Hello Readers! Sorry for missing since so much time, I am now back from Vienna!!!!

Apart from the city which is marvelous, I attended the premiere performance of Simon Boccanegra!

here the first reviews in german, quite cold and short!

Der Standard:

http://derstandard.at/1330390575116/Wiener-Staatsoper-Feinsinn-mit-Attacke?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Aus sich heraus gingen auch die Sänger rund um den Rollendebütanten Dmitri Hvorostovsky in der Titelpartie, der seinen nicht überdimensionierten, aber vollen Bariton bis an die Grenze forderte.

Die Presse:

http://diepresse.com/home/kultur/klassik/737950/Verdis-Boccanegra-wird-immer-spannender?from=gl.home_kultur

Dmitri Hvorostovsky in der Titelpartie vor allem, der vielleicht – wie die meisten Wiener Interpreten des Dogen nach Eberhard Waechters explosiver Darstellung – in der Gerichtsszene nicht den erwarteten Impetus mitbringt, um der überwältigenden Unisono-Entladung des gesamten Orchesters wirklich Paroli bieten zu können.

Der neuer Merke:

http://www.der-neue-merker.eu/wien-staatsoper-simon-boccanegra

Dmitri Hvorostovsky ist ein Simon Boccanegra auf Augenhöhe mit seinen grossen Rollenvorgängern. Seine absolut stärksten Momente sind die gefühlvollen Passagen – das Werben um Liebe und Frieden geht unter die Haut. Dass in der Sterbeszene (beim letzen Wort) die Stimme bricht ist aber auch für einen technisch so hervorragenden Sänger nicht planbar sondern – nach unserer Meinung – ein dramaturgischer Zufall (Glücksfall). Ob wir recht haben, werden die Folgeaufführungen zeigen.

Oper in Wien:

http://www.operinwien.at/werkverz/verdi/asimon6.htm

Dmitri Hvorostovsky atmete nicht so oft und laut hörbar ein wie befürchtet, was einen wichtigen „Qualitätsgewinn“ bedeutete. Nur in manchen Passagen, die offenbar dem Sänger eine besondere Anstrengung verursachten, stellte sich dieses überdeutliche Atemholen ein. Hvorostovsky ist eine markante, fast pathetische Bühnenerscheinung, und es fiel ihm nicht schwer, als Boccanegra Fiesco „auf gleicher Augenhöhe“ zu begegnen. Damit war unabhängig von stimmlichen Tagesverfassungen für ein spannendes „Psychospiel“ zwischen den beiden Männern gesorgt. Von Hvorostovskys eher „heroischen“ Rollenanlage aus betrachtet ist sein Bariton fast noch eine Spur zu lyrisch „gestimmt“.

Ok, now my experience ))

The performance did deceive me! I thought that in the Wiener Staatsoper, an internationally known theater they had a good orchestra and they would have chosen a good stage director, but it seems I was wrong…

This is the cast:

• Dmitri Hvorostovsky | Simon Boccanegra
• Ferruccio Furlanetto | Fiesco
• Francesco Meli | Gabriele Adorno
• Marina Poplavskaya | Amelia
• Marco Caria | Paolo
• Dan Paul Dumitrescu | Pietro

• Paolo Carignani | Conductor
• Peter Stein | Director
• Stefan Mayer | Scenes
• Moidele Bickel | Costumes

This was the set for council scene of Act 1 … It cannot be seen in this pic, but costumes seemed amateur actors ones! The Doge had an horrible plastic golden tiara and was wearing a tablecloth… COME ON! Simon Boccanegra is set in the 13th century!!!!!! But this was not the worst! In third act the Doge’s apartment was a circular room divided in eight doors symbolized by vains created with white curtains and each time someone entered the vain was elightened… maybe Stein thought it was nice to have Simone drinking his venom in a disco…!!!!

Is it possible to compare with this costume  and set?

In the same Viennese production starred Domingo… see the costume!!!!

Horrible isn’t it?

About the singing …

Dmitri in the title role started a little cautios, but after opened to his best sounds! As always live performance cannot be compared to recorded or broadcasted one! Emotions flow…  and Dmitri is a master in conveying emotions! The council scene especially the “E vo gridando pace” and the ” E tu ripeti il giuro” were striking! I am sorry to say there was no chemistry between Dmitri and Marina Poplovskaya… she was frigid… isn’t father/daughter also love? SO why not trying to act? The most striking moment of the opera was the finale, and the duet between Fiesco and Simone … I was almost in tears!

As for singing Marina Poplovskaya has a strange voice, not really appealing and I felt like she did “the homework” and Amelia/Maria is maybe not fit to her voice, and it was also her role debut… maybe she will be better later! ( In this pic she is with Placido Domingo as Boccanegra in Domingo’s celebrations of 40 years of debuting at ROH last October)

Ferruccio Furlanetto can always count on his acting skill while his vocal ones are fading, but i found him better than in the recent Ernani at the Met

Francesco Meli was Gabriele Adorno, the young tenor has a really beautiful voice which filled the theater and gave the public what it wanted in his little aria! He did good!!! Squillo, temperamento… he was a convicing  Adorno! He and Dmitri saved the show in my opinion…

I was lucky enough to get Dmitri’s signature after the show! I was really happy about meeting him…

Thank you for reading my blog, comment, and come back please!