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"Werther, Werther" report 4
by Jon (sometimes it is good to hear comments from a different perspective than the avid Bocelli fan)

To our great surprise, we are totally in love with Bocelli,
The recorded sound has always struck me as constricted ,but in the event: Totally wow. The voice is small, a la
Schipa. He uses it without strain. His French could have been copied down phonetically...it was beautiful.. And the expressiveness...like a lieder recitalist. He understands the words and communicates. Which brings us to Graves. Oi! The audience loved her: a bad sign. She has only mastered one vowel sound...sorta..."Ah." The others were vague and deep throated. If she puts any pressure on the sound it spreads like primordial ooze. Her acting skills are endearingly nascent. She has learned something from working with Bocelli: she often sang with her eyes shut. (Maybe she cant stand her sound either. We weren't close enough to discern where they were lightly closed or slammed shut.) She slipped at one point. I hoped she might have broken her ankle resulting in an honest whimper of pain. Her ministerings to the bleeding Werther were absolutely non. She snuggled up to him in a manner suggestive of an attempt to cop a cheap feel. (Wouldn't you?) At one point she sang something about looking for help -- so she glanced around the garret as tho searching for the phone.

Enough about her -- as you can tell it's difficult for me to stop....the reality of Graves is so different from the audience's reaction to her. They must have read she was great. I hadnt, so I was disadvantaged. The Sophie was another matter: Conlon's wife Ying Huang, was fabulous: Sound, Acting, Looks...would probably be a terrific Sophie in a longer opera. The conductor, who greets the audience with The Von Karajan Wave {his left hand held aloft) only drowned the tenor occasionally...they have worked together, we were instructed, so this must have been The Right Thing To Do. He has the ability to make the orchestra sound good
- sometimes. And for the prices they are expecting (orchestra seats $195 -- $145 each) who can complain. Schaldanbrand has a beautiful bright big voice and is an actor. However during His Aria the stage director had his sit in three different spots a la Miss Goldilocks. Corradi I wouldnt trust with a high school production of Herbert's First Shave. Well, maybe. The audience's behavior was awful. Applauding wildly - interrupting the music and mood. And Our
Conductor doesnt have the skill to stop--start over or anything like that. But to see The Von Karajan Wave again, and three times in one night, gotta count for something. At the last curtain call a group of people came out whom I did not recognize. I assume the accountant, best boy, caterer, M Massenet, etc."