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Archive for February, 2010

Ivor’s blog

Monday 15th February, 2010

Tamerlano Blog 5 (15 Feb 2010)

After a full Sunday catching up with friends in London, today is a day primarily for coaching. I start with Kurt Streit who is as ever totally engaged and committed and we work particularly on ornamentation. Afterwards I work with Vito Priante, the very talented young Italian bass-baritone from Naples. His character Leone, only has one Aria in Handel’s original version, but Vito is impressive and makes the most of it. I finish the session with Renata Pokupic, singing the role of the princess Irene. Irene’s three Arias exist in two versions. Handel originally wrote for a higher voiced Irene...

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Ivor’s blog

Saturday 13th February, 2010

Tamerlano Blog 4 (13 Feb 2010)

Christianne and I come in early to continue our coaching. She has a passion for her work. Afterwards we join Graham’s rehearsal and work on until lunchtime. I go to see the excellent ROH physio as my knee is hurting after a recent meniscus operation. He is helpful and straight to the point. I then return to my London flat where I have not spent a weekend for 15 months! My wife Tess and son Sam have come down from Cambridge to join...

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Ivor’s blog

Friday 12th February, 2010

Tamerlano Blog 3 (12 Feb 2010)

Detailed work with Sara Mingardo on Andronico’s beautiful Act I and Act II arias. Both in E flat major. Senesino must have been vocally impressive in this key! I coach Christianne Stotijn and Christine Schäfer privately in their roles, and improve my transposition skills! Not all rooms have harpsichords (or pianos tunes to A=415) of course. Quiet evening rereading Winton Dean’s masterly opus on Handel’s operas and studying Brahms for next week’s Salzburg concert with Emanuel...

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Ivor’s blog

Thursday 11th February, 2010

Tamerlano Blog 2 (11 Feb 2010)

We start with the famous scene towards the end of Act II where Tamerlano sadistically humiliates Bajazet in front of his own daughter. This is one of the longest recitatives in all Handel and is followed by an equally surprising terse trio, the brevity of which leaves the drama poised on a knife-edge. Kurt Streit (who shares the role of Bajazet with Plácido Domingo) catches Bajazet’s pride and stubbornness, and finally his tenderness, with great conviction. This scene has taken all of the day and in the evening I go along to the ROH premiere of Prokofiev’s The Gambler....

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Ivor’s blog

Wednesday 10th February, 2010

Tamerlano Blog 1 (10 Feb 2010)

Today I start rehearsals for Tamerlano, one of the greatest operas Handel ever wrote. Its premiere was in 1724 and took place less than a mile away from today’s Royal Opera House. It was preceded and followed by two masterworks, in the first case Giulio Cesare and the latter Rodelinda, both operas now well known to British audiences. This trilogy was written within twelve months and constitutes an achievement described ‘as without parallel in operatic history’!  Quite a claim. One which I happily go along with, being crazy about Handel and having conducted all three of these operas in recent years. The ROH production...

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Events

Friday 5th February, 2010

21 February: 3rd Sunday Matinee of the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra

3rd Sunday Matinee Sunday 21.02.2010 at 11am Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg Ivor Bolton - Conductor Emanuel Ax - Piano J. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 B-Major Op. 83 L. v. Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 C-Minor Op....

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Events

Monday 1st February, 2010

2 February: Ivor and the Mozarteum Orchestra perform in Brunico, Italy

Guest performance in Italy Tuesday 02.02.2010 at 8pm Michael Pacher Haus, Brunico Ivor Bolton – Conductor Valerij Sokolov – Violin W. A. Mozart: Symphony No. 32 G-Major L. v. Beethoven: Violin Concerto D-Major Op. 61 F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Symphony No. 4...

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