Enchanted Island : Met Opera Live in HD

A Baroque Banquet Is Well and Truly Served!

David Daniels (Prospero) and Joyce DiDonato (Sycorax)

So difficult to write this - so many superlatives keep exploding in my head all at once, what an experience - I feel I have witnessed something very very special indeed and I am sure anyone else who saw this either Live in HD at the cinema or any of those extremely lucky to see this live at The Met will agree. Aaarrrgh, where to start!!?

Creative team: Jeremy Sams William Christie (conductor) 

Phelim McDermott

What a creation! What a cast! Yes it's been described as a mash-up even by it's creators - Shakespeare's The Tempest + Midsummer Night's Dream + Baroque music of Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau and others = a creative masterpiece of delectable cuisine, a sumptuous feast nay, a veritable Baroque Banquet!!!

Almost impossible and unfair to single out individual performances when every single person up on that stage was performing their socks off however big or small their role and have to say tears (not for the first time) filled my eyes as I witnessed the standing ovation of the entire Met audience on my cinema screen, so well deserved. 

Joyce DiDonato (Sycorax) goes through transformations from hag to goddess

OK, so here I go, I'll dive in straight away with huge applause and overwhelming gratitude to my fave person in the opera world, Joyce DiDonato, who pulled off an absolute blinder of a performance as Sycorax, from the stunning vocal gymnastics here in this clip, in her aria Maybe soon, maybe now have to confess this is my very favourite aria from the opera - well it's Joyce isn't it! (more from me on Joyce here http://annez-reflectionz.blogspot.com/2011/12/joyce-didonato-yankeediva.html

 

and again here as her powers return in My Strength Is Coming Back To Me

 

 

 

from there though, we move on further, where she is with the emotionally wounded Caliban, her son, and she puts in such a moving and beautiful performance singing Hearts That Love Can All Be Broken, truly a mothers heartfelt lament, tears ..... oh yes. (sorry, sadly can't find a vid of that, would be lovely to relive that, as well as many of the truly brilliant songs featured throughout - some great singalong numbers).

Luca Pisaroni (Caliban) and Joyce DiDonato (Sycorax)

David Daniels (Prospero)

 Think I'm going to end up picking out everyone here, but must give mentions to those who opened the opera, David Daniels' Prospero was simply divine and Danielle De Niese's Ariel a revelation, fabulous acting and singing from both throughout.

David Daniels (Prospero) and Danielle de Niese (Ariel)

 

David Daniels - Prospero - sings Chaos, confusion, madness, delusion ...... beautifully! We certainly did see a lot of chaos and confusion as spells and potions get mixed up and all plans go awry, as Miranda - Lisette Oropesa - falls in love with first Demitrius and then Lysander, some hilarious moments as Ariel just gets it so wrong .... more on that later

and Danielle de Niese - Ariel - here singing Can you feel the heavens are reeling,she was simply amazing throughout, both singing and acting, a fabulous Ariel, the humour we see in her Ariel is a sheer delight

I'm afraid that's all the performance videos I can find for now but if any more appear I shall post them here - just wish there were some of Luca Pisaroni - Caliban - I have never seen a more moving Caliban than the lovelorn "monster" portrayed here, falling in love with Helena (one of the Midsummer Night's Dream characters) who under a spell from Sycorax returns his love for a while, just love his line with Sycorax when all falls apart, "it wasn't just botany, it was chemistry" talking of how they looked at flowers together and shared time together.

Luca Pisaroni (Caliban)

Paul Appleby (Demetrius) Layla Claire (Helena) Elliot Madore (Lysander) Elizabeth DeShong (Hermia)

OK, so going back to where Ariel gets it so wrong, mixing up the lovers-love it when she realises, singing "Doh, wrong ship!", she has shipwrecked the lovers from Midsummer Night's Dream  instead of Ferdinand, who should Ariel call upon to rescue everything. Why, Neptune - Placido Domingo - of course! Oh what a treat, what a very special treat watching this in cinema and knowing so many opera lovers all over the world are enjoying a piece of this great master on his 71st birthday! And WOW, what an entrance he makes to Handel's Zadok The Priest (inspired!), the audience is applauding madly before he even opens his mouth, tears - of joy - prick my eyes again and we greet a grumpy old Neptune, or I should say Ariel meets a grumpy old Neptune as she asks for his help in setting things straight, he first asks why should he, then relents, apologising that he is old and grumpy.

Danielle de Niese (Ariel) and Placido Domingo (Neptune)

Miranda (Lisette Oropesa) and Ferdinand (Anthony Roth Costanzo)

So Miranda has fallen for Demetrius-we hear them sing Wonderful, wonderful ..... then Lysander, and now Ferdinand turns up on the island with a pardon for Prospero - relief all round as things, helped by Neptune, start to unfold in the correct manner. At first sight Ferdinand - Anthony Roth Costanzo (sung beautifully) and Miranda (sung beautifully also-heck, everyone sang their socks off!) fall in love - Prospero breathes a hearty sigh of relief, and the Midsummer Night's Dream couples are reunited. All is not quite over as Neptune points out to Prospero how badly he had wronged Sycorax, realising this Prospero pleads with the now transformed Sycorax to forgive him his wrongdoing singing "Lady, this island is yours", she graciously forgives him, his next and long-awaited step is to release the spirit Ariel who now sings "Can you feel the heavens reeling" (see vid posted above of this).

The whole cast assemble on stage for "Now a bright new day is dawning" and the enchantment is over, or is it, as we witness in the cinema the entire Met audience rise ecstatically to their feet an excited buzz breaks out around the cinema - I hope and believe we have not seen the last of this magical Enchanted Island, days later I am still buzzing and singing those beautiful songs - and laughing again and again as I remember all the delicious moments of humour of which there were many.

Just must add that the mashed up music of Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau and others was magically mixed and flowed beautifully ....... aaaahhhhhhh "Wonderful, wonderful ........"

For all my exited build up - go here
Met Opera Enchanted Island ...... Looking Forward
http://annez-reflectionz.blogspot.com/2011/12/met-opera-enchanted-island-looking.html
also has the list of all the music details contained in the opera - essential reading


Footnote: OK, I was already a biiiiiiiiiig Joyce DiDonato fan before Enchanted Island, and also loved Placido, but after this am going to have to start following all the others involved, yes really, all of them - especially Luca Pisaroni and David Daniels.

The Tempest : Shakespeare : Helen Mirren : Film

NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD - AT LAST!!!!

The cast:

• Helen Mirren - Pospera – the main character. Miranda's mother and a sorceress.
• Felicity Jones - Miranda - Prospera's daughter who falls in love with Ferdinand. 
• Reeve - Carney - Alonzo's son who falls in love with Miranda.
• Alfred Molina - Stephano - Alonzo's butler who along with Trinculo joins forces with Caliban to plot against Prospera.
• Russell Brand - Trinculo - Alonzo's jester who along with Stefano joins forces with Caliban to plot against Prospera.
• Djimon Hounsou - Caliban - Prospera's slave who along with Stefano and Trinculo plots against her.
• Chris Cooper - Antonio - Prospera's brother and Miranda's uncle.
• Alan Cumming as Sebastian - Alonzo's brother
• Tom Conti - Gonzalo -a counsellor who gave aid to Prospera and Miranda.
• David Strathairn - Alonzo, King of Naples Ferdinand's father and Trinculo and Stefano's employer.
• Ben Whishaw - Ariel - a spirit who aids Prospera.

I went to see this film in cinema back in the spring of 2011 and absolutely loved it, despite having read many many reviews telling me not to bother and what utter rubbish it was, was I actually watching the same film they were talking about, or have I completely lost the plot.

The Tempest is my very favourite Shakespeare play and Helen Mirren one of my favourite actresses so these two factors alone made this unmissable for me - despite the fact that Russell Brand was also appearing and he is not exactly my favourite person in the whole world, but his idiot persona was most apt for the character Trinculo.

Helen Mirren as Prospera (not Prospero here) - well that change of sex for the main character certaianly got my attention and I have to say with such a strong actress as Helen is, it worked really well for me - just don't think about it too deeply and enjoy getting lost in this magical fantasy with great CGI effects for Ariel. Found the whole film very entertaining and true to the Bard's original text - how wonderful is this for youngsters to get into Shakespeare!!!?

Hats well and truly off to Julie Taymor for this fabulous production, I've now just managed to get my hands on the long-awaited dvd.

Opera - My Personal 2011 Highlights

Not in any particular order, these are the highlights of my 2011 opera viewing, both live at the Royal Opera House, Royal Opera House cinema screenings and Met Opera Live in HD performance - I've only been following opera for just over a year but in that time I have managed to see some fabulous performances that have totally hooked me into this wonderful art form - who would have thought in such a short time I could develop such a major passion - but that is opera - full of passion!

This is so difficult as I have loved pretty much everything I've seen! And I've seen so much, lucky, lucky me!

Il Trovatore - Met Opera - Live in HD
Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Sondra Radvanovsky - Marcelo Alvarez

I was expecting something special from my very first look at Dmitri Live in HD (only previously saw him once on tv in Eugene Onegin with Renee Fleming - instantly knocked out by him, smitten of course). Had no idea how amazing his performance was going to be and how could he possibly, as Count di Luna, steal the show, but steal the show he did,  and I still get breathless every time I think of how good that performance was. Sondra was great too loved her.

Yes this was such an amazing performance from Dmitri, think it has to rate as the performance of the year for me - he just manages to edge out Jonas Kaufmann's Cavaradossi (Tosca), but only just!

Tosca - Royal Opera House - Cinema Screening
Jonas Kaufmann - Bryn Terfel - Angela Gheorghiu

My second chance to see Jonas Kaufmann in action on the big screen (I do love opera in cinemas!) and as I have previously confessed in this blog, this is where he stole my heart. Both Jonas and Bryn Terfel put in stunning performances, Angela G was great also but with these two giants centre stage, was a little overshadowed. I was totally transfixed throughout.

pssssst - if you've not seen it yet, here it is

Die Walkure - Met Opera - Live in HD

Jonas Kaufmann - Eva-Marie Westbroek - Bryn Terfel - Debra Voigt

Little did I know as I sat in my seat waiting for Die Walkure to start that I was about to witness one of the most sizzling love scenes - Wagner, surely not - I had thus far seen in opera - yet Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Marie Westbroek together blew me away with their tender passion and magical chemistry. My first viewing of Jonas Kaufmann and I was very very impressed. That was THE highlight for me but I loved the entire opera, the staging included - even after five and a half hours, forty minute late start due to technical issue at The Met and with a numb rear I would happily have sat through it all again! Bryn Terfel and Debra Voigt were just fabulous also, wonderful chemistry between them as well, particularly for the final scene and the staging came into it's own for The Ride of The Valkyries, my word what a ride!

Macbeth - Royal Opera House

Simon Keenlyside -  Lyudmila Monastyrska

 My very first trip to the Royal Opera House, and boy was I excited! My first real live opera!
Having seen and been impressed by Simon Keenlyside in Met Opera's Hamlet on TV I really wanted to see more of him and this was the first opportunity to see him live on stage at The Royal Opera House. Loved it! The two leading stars were fabulous and I was totally blown away by Lady Macbeth, wow can she sing!! Must give an extra special mention to The Royal Opera House Chorus, they were awesome and I particularly loved the witches, all 32 of them!!!!! (pic below)

 Am very excited to have learnt that this production will be available on dvd very shortly - end of this month I think.

Cendrillon - Royal Opera House

Joyce DiDonato - Alice Coote

So excited to have the opporunity to see my very very favourite lady in the opera world - Joyce DiDonato - at Royal Opera House as Cendrillon, my first chance to see her sing live. What a magical evening it was too, full of beautiful singing and a stunning performance from Joyce, also Alice Coote as the Prince was great and their love duet together fabulous as their voices blended so beautifully together.

Have heard that this production will be available on dvd in the spring and it's screening in cinemas around the world this month - don't miss it!

A bit more about my Cendrillon experience here
http://annez-reflectionz.blogspot.com/2011/12/cendrillon-royal-opera-house-looking.html

Le Comte Ory - Met Opera - Live in HD

Joyce DiDonato - Juan Diego Florez - Diana Damrau

What a fabulous romp this was and my introduction to three of the greatest singers around.

Faust - Royal Opera House

Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Vittoria Griggolo - Rene Pape - Angela Gheorghiu

Dmitri, as Valentin, died beautifully. And yes a stunning performance from him that took mine, and pretty much everyone else's, breath away - he stole the show.

Loved it so much went for another taste at the live cinema screening the following week.

Faust - Met Opera - Live in HD

Jonas Kaufmann - Rene Pape - Marina Polavskaya

Did not expect this to surpass the ROH production I had so recently seen nor get even close really. Was I soooooo wrong. Even without Dmitri as Valentin (how could they miss him out) I felt this was on the whole a much better cast - Rene Pape was a fabulous Mephisto in both - except of course for that one obvious oversight on the part of The Met! Both Jonas Kaufmann and Marina Poplavskaya outshone their counterparts from the Royal Opera House production, such great singing from them both that the strange setting seemed to evaporate before my eyes as if it were not there.

Anna Bolena - Met Opera - Live in HD

Anna Netrebko - Stephen Costello

Anna Netrebko was stunning in this role. Anna Netrebko WAS Anna Boleyn, those silken honey-gold tones were just so incredibly beautiful.

There is a dvd out now of Anna Netrebko in this role in Vienna, just a shame Stephen Costello not in that one but hey, the bonuses are that Elina Garanca (Anna and Elina are amazing together) and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo (Enrico) are in that one and it's another incredible performance from Netrebko!



Der Freishutz - Weber arr Berlioz
BBC Proms - Royal Albert Hall


I cannot close the curtain on 2011 without giving this a mention. My first view of an opera in concert format, although it was semi-staged. I had not come across it before at all until I saw it in the proms program, decided to dip my feet in and give it a try.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner

• Weber

  Der Freischütz (135 mins)
  (French version, 1841, with recitatives by Berlioz; concert performance)

• Andrew Kennedy tenor (Max)
• Sophie Karthäuser soprano (Agathe)
• Gidon Saks bass (Kaspar)
• Virginie Pochon soprano (Ännchen)
• Matthew Brook bass-baritone (Kuno)
• Monteverdi Choir
• Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
• Sir John Eliot Gardiner conductor

Andrew Kennedy and Matthew Brook

Also attended a wonderful pre-concert interview with John Eliot Gardiner across the road at the Royal College of Music where he gave a lot of insight into the re-arrangement by Berlioz - I found this fascinating and was very impressed.

Sophie Karthuser and Virginie Pochon

I really loved the concert itself, the singing was fantastic - the music just blew me away and, although not ever having heard the original, liked that the recitatives were sung instead of spoken - can't say I'm too keen on the spoken word in opera, can't explain why.

Andrew Kennedy and Gidon Saks

Met Opera Enchanted Island .... Looking forward

For my review of the Met Opera Live in HD performance, published 25th Jan 2012, the link is here
http://annez-reflectionz.blogspot.com/2012/01/enchanted-island-met-opera-live-in-hd.html


UPDATE 18TH JANUARY 2012
Just found this so had to update this post, just ahead of the Live in HD in cinemas screening this coming Saturday - a little snippet to truly savour


The incredible Joyce DiDonato singing Maybe soon, maybe now - she totally blows me away with this, her incredible voice control just leaves me breathless!!

 Can't you just feel the passion in that! WOW!

UPDATE 11TH JANUARY 2012

Great article in The Guardian gives fascinating insight from creator Jeremy Sams
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jan/10/enchanted-island-met-opera-baroque?CMP=twt_fd

and another article in The Telegraph - UK press seems to be getting excited too ahead of the Met Live in HD broadcast on 21st January
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/9001969/Jeremy-Sams-A-perfect-storm-of-brilliance.html

Joyce DiDonato and Luca Pisaroni host a Q&A session for school kids - it's a delightful video with peeks of backstage goings-on and thoooooose eyelashes - goooooooooooo Joyce and Luca

UPDATE 1st JANUARY 2012:
Listened to the World Premiere of Enchanted Island broadcast on Met Radio 31st December/1st January. Seeing in the New Year listening to an opera world premiere - wow - no, make that WOW - it sounded FABULOUS, now I know exaaaactly why Joyce DiDonato has been getting so excited during rehearsals. Her aria "Maybe soon, maybe now" (no.4 on the music list below)  just blew me away - she was incredible as were the whole cast and I loved the music. I found it very helpful to print out the music list and follow that as there were no visuals to be following - as no. 21 - Zadok The Priest (Neptune The Great) on the music list approached - "Inspired" was what penned in on music sheet here -  I couldn't help feeling something very special was coming up - the arrival of Neptune (Placido Domingo) on stage, understand from the interval commentators there were some pretty amazing visuals were going on here as well - can't wait to see the Live in HD performance - the audience went wild with appreciation here and it was so obviously a resounding success in house throughout judging by the audience enthusiasm who were seemingly beside themselves to give a massive ovation at the end even before the last notes of the orchestra had finished.

LIVE IN HD PERFORMANCE AROUND THE WORLD 21ST JANUARY 2012

(Any updates added to bottom of post - added 28.12.11 - exciting tweet from Joyce DiDonato)

Lots of news coming out during rehearsals for this new production - a mash-up of Shakespeare's The Tempest and Midsummer Nights dream plays set to music (Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau) and song - premieres at The Met on 31st December 2011 and due to be screened around  the world Live in HD on 21st January 2012. The Met have now provided a running list of the music used, for the most part all unknown to me, but looking down the list you get an idea of how the story unfolds and it sounds mouthwateringly fascinating - I'll gradually try to gather some more of the snippets together and post them here in an effort to build up a picture of what we can expect - I did see an interview with some members of the cast which confirmed that this will be sung in English. I follow Joyce DiDonato's (Joyce plays the witch Sycorax) Facebook page (  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joyce-DiDonato/207466962440 ) and she's getting very excited about the production and it sounds like she's having loads of fun too, and WOW, just look at her costume in the pic above! I don't know about Joyce getting excited, I'm getting really excited too!

Lots more information contained in this great article in The New York Times - The Met's Gleeful Baroque Mash-Up  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/arts/music/the-enchanted-island-a-baroque-mash-up-at-the-met.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

More info in this article here too and an even better look at that amazing costume! Joyce DiDonato to spend New Year’s Eve working  magic  with Placido Domingo at the Met in ‘Enchanted Island http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/joyce-didonato-spend-year-eve-working-magic-placido-domingo-met-enchanted-island-article-1.995467?localLinksEnabled=false


The cast:

Ariel: Danielle de Niese
Miranda: Lisette Oropesa
Sycorax: Joyce DiDonato
Prospero: David Daniels
Ferdinand: Anthony Roth Costanzo
Neptune: Plácido Domingo
Caliban: Luca Pisaroni

Link to video webcast, which included arias and duets by countertenor David Daniels, sopranos Danielle de Niese, Layla Claire and Lisette Oropesa, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, as well as conversations with creator Jeremy Sams, conductor William Christie and the director-designer team of Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch.
http://www.wqxr.org/#/articles/wqxr-features/2011/dec/06/wqxrs-met-opera-preview-enchanted-island/



The music - WOW at no. 21!!!!


Overture
George Frideric Handel: Alcina, HWV 34


Act I
1. "My Ariel" (Prospero, Ariel) – "Ah, if you would earn your freedom" (Prospero)
Antonio Vivaldi: Cessate, omai cessate, cantata, RV 684, "Ah, ch’infelice sempre"

2. "My master, generous master – I can conjure you fire" (Ariel)
Handel: Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, oratorio, HWV 46a, Part I, "Un pensiero nemico di pace"

3. "Then what I desire" (Prospero, Ariel)

4. "There are times when the dark side – Maybe soon, maybe now" (Sycorax, Caliban)
Handel: Teseo, HWV 9, Act V, Scene 1, "Morirò, ma vendicata"

5. "The blood of a dragon – Stolen by treachery" (Caliban)
Handel: La Resurrezione, oratorio, HWV 47, Part I, Scene 1, "O voi, dell’Erebo"

6. "Miranda! My Miranda!" (Prospero, Miranda) – "I have no words for this feeling" (Miranda)
Handel: Notte placida e cheta, cantata, HWV 142, "Che non si dà"

7. "My master’s books" – "Take salt and stones" (Ariel)
Based on Jean-Philippe Rameau: Les fêtes d’Hébé, Deuxième entrée: La Musique, Scene 7, "Aimez, aimez d’une ardeur mutuelle"

8. Quartet: "Days of pleasure, nights of love" (Helena, Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander)
Handel: Semele, HWV 58, Act I, Scene 4, "Endless pleasure, endless love"

9. The Storm (chorus) – The Calm
André Campra: Idoménée, Act II, Scene 1, "O Dieux! O justes Dieux!"

10. "I’ve done as you commanded" (Ariel, Prospero)
Handel: La Resurrezione, oratorio, HWV 47, "Di rabbia indarno freme"

11. "Oh, Helena, my Helen – You would have loved this island" (Demetrius)
Handel: La Resurrezione, oratorio, HWV 47, Part I, Scene 2, "Così la tortorella"

12. "Would that it could last forever – Wonderful, wonderful" (Miranda, Demetrius)
Handel: Ariodante, HWV 33, Act I, Scene 5, "Prendi, prendi"

13. "Why am I living?" (Helena)
Handel: Teseo, HWV 9, Act II, Scene 1, "Dolce riposo")
"The gods of good and evil – At last everything is prepared" (Sycorax)
Jean-Marie Leclair: Scylla et Glaucus, Act IV, Scene 4, "Et toi, dont les embrasements… Noires divinités"

14. "Mother, why not? – Mother, my blood is freezing" (Caliban)
Vivaldi: Il Farnace, RV 711, Act II, Scene 5 & 6, "Gelido in ogni vena"

15. "Help me out of this nightmare" – Quintet: "Wonderful, wonderful" (Helena, Sycorax, Caliban, Miranda, Demetrius)
Handel: Ariodante, HWV 33, Act I, Scene 5, recitative preceding "Prendi, prendi"

16. "Welcome Ferdinand – Wonderful, wonderful," reprise (Prospero, Miranda, Demetrius)
"All I’ve done is try to help you" (Prospero)
Vivaldi: Longe mala, umbrae, terrores, motet, RV 629, "Longe mala, umbrae, terrores"

17. "Curse you, Neptune" (Lysander)
Vivaldi: Griselda, RV 718, Act III, Scene 6, "Dopo un’orrida procella"

18. "Your bride, sir? "(Ariel, Lysander, Demetrius, Miranda) – Trio: "Away, away! You loathsome wretch, away!" (Miranda, Demetrius, Lysander)
Handel: Susanna, oratorio, HWV 66, Part II, "Away, ye tempt me both in vain"

19. "Two castaways – Arise! Arise, great Neptune" (Ariel)
Attr. Henry Purcell: The Tempest, or, The Enchanted Island, Z. 631, Act II, no. 3, "Arise, ye subterranean winds"

20. "This is convolvulus" (Helena, Caliban) – "If the air should hum with noises" (Caliban)
Handel: Deidamia, HWV 42, Act II, Scene 4, "Nel riposo e nel contento"

21. "Neptune the Great" (Chorus)
Handel: Four Coronation Anthems, HWV 258, "Zadok the priest"

22. Who dares to call me? (Neptune, Ariel)
Based on Handel: Tamerlano, HWV 18, "Oh, per me lieto"
"I’d forgotten that I was Lord" (Neptune, Chorus)
Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie, Act II, Scene 3, "Qu’a server mon courroux"

23. "We like to wrestle destiny – Chaos, confusion" (Prospero)
Handel: Amadigi di Gaula, HWV 11, Act II, Scene 5, "Pena tiranna"


Act II

24. "My God, what’s this? – Where are you now?" (Hermia)
Handel: Hercules, oratorio, HWV 60, Act III, Scene 3, "Where shall I fly?"

25. "So sweet, laughing together – My strength is coming back to me" (Sycorax)
Vivaldi: Argippo, RV 697, Act I, Scene 1, "Se lento ancora il fulmine"

26. "Curses, a fresh disaster" (Ariel, Demetrius, Helena, Caliban) – "A voice, a face, a figure half-remembered" (Helena)
Handel: Amadigi di Gaula, HWV 11, Act III, Scene 4, "Hanno penetrato i detti tuoi l’inferno"

27. "His name, she spoke his name" (Caliban)
Handel: Hercules, oratorio, HWV 60, Act III, Scene 2 "O Jove, what land is this? – I rage"

28. "Oh, my darling, my sister – Men are fickle" (Helena, Hermia)
Handel: Atalanta, HWV 35, Act II, Scene 3 – "Amarilli? – O dei!"

29. "I knew the spell" (Sycorax, Caliban) – "Hearts that love can all be broken" (Sycorax)
Giovanni Battista Ferrandini (attr. Handel): Il pianto di Maria, cantata, HWV 234, "Giunta l’ora fatal –Sventurati i miei sospiri"

30. "Such meager consolation – No, I’ll have no consolation" (Caliban)
Vivaldi: Bajazet, RV 703, Act III, Scene 7, "Verrò, crudel spietato"

31. Masque of the Wealth of all the World
a. Quartet: Caliban goes into his dream, "Wealth and love can be thine"
Rameau: Les Indes galantes, Act III, Scene 7, "Tendre amour"
b. Parade
Rameau: Les fêtes d’Hébé, Troisième entrée: Les Dances, Scene 7, Tambourin en rondeau
c. The Women and the Unicorn
Rameau: Les fêtes d’Hébé, Troisième entrée: Les Dances, Scene 7, Musette
d. The Animals
Jean-Féry Rebel: Les Éléments, Act I, Tambourins I & II
e. The Freaks – Chaos
Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie, Act I, Tonnerre
f. Waking
Rameau: Les Indes galantes, Act III, Scene 7, "Tendre amour," reprise

[there is no No. 32]

33. "With no sail and no rudder – Gliding onwards" (Ferdinand)
Handel: Amadigi di Gaula, HWV 11, Act II, Scene 1, "Io ramingo – Sussurrate, onde vezzose"

34. Sextet: "Follow hither, thither, follow me" (Ariel, Miranda, Helena, Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander)
Handel: Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, oratorio, HWV 46a, Part II, Quartet: "Voglio tempo"

35. "Sleep now" (Ariel)
Vivaldi: Tito Manlio, RV 78, Act III, Scene 1, "Sonno, se pur sei sonno"

36. "Darling, it’s you at last" (Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, Helena)
Vivaldi: La verità in cimento, RV 739, Act II, scene 9, "Anima mia, mio ben"

37. "The wat’ry God has heard the island’s pleas" (Chorus)
Handel: Susanna, oratorio, HWV 66, Part III, "Impartial Heav’n!"

38. "Sir, honored sir – I have dreamed you" (Ferdinand, Miranda)
Handel: Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi, cantata, HWV 197, "Ma se l’alma sempre geme"

39. "The time has come. The time is now" ("Maybe soon, maybe now," reprise) (Sycorax)
Handel: Teseo, HWV 9, Act V, Scene 1, "Morirò, ma vendicata"

40. "Enough! How dare you?" (Prospero, Neptune) – "You stand there proud and free – You have stolen the land" (Neptune)
Rameau: Castor et Pollux, Act V, Scene 1, "Castor revoit le jour"

41. "Lady, this island is yours" (Prospero, Caliban, Ariel) – "Forgive me, please forgive me" (Prospero)
Handel: Partenope, HWV 27, Act III, Scene 4, "Ch’io parta?"

42. "We gods who watch the ways of man" (Neptune, Sycorax, Chorus)
Handel: L’allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato, HWV 55, Part I, "Come, but keep thy wonted state – Join with thee"

43. "This my hope for the future" (Prospero) – "Can you feel the heavens are reeling" (Ariel)
Vivaldi: Griselda, RV 718, Act II, scene 2, "Agitata da due venti"

44. "Now a bright new day is dawning" (Ensemble)
Handel: Judas Maccabaeus, oratorio, HWV 63, Part III, "Hallelujah"


http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/enchanted-island-music.aspx

28th December 2011
Found these lil things attached to one of Joyce DiDonato's latest tweets - aren't they just fascinating! I shall be looking out for all three pairs during the performance - have appointed myself official fake eyelash checker! (I was official shoe checker for Met's Live in HD Faust - OK Jonas, I gotcha) Do love the ones with sparkly gold bits! Can't wait for her transformations!

In what MAY be a record for the @metopera this is officially a 3-lash show for yours truly! 
http://twitpic.com/7zrbaj Joyce DiDonato


A tweet from Luca Pisaroni directed me to this vid clip on youtube which shows the amazing transformation he makes to become Caliban - here's the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRDeJTMSfhE&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Books - Pick of the Best

This is a little collection of some of the best books I've read that have become firm favourites of mine - my tastes are very varied so these books are general fiction, some travel and an amazing true life story - will do separate posts shortly for Fantasy and Classics as they are great loves of mine.



Sky Burial - Xinran

A true life story of jaw dropping proportions.
A young Chinese woman goes to Tibet in
search of her lost husband, an army doctor,
lost in action in Tibet. Set amidst the
backdrop of the Chinese take-over of
Tibet this young womans' determination to
find her husband spans many years and
many miles through the vast Tibetan
landscape, not a big book but certainly a
massive tale that left me quite staggered
at her endurance, dedication and love for
her husband.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

 I could hardly put this book down when I read it,
and wept profusely at the ending.
War-torn Nazi Germany is the setting for this very
moving and vivid account of the life of a young
girl whose communist parents have been sent
to a concentration camp and finds herself sent
away to be fostered. The stark realities of poverty,
mistrust and fear are set against the greater good
of loving and care for individuals and encapsulates
the very best and the very worst of humanity. A
MUST read.

The Shadow of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

An incredible tale with all the plotting, twists and turns
that we saw in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and
spade loads more as this book is so beautifully written
I feel it somewhat of an injustice to make that comparison
but we have intrigue here on a grand scale that makes
this such a riveting read and the characters so
compelling. A visit to the Cemetary of Forgotten Books
starts an amazing journey of discovery for a young boy.
It is no wonder that this is such an international best-seller
and I doubt there are many who have not yet had the joy
of reading such a beautifully written book.

The alchemist - Paulo Coelho

Another best-seller, very short book but very
up-lifting and thought-provoking, this story could be set
anywhere but the messages are for us all to digest and
reflect upon and basically tells us to follow our hearts
as well as also teaching us that what we strive for and
search so hard for could really be right at our feet all
the time. Very enjoyable read.

Full Tilt - Dervla Murphy

First came across Dervla Murphy and this book - eeeek -
some thirty years ago and have remained a fan of her
travel books ever since. Does this woman know no fear?
From Ireland to India on a bicyle is quite some feat
to pull off for a young woman on her own and I came
to much admire Dervla and found her story a
fascinating read as she journeyed across continents.

River Dog - A Journey Down The 

Brahmaputra - Mark Shand

I just love tales of river jouneys and found this one fascinating
as much for the historical background that interspersed
the tale of this incredible journey down the length of the
Brahmaputra river.

Labyrinth - Kate Mosse

Loved this book, for me it's got the lot. History,
fantasy, time travel and set in Carcasonne, France
(somewhere I have long dreamt of visiting - maybe
one day) I was  gripped from start to finish as the
elements were interwoven to create a gripping tale
I could not put down.

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Had no idea what to expect when I picked up
Life of Pi - did not anticipate at all the events that
transpited but was absolutely captivated by the
bizarre and frankly mind-blowing originality
of this book. Again, another international
best-seller - quite rightly so - I doubtr many out
there willn not have read this but I hate spoilers
myself so will not delve into the realms of the
tale here, but again, another must read.

The River at the Centre of The World:

A Journey Up The Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time -

Simon Winchester

A lovely journey full of incredible historical facts, meeting
fascinating people and seeing amazing places you get a
full-on taste of all that is China past and present. A
sumptuous read I fully immersed myself in having both
a fascination for river journeys and China.