My week in New York

[josé echenique]

I´m just back from New York and Boston.
First of all, I had the great pleasure of having dinner with Lenny Goran, his lovely wife Sue, John Francis and Chalkie. What a pleasure to meet you guys. We had some wonderful Indian food at Sapphire´s, and though my nephew Gabriel and I had to leave much too soon because of a performance of La Clemenza di Tito, we had a wonderful time. Hope this is the first of many more meetings.

At the MET we saw the new Ballo in Maschera production. It´s a rather dull affair, uninteresting to look at, and though not really offensive it was hardly inspiring. The excellent cast deserved better. Marcelo Alvarez sang as good a Riccardo as you are likely to hear these days, he is not the greatest of actors, but what a beautiful voice he has.
Sondra Radvanovsky was outstanding as Amelia, a true lirico-spinto, she sang her 2 arias with power and a fine sense of style. Dimitri Hvorostovsky was a good, sound Renato.
Fabio Luisi conducted competently, but something was missing. Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducted a far more memorable Don Carlo 2 years ago, his was truly great Verdi conducting, what a pity that Philadelphia got him instead of the MET.

Next day was La Clemenza di Tito. The Jean Pierre Ponnelle production, some 35 years old, still looks gorgeous, and serves the opera well, David Alden and Paul Steinberg from Ballo could learn a thing or two from him.
Drop-dead gorgeous Elina Garanca was outstanding as Sesto, the role is ideal for her, and she poured her velvet voice with generosity, quite simply marvelous. Lucy Crowe, well known from many Handel recordings was making her MET debut that night as Servilia, and it was a personal success for her, she made much of her little aria and had a couple of truly magical Mozartian moments, the audience certainly loved her.
Giuseppe Filianoti was good as Tito, even if some fioriture tested him.
The one disappointment was Barbara Frittoli as Vitellia. She still looks good on stage, but too many notes were not met with the necessary aplomb in this extremely difficult role, so Garanca and Crowe easily got the vocal honors of the night.
Harry Bicket conducted very well, and the orchestra responded accordingly, the corno di bassetto solo in the Vitellia aria was outstanding (the singing was not).

On saturday we went to Carnegie Hall for Beethoven´s Missa Solemnis with the Monteverdi Choir, the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique all under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Predictably, it was an outstanding performance, far greater and more visionary than the famous Archiv recording of some 22 years ago.
First of all the sheer glory of the Monteverdi Choir, surely the finest choir in the World, a marvel in all departments. The Orchestre Révolutionnaire was also magnificent, the violin solo in the Benedictus was deeply felt but unsentimental, but strings, brass and woodwinds were all exemplary.
Gardiner´s Archiv recording was a revelation when first released, but he has matured the work, now he is less militaristic and more spiritual.
The vocal quartet was efficient, and the basso was particularly impressive, but Gardiner surely deserved more starry soloists.
I have only heard 2 great Missa Solemnis in my life: a 1986 Salzburg Festival performance with Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic and this Carnegie Hall concert, both obviously very different, but both gloriously inspiring.

To close my short New York stay, on sunday we were back at Carnegie Hall for a Joyce DiDonato recital. This is a singer I have enjoyed a lot in recordings and was eager to hear in the flesh, and have to say that was VERY and I mean VERY impressed.
Her voice can do everything: superb coloratura, diminuendos, pianissimi to die for, legato, she has everything, all in all she is the greatest coloratura mezzo I have heard since Teresa Berganza and Marilyn Horne, and there´s no greater praise than that.
She sang arias from Monteverdi to Hasse and Handel, and every aria was a gem. She was accompanied by Il Complesso Barocco who played magnificently. especially a fiendishly difficult Vivaldi concerto.

4 marvelous musical experiences in as many days, oh New Yorkers, you are SO lucky!

[John F]

Yes we are, aren't we? It was great to meet the two of you, and next time (there must be many next times!) I plan to sit closer so I can be part of the lively conversation I could see going on at that side of the table. Glad the trip went so well for you.

John Eliot Gardiner almost never has top-flight soloists in his recordings, it seems. Beethoven's "Leonore" on records and in a live performance at about the same time had Hillevi Martinpelto, Kim Begley, and Matthew Best in the leading roles. Whether this is Gardiner's preference or just cost control, I've no idea, but there it is.

[lennygoran]

I´m just back from New York and Boston.
First of all, I had the great pleasure of having dinner with Lenny Goran, his lovely wife Sue, John Francis and Chalkie. What a pleasure to meet you guys. We had some wonderful Indian food at Sapphire´s, and though my nephew Gabriel and I had to leave much too soon because of a performance of La Clemenza di Tito, we had a wonderful time.

Jose what a pleasure it was for Sue and myself to be dining with everyone and your musical experiences sound so wonderful--we can't wait for you to return to NYC! I have a photo of the event--guys is it okay to put it in here--for some reason Chalkie isn't in my photo--I can't figure out why--maybe he came a little later after the photos were taken? Regards, Len

[Ricordanza]

Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducted a far more memorable Don Carlo 2 years ago, his was truly great Verdi conducting, what a pity that Philadelphia got him instead of the MET.

Well, from my point of view, it's no pity--it's a delight!

Jose, thanks for your informative report.

[lennygoran]

Well, from my point of view, it's no pity--it's a delight![/color]

Isn't the Philadelphia Flower Show and the Barnes collection enough for you! Regards, Len [fleeing]

[josé echenique]

Yes we are, aren't we? It was great to meet the two of you, and next time (there must be many next times!) I plan to sit closer so I can be part of the lively conversation I could see going on at that side of the table. Glad the trip went so well for you.

John Eliot Gardiner almost never has top-flight soloists in his recordings, it seems. Beethoven's "Leonore" on records and in a live performance at about the same time had Hillevi Martinpelto, Kim Begley, and Matthew Best in the leading roles. Whether this is Gardiner's preference or just cost control, I've no idea, but there it is.

Thank you John, you were all so nice, we definitely have to do this again.

I´m also not a fan of Hillevi Martinpelto, too bland and uninteresting a singer. But Gardiner has had some wonderful singers in his recordings: Anne Sofie von Otter recorded with him everything from Monteverdi to Weill, the great Luba Orgonasova was a glorious Donna Anna and Konstanze, and as far back as 1982 he was conducting Rameau´s Hippolyte et Aricie at Aix-en-Provence with Jessye Norman and Jose van Dam. There have been some let downs in his opera recordings besides Martinpelto though, Harry Peeters is one of the worst Sarastros in any recording.
Maybe since he parted ways with Universal now it´s more difficult for him to get top billing soloists for things like Missa Solemnis, but don´t get me wrong the quartet was perfectly acceptable, though nowhere as good as the orchestra and the fabulous choir.

[josé echenique]

I´m just back from New York and Boston.
First of all, I had the great pleasure of having dinner with Lenny Goran, his lovely wife Sue, John Francis and Chalkie. What a pleasure to meet you guys. We had some wonderful Indian food at Sapphire´s, and though my nephew Gabriel and I had to leave much too soon because of a performance of La Clemenza di Tito, we had a wonderful time.

Jose what a pleasure it was for Sue and myself to be dining with everyone and your musical experiences sound so wonderful--we can't wait for you to return to NYC! I have a photo of the event--guys is it okay to put it in here--for some reason Chalkie isn't in my photo--I can't figure out why--maybe he came a little later after the photos were taken? Regards, Len

We had a wonderful time Lenny, thank you so much for everything.
Since we returned home Gabriel has been accepted to Mexico City´s General Hospital to train as a cancer surgeon, 7 more years of study and hard work! But he will get to study with some of Mexico´s finest specialists there.

[josé echenique]

Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducted a far more memorable Don Carlo 2 years ago, his was truly great Verdi conducting, what a pity that Philadelphia got him instead of the MET.

Well, from my point of view, it's no pity--it's a delight!

Jose, thanks for your informative report.

I´m sure he will be an outstanding orchestral conductor in Philadelphia, and what a treat it is to conduct such a superb orchestra of course, but he is such a good operatic conductor that I hope that he will be a frequent guest at the MET too.

[lennygoran]

Since we returned home Gabriel has been accepted to Mexico City´s General Hospital to train as a cancer surgeon, 7 more years of study and hard work! But he will get to study with some of Mexico´s finest specialists there.

Jose congratulations to Gabriel--come to NYC again soon! Regards, Len

[Ted Quanrud]

My friends from Chicago arrived late, and I must have just missed you at Sapphire's (the food and service were excellent).

After dinner, we went to Lincoln Center to hear Kurt Masur and the NYP deliver decidedly mediocre performances of Brahms's 3rd and 4th Symphonies. The horns were iffy and the orchestra was oddly disjointed

Friday night was Carnegie Hall with John Eliot Gardiner, the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique (when are they going to give up that pretentious monicker) in Beethoven's 9th and Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage. Saturday night, the same forces presented the Missa Solemnis.

Pepe's description of the Missa is spot on -- it was a life-affirming experience that left me awake most of the night, as had the performance of the Choral Symphony the night before. Gardiner has grown enormously as a Beethoven interpreter -- these performances put his Archiv recordings in the shade. I hope he issues the new versions on his own SDG label.

A great weekend in NYC. I only wish I had met up with all of you. Next time, perhaps.

[josé echenique]

My friends from Chicago arrived late, and I must have just missed you at Sapphire's (the food and service were excellent).

After dinner, we went to Lincoln Center to hear Kurt Masur and the NYP deliver decidedly mediocre performances of Brahms's 3rd and 4th Symphonies. The horns were iffy and the orchestra was oddly disjointed

Friday night was Carnegie Hall with John Eliot Gardiner, the Monteverdi Choir and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique (when are they going to give up that pretentious monicker) in Beethoven's 9th and Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage. Saturday night, the same forces presented the Missa Solemnis.

Pepe's description of the Missa is spot on -- it was life-a life-affirming experience that left me awake most of the night, as had the performance of the Choral Symphony the night before. Gardiner has grown enormously as a Beethoven interpreter -- these performances put his Archiv recordings in the shade. I hope he issues the new versions on his own SDG label.

A great weekend in NYC. I only wish I had met up with all of you. Next time, perhaps.

Sad to miss you Ted, we could have seen each other at the Missa Solemnis of course. Surely next time.