Renee Fleming stars in first livestream from Vienna Opera
mainThe all-American diva singing Marschallin for the first time in Vienna and they are streaming the full Rosenkavalier. Mojca Erdmann sings Sophie, Sophie Koch Octavian. The Vienna Philharmonic is in the pit, Adam Fischer conducting.
How will that play on the Met’s cinema audiences? Vienna’s entry into livestream mode changes the dynamic of how opera is received internationally.
Announcement below.
“Der Rosenkavalier” an der Wiener Staatsoper ab 20. Oktober 2013 *
Start von WIENER STAATSOPER livestreaming am 27. Oktober 2013
Vier Vorstellungen von Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” in der
Inszenierung von Otto Schenk stehen ab 20. Oktober 2013 auf dem
Spielplan der Wiener Staatsoper. Renée Fleming ist erstmals im Haus am
Ring als Marschallin zu erleben, Mojca Erdmann gibt als Sophie ihr
Hausdebüt an der Wiener Staatsoper. Sophie Koch verkörpert den Octavian,
Peter Rose bzw. Wolfang Bankl* den Ochs. Weitere Rollendebüts an der
Wiener Staatsoper geben Adrian Eröd als Faninal, Thomas Ebenstein als
Valzacchi, Hila Fahima als Modistin und Jinxu Xiahou als Sänger
(anstelle von Norbert Ernst).
Am Dirigentenpult: Adam Fischer.
Reprisen: 23., 27. und 30.* Oktober
Looking forward to it! Thank you for the heads-up, Norman.
Live Streaming is always a compromise and expensive to accomplish. It has nothing to do with a premium production recorded with multicamera technique and subsequent image editing and post-production, showing the real intention of the staging and not just a general view of the stage. As long as the cost is covered by a commercial sponsor, this is fine. HD cameras and 5.1 sound have no real meaning for the quality of the production and the experience on the TV-set.
” … not just a general view of the stage.”
You mean, what a person sitting in his or her one paid theater seat would see?
No, that would certainly be an inadequate experience! Much better to treat the theater as a camera studio and film freely, getting all the right angles. Makes a richer DVD.
The contrast with the Met’s live HD broadcasting could not be more stark. Wien is rolling theirs out with a 35 year old + production that was ratty last time I saw it years ago, and a stalwart but non-superstar conductor in the pit. But I’d still watch it!
What’s wrong with the Otto Schenk production? I find the sets are stylish, beautiful and appropriate to the story.
Nothing is wrong with it – it’s beautiful. Last I saw, the props needed updating and the sets needed paint. It looked like my grandma’s living room from 1977. It contrasts greatly with the Met’s HD broadcasts because the latter are designed for the cameras, brand new, and largely splashy, ritzy garbage that will appeal to neophytes (supposedly). I’m just pointing out the differences in approach – which is really interesting.
… and I suppose that if the “real intention of the staging” can only emerge by means of camera angles, then the director (and the impresario who hired him) is knowingly hijacking the theater to create a DVD or “TV-set” product.
In such hands, stagecraft is dead!
It’s a brilliant production (c. 1968), and so is its Munich cousin (c. 1972).
Squirrel also needs to acquaint himself with “non-superstar” Adam Fischer’s superb work. He is in fact one of the most gifted conductors around, regardless of the artificial (and expiring) status levels generated by the record business in its large-volume heyday, ending in the early 1990s. To put it another way, and to cite two examples, Lorin Maazel and Kent Nagano are “superstars”!
You and the commenter above need to read more closely and read into things less. I am thoroughly acquainted w/ Adam Fischer’s work and think highly of him.
Come to think of it … i believe I saw Fischer do Rosenkav live in Vienna in 2005. It was stupendous. And it’s more than a little obvious that Maazel and Nagano are superstars (stupistars) because of record contracts… and AF isn’t.
Just noticed that there is a €14 ($20) ticket for these streams…