This will arguably be one of the Highlights of the Athens 2010 concert season.
The Budapest Festival Orchestra,
the Chorus of the Greek Radio/Television
and 4 gifted singers
all under the inspired baton of Iván Fischer
offered a very satisfying reading of Beethoven's 6th and an electrifying 9th.
Myrtó Papatanasiu
The concert that sold-out within the first few hours of sale (many invitations were given to sponsors though) had created high expectations and quite a queue of people begging for a ticket outside the Athens Megaron prior to the concert.
And while music-lovers were left outside waiting for tickets, more than 100 seats were left empty by the sponsors who had obviously better things to do.
Kelley O'Connor and Kristinn Sigmundsson
Beethoven's 9th meant the return to Athens of Greek soprano Myrtó Papatanasiu after a long period of absence from homeland and the debut of mezzo-soprano Kelley O' Connor (who has recorded the 9th for DG under Franz Welser-Möst), tenor Jorma Silvasti (who we love since his fantastic Laca in Janáček's Jenufa a few years ago in Vienna - a role he has also sung at the ROH and the Met) and bass Kristinn Sigmundsson.
Jorma Silvasti
And even if all 4 soloists were truly remarkable, it was Fischer, the menace, who should receive the highest of praises for this memorable experience – a brilliant reading of this colossal work, not in terms of cheap pyrotechnics and show-off but having in mind a pop approach of the masterpiece, as pop as Beethoven, as pop as his 9th: with the virtues of a rock-star, Fischer whipped up the audience’s enthusiasm who compensated the maestro and his fab orchestra with a thunderous applause.
Myrtó Papatanasiu and her fan club - backstage:
~.~
Myrtó Papatanasiu wearing Alberta Ferretti
and posing for parsifal's
~.~
The Budapest Festival Orchestra,
the Chorus of the Greek Radio/Television
and 4 gifted singers
all under the inspired baton of Iván Fischer
offered a very satisfying reading of Beethoven's 6th and an electrifying 9th.
Myrtó PapatanasiuAnd while music-lovers were left outside waiting for tickets, more than 100 seats were left empty by the sponsors who had obviously better things to do.
Kelley O'Connor and Kristinn SigmundssonBeethoven's 9th meant the return to Athens of Greek soprano Myrtó Papatanasiu after a long period of absence from homeland and the debut of mezzo-soprano Kelley O' Connor (who has recorded the 9th for DG under Franz Welser-Möst), tenor Jorma Silvasti (who we love since his fantastic Laca in Janáček's Jenufa a few years ago in Vienna - a role he has also sung at the ROH and the Met) and bass Kristinn Sigmundsson.
Jorma Silvasti
And even if all 4 soloists were truly remarkable, it was Fischer, the menace, who should receive the highest of praises for this memorable experience – a brilliant reading of this colossal work, not in terms of cheap pyrotechnics and show-off but having in mind a pop approach of the masterpiece, as pop as Beethoven, as pop as his 9th: with the virtues of a rock-star, Fischer whipped up the audience’s enthusiasm who compensated the maestro and his fab orchestra with a thunderous applause.
Myrtó Papatanasiu and her fan club - backstage:
~.~
Myrtó Papatanasiu wearing Alberta Ferrettiand posing for parsifal's
~.~
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