Poulenc rewrote some passages for her voice. She simgs with such sensitivity here. Poulenc loved her voice in this role when he heard her sing it. Heather Begg is incredible, such an emotive performance
We have seen this opera in Berlin, London etc and this production boasts remarkable performances with superb acting from an all star cast. Ms Koppel's casting was monumental, powerful and almost overwhelming.
Mrs Koppel you really understood the fact that madame de croissy is actually dying! I feel her desperation si much, it's one of my favorite versions of this character! Do you have any anecdotes about portraying her in this one or other presentations?
It’s also fantastic to see Dame Joan in a role far removed from her regular repertoire. Unfortunately, although she sings brilliantly, I couldn’t understand many of the words.
Well yes. But if we can't understand what the hell she's singing about, can we really call her a brilliant singer? Brilliant voice and vocal technique, sure, but if the meaning of the words are not an important part of the drama, why bother ?
@@theon9575 perhaps because a lot, not all, but a lot of the singers praisede for their lear diction also sing a lot of ugly notes, contorting their voices in their effort to weigh clear diction over healthy vocal production.
IT's the GREATEST opera of them all... a true story... with hauntingly BEAUTIFUL music... by one of the GREATS of the last Century... Poulenc even received the stigmata while writing this masterpiece... (I think the production the MET is doing... is their old staged version on a HUGE gold cross... I've seen it soooo many times... I'm ready for a new MET production of this great work... I'll be watching it later that month in a LARGE movie theatre here in St Louis... WITH a BIG bucket of popcorn... and a diet coke)
Rightsideofthelaw7 WOW, please finish your popcorn before the opera or during intermission. How rude. Somebody was next to me during Walkure rustling their popcorn during the end of Act 1. Would you really bring a box of disturbance to the Met? Or candy wrapper? That happened after I moved to another seat. Have fun though. I’m sure nobody will mind.
@@ambrosejoseph4843 I wish I would be bothering someone... THE last time I saw a MET production at our local Theatre... I WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE THEATRE... ME... just me...
I think I have to get my hands on the DVD. I must I must big to visually but the cropping of this post is obvious although I understand why probably it was done.
I wish North American and British companies would only perform this opera in English - that's what Msr Poulenc envisioned. The Scala premiere was in Italian. He wanted the audience to understand the text. As good as the recent Met opera broadcast was hearing it sung in English and being able to understand even 60 percent of the sung text is a revelation.
@@davidvscalvim2836Perhaps, and I've sung in a production in English (as First Commissioner), but I think I prefer the French - with subtitles of course.
Excellent staging acting and for the most part singing . However I have always thought Buchanan’s voice was substandard and never understood why she even had a career . It was one of the most obnoxious goaty sopranos with such a hideous tone. As Blanche de la Force one almost wants her to climb the scaffold.
Actually at the outset of her career her voice was very attractive and earned her a great deal of praise from both distinguished singers and the public. She seems to have had some sort of vocal crisis. It was suggested that during her stay with Australian Opera she undertook too many different roles. She was still a young singer then and perhaps paid the price. I like her portrayal of Blanche - she is well inside the role and looks beautiful. Where I think she struggles or gives out signs of vocal danger is at the top of the voice in the difficult hysteria scene with Mere Marie. However she certainly attracted the attention of the musical profession and had her time in the limelight.
