Saturday 6 September 2008

 

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Clemency Burton-Hill
Clemency Burton-Hill

Clemency suggests


Not such a good idea, after all

Wednesday, 6th February 2008

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Oh dear. This looks fun, I thought: 

[W]hat’s your birth opera? Or, in other words, which opera (and cast, if applicable) was the Met performing on the day you were born? (You get this information, of course, from the Met Archives Database.)
I was hoping it would be Figaro, Don Giovanni, Rosenkavlier, Carmen or some Verdi. Something good, anyway.

It turns out to quite the most boring, overrated opera in the repertory (well, the second most boring, overrated opera - Pelleas is the run away winner of that accolade):

Metropolitan Opera House
December 18, 1964
LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN
Offenbach-Barbier/Carré

Hoffmann................Nicolai Gedda
Olympia.................Jeanette Scovotti
Giulietta...............Biserka Cvejic
Antonia.................Lucine Amara
Stella..................Sally Brayley
Lindorf.................William Dooley
Coppélius...............William Dooley
Dappertutto.............William Dooley
Dr. Miracle.............William Dooley
Nicklausse..............Janis Martin
Andrès..................Andrea Velis
Cochenille..............Andrea Velis
Pitichinaccio...........Andrea Velis
Frantz..................Andrea Velis
Luther..................Louis Sgarro
Nathanael...............Arthur Graham
Hermann.................Russell Christopher
Spalanzani..............Paul Franke
Schlemil................Clifford Harvuot
Crespel.................John Macurdy
Mother's Voice..........Gladys Kriese

Conductor...............Silvio Varviso

Production..............Cyril Ritchard
Designer................Rolf Gérard
Choreographer...........Cyril Ritchard [Debut]


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Martin Morgan

February 7th, 2008 10:09am

No performance on my birthday, but the day before was Rosenkavalier and the day after Forza del Destino. Life can be so cruel sometimes, eh Stephen?

szeni

February 7th, 2008 10:43am

"Les Contes" boring? A bit rich coming from someone who claims to enjoy sitting through hours of Wagner' pompous tedium. In any case, even tone-deafness is no excuse for slugging off Nikolai Gedda.

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