#gregory kunde

[derring-do]

Billy Budd (Wiener Staatsoper, 2024)

[babinicz]

Operablr Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈 - Week #1: Norma

Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona (2015)

-> Cast:

Orchestra & Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu

Renato Palumbo (Conductor)

Kevin Newbury (Stage Direction)

Sondra Radvanovsky (Soprano) : Norma

Ekaterina Gubanova (Mezzo-soprano) : Adalgisa

Gregory Kunde (Tenor) : Pollione

Raymond Aceto (Bass) : Oroveso

-> Opera:

It's not my favorite bel canto or even Bellini work (La Sonnambula will be always my fave Bellini's opera), lots of moments are just long and boring (including the music). For me it's just one of many bel canto works. Although I forgot how many breathtaking moment it has, oh boi. Norma parts are incredible, her duos with Adalgisa are stunning. Even tenor has some nice musical moments. And THE CHORUSES are awesome!

-> The production:

It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. It was.. alright? The costumes were a bit ugly (especially the hair) and not very creative, the lightning was AWFUL, just heavy white spotlight "pounding" singer's faces and the staging was just plain and boring (although I liked the shimmery white trees at the beginning of the opera!). The cast was great, no complaints, especially Gubanova! The chorus was amazing, I experienced intense goosebumps a few times. But I wasn't crying during the finale!

-> The level of gayness:

Well, we have a typical love triangle situation so that's the first thing, but the wlw vibe in this opera... uh.... and you can see it in this production. The delicate, smooth touches and embraces, I was rooting for it and I wasn't disappointed. So I think the level of gayness was quite high. The Norma/Adalgisa duos were remarkable - I felt the connection, the subtle gay energy. Good job!

Stay tuned for gifs and thoughts about the next operas and productions! Feel free to join us during Operablr Pride Month!

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

"is my grandson being sufficiently gay with his boyfriend??? okay...we're getting there"

[monotonous-minutia]

...that awkward moment when you have to choose between your girlfriend and your boyfriend in front of the entire empire

[polinalyapustina]

Meanwhile, more preparations: Gardiner’s Les Troyens (the best one I’ve seen so far), featuring Graham, Antonacci, Kunde, and Tezier. And they all are brilliant, but Tezier, oh, Tezier in 2003, I cannot resist...

[verdiprati]

An alert reader has pointed me to a recent re-appearance of the full Aix Clemenza video on YouTube. Oddly, Tumblr won’t let me post it as a video, but you can try this link.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

listening to this recording as I walk and just got to this track—this perfectly captures my feelings and thoughts at the moment

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

this (and tbh? a lot of different moments from this opera, but especially this) is playing nonstop in my operatic mental jukebox as I dream of growing wings and flying somewhere far away