Anna Netrebko as Mimi and Piotr Beczala as Rodolfo made their role debuts at the Wiener Staatsoper in a sold-out performance of Franco Zeffirelli's production of Puccini's La Bohème on 5. April 2010.
Their role debuts at the Wiener Staatsoper comes after an outstanding series of nine performances of the same Franco Zeffirelli's production of Puccini's La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, where they have been singing for the first together those roles, from 20. February to 17. March 2010.
La Bohème
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Text in Italian by Giuseppe Giacosa und Luigi Illica, based on Henry Murger's novel "Scènes de la Vie de Bohème"
Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010
Musical Direction: Constantinos Carydis
Production: Franco Zeffirelli
Set designer: Franco Zeffirelli
Costume designer: Marcel Escoffier
Chorus master: Thomas Lang
Mimi: Anna Netrebkoª
Musetta: Anita Hartig
Rodolfo: Piotr Beczalaª
Marcello: Boaz Daniel
Schaunard: Eijiro Kai
Colline: Janusz Monarcha
Benoît: Alfred Sramek
Alcindoro: Alfred Sramek
Parpignol: Martin Müller
Sergeant: Gerhard Panzenböck
Officer: Johannes Gisser
Chor und Orchester der Wiener Staatsopera
About the Opera
Reviews
Herbert attended the performance and he has kindly written the following report
On Monday I saw "La Bohème" at the Vienna Staatsoper with Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala in their house debuts. The performance was sold out, of course, and there were long queues of people meandering outside the building - waiting for standing room tickets!
One yould hear and see very well that Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala had sung this opera together more than once before. Their voices are in perfect harmony - so we may well be looking forward to their "Manon" at Covent Garden in June and July. Anna's voice has become even fuller and richer and filled the house completely. After each aria and after the duets the audience acknowledged the singers with lots of applause - and well deserved it was.
It is a very old and old-fashioned production of "La Bohème" in Vienna, but still a very good one, too. Those who attend it for the first time often go "Aaaaah...." when the curtain opens for the second act, for example, when they see a lively street scene in Paris (even a living donkey appears on stage!), or for the third act - a cold and foggy and snowy winter scene by night.
After Mimi's death - the most affecting and touching moment to end the opera - there were 20 minutes of enthusiastic applause and cheers and countless curtain calls, especially for Anna and Piotr.
After the show there was the usual Viennese "fight" at the stage door and in a tiny and completely overcrowded room where the stars sit at a small table to write their autographs. People were pushed around by others, who insisted on their alleged "right" to get numerous photos and autographs first by Piotr and then by Anna (I wonder why there isn't any security staff to protect the artists). Anyway, Anna was in a very good mood, so she didn't lose her temper at this nerve-wracking chaos. When she finally left the building, her husband Erwin Schrott was waiting for her outside, and they walked away arm in arm and waved good-bye to the crowd.
All press reviews I have read up to now praise this performance up to the skies, and they agree: Opera can be so beautiful, so touching and so enthralling when someone like Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala "tell a fairy-tale of love and death".
Press Reviews
Photos
Cast sheet for La Bohème on 5. April 2010 at the Wiener Staatsoper windows. Photo: Carlos
Piotr Beczala and Anna Netrebko at the curtain call at the end of the 1. Act, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala, Anna Netrebko and Janusz Monarcha at the curtain call at the end of the 2. Act, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala, Anna Netrebko and Janusz Monarcha at the curtain call at the end of the 2. Act, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala, Anna Netrebko and Janusz Monarcha at the curtain call at the end of the 2. Act, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Marie-Antoinette
Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczala and Anita Hartig at the curtain call at the end of the 3. Act, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Boaz Daniel, Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Boaz Daniel, Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Boaz Daniel, Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Constantinos Carydis, Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Marie-Antoinette
Piotr Beczala at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Marie-Antoinette
Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala, Anna Netrebko and Janusz Monarcha at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala, Anna Netrebko and Janusz Monarcha at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Marie-Antoinette
Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala and Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala and Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala and Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Piotr Beczala and Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Marie-Antoinette
Piotr Beczala and Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Marie-Antoinette
Anna Netrebko at the final curtain calls, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko during the signature session at the stage door, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko at the stage door, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Robert Grabner
Anna Netrebko at the stage door. La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Robert Grabner
Anna Netrebko at the stage door, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Robert Grabner
Piotr Beczala in front of the stage door, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko in front of the stage door, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko in front of the stage door, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko in front of the stage door, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Erwin Schrott waiting for Anna Netrebko at the stage door, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Robert Grabner
Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott leaving the Wiener Staatsoper, La Bohème, Wiener Staatsoper, Wien 5. April 2010. Photo: Herbert
Wonderful pictures Herbert !!!
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to a videoclip from ORF2 with some images of the curtain calls, backstage and stage door.
ReplyDeletehttp://tvthek.orf.at/programs/1360-Seitenblicke/episodes/1333247-Seitenblicke/1334757-Anna-Netrebko-ist-wieder-da
I so much wanted to be there but last week my plans changed for good thanks to Salzburger Festspiele! Now I'm happy to say that finally, my tickets arrived! I’m holding them in my hands and still can’t believe I’ll be there - in Salzburg, on 16th August to watch Romeo and Juliette!
ReplyDeleteVioleta you have been very lucky with those tickets!!! Most of the people I know didn't get one... We will look forward for your report, photos... ;)
ReplyDelete