Henry C. Eyer Vidéos
compositeur
- États-Unis
Dernière mise à jour
2024-06-16
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Jean Madeira Richard Wagner Hans Hotter Hans Knappertsbusch Bayreuth Pierre Dervaux Nicola Filacuridi Michel Roux Roux Grace Bumbry Jon Vickers Georg Solti Ernestine Schumann Heink Schumann Karin Branzell Karl Boehm Boehm Inge Borkh Marianne Schech Fritz Stiedry Eyer Maschera Milanov Tucker Marian Anderson Mozart Charpentier Suzuki Rossini Barbiere Hollaender Beecham Abbado Metropolitan Opera 1909 1918 1948 1950 1955 1956 1958 1959 1971 1972 2003
Jean Madeira, Mezzo-Soprano / Contralto +••.••(...)) Richard Wagner: RHEINGOLD "Weiche, Wotan, weiche" with Hans Hotter, Bass-Baritone +••.••(...)) Conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch / live recording Bayreuth August 15, 1956 My personal opinion: This strikingly attractive woman is not the young Ava Gardner or any other actress from the silver screen. It is the American mezzo-soprano Jean Madeira, who was from 1948 to 1971 a long-standing star at the Metropolitan Opera. But strangely, her popularity there is not reflected in her few recordings: Only less than half a dozen - and only one with Madeira in a title role. And even this CARMEN under Pierre Dervaux often gets overlooked. Maybe a reason is the mediocre cast that surrounds Madeira: A good, but not outstanding tenor (Nicola Filacuridi), a hysterical Micaela (Janette Vivalda), an unstable Escamillo (Michel Roux); all accompanied by a terrible backyard-orchestra. But Madeira, with her warm and sonorous mezzo, her seductive and coquettish phrasing, is a real surprise for everyone who only knows the big-budget stereo recordings, including the overestimated CARMEN with Grace Bumbry and Jon Vickers, who may have been a Tristan or Otello, but certainly not a Don José ... Jean Madeira's voice was described as "gleaming anthracite", a good description also for her earth-deep sounding RHEINGOLD Erda in Georg Solti's monumental blow-up RING (1958) for Decca. "Weiche, Wotan, weiche", trombone-like floating as if it comes right out of a foghorn, reminds me of Ernestine Schumann-Heink. I'm not at all surprised that many critics could not decide whether Jean Madeira was a mezzo-soprano or even a contralto (similarly difficult was the case with Karin Branzell, Madeira's teacher at the Juilliard School). It seems to me, the Karl Boehm recording of Strauss' ELEKTRA is to date the definitive version of this bloody cult opera, and the role of the queen Klytaemnestra (first performed by Schumann-Heink) is perhaps the one with which Madeira was most closely indentified. I would be inclined to hear once again for '100 Singers' this ordeal of an opera, but beside the wonderful Inge Borkh as Elektra there is also the annoying Marianne Schech as Chrysothemis with her cutting sharp notes. And therefore my self-preservation instinct warns me with a clear "no". Sorry ... Anyway, leaving aside Jean Madeira's Strauss' heroine, we will return inevitably to her CARMEN and Erda, a role she sang in Munich, London and, of course, in Bayreuth - the scene you hear is from a 1956 performance. The one year later Met production under the baton of Fritz Stiedry with Madeira as Erda was a catastrophe due to the poor stage design and received only three performances. Madeira, however, earned good reviews: "Jean Madeira, rising unexpectedly out of the top of a mountain, gave an outstanding vocal performance as Erda, imparting to the role a purely musical importance which it has not always had in other hands", wrote Ronald Eyer in 'Musical America'. A must-hear is also her Ulrica in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA in the 1955 Met performance with Milanov and Tucker. The young Madeira replaced Marian Anderson, who had made her debut in the role only two weeks before. "Despite her youth, Miss Madeira had the vocal weight and dramatic presence to make a very convincing witch", wrote a critic with the initials C. B. In the 'andante sostenuto' of the spooky "Re dell' abisso, affrettati", Madeira's rich dark voice is quite up to par: Mysterious, demonic, unfathomable. With Tucker at his best, it's a recommendable live recording of an electrifying performance. Although Jean Madeira was often used for many of opera's maternal or old-maidish roles (Marcellina in Mozart's FIGARO, the mother in Charpentier's LOUISE, Giovanna in RIGOLETTO, Annina in TRAVIATA, Suzuki in BUTTERFLY, Berta in Rossini's BARBIERE, Mary in HOLLAENDER, Mamma Lucia in CAVALLERIA or the old Azucena in IL TROVATORE), her fresh CARMEN (fourteen times with the Met company from 1950 to 1959) in the Dervaux recording is still one of my favorites. Knowing well that it is a low-budget production, I really like the spontaneity and intimacy of this unpretentious interpretation. It is a naturalness which we can not find in the famous Beecham, Prêtre or Abbado prestige versions. It doesn't have to be always caviar...
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