kristine opolais: let's play two

what a tour de force, by kristine opolais

she sang butterfly, friday night -- her first time, singing the role at the met -- she would say,...i lived it

then unwound, had a late dinner -- goes to bed, around five

seven-thirty, the phone rings -- peter gelb's on the phone -- anita hartig's sick -- can you sing mimi, in five hours

what are you talking about -- impossible

five minutes later, she...has second thoughts -- why not

they go through the whirlwind of costumes, makeup, hair, steps, staging, all that -- bob's your uncle -- she makes her met debut as mimi

first time that's ever happened -- in met history -- 131 years -- two met debuts, in 24 hours -- more like...15 hours

she was incredible -- what a rich...and husky voice -- full...deep

great acting, too

[april 14: i just came across this detailed analysis of the show]

there was a beautiful shot of rodolfo (grigolo) and mimi (opolais), from below -- he's on the ground; she's on the upper level -- act three, just inside the paris gate -- i didn't get my camera out, to capture it -- it's just before they come together,...here

she,...and her duet with rodolfo, in that scene,...were spine-tingling

she must have had a good sleep, last night

[april 10: saw it again, this evening -- even more powerful, the second time -- maybe, because of what i've learned, since -- or...the effects of it, sinking in -- well, i thought it was one...for the ages -- she is...something else -- i'll be following her -- during the intermissions, i listened to her, on my phone, as butterfly, live from the met -- from the movie screen, i got this picture, from act three]

then, in this great interview, she says she's going to sing both soprano roles...in boito's mefistofele -- this girl...likes to play -- and...that's not enough

Often when I finish an opera I always say that I would like to sing more.

she's got some interesting takes...on magda,...tosca,...and mimi -- she likes to shake things up -- desdemona too -- and carmen

her husband says...she is...tosca

she's also going to be manon lescaut, with jonas kaufmann -- covent garden, in july -- that one...should be special -- super-special -- he's a teacher and mentor, for her -- idol, too -- will be broadcast in movie theaters

this 2008 butterfly, in covent garden, was conducted by her husband, andris nelsons

looking for a mimi clip, there's a boheme, with villazon -- wow -- i've gotta see that one

the last scene

part of 'addio, senza rancor'

soave fanciulla

here's an 'addio,'...that was added, today -- so, maybe, it's from yesterday

she's got a 'quando m'en vo' -- in concert

all right -- that's enough

now i've gotta figure out,...where i saw her, before

reading on in the interview, i think i might have seen a video of her, singing, with her husband, conducting -- he's the incoming music director of the boston symphony -- they'll open next season, together

barcelona boheme

a couple of weeks ago, i saw, in the movie theater, a boheme from barcelona -- great -- a much better production than the previous one i saw at the movies, from vienna, with maps of the city, all over the stage

the liceu's promo is on youtube, at http://youtu.be/VYh8pYqREcI -- i couldn't include it here

they have another trailer -- charming -- with the four leads, inviting people to attend...and introducing themselves and the opera -- in three languages...maybe four -- at http://youtu.be/J53NgS8CL_I

[i just looked on wikipedia, and it appears that ainhoa arteta, the musetta, is basque]

here's el periodico's video -- clips from the opera, the house, and an interview with the mimi, fiorenza cedolins, who was wonderful -- perfect, for the part

here she is, singing si, mi chiamano mimi

vargas seemed a little off, though -- didn't...'turn it on,' till the last act, when he was back in the apartment, with mimi

the colline, carlo colombara, looked so familiar

he might have been the colline in the vienna production, from the previous year, starring anna netrebko and piotr beczala

he was great -- as were the musetta (arteta) and the marcello (christopher maltman) -- his duet with rodolfo was great -- she did an unbelievable trill (if that's what it's called), at the end of quando m'en vo' -- she really 'turned it on' -- the charm -- the sex appeal -- not to mention, the voice -- i wish i had a video...audio...of it

here she is, singing it at the met, in 2008 -- the video goes all the way to the end of the act, into the curtain call, and beyond -- it starts, though, right with her, singing -- we don't get the music...leading up to it

here's another version, which starts with the music lead-up, but cuts off, abruptly, as she finishes her...main portion -- the picture is bad -- the sound is great -- and we've got subtitles

yup -- i just found him -- it was salzburg, though -- not vienna -- colombara is in the green top

the blog around the world with irina has pictures from the barcelona production, with angela gheorghiu and saimir pirgu in the leads -- instead of fiorenza cedolins and vargas, whom i saw

from boheme: quando me'n vo' & rodolfo-marcello duet

i attended opera western reserve's annual show, friday, and the quando me'n vo' scene...is quite a...dramatic scene -- lots...going on -- from all quarters

i'd like to find a longer video, with translations of all the lines

what a cast, though, here -- vargas and gheorghiu -- the musetta is ainhoa arteta

here's another version -- longer -- with pavarotti

also, the rodolfo-marcello duet is beautiful

old friend jason budd was colline

in june, we led jason, on and off the stage, in opera circle's rigoletto -- he was monterone -- nice job with the coat song, tonight