tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post5714119764898590720..comments2024-03-28T12:59:05.739-07:00Comments on Iron Tongue of Midnight: Robert le Diable at the ROHLisa Hirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-68874914426599503752012-12-17T20:35:25.081-08:002012-12-17T20:35:25.081-08:00Man, there's me always late to the party. I ha...Man, there's me always late to the party. I have been curious about Robert since childhood: its ballet of ghost nuns is fairly significant in ballet history, and etchings showing Marie Taglioni dancing it are central to my balletomaniac youth.Sibylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01298819489853065976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-55554345298385708572012-12-17T14:47:00.249-08:002012-12-17T14:47:00.249-08:00The libretto is a mess, especially when you realiz...The libretto is a mess, especially when you realize Robert is William the Conqueror's father. I'm glad I wasn't distracted by the visuals, though. Wait til you hear that trio!Mary Jane Leachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02528029302809678176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-84981998809480935112012-12-17T14:30:28.353-08:002012-12-17T14:30:28.353-08:00I have never heard a complete Meyerbeer opera, or ...I have never heard a complete Meyerbeer opera, or even a full act of one! I'm about 40 minutes into the BBC recording of the ROH show. I agree, important to listen to this repertory, but I'm not sure whether I want to see a performance or not. The libretto is....kind of confusing.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-10079426862596254702012-12-17T14:21:37.057-08:002012-12-17T14:21:37.057-08:00I must admit I don't know much about Meyerbeer...I must admit I don't know much about Meyerbeer, but I listened to the broadcast on Saturday, so the staging and sets can't be addressed, which most of the reviews seem to spend a lot of words on. Historically, I think it's important to take a listen. There was some interesting orchestration and vocal writing, especially that a cappella vocal trio, which verged on getting out of control pitch wise at almost every moment. In the third act, Betram sings a primarily a cappella solo that made me sit up, mostly because Julius Eastman's "Prelude to Joan of Arc" is very similar. The main difference - Bertram was singing to the devil, and Eastman was singing Joan of Arcs words in translation. Not sure if Eastman was familiar with the Meyerbeer aria.Mary Jane Leachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02528029302809678176noreply@blogger.com