Liège’s “Capuleti & Montecchi”: Bonus Material 3 – White Shirt Goodies
[Laura Polverelli (Romeo) and Patrizia Ciofi (Giulietta) in Bellini's "Capuleti e Montecchi", Liège, Feb 2nd 2010. - all caps shot from the Opera Live stream]
Last entry in the bonus material series: White Shirt Goodies, as in assorted screencaps. Sadly, there’s very little Act 1 since the system was still acting up at that point, but I simply added twice as much from the final scene. Enjoy! (all downsized images have been linked to their bigger originals. Not that any of us is still at the age where you put mezzo wallpapers onto your screensaver… *cough*) – And if after this, you feel like watching the whole opera: you can still get a ticket and watch the replay of the livestream until tomorrow, Feb. 6th 2010 Feb. 12th due to continued demand.
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…you know the old Peter Handtke tale, “The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty”?
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“Vieni, ah vieni in me riposa”:
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“Tace il fragor…”
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“Ah vieni…”
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I believe this smile is the “hehe, *I* got the girl” one.
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Quintet/Dancing Singing with among the Stars
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“There’s one thing I never told you – my father wants to marry me off to a… Klingon!”
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“What – that p’taQ?”
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“Zurück from Ring!” – Ah no. Wait. Wrong opera.
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Heavy-handed symbolism with fake sword fight. Ugh. (Finale Act I)
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Intermission! Backstage wardrobe camera!
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Act II – Mezzo in the Woods:
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Dueling with Klingons: “Careful – it’s sharp!”
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working on that swashbuckle…
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Nice touch: a projected (moving!) funeral procession along the bridge above the head of the dueling Romeo and Tebaldo, all in the Renaissance painting aesthetic of the night:
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Final Tomb scene. The theme: green, obviously.
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Pregnant Angels:
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And here I’m cutting the snark and handing out the tissues – Romeo’s Lament & Poisoning:
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Giulietta and the bad, no good, horrible timing (we’ll take the duet, though):
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Final Sequence:
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Fin (theme still seems to be green):
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Curtain Call (and White Shirt Credits…):
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Thanks Anik, and of course there is no question of creating a slideshow screensaver for that (love the final shot!)
They were fantastic those final scenes… Polverelli’s anguish and gentle passion were worth us waiting for and her putting up with the dreadful hair and costume. Their voices were so beautiful together and of course Ciofi was simply drop dead stunning.
Ah ‘happy’ days… sob, sniff, sigh…
I agree with purity, the last pic is really cute! Seems like you guys were having a lot of fun when I was taking a bus ride. Is there any chance that I watch the performance somewhere or do I have to wait ’til I go back home to watch the Dynamic DVD? And is it the same production from the Ravenna Festival several years ago?
Yup it is Octavian – I do like the production overall but wish they had taken the opportunity to rethink the wardrobe for Romeo!! You can get a ticket to see the production online still at Opera Live http://www.operalive.org/en/ and at only €6 it’s a bargain believe me (you can watch from anywhere no geo-ties on it)…
Hey Octavian great news they just extended availability online till the 12th … get yourself over there ‘Romeo’
Thanks! Now let’s see if I can stand 2 hours of bel canto…
It’s the 2001 Ravenna – I find the set idea very interesting, though the staging is very “Italian” (if you’re a good actress, good for you, everyone else: just stretch out your arms, don’t move unduly and keep looking at that guy in the tailcoats at all times) For the set projections to work, the stage is generally very dark, losing some of the acting detail (or the chance for it).
The Dynamic DVD is the 2005 Valle D’Itria staging, with Clara Polito – another example of “between ecstatic and static, always choose static” staging, but I found it rather charming, including the 1920s setting. And then there’s Ciofi, who puts the whole thing up a notch or three.
am just finished re-watching it the 4th time
. Used some of your screen shots on my facebook page, hopefully that’ll promote the opera and operalive even more.
dont know why but despite the wonderful voices, i found it vaguely unsatisfying – was it the sparsity of the set? the quilted shirt, the fire that never fully burst into flame?
i know i am going to have to run for cover as soon as i say this, but i thought the chemistry wasn’t…… enough.
no running for cover – we love nothing better than a good discussion and a variety of standpoints.
the quilted shirt DID bother me, too…