Oberon's Glade

Author: Philip Gardner

  • Verdi REQUIEM ~ Warsaw National Philharmonic

    Giuseppe-Verdi

    The Verdi REQUIEM, as recorded by the Warsaw National Philharmonic.

    Kazimierz Kord conducts an all-Polish quartet of soloists: Teresa Żylis-Gara, Krystyna Szostek-Radkowa, Wiesław Ochman,and Leonard Andrzej Mróz.

    Listen here.

    Leonard_Andrzej_Mroz

    As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I found this performance of the Verdi masterwork by happy chance while looking for recordings by basso Leonard Andrzej Mróz (above). It instantly became one of my favorite recordings of the REQUIEM.

    Mr. Mróz, as it turns out, passed away recently – in December 2020 at the age of 73. He was a native of Warsaw who began his career by winning voice competitions at Wroclaw, Munich, Geneva, and Amsterdam. He joined the Grand Theatre, Warsaw, in 1972 and sang there for many seasons.

    The basso’s international career took him to Glyndebourne, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Moscow, Paris, Parma, Mexico, Sofia, Philadelphia, London, Lisbon, Cleveland, Leipzing, Dresden, Paris, Berlin, and Moscow, as well as opera centers in Great Britain, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Italy.

    After retiring from the stage, Mr. Mróz  taught at the State Music School Fryderyk Chopin in Warsaw and at the Academy of Music in Poznan.

    Leonard Andrzej Mróz sings Rachmaninov’s Zdes’ khorosho here, the Death Scene from BORIS GODUNOV here, and Banquo’s aria (and murder) from Verdi’s MACBETH here.

  • Elīna Garanča @ the 2011 Vienna Opera Ball

    Garanca

    The Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča sings at the 2011 Vienna Opera Ball.

    Watch and listen here.

  • Trudeleise Schmidt as La Musica

    Snapshot - la musica - Copy

    Trudeleise Schmidt is La Musica in the prologue to Monteverdi’s L’ORFEO.

    Watch and listen here.

  • Tebaldi/Poggi/Guelfi ~ TOSCA

    Tebaldi tosca

    Renata Tebaldi (above), Gianni Poggi, and Giangiacomo Guelfi star in a televised performance of TOSCA from Tokyo 1961. Arturo Basile conducts. 

    Watch and listen here.

  • Handel ~ Sarabande in D-minor

    Handel

    Handel’s Sarabande in D-minor performed by Rodion Zamuruev (violin) and the Mobilis Ensemble; recorded at the Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in May 2015.

    Watch and listen here.

  • Waltz of the Snowflakes

    Snapshot waltz

    Post:ballet presents a ‘Waltz of the Snowflakes‘ from Tchaikovsky’s THE NUTCRACKER for the time of the pandemic.

    Watch and listen here.

    This performance really gave me a lift during this unusual holiday season. I was especially happy to see Landes Dixon dancing; I met him a few years ago when he danced with Steps Repertory Company, and again when he danced with Michele Wiles/Ballet Next.

    Credits:

    Choreography by Robert Dekkers
    Cinematography/editing by Ben Tarquin
    Performed by Post:ballet dance artists Cora Cliburn, Landes Dixon, Emily Hansel, Caitlin Hicks, Jenna Marie
    With Berkeley Ballet Theater dance artists Mai Corkins, Cameron Heanue, Elizabeth Inami, Monique Jonath, Nina Owen, Frances Pine-Rinella
    Produced by Lance Hepler
    Costumes courtesy Berkeley Ballet Theater and Post:ballet
    Special thanks to Marge Funabiki
    Filmed in Alameda, CA following corresponding state and municipal COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for Media Production
    Presented by Post:ballet and Berkeley Ballet Theater

    Merry Christmas to all!

  • Christopher Lowrey ~ Ombra Mai Fu

    Snapshot ombra mai fu

    Counter-tenor Christopher Lowrey and Voices of Music perform “Ombra mai fu” from Handel’s SERSE.

    Watch and listen here.

  • Brahms Viola Songs ~ Kožená/Grosz/Rattle

    Magdalena_kozena

    Mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená (above), violist Amihai Grosz, and pianist Sir Simon Rattle perform Johannes Brahms’ Zwei Gesänge für eine Altstimme, Viola, und Klavier for Arte TV’s Hope@Home series, in April, 2020.

    Watch and listen here.

  • Lisette Oropesa @ La Scala ~ 2020

    Lisette scala gala 2020

    When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Teatro alla Scala to abandon their planned opening night performance of a new production of LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR with Lisette Oropesa in the title-role, the theatre instead honored their traditional opening date – December 7th, the Feast of Saint Ambrose – with a televised gala featuring a number of prominent singers performing arias pre-filmed on the Scala stage, without an audience.

    Lisette, wearing an Armani gown, sang Lucia’s Act I aria. Watch and listen here.

    The Cuban-American soprano is currently in Barcelona for performances of Verdi’s LA TRAVIATA.

  • Sara Leland Has Passed Away

    Scanned Section 1-1

    Above: former New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Leland has passed away.

    In the Autumn of 1974, I had moved into TJ’s dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College, pretending to be a student; he and I were making frequent trips into Manhattan for the opera. We’d spent the Summer on Cape Cod, performing with a small ballet company. I had never liked ballet until I got caught up in it by dancing in COPPELIA. Now that we were living within range of Lincoln Center, TJ began taking me to see The New York City Ballet.

    It was a heady time at NYCB, with Kay Mazzo, Patricia McBride, Karin von Aroldingen, and Violette Verdy as reigning ballerinas. And on our third visit to the House of Mr. B that season, Suzanne Farrell returned to the Company after five years in exile following her falling out with Balanchine…yes, we were there that night.

    Whilst these lovely ladies were giving one spectacular performance after another, both TJ and I had a special affection for Sara Leland, a truly unique ballerina. I first saw Sara in the Valse Mélanconique of TCHAIKOVSKY SUITE #3; a few days later, she danced the third movement of SYMPHONY IN C in Farrell’s return performance. 

    In May of 1975, I saw my first JEWELS, and it was RUBIES that most dazzled me, with Ms. Leland and Marnee Morris, another favorite, in the leading roles. Robert Weiss stepped in on very short notice for Edward Villella that night. Read about it here.

    Helgi and sara

    We went on to see Sara Leland in Balanchine’s UNION JACK (above, with Helgi Tomasson), SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS, and VIENNA WALTZES, and in Robbins’ DANCES AT A GATHERING (in Apricot), SCHERZO FANTASTIQUE, GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, AN EVENING’S WALTZES, and THE CONCERT.

    Both TJ and I were especially fascinated whenever Sara danced with Bart Cook. They had a kind of offbeat sexiness, and they somehow could be both edgy and poetic at the same time:

    C2-1

    Another of Sara’s frequent partners, John Clifford, posted a film of SYMPHONY IN C, third movement; watch it here.

    Iwm weslow sara leland

    Sara Leland’s romantic side shines thru in this lovely photo of her with William Weslow in Balanchine’s LA VALSE.