris, St. Petersburg and Moscow, and more recently in Braunschweig and München.
The title role of Aleko was sung by John Relyea, recipient of the fourth annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. He was really fantastic. I was very positively impressed by a young, previously unknown to me, soprano Veronika Dzhioeva. She was absolutely great, both singing and acting on the stage. I would recommend to keep track of her career and, certainly, I will do it. The young tenor Sergei Skorokhodov, who had sung recently with Anna Netrebko in her last St. Petersburg and München concerts, was also very good. The Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater conducted by Valery Gergiev were simply outstanding.
After Aleko, what everybody was waiting for, Iolanta with Anna Netrebko! Tchaikovsky's Iolanta has some of the most stunning and breathless arias and duets. The most famous Iolanta's aria was recorded for the Netrebko's Russian Album, certainly, one of the best recordings of her career. Anna was flawless during all the performance. The highlights of the performance were her first aria and the duet with Piotr Beczala as Vaudémont. These two moments were incredibly beautiful. Anna's voice was perfect in colour. The duet was probably the most beautiful part of the whole opera. Both Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala were outstanding there. In general, all the artist of the Mariinksy Theater were very good. Once again, the Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater conducted by Valery Gergiev, one of the most charismatic conductors nowadays, was outstanding.
After the performance, I was able to go backstage and to meet Piotr Beczala, Valery Gergiev and Anna Netrebko, among other singers, as well as Jeffrey Vanderveen, Anna's General Manager. Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, was also there. While being there, I was able to get an autograph from Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczala and Valery Gergiev. Anna had to attend a reception. She left the backstage area in a hurry to attend, first the DB reception and then the buffet for the artists at the Festspielhaus. After a while she left the Festspielhaus by car.
Reports
Edda was also at the premiere and has written a report in German, including some nice photos, in her blog "Dich, teure Halle".
Ester was also there for the premiere and has written a report in Spanish, including also some nice photos and an audioclip of the duet Iolanta-Vaudémont, in her blog "Adiós, amigo adiós"
Press Reviews
“The magical sounds of Netrebko´s soprano voice make one´s soul blossom: at the start of the opera in the arioso that resembles an emerging flower bud, as if she were blindly reaching out for an emotion, while later – in Iolanta´s duet with her knight – we see the whole gamut of the emotions of a human being who has just discovered he has his entire life before him: the intonations grow from inside, with ease they soar above the music, striving towards the horizon.” Jörg Königsdorf, Tagesspiegel, 21.07.09
“This magnificent opera was brilliantly performed. It was hard to believe that it was Netrebko´s debut in this role – such was her confidence throughout the entire opera.” Jörg Königsdorf, Tagesspiegel, 21.07.09
“It was ninety minutes of absolute triumph. And not just because in addition to Netrebko there were another two first-class singers performing – Alexei Markov´s Russian-sounding baritone and Piotr Beczała´s elegant Polish tenor – and Valery Gergiev lends sensitivity to the score, which is imbued with the leitmotif from the Fifth Symphony, and he subjects it to the powerful, rhythmic reign of his hand.” Manuel Brug, Die Welt, 20.07.09
“Iolanta is embodied on stage by Anna Netrebko with her marble-cool soprano, which yet still meets all Tchaikovsky´s expectations in terms of its expressiveness. Her voice has clearly grown, it has become much richer than previously and it is moving towards Tosca and Sieglinde; at the same time, the well-known timbre remains, dazzling with its thousands of colours.” Heinz W. Koch, Badische Zeitung, 20.07.09
Photos
Main entrance of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Photos [1-2] by Carlos
Posters of the artists at the backstage door of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Photos [1-2] by Carlos
Chopard boutique in Baden-Baden. Photos [1-2] by Carlos
Curtain call for "Iolanta" after the premiere on 18. July 2009. Photos [1-5] by Anne
At the Hall of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, after the premiere of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" on 18. July 2009. Photos [1-2] by Anne Videoclips
The Festspielhaus: A virtual visit to the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Videoclip uploaded to Youtube by TheFestpielhaus
Anna Netrebko and Valery Gergiev crowning the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden Season 2008-2009. Videoclip of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, released by the Festspielhaus. Videoclip uploaded to Youtube by TheFestpielhaus
Premiere of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" at the Mariinsky Theater on 17. Apr 2009. Videoclip from Russian TV 100tv.ru.
Premiere of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden on 18. Jul 2009. Videoclip from German TV 3sat TV. Uploaded to Youtube by dvedas
Radio Broadcasts
One of the last two performances of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" will be broadcast on SWR2 Kultur, on Sunday 7. February 2010 at 20:03
The fourth performance of Rachmaninov's first opera "Aleko", with John Relyea in the title role, and Tchaikovsky's last opera "Iolanta", with Anna Netrebko in the title role and Piotr Beczala as Graf Vaudemont, took place on Monday 27. July 2009 at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Valery Gergiev conducted the Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg. The stage director, in a co-production by the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg, was Mariusz Treliński.
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