Ewing, Maria

Georges Bizet - Carmen / Peter Hall, Bernard Haitink, Maria Ewing, Barry McCauley, London Philharmonic, Glyndebourne Festival Opera

Carmen is one of the few indisputable masterpieces of its time to be composed for a small theater and Glyndebourne provides a heaven-sent backdrop for this sizzling Peter Hall production. "Bizet's score sounds miraculous in this theatre. " FINANCIAL TIMES. The accent is on stark realism and dramatic intensity. An electrically vivid Carmen is portrayed by Maria Ewing ".a rare combination of gifted singer and outstanding actress" SUNDAY TELEGRAPH. Bizet's famous Spanish gypsy is matched with the sentimental Don José of Barry McCauley ".an American tenor of real promise.a thrilling Don José" OBSERVER. Bizet's famous score includes such favorites as the Habanera, The Flower Song, The Toreador's Song and perhaps the most famous overture of all opera. "The London Philharmonic under Bernard Haitink is honouring every treasurable detail of Bizet's enchanting score" INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE.

Purcell - Dido & Aeneas / Maria Ewing, Karl Daymond, Collegium Musicum 90

Dido: MARIA EWING
Aeneas: KARL DAYMOND
Belinda: REBECCA EVANS
Sorceress: SALLY BURGESS
Second Woman: PATRICIA ROZARIO
First Enchantress: MARY PLAZAS
Second Enchantress: PAMELA HELEN STEPHEN
Aeneas' Lieutenant: JAMIE MCDOUGALL
Mercury: FRANÇOIS TESTORY
Voice Of Mercury: JAMES BOWMAN
Conductor: RICHARD HICKOX
Director: PETER MANIURA

Purcell's much-loved tragic opera is an intense tale of heroism, passion, betrayal and ultimate tragedy, played out against a backdrop of fiery rituals, evil spells and pageantry. It was filmed entirely on location at Hampton Court House, England, where spectacular settings are created in the house and grounds.

Dido, Queen of Carthage, and Prince Aeneas, a fugitive lately arrived in her realm after the fall of Troy, fall in love; Dido's confidante Belinda urges her to yield to his suit, and they go off on a hunting party which, as a seventeenth-century audience would readily have understood, symbolises Aeneas's sexual capture of Dido. Meanwhile, skulking in the gloom of a cave, an evil Sorceress and her Enchantresses (an addition of Tate's not found in Virgil) plot to destroy Dido by conjuring up a false vision of Mercury to send Aeneas on his way; this is duly done when the hunting party is scattered by a sudden thunderstorm. Soon afterwards, as the Trojan mariners prepare to set sail, the Sorceress and Enchantresses arrive at the quayside to gloat; Dido upbraids Aeneas for his faithlessness and furiously dismisses him but after he has left she dies, broken-hearted, in Belinda's arms.

The dramatic power of the piece is complemented by its musical riches, which are shared among all the individual singers and the various colourful groups: urbane courtiers, gleefully malignant witches, salty mariners portrayed by the chorus.

Dido & Aeneas is not only one of the most perfect operas ever written but also an ideal opera for television. The extreme dramatic compression of its plot, which is one of the few grounds on which it is open to criticism, is even an advantage in film terms. Cinema and television audiences are extremely familiar with fast cutting, rapid plot development and the emotional twists and turns of much contemporary drama. A classical tragedy compressed into just under one hour is thus not as implausible as it might at first appear.

The location, Hampton Court House, is an empty mid-eighteenth century mansion with its own, slightly decayed, formal gardens and grounds. Ancient Carthage on the coast of North Africa, the setting for the story, was a trading city and a melting pot of nations. Niek Kortekaas, the designer, decided to create a rich yet primitive world, lit by fire (for which there are many references both literal and metaphorical in the text) in which Dido's court draws together elements of many cultures and traditions fusing them into a society dominated by ritual and pageantry

The challenge of working on film was a new one for most of the cast and it allowed a great subtlety in the vocal performances since the artists did not have to worry about projecting their performances into an auditorium. Magnetic performers like Maria Ewing were able to relish intimate effects which would not have registered in an opera house. Equally the tight focus of film work with its close-ups and reaction shots called for a style of acting quite different from that employed in a theatre and one which the cast embraced with great enthusiasm. I hope that this film captures both the personal intimacy and the public tragedy which lie at the heart of Purcell's great masterpiece. Peter Maniura

Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)

Mozart's Marriage of Figaro is a comedy whose dark undertones explore the blurred boundaries between dying feudalism and emerging Enlightenment. Among dozens of fine Figaros on CD and DVD, few are as finely sung as this one, filmed in 1976 to a soundtrack recorded the previous year.

Herman Prey's Figaro is admirably sung in a firm baritone and aptly characterized. So too, is his antagonist, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as the Count perpetually frustrated by the scheming wiles of Figaro and Susanna, here the perky Mirella Freni, who sings and acts like a dream. The Countess is creamy-voiced Kiri Te Kanawa, and the Cherubino, Maria Ewing, looks just like the horny, teenaged page she's supposed to be. The all-star leads are complemented by worthy supporting singers, the Vienna Philharmonic at the top of its form, and the experienced Mozartian, Karl Böhm conducting a stylishly fleet performance.

The problematic visuals though, don't match the musical attributes of this Figaro. Director Jean-Pierre Ponnelle says film techniques of editing and special effects permit added musical and interpretive components. So we get nervously irrelevant camera movements, distorted close-ups, jump-cuts that place singers in impossible places during arias, and--most distracting of all--arias on the soundtrack while the "singer" stares close-mouthed at walls, ceilings, and furnishings. Try Te Kanawa's beautifully sung "Porgi amor" to see how this distracting technique subverts the music, rather than "complementing" it. Of course, this may not bother many but others will prefer to listen to the glorious soundtrack and give Ponnelle's directorial hubris a pass. --Dan Davis

Monteverdi - L'Incoronazione Di Poppea / Leppard, Ewing, Bailey, Duesing, Lloyd, Gale, Clarey, Glyndebourne

In Sir Peter Hall's Glyndebourne Festival Opera staging (from 1984) of Monteverdi's magnificent final opera about the love affair between Emperor Nero and the sultry Poppea--as Sir Peter recounts in a short introduction--the world of ancient Rome is shown through the prism of the Renaissance, when Monteverdi composed it. Sir Peter's clever conceit works because the Renaissance-era costumes seamlessly blend with the set design, which is vague enough to suggest both the ancient time of the story and what was then Monteverdi's modern era.

The performance itself has splendid touches. Maria Ewing, then at her considerable vocal and dramatic peak, makes a wonderfully silky Poppea: it's easy to see why Nero (well sung, if too obviously enacted, by Dennis Bailey) has the hots for her against all morality and common sense. Raymond Leppard conducts a freshly enervating account of Monteverdi's score, which remains one of the true glories of the Baroque era. Note: the video box states 120 minutes, but the performance actually lasts 150 minutes. --Kevin Filipski

Glyndebourne Festival Opera production of Claudio Monteverdi's last and greatest opera. Stars Maria Ewing and Dennis Bailey. The London Philharmonic conducted by Raymond Leppard.

Richard Strauss - Salome / Peter Hall · Edward Downes · Maria Ewing, · ROH Covent Garden

While not everyone's idea of a proper opera singer, there's no denying soprano Maria Ewing's artistry as a performer, which is why her portrayal of Strauss's (and, from the original play, Oscar Wilde's) heroine in this 1992 staging is so riveting to watch. Her intensity, often misdirected in other portrayals, is focused on the teenage temptress she's playing, and she even performs a credibly sexy dance of the seven veils. Her then-husband, director Sir Peter Hall, makes sure that the audience sees his wife in the altogether at its conclusion (admittedly something not too many opera singers could pull off).

Otherwise, Sir Peter's production is properly strange, making viewers squirm while watching so many abhorrent people onstage. Michael Devlin is in strong voice as John the Baptist, and Kenneth Riegel makes Tetrarch the heinous devil he surely is. Edward Downes and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House bring out every thrilling aspect of the young Strauss's still-disturbing score. --Kevin Filipski

Rossini - Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) / Cambreling, Ewing, Rawnsley, Glyndebourne Festival Opera

All the ingredients for Rossini's prime comedy are present and expertly mixed in this 1987 Glyndebourne Festival Opera production: a Figaro (John Rawnsley) extroverted, ingenious, energetic, and vocally resplendent; a Rosina (Maria Ewing) fresh and sweet but steel-sinewed in her determination to have her own way; a Count Almaviva (Max-Rene Cosotti) who has not only the vocal lightness and agility his bel canto music requires, but a fine sense of humor and the ability to perform a good drunk scene. Ferruccio Furlanetto and Claudio Desderi are equally adept in their supporting buffo roles.

This production is a joy to the eye as well as the ear. Everybody looks right for his or her part; the costumes are elegant and evocative of the story's time and place; the scenery, indoors and out, will evoke Seville for anyone who has seen that unique city. It is all brought together and given point and perspective by Sylvain Cambreling's idiomatic conducting and John Cox's deft staging. --Joe McLellan

Glyndebourne Festival Opera production of Rossini's classic opera. Starring Robert Dean, Max-René Cosotti, John Rawnsley, and Maria Ewing. London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sylvain Cambreling.

Mozart - Requiem

Opera Hits / Domingo, Carreras, Vickers, Ewing

Most opera "greatest hits" collections involve the usual musical suspects; this compilation from La Scala (Milan), Covent Garden (London), Glyndebourne (England), La Fenice (Venice), and Arena di Verona (Italy), while unavoidably uneven, does have more hits than misses. The most memorable excerpts? John Rawnsley's rousing "Largo al factotum" from The Barber of Seville; Shirley Verrett and Jon Vickers in a fiery Samson et Dalila duet; La Scala Chorus's touching "Va pensiero" from Verdi's Nabucco; and Nicola Martinucci, who gives "Nessun Dorma," the familiar aria from Puccini's Turandot, quite a workout. With other excerpts from Carmen, La Traviata, Tosca, Orfeo ed Euridice, Aida, Gianni Schicci, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, La Boheme, and Madama Butterfly, this 95-minute compilation has "smash hits" missing, but if there's a market for familiar choice cuts sung by some big, some not-so-big names, then Opera Hits is the ticket. --Kevin Filipski

Many of opera's best loved arias, duets and choruses in performance from La Scala, Milan, La Fenice, Venice, The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Arena di Verona and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

An extraordinary compilation performed by the superstars of opera including Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Jon Vickers, Eva Marton, Janet Baker, Maria Ewing, and many more.

Georges Bizet - Carmen / Nuria Espert · Zubin Mehta - M. Ewing · L. Lima · L. Vaduva - ROH Covent Garden

Opera videos come essentially in two categories: movies, such as the 1984 Carmen, directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Julia Migenes and Placido Domingo, and opera house productions filmed for television, such as this 1991 Carmen from London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Carmen is the most popular opera of all, and these two videos are both bestsellers, embodying effectively the values that make Carmen unique. Choosing between them is not easy. Musically, both are excellent. Domingo has more name recognition than Luis Lima, and Rosi's film catches him in top form. But Lima is vocally and visually a precise embodiment of Don José, the soldier seduced and betrayed by Carmen and finally driven to murder her. Migenes (in Rosi's film) gives a superb portrayal of the capricious Gypsy woman, but for my taste Maria Ewing's Carmen is even more vivid, natural, and subtly nuanced. Leontina Vaduva is exactly right as the innocent country girl Micaela, and Gino Quilico swaggers convincingly through the role of the bullfighter Escamillo.

The advantage of the film is presence and realism, particularly outdoor landscapes with plenty of space for the soldiers and smugglers to move around. Escamillo faces a real bull in a three-dimensional Plaza de Toros, something necessarily kept offstage in the Covent Garden production. A danger not always avoided in the film production is overstatement. There is more subtlety in Covent Garden's staging--there has to be--as well as a higher overall level of musicianship. And expert camera work gives the Covent Garden scenery a striking air of three-dimensional realism. If I had to live with only one of these Carmens, I would choose Ewing and Covent Garden. But I would miss many striking moments in Rosi's film. --Joe McLellan

Georges Bizet's Carmen, one of the world's favorite operas, celebrates at Covent Garden its first new staging in nearly 20 years, directed by the eminent Spanish actress and director Nuria Espert and conducted by the legendary Zubin Mehta. Blazing with passion, lust and jealousy, this production is Hispanic to the core with vibrant designs by Spain's most distinguished set designer, Gerardo Vera, and authentic flamenco choreography by Cristina Hoyos. Starring Maria Ewing, Luis Lima, Leonina Vadiva, Gino Quilico.

Carmen [Region 2]

Opera videos come essentially in two categories: movies, such as the 1984 Carmen, directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Julia Migenes and Placido Domingo, and opera house productions filmed for television, such as this 1991 Carmen from London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Carmen is the most popular opera of all, and these two videos are both bestsellers, embodying effectively the values that make Carmen unique. Choosing between them is not easy. Musically, both are excellent. Domingo has more name recognition than Luis Lima, and Rosi's film catches him in top form. But Lima is vocally and visually a precise embodiment of Don José, the soldier seduced and betrayed by Carmen and finally driven to murder her. Migenes (in Rosi's film) gives a superb portrayal of the capricious Gypsy woman, but for my taste Maria Ewing's Carmen is even more vivid, natural, and subtly nuanced. Leontina Vaduva is exactly right as the innocent country girl Micaela, and Gino Quilico swaggers convincingly through the role of the bullfighter Escamillo.

The advantage of the film is presence and realism, particularly outdoor landscapes with plenty of space for the soldiers and smugglers to move around. Escamillo faces a real bull in a three-dimensional Plaza de Toros, something necessarily kept offstage in the Covent Garden production. A danger not always avoided in the film production is overstatement. There is more subtlety in Covent Garden's staging--there has to be--as well as a higher overall level of musicianship. And expert camera work gives the Covent Garden scenery a striking air of three-dimensional realism. If I had to live with only one of these Carmens, I would choose Ewing and Covent Garden. But I would miss many striking moments in Rosi's film. --Joe McLellan