Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in Bangkok!?!

And now for the poor culturally deprived (depraved?) of Pattaya, just back home from the triumph of "Cats".....

New Zealand's #1 cultural export (Lord of the Rings is a pale second) is on a "farewell" concert tour and will touch down in Bangkok for a night.
Now this is really worth it.

For the Cheap Charlies out there tickets for 800 bhat in the Peaunt Gallery are still avaliable at: Thaiticketmajor (http://www.thaiticketmaster.com/concert/bso-dame_eng.php)

Here's a taste::::


http://youtube.com/watch?v=XUE2zG3R-hc

[krobbie]

Kiaora,
Anyone who hasn't seen this diva should drag their arses to this concert. She is a truly woderful artist and a natinonal treasure to NZ.

Hairi ra,
Keith

[Marsilius]

Utterly beautiful sounds - but appalling diction (you'd better take the libretti if you can find out what her programme is.)

[Aunty]

Utterly beautiful sounds - but appalling diction (you'd better take the libretti if you can find out what her programme is.)

Not when she sings in Maori! :cheers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPvyZfH8OZM

Although she is getting a bit long in the tooth now (the high notes a bit of a struggle perhaps?) I must admit hearing her performing live in La traviata was an outstanding experience. There are just these extraordinary warm honey tones in her voice when you hear it live. She is very worthwhile seeing. If I was in BKK I would go, but I'll wait and see her again when she's back home.

For the Cheap Charlies out there tickets for 800 bhat in the Peaunt Gallery are still avaliable

Hmmm, perfect 800 bath ! Anyone ? .... Avaliable ? Unfortunately, tickets are sold out ! :clown:

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1609/8571041/15911717/290389446.jpg

thaiticketmaster.com website shows over half the 800 baht seats still available - Tuesday 27th 3 p.m. Jomtien.

Top prices at 5000 baht is a bit steep as they were only 3000 baht for Renee Fleming - who is still in her prime.

Still nobody has such a rich 'peaches and cream' voice as Kiri.

thaiticketmaster.com website shows over half the 800 baht seats still available - Tuesday 27th 3 p.m. Jomtien.

Top prices at 5000 baht is a bit steep as they were only 3000 baht for Renee Fleming - who is still in her prime.

Still nobody has such a rich 'peaches and cream' voice as Kiri.

Wowpow,

What, not even Kylie?

Utterly beautiful sounds - but appalling diction (you'd better take the libretti if you can find out what her programme is.)

Your understanding of Opera is WAY above my level. For all I know they could be singing "ee eye ee eye oh"

But it sure do sound pretty..... :flower:

Not when she sings in Maori! :cheers:

Aunty sweet-pea, i have been looking for a down load (hmm yes free) of kiri Te Kanawa's The Four Last Songs, Richard Strauss, to Gundula Janowitz's version, I thought that would be interesting to hear? Any idea?

[krobbie]

Utterly beautiful sounds - but appalling diction (you'd better take the libretti if you can find out what her programme is.)

I guess now that the word is out by the maestro Marsilius, that she will be forced to sell her apartments and houses in France, Italy, London and New Zealand. She is about to set up even more scholarships for talented children, but I guess they could stop that in case they get her bad diction.

I wonder why it is that the elite of the opera world have been fooled by this imposter for so many years, until you blew the whistle Marsilius. You don't think that just a spec of knowledge might be a dangerous thing? Or did you read it somewhere as a quote from some embittered old screecher?

Just a thought.

Or did you read it somewhere as a quote from some embittered old screecher?There's an online (no, I can't be bothered finding it and providing the link for all the Google-challenged amongst us) autobiography of someone who was Richard Bonynge's personal assistant for a short time, that includes some priceless and derogatory opinions of Kiri Te Kanawa by Joan Sutherland (Bonynge's wife). Would this be the embittered old screecher to whom you refer, krobbie? (It's rumoured that their private secretary had to procure boys for both Bonynge and Sutherland)

[Marsilius]

"I wonder why it is that the elite of the opera world have been fooled by this imposter for so many years, until you blew the whistle Marsilius. You don't think that just a spec of knowledge might be a dangerous thing? Or did you read it somewhere as a quote from some embittered old screecher?" - quote from krobbie, above.



The "elite of the opera world" - and particularly those responsible for marketing opera - have not been fooled. They have, though, realised that (a) she does sound gorgeous (if unintelligible), which is enough for some people, and (b) she is relatively easy to promote worldwide as she is passably handsome and (unlike the cliched public perception of opera divas) can be weighed on a set of conventional scales.

Plenty of others share the views of the Bonynge associate referred to above, believe me.

I wonder why it is that the elite of the opera world have been fooled by this imposter for so many years
Just a thought.

She did have a heavenly voice and was able to connect with audiences like no other, though she isn't free of controversy, being both prissy and a wee bit of a conservative. Absolute precise diction in Opera never much bothered me. Without lyrics I have no idea what half of them are on about anyway, in fact over enunciation sounds to me a bit like pre-historic rap, never appealed.

[krobbie]

I wonder why it is that the elite of the opera world have been fooled by this imposter for so many years
Just a thought.

She did have a very pure voice and was able to connect with audiences like no other, though she isn't free of controversy, being both prissy and a wee bit of a conservative.

Cedic, You are qutite right, she can be somewhat prissy (self inviolved) but she and Melvina Major are setting up fantastic scholarships for children with talent who haven't got a hope of increasing their vocal potential without assistance.

As an orphan herelf, I guess she knows just how haed it can be. No wonder she's a bit precious about her talent.

Cheers
Keith

I blame it on Desmond Park. She was adopted as an infant, don't think she saw much hardship.

[Aunty]

The "elite of the opera world" - and particularly those responsible for marketing opera - have not been fooled.

Wow, that must cut her up and send her blubbering - all the way to the bank! Clearly the women's a total operatic failure who has conned everybody! The fools! Why don't they wake up? Illiterates, dolts, morons, all of them. Can't they hear the women's dicshun? And of course if anybody is going to know a thing or two about opera, it will be the marketers! Geniuses all. They didn't get where they are today by marketing opera singers with bad dicshun you know! Oh no sirree! That's not how they play cricket in blighty.

Few who matter give a toss about dicshun! Opera is about feeling (for those who have a heart and can still feel), it's not about how 'correctly' the words are pronounced when sung. If that's what really mattered, there wouldn't be any bloody opera because there'd be no money in it.

Now what is that great English classic of opera again? Hmmm, now what was it called? Um, oh yeah that's right! It's called well-bugger-me-there-ain't-one. And for those of us who were fortunate enough not to be born English, we can understand why.

[Aunty]

Not when she sings in Maori! :cheers:

Aunty sweet-pea, i have been looking for a down load (hmm yes free) of kiri Te Kanawa's The Four Last Songs, Richard Strauss, to Gundula Janowitz's version, I thought that would be interesting to hear? Any idea?

Sorry Ceddie you've got me stumped. If you can't find it on Youtube or Facebook or one of those free download music programs that lets you tap into every body's hard drive, I don't know. You may just have to buy it, Amazon.com?

[Marsilius]

(1) Marketing men throw up a whole host of so-called opera "stars" these days who are, in reality, technically very poor singers. Andrea Bocelli and Russell Watson sell innumerable discs on the basis of clever marketing but cannot hold a candle (or, indeed, a note) to true past and present greats such as Corelli, Bjorling, Domingo, Melchior, etc. Whole careers these days can, indeed, be built on artistic sand.

(2) One of the few undisputed masterpieces of twentieth century opera is Bejamin Britten's Peter Grimes. But oh, no, that can't be right - he was English.

If there is any more of this Opera Queen bitching I will send you to see Die Valkyrie in Bangkok.

Will I ever forget the gasps as Freia entered in a mini skirt and a tight pink spaghetti to with protruding fat belly pushing a supermarket trolley.

Then the most outrageous piece os product placement. As the Gods processed over the rainbow bridge, Valhalla appeared in the guise of The Dusit Thani Hotel and The Thai Farmer's Bank buildings - presumably sponsors.

[Aunty]

(2) One of the few undisputed masterpieces of twentieth century opera is Bejamin Britten's Peter Grimes. But oh, no, that can't be right - he was English.

Oh phuleese, you're killing me. He may well be the best opera composer England has ever had, but then that doesn't say much for Englsih opera, does it?

one of those free download music programs that lets you tap into every body's hard drive,

Hmmm hmmm, I am all ears?

[Marsilius]

"Oh phuleese, you're killing me. He may well be the best opera composer England has ever had, but then that doesn't say much for Englsih opera, does it?" - quote from Aunty, above.



Now you reveal your ignorance and prejudice, Aunty.

You* may not enjoy his music (not so many good tunes as Bizet, Verdi or Puccini, eh?), but Britten is acknowledged by serious musicologists as one of the two greatest composers working in the second half of the twentieth century (the other was Shostakovich). Peter Grimes has been produced by leading companies all over the world continually for the past 60 years and is clearly a masterpiece - even if it is one that is far more challenging and "difficult" than crowd-pleasers such as Carmen, La Traviata or Madame Butterfly.

*I freely concede that I personally don't "enjoy" it, either.

Now you reveal your ignorance and prejudice, Aunty.Mentioning "England" and "greatness" in the same sentence is a red rag to Aunty's bull, I'm afraid. The poor dear has never got over her parents being refugees from England; avid readers may recall that Aunty's mother is my half-sister, knocked up at a tender age by an under-footman

[Aunty]

"Oh phuleese, you're killing me. He may well be the best opera composer England has ever had, but then that doesn't say much for Englsih opera, does it?" - quote from Aunty, above.

Now you reveal your ignorance and prejudice, Aunty.

Au contraire, darling, what I reveal is my lack of snobbery and my ability to decide for myself what I like and dislike, and not what I should like, or are supposed to like because some тАШexpertтАЩ told me to. And what is an expert's opinion actually worth? The bastards can never agree anyway!

Opera is like wine. Once you tire of chardonnay you develop taste for heavier, drier stuff.

Boy this topic really took on wings. Leave it to a bunch of fags to get in a shouting match over opera!




(2) One of the few undisputed masterpieces of twentieth century opera is Bejamin Britten's Peter Grimes. But oh, no, that can't be right - he was English.

Oh phuleese, you're killing me. He may well be the best opera composer England has ever had, but then that doesn't say much for Englsih opera, does it?

Well, between Purcell and Britten its was a pretty long dry spell. I can barely remember seeing Peter Grimes many moons ago and it was very "dramatic". I couldn't whistle you a tune from it though. I also saw "Billy Budd" which I liked more but agian, I can't remember a tune from it.


....i have been looking for a down load (hmm yes free) of kiri Te Kanawa's The Four Last Songs, Richard Strauss, to Gundula Janowitz's version, I thought that would be interesting to hear? Any idea?
Actually I gots it! Or at least my dad does. Maybe someday when I learn how to transfer a CD selection to MPG format I'll send you a copy. But don't hold your breath.
Even better. I have her CD of Canteloube's "Chants d'Auvergne" which I spent many a Sunday morning listening to while reading the paper. Ah, the sweet memories.
Why don't you just get it from Amazon.com you cheapskate.....


If there is any more of this Opera Queen bitching I will send you to see Die Valkyrie in Bangkok....
Really. It almost reminds me of the food fights amongst the Opera Queens in San Francisco many moons ago whenever Montserrat Caball├й was here. One newspaper critic even got fired for a snotty review he did of her.
I remember (back in my callow youth) a party where two drunken Opera Queens almost got into a fistfight over Caball├й. They never spoke to each other again and sadly, within a year, they were both dead from AIDS. Life is just too fcuking short to hold a grudge about such nonsense.


(1) Marketing men throw up a whole host of so-called opera "stars" these days who are, in reality, technically very poor singers. Andrea Bocelli and Russell Watson sell innumerable discs on the basis of clever marketing but cannot hold a candle (or, indeed, a note) to true past and present greats such as Corelli, Bjorling, Domingo, Melchior, etc. Whole careers these days can, indeed, be built on artistic sand....
My dear, dear friend Marsilius.....
What you say has a lot of truth. Yes, the great day of Opera seem to be past us. But still, Kiri Te Kanawa is not Andrea Bocelli. Granted she may not be in the same league as Sutherland or Callas but I would still put her up there with Beverly Sills (God bless her) or Caball├й or maybe even close to (dare I say it?)Victoria de los Angeles.
Maybe I didn't put up the best youtube clip to show off her talents. I'm not "into it" enough to be picky about "diction". Heck, even when I saw "Peter Grimes" i couldn't understand a word they were singing. Thank heavens for subtitles!
Let me give it another try to convince you.

How about this: (and it's just from last year)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lb6zr6e9UIA

Well despite the cruel remarks on this board the Bangkok Concerts is now sold out except for a few seats 800 baht on the 'mantlepiece'.

I wonder if the detractors have every heard Dame Kiri live in an opera she can be astonishing. I remember well, many years back, her superb Desdemona but I can;t remember Othello - was it Domingo? at Covent Garden.