The Nose at the Metropolitan Opera

For my first Opera experience, The Nose was an odd choice. It was a no brainer for me because of the involvement of William Kentridge. His direction and set design created a visual experience that would have been incredible without the Opera itself. I say this knowing full well how sacrilegious that sounds, but the artist has been known for his solo performances and animations for many years.

I spent 3 weeks prior to the Nose listening to the music and to some other Opera. I quickly understood how this modern Russian Opera taken from Gogol’s short story of the same name was different from “traditional” Opera. I do enjoy the music but mostly one Act at a time. Two hours of the Nose was a lot for me and my friends, all Opera virgins. Shostakovitch shows off, but really doesn't leave much room for joy for the listener. The story is not really enough to fill out an entire Opera. We loved the sets, the projections and the overall design. There was so much to see it almost didn’t matter that our seats were basically at Yankee Stadium.

The music is just tough. It comes in fits and spurts and rushes to uproarious moments of climax that are somewhat painful. There are laughs, there are small moments of sadness, and there are big moments that fall flat.

I know it sounds like I didn’t enjoy myself but I did! The Nose will be my first Opera, not my last!

Glenn Gould & The Goldberg Variations Video

As long as I can remember I have loved Glenn Gould. Gould, née Gold (his family changed the spelling of their surname due to rampant Antisemitism in Canada- they were not Jewish) was an example of a certain macho artistic sentiment in North America in the 50's, not unlike Jackson Pollack's Action Paintings, Jack Kerouac's typewritten stream of consciousness voice, John Coltrane's Sheets of Sound, and James Dean's Method Acting.

Gould's eccentricities are famous- the singing while playing, the chair, the gloves, the refusal to touch or be touched by other people.

But it is the interpretations of Bach, and specifically the Goldberg Variations that are his legacy. The 1955 recording is like Jimi Hendrix playing Machine Gun at the Fillmore East, with unparalleled technical mastery and speed, achieved in no small part from Gould's obsessive tinkering with the mechanics of his piano, and his refusal to use the pedals.  I think I prefer the 1981 recording for it's more mature and introspective interpretation of the work.

UPDATED: Thanks to FOAJ Matt for sending me this link about the Goldberg's from Jeremy Denk's blog.

Cross-posted to A Jeremiad

Wanda Landowska Plays Bach

As a follow up to Jeremy's post, I wanted to let you that Wanda Landowska Plays Bach is available on Singers-Saints.

T-Minus 2 days until The Nose at the Met.

The New York Times has done no fewer than 10 articles related to "The Nose" and William Kentridge.

Feel free to follow along HERE for a review

and here for vaious blog posts on ArtsBeat

Wanda Landowska

Wanda Landowska, the visionary Polish harpsichordist, was a mind-blowing musician and musical interpreter. She single-handedly revived the harpsichord as a modern instrument in the early 20th Century, and toured extensively throughout Europe. Living in France in the 1930's, she was forced to flee to The United States following the German occupation (Landowska was Jewish). She emigrated to  New York City, then moved to Connecticut, where she continued touring and teaching until her death in 1959. Quite a few really great recordings exist going back to the 30's. Her playing can sound almost like Flamenco guitar, or synthesizer music. I have been listening to her versions of Bach's Italian Concertos, and they are stunning.

Cross-posted to A Jeremiad

Opera : All I ever knew was Elmer Fudd

In preparation to see Shostakovich’s The Nose at the Metroplitan Opera with set designs by William Kentridge (There are some good links on the met site relating to Kentridge), I have been listening to the music as conducted by Valery Gergiev. I have enjoyed it, but I know that this is not “traditional” opera so to speak.

The Merola Opera Program was kind enough to send me their Merola 50th Anniversary CD. I want to thank them for this kind contribution to the yearofclassical project. It has given me a nice primer for a variety of operas and styles, but man will I need more help. I will listen to any and all suggestions from the peanut gallery. Please educate me.

I am finding myself enjoying the music far more than I thought I would. Yogi Berra references aside, I am looking forward to hearing the fat lady (or man) sing.