Opera "Clocks", final post

Back to Falstaff,  Act II, scene 1, Mistress Quickly comes to invite Falstaff to visit Alice Ford, "Dalle due alle tre". That's repeated, between two and three. Usually there is sign language that lasts only about two seconds. In looking through every Falstaff I ever shot I only found four images showing the hand sign.  The above and below are  Fiorenza Cossoto with Giuseppe Taddei in 1985. I'm thrilled to have these images as I adored both artists.
 

Also between 2 and 3-  from 1975, Cornell MacNeil and Fedora Barbieri. Both delicious artists.

From the Juilliard production of Falstaff, Ronald Hedlung as Falstff and Patricia Dekert as Quickly. This production was staged by the late great Tito Gobbi who was a superb Falstaff.  I was thrilled watching him at work with the students.

BORIS,  the apartment scene, James Morris is Boris 2004. He is haunted, feeling guilty, clock hands going around. The orchestra is playing sinister clock-like beats. Boris suffers a seizure, hallucinates into madness.  I helped this along by cloning the clocks.

Finally, absolutely opera "clock work", ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, Susan Graham as the young Composer who has written a serious opera. The Major Domo announces, "Punkt neun Uhr Feurwerks."  The serious opera and the comedie del arte will be performed "gleichzeitig", the two works together. Horrors.  9p.m. mish mash.   Fireworks courtesy of a Macy's display over the Hudson River , shot from   my window.

THat's it for now, or until I remember another operatic time moment.

More opera time pieces

BALLO IN MASCHERA is an easy time-sensitive image. Amelia will meet Riccardo at the gallows, punctually  at mezzanotte.  This is BAllO in 2005.
 

Another easy to find image, FALSTAFF, final scene. Falstaff is counting the night chimes, uno, due, tre, quatro, etc.  He has been told to be at the Forest at mezzanotte. Bryn Terfel in 2005.

At midnight the magic creatures of the night will appear,  again 2005.

Not so easy to find. Violetta/ TRAVIATA is dying. Dr. Grenville comes to check her. To take her pulse he needs a watch. I looked through my entire Traviata library looking for the watch. Only two images. This is an early digital image from 2003, Dr.Grenville is Vaclovas Daunoros. Violetta is Rene Fleming.

From 2008, Paul Plishka is the Doctor, Anja Harteros, the Violetta. You can see the watch fob. Hundreds of images, but only two showing the  watch.   That's show biz.

Opera clocks, PArt 1

Daylight savings time has triggered this theme. I'm searching for clock/ watch related subjects, not necessarily time-change importance.  L'HEURE ESPAGNOL,  NYC Opera, 1969, silly Ravel opera in which the soprano hides her lovers in the clock.  Karan Armstrong with Kenneth Riegel.
 

FLEDERMAUS, end of Act II, the party scene, the clock strikes midnight and everyone either goes home or goes to jail.

But before that  Gabriel von Eisenstein brags but his watch, in this case Christopher Maltman, 2013.

FLEDERMAUS NYC Opera 1974, Rosalinde,Johanna Meier, grabs the watch from her husband, Alan Titus.

One of my most favorite time-sensitive scenes, the close of Act I ROSENKAVALIER, Leonie Rysanek as the Marschallin, 1969 and 1973, "die Zeit, die ist ein sonderbar Ding...."   all about the feeling of time passing, no visible watch, totally internal retrospection.  I could have scanned 100 images from this scene.

More pictures coming.

Opera prisons, torture, etc.- last post for this topic

This is the final group for operatic prison, torture,punishment.   HOUSE OF THE DEAD  2009,  imprisonment. Two images.
 

DEATH OF KLINGHOFER, 2014 with Ryan Speedo Green and Alan Opie.

Add Micaela Martens to this mix.

HANSEL UND GRETEL,  Roz Elias as the Witch, Flicka VonStade as Hansel, 1982

LADY MACBETH FROM MNSENSK   2022, final prison scene

RIGOLETTO, ACT iii Monterone's curse, 2006, James Courtney

SALOME  2004, Bryn Terfel as Jochanan, Richard Bernstein as the Guard

LULU is thrown into jail. Projection shows imprisonment during orchestral interlude, 2010

DON GIOVANNI 2012, Nobody is above the  law, Marius Kwiecen

WAR AND PEACE, captives brought back from battle, 2007. Loved this scene.

Finally, TURANDOT, 2019, the Prince of Persia, beheaded,  brought back from the "chop shop".

Opera Prisons, punishment, etc., PArt 3

 One of Blue Beard's imprisoned wives  2008
 

Bloody theatrical mess, MAZEPPA 2006, Paata Burchuladze as jailed Kotachubty, love the nails.

SIMON BOCCANEGRA, 2010, Patrick Carfizzi as Paolo

ANNA BOLENA 2011, tortured Smeton, Tamara Mumford

DIALOGUE OF THE CARMELITES 2013, slow gut wrenching walk to the guillotine.

GIULIO CESARE, Ruth Ann Swenson as Cleopatra 2007 in chains

ANDREA CHENIER, 2007 Ben Heppner and Violetta Urmana and the guillotine

CLEMENZA DI TITO, 2019, Joyce Di Donato, imprisoned, Sesto

DON CARLO, 1979, Milnes and Giocomini.  Don Carlo and Rodrigo.

Another FAUST 2011 Poplavskaya with Jonas Kaufmann..

More coming

Opera prisons, punishment, etc.- Part 2

MEFISTOFELE, NYC Opera 1969, Prison scene, Gilda Cruz Romo as Margherite
 

AIDA, Triumphal scene with all the prisoners Amonastro and Aida 2014, Lucic and Monastyrska

Also AIDA, entombed 2005, Salvatore Lacitra and Michelle Crider

SAMSON, 2018, Alagna, blinded and chained

TROVATORE, 2009, Azucena captured and beaten , Delora Zajick

RISE AND FALL OF MAHAGONNY,  1979, Richard Casselly as Jimmy Mahoney, execution time. Nedda Cassei in foreground.

Also execution time, Nathan Gunn in AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY 2005

BILLY BUDD, 1979, Richard Stillwell, shackled before being hung.

In prison before being deported, MANON LESCAUT, 2008, Karita Mattila.

More to follow.

Opera prisons, punishment, etc.- Part 1

In opera there are loads of prison scenes, punishment, death. In looking for images I've searched for the pain. First Bernabe Marti as Cavaradossi/ TOSCA, NYC Opera 1967.  I have lots of last act Tosca images, but not many showing the prison.
 

Laverne Monette/ THE CRUCIBLE, NYC Opera, 1968

CLEMENZA DI TITO, NYC Opera 1979, Anne Murray as Sesto

FAUST final scene, NYC Opera  1968 with Molese and Sills, in prison.

NINE RIVERS FROM JORDAN,  NYC Opera 1968 Roaquin Romaguerra

MARIA STUARDA,  NYC Opera  1972, Sills, Maria Stuarda being out to death

In FLEDERMAUS Alfred is jailed. We never see him in jail but we hear him singing. This is my all time favorite jailer, Jack Gilford  1963, the Old Met.

Also at the Old Met, FIDELIO 1966, freed - Jon Vickers and Birgit Nilsson as Florestan and Leonore. Sherrill Milnes on the right.

The poor prisoners in FIDELIO 1983.  I recognize the faces, but not their  names.

My favorite Florestan in chains, 1983 Jon Vickers, .. not an easy scene to shoot. Always dark.
 

More to follow. Lots of prison related moments in opera.