I believe that the first one is a nervous man from the classical period, acting like a nobleman, without excesses. We cannot forget that this noble gentleman knows that he is pretending to be alone, but that in fact there are a lot of people watching what he is doing. The second one is dressed like in a romantic period where people were all mad Clothes make all the difference.... hahaha. Ok, yes, you won, the second one is more convincing, I agree. The only problem is that being a singer was already difficult, and now with modernity, in addition to having a good voice, they will have to have strength, muscles, dancing skills, circus aerobic capabilities, superior intelligence, beauty, perfect teeth, well-manicured nails , attractive, rich, sophisticated, to live in New York, Paris and Singapure, to have their own aircraft, and .... Poor rich world...
Thank you for your comment! You are 100% right: being an opera singer is really, really difficult on itself! But (always a "but", right?) I would say that not only opera singers but musical performers, ballet dancers and actors have to work hard to improve their skills and go step by step beyond what they thought was possible for them. It seems to me that that's the law of art, so to speak: never being satisfied with the status quo...But of course the result of this higher expectations the audience has leads to a brutal selection process which often times can be unfair...
Wow! How could Skovhus do that without compromising on the quality of the music? I had assumed that Almaviva was purely driven by lust (for power and status as well as for Susanna) but reminding me of a bit of historical perspective helps to show there is more to him than that. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for your comment! Well, I wouldn't rule out pure lust as one of the major forces driving Almaviva's behavior. But I found it to be a fun game to speculate what kind of unresolved issues might feed his behavior. They say, I think, in crime and politics "follow the money". With Almaviva I would say "follow Freud" 😄
One of my absolute favourite productions of „Nozze“. It just seemed more mature somehow. Less wholesome but very genuine. And I haveyet to hear a Contethat comes close to Skovhus. It just clicked for me with this one and I use it to this day as an example for how stage and music should work together: Just as the stage action is more analytical and introspective, so is the orchestra.
Thanks for your comment - yeah, this is a great example of a great ensemble, great orchestra and great director working together to find the perfect balance between "Kammerspiel" and opera.
Hello! The comparison between these two sets is very interesting. It seems to me that the first one is very conservative, which is nothing wrong with it, especially if we compare it with some recent "innovations". I have been able to see the complete opera on RU-vid and I really liked it. As for Bernd Weikl's performance in this specific aria, I find it somewhat monolithic, impersonal, I see an angry man singing, however in the rest of the opera his performance is much more convincing. As for the second, I do not think it is necessary for Mr. Skovhus or another baritone to have to do circus acts that actually distract from the main thing, which is the operatic plot. As you point out, it is assumed that the angel is the conscience of the Count, although at one point he seems to act like an adolescent Commendatore dragging this domestic Don Giovanni to hell, but in general such a psychoanalytic exercise of the character seems excessive to me since in this scene in particular, in my opinion in the lyrics of the recitative and the aria there is nothing that suggests that the Count of Almaviva considers for a moment that he is doing something inappropriate, much less that he shows the slightest regret, in fact, the questions what he asks himself responds to the confusion he feels when someone tells him NO and what is worse, Susanna prefers Figaro, a servant, over him, the Count. He only cares about his wounded pride and the only doubt he has is that Figaro could pay his debt to Marcellina and be free to marry Susanna. Of course Le Nozze de Figaro is a wonderful work of art and as such it offers us numerous interpretations. Thank you very much for your work.
When I watch opera, I turn on the senses of sight and hearing, and turn off the rational part of the brain (I leave the emotional part on 🙂). To me, this is a consequence of modern directing. There is no "I DON'T KNOW WHY?" with me🤔. (Can you imagine that I do not even read the subtitles in the theater?!🙃). So I prefer the Salzburg version.
Wow! That's certainly food for thought. I agree with your analysis that the count is a nut job. It's horrific to think that he is a potential rapist, which I think he most definitely is. So much anger, narcissism and control freakery. (Is there such a word as freakery? There is now!) As for the performances, the first one - Weikl is it? - is not all that interesting and there is no clue that such a dangerous persona is lurking within the aria. The second one, Skovhus, is completely spot on. What a brilliant idea to have his conscience assaulting him at his every villainous and vengeful thought. Whoever thought that up is a genius who thinks out of the box and probably, also, needs the services of a good shrink 😂 Skovhus must have done weightlifting as a sideline. My goodness, he can charge up and down stairs whilst singing recit, carry a man and bend, kneel and lie down while singing an aria. Deep respect to him for this and for sounding so lovely doing it. 😊 My brain hurts! But if you think I'm letting you anywhere near it with your indepth psychoanalytic skills you've got another think coming. You'd have me certified as a lunatic in no time! Another fascinating discussion. Thank you ❤
Thank you for your comment - insightful AND funny: that's a great combination 😄 About Almaviva: No doubt he is a very, very dangerous person. The combination of more or less absolute power with unresolved issues and too much testosterone is the worst case scenario not only in this opera but in the world we live in as well. And all too often it is the women who fall victim to this male aggression. Glad you liked the stage director, Claus Guth. He is the same who did the Vienna Turandot I showed in my last video 🙂 And: Smart of you to not let me near your brain - since I have no idea what I am talking about I would leave you in a Jack Nicholson "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" state of mind after our sessions 🙄 Take care 🙏
Thanks for another interesting, amusing and thought provoking analysis. I agree fully that Weikl's interpretation of Count Almaviva's aria is wooden, tedious and uninspiring. Also, as you point out, it has only a single color. However, that was the sort of stand up and sing interpretation (often with outstretched arms) that those of us who are old enough remember from opera's mid-twentieth century days. The emphasis on acting and on singers who fit the parts physically only came to the fore in the early 2000s when it was championed in the USA by the Metropolitan Opera company under Peter Gelb's leadership and somewhat earlier by European opera companies. On the other hand, I found the Skovhus interpretation to be completely over the top. It was more suited to a mad scene in a Donizetti or Bellini opera than to a count with marital issues. The angel too seems completely superfluous. I think something between the two interpretations would work better. Also, in an opera set just before the tumultuous period of the French Revolution, I would still like to see a costume and set from that period. The bottom line here is that if opera is to survive we need performances that are both well sung and well acted. However, younger attendees will find overacted interpretations to be laughable much as they find old-fashioned stand up and sing interpretations to be boring and irrelevant.
