Revisiting Le Prophete

[lennygoran]

Revisiting Le Prophete

We hadn't seen this opera for over 25 years-twice live at the Met-unfortunately the Met doesn't have it On Demand so we had to settle for this production from 1998-it was free on youtube and someone had put in captions. The production went from outlandish and silly to a final act completely updated and Domingo now in a business suit-the singing was quite good and we love the music. This production a big disappointment saving the worst for last. Regards, Len

Here's info from youtube:

Jean : Placido Domingo
Fides : Agnes Baltsa
Berthe : Viktoria Loukianetz
Comte d'Oberthal : Davide Damiani
Zacharie : Franz Hawlata
Mathisen : David Cale Johnson
Jonas : Torsten Kerl
Conductor : Marcello Viotti
Director : Hans Neuenfels

Vienna Staatsoper, May 24, 1998

Diacritical marks had to be removed from French caption data.
In my opinion, in spite of the ugliest stage, wonderful singings of Baltsa, Domingo, and other singers have made it clear that this is one of the greatest opera in the 19th century. I recommend you to check the libretto of the last scene, which is almost impossible to understand with this

Here's another review I found:

"Preparation is everything, especially if an opera that are new for me. First live Meyerbeer opera. The only Meyerbeer I knew was the opera L'Africaine (from the video of the opera with Plácido Domingo and Shirley Verrett in San Francisco Opera. I went to the Theatermuseum, after buying Le Prophete (CBS Masterworks), it was a Meyerbeer expedition. Then it was time to go to Vienna State Opera for Le Prophete with Agnes Baltsa and Plácido Domingo. Having read the CD-libretto made me see what should have been onstage. Hans Neuenfels was the director, and his job was to make this Grand Opera unto a big messy spectacle. It was not too bad, the singers was excellent, and some of his ideas was good. One thing was absolutely not agreeable by me, the dancer who was another Jean, a modern one with heroin abuse and hanging, coming unto the stage, and the monkeys (probably belong to the 3 Anabaptists or even representing them). Too much was happening on the stage. Making you lose moments of the opera, confusing you.

Plácido Domingo was a superb Jean, very charismatic and strong. Agnes Baltsa was Fidès, very charismatic and in splendid voice. Le Prophete needs both a Jean and Fides that are in good voice and have charisma. Viktoria Loukianetz was Berthe, wonderful soprano. Acting was not easy in this overcrowded stage so filled with the directors own ideas of making Le Prophete his, but still Agnes and Plácido was strong enough to give enormous pleasure both in the singing and acting. Even if one loathed the production, one would like to go again to experience both Plácido and Agnes in roles that suited them so well, and Meyerbeer's opera is so wonderful in the melodies. Just focus on Plácido Domingo or Agnes Baltsa and the rest would cease to exist."

http://www.operaduetstravel.com/1998/0531_Prophete.html

[maestrob]

Len, I remember seeing "Le Prophete" at the MET with Renata Scotto who, by then, was in the final years of her career with a voice that had become, shall we say, unreliable on top due to damage from attempting the role of Abigaille in Nabucco with Muti. Marilyn Horne and James McCracken sounded fine in that production, which was recorded and issued on Columbia records with James McCracken, Henry Lewis (Horne's husband) conducting in London. A fine opera, and I'd be glad to hear it in a realistic production with better singers some day.

[lennygoran]

Marilyn Horne and James McCracken sounded fine in that production, which was recorded and issued on Columbia records with James McCracken, Henry Lewis (Horne's husband) conducting in London. A fine opera, and I'd be glad to hear it in a realistic production with better singers some day.

Brian yes-that's the recording I've had for years. Regards, Len