We left at the interval...

Théâtre du Châtelet – Paris, Monday December 12 2005 Conductor: Valery Gergiev. Production: Alaina Maratrat. Corinna: Irma Guigolachvili. Marchesa Melibea: Anna Kiknadze. Contessa di Folleville: Larissa Youdina. Madama Cortese: Anastastia Belyaeva. Cavalier Belfiore: Dmitir Voropaev. Conte di Libenskof: Daniil Shtoda. Lord Sidney: Edouard Tsanga. Don Profondo: Nikolaï Kamenski. Barone di Trombonok: Vladislav Ouspenski. Don Alvaro: Alexeï Safioulin. Don Luigino: Andreï Ilioushnikov. Maddalena: Elena Sommer. Modestina: Olga Kitchenko. Antonio: Pavel Shmoulevich. Orchestra of the Mariinski Theatre, St Petersburg. Mariinski Theatre Academy for Young Singers. And the horse, Prince. If this second Viaggio of the season played with a 30-minute interval I suspect it was only because French bank Crédit Agricole needed the half-hour to pour champagne down the throats of the numerous and assorted bigwigs invited for their Christmas treat. Certainly, time flies when you’re having fun, and as we w...

La Monnaie, Brussels, Sunday October 30 2005 Conductor: Rani Calderon. Production: Luca Ronconi. Corinna: Carmela Remigio. La Marchesa Melibea: Daniela Pini. La Contessa di Folleville: Désirée Rancatore. Madama Cortese: Alexandrina Pendatchanska. Il Cavaliere Belfiore: Riccardo Botta. Il Conte di Libenskof: Lawrence Brownlee. Lord Sydney: Michele Pertusi. Don Profondo: Giovanni Furlanetto. Il Barone di Trombonok: Bruno Praticò. Don Alvaro: Riccardo Novaro. Don Prudenzio: Shadi Torbey. Don Luigino: Marc Coulon. Delia: Rosa Brandao. Maddalena: Isabelle Everarts de Velp. Modestina: Beata Morawska. Zefirino: John Manning. Gelsomino: Tie Min Wang. Antonio: Pierre Doyen. Orchestra and Chorus of La Monnaie. Theater De Spiegel. According to La Monnaie’s web site (my translation): “Despite its unusual structure - a single act with nine major numbers – Rossini’s last Italian opera is certainly one of the most brilliant, an apotheosis of all the kaleidoscopic facets of his genius.” As this was a ...