I knooooow, I cannot find a proper English translation anywhere. I might ask zdenka if she can do bits and pieces of it, at least :) Hee, I figured Hampson was just lip-syncing Fiesco's line because it's a great part! (I wonder how often singers get singer part envy? "Gosh, if only I were a bass I would so love to sing that...")
RODRIGO & PHILIP. I just have a lot of feelings about these two, mostly based on this scene, and even a lot based on just Furlanetto -- he plays Philip as such a complicated character, who is angry with Rodrigo for speaking to him quite that frankly (I was legit scared when the orchestra booms in at "La pace dei sepolcri!" (The peace of the sepulchre!) and Filippo just looms over Rodrigo!) but also seems to think there is something in what he is saying, but also believes what he's saying, but who also is a bit paranoid, and who also is vulnerable concerning his son and especially his wife. I don't even think all of that is in the libretto (I don't think the libretto/music necessarily thinks Filippo thinks Rodrigo might be right) but...
I think one of my bits of kryptonite, also, is this loyalty lord/liege relationship and tensions within it, and this one is so fascinating to me -- Keenlyside and Furlanetto play this as something where the two of them are always extremely conscious of the fact that Rodrigo owes fealty to Filippo, and everything about Furlanetto's very powerful bass voice and acting shows the power Filippo has over Rodrigo -- but that doesn't stop Rodrigo from speaking truth even when Filippo is gesturing to him to stop (okay, he does briefly forget there, which I also love, that he gets so passionate about it), and I *love* the bit where Keenlyside sinks to his knees after Filippo brushes him off and tries to resign his sword to Filippo (and Filippo doesn't take it).
Then there's the Hampson/Salminem version of that scene that we've talked about -- I feel like Hampson makes this more complex in that everything I said before about their relationship is still in play, but because Hampson's an older, less direct Rodrigo, he also adds into the lord/liege relationship this sense of being a courtier and also more of an equal to Filippo in terms of age and knowledge, while still being subordinate to him. And then of course as we've said, there's the bit where Filippo is definitely doing the questionable touching thing and Hampson has such a hilariously unsettled look every time he does -- so now I do kinda ship them in a really messed up dubcon kind of way.
I love both of these -- there's something about the raw power in the direct Keenlyside/Furlanetto confrontation that really appeals to me -- and of course I also love the complexity Hampson brings to it. (I must admit I don't find Salminem quite as compelling as Furlanetto, although he's just fine of course!)
Simon Keenlyside! Keenlyside was my first opera baritone crush and I still love him a lot. I think he is a tremendous musician and actor (and on the shallow side, quite hot too! ;) ). The only thing is, I fell in love with his voice doing Mozart, which I think forces him to tame the richness of his voice a little, and when he does Verdi it becomes this much richer and broader voice (? don't know the right singing term) that I don't like nearly as much (though it's still beautiful and I'm sure others enjoy it more). Here are some Mozart links <3
I love his acting, though I feel like his acting and Hampson's are SO different. I am not sure I can articulate the difference, though! I think maybe Hampson has extreme facial expressiveness, and Keenlyside has extreme large-scale body acting ability? Like when Hampson acts I feel like I can tell exactly what thoughts the character is thinking, and when Keenlyside acts he IS the character, if that makes any sense?
Oh and here's an audio link to a Billy Budd aria, which, I have no idea if you can stand Britten at all, but I feel like it highlights what his voice is capable of, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WdGSryj5RQ
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RODRIGO & PHILIP. I just have a lot of feelings about these two, mostly based on this scene, and even a lot based on just Furlanetto -- he plays Philip as such a complicated character, who is angry with Rodrigo for speaking to him quite that frankly (I was legit scared when the orchestra booms in at "La pace dei sepolcri!" (The peace of the sepulchre!) and Filippo just looms over Rodrigo!) but also seems to think there is something in what he is saying, but also believes what he's saying, but who also is a bit paranoid, and who also is vulnerable concerning his son and especially his wife. I don't even think all of that is in the libretto (I don't think the libretto/music necessarily thinks Filippo thinks Rodrigo might be right) but...
I think one of my bits of kryptonite, also, is this loyalty lord/liege relationship and tensions within it, and this one is so fascinating to me -- Keenlyside and Furlanetto play this as something where the two of them are always extremely conscious of the fact that Rodrigo owes fealty to Filippo, and everything about Furlanetto's very powerful bass voice and acting shows the power Filippo has over Rodrigo -- but that doesn't stop Rodrigo from speaking truth even when Filippo is gesturing to him to stop (okay, he does briefly forget there, which I also love, that he gets so passionate about it), and I *love* the bit where Keenlyside sinks to his knees after Filippo brushes him off and tries to resign his sword to Filippo (and Filippo doesn't take it).
Then there's the Hampson/Salminem version of that scene that we've talked about -- I feel like Hampson makes this more complex in that everything I said before about their relationship is still in play, but because Hampson's an older, less direct Rodrigo, he also adds into the lord/liege relationship this sense of being a courtier and also more of an equal to Filippo in terms of age and knowledge, while still being subordinate to him. And then of course as we've said, there's the bit where Filippo is definitely doing the questionable touching thing and Hampson has such a hilariously unsettled look every time he does -- so now I do kinda ship them in a really messed up dubcon kind of way.
I love both of these -- there's something about the raw power in the direct Keenlyside/Furlanetto confrontation that really appeals to me -- and of course I also love the complexity Hampson brings to it. (I must admit I don't find Salminem quite as compelling as Furlanetto, although he's just fine of course!)
Simon Keenlyside! Keenlyside was my first opera baritone crush and I still love him a lot. I think he is a tremendous musician and actor (and on the shallow side, quite hot too! ;) ). The only thing is, I fell in love with his voice doing Mozart, which I think forces him to tame the richness of his voice a little, and when he does Verdi it becomes this much richer and broader voice (? don't know the right singing term) that I don't like nearly as much (though it's still beautiful and I'm sure others enjoy it more). Here are some Mozart links <3
Hai gia vinta la causa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzErPt-GKtk
Papagena! (check out his leap at 5:50, I can't believe he can actually sing through that): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PCRhnmNhNY
La ci darem la mano (the way he does that "Andiam" I CAN'T EVEN, also how he takes her hand at the end): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfti-KQoxXM
I love his acting, though I feel like his acting and Hampson's are SO different. I am not sure I can articulate the difference, though! I think maybe Hampson has extreme facial expressiveness, and Keenlyside has extreme large-scale body acting ability? Like when Hampson acts I feel like I can tell exactly what thoughts the character is thinking, and when Keenlyside acts he IS the character, if that makes any sense?
Oh and here's an audio link to a Billy Budd aria, which, I have no idea if you can stand Britten at all, but I feel like it highlights what his voice is capable of,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WdGSryj5RQ