Baden-Baden Gala 2010 - Anna Netrebko
Anna Netrebko, Marianna Pizzolato, Antonio Pappano, Orchester der Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia - Roma
Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27./29. Juli 2010
PERFORMERS
Anna Netrebko Soprano
Marianna Pizzolato Alt
Antonio Pappano Dirigent
Orchester der Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia - Roma
PROGRAMME
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
Sinfonia zum Drama¨"Li prodigi della divina grazia nella conversione e morte di S. Guglielmo duca d'Aquitania"
Kantate "Questo è il piano, e questo è il rio" - Marianna Pizzolato
Kantate "Nel chiuso centro" ("Orfeo") - Anna Netrebko
Pause
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
"Stabat Mater" - Anna Netrebko, Marianna Pizzolato
Personal Report
I have attended the second performance of the Baden-Baden Gala 2010 - Anna Netrebko on 29. July 2010. The programme, fully devoted to Giovanni Battista Pergolesi including the "Stabat Mater" and other works, was not familiar to me and baroque music was not one of my favorites styles, so I was a litlle bit unsure about how much I would enjoy the concert.
The performance started at 8:00 PM. I arrived to the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden well in advance, around 6:30 PM. I bought a programme booklet and I took a look around the hall. I decided to buy a "bretzel" and a glass of champagne and I took one of the small tables with a view to the stage door, looking forward to seeing Anna's arrival to the Festspielhaus. As usual, Anna arrived just one hour before the performance started. She was looking great. Some fans were waiting for her in front of the stage door and she spent some time talking to them and signing some autographs.
The performance started and all my doubts about how much I would enjoy the performance disappeared. The music was gorgeous. The Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia - Roma conducted by Maestro Antonio Pappano sounded great. After a first Sinfonia, Marianna Pizzolato came to the stage to sing a Kantate. It was the first time I saw Marianna live and she was very good in this repertoire. After Marianna, Anna Netrebko came on stage to sing another Kantate. She was fantastic. Her voice was warm and wide in the lower registers and powerful in the high ones, filling the huge Festspielhaus.
In the second part they sang the "Stabat Mater". Wonderful music, fully of emotions. The voices of Anna and Marianna matched very well and the audience enjoyed so much the performance. Many applauses for the singers, the conductor and the orchestra at the end of the concert. As an encore, they sang again the last part of the "Stabat Mater".
It had been announced a "Meet the Artists" after the concert and a signature session by Maestro Antonio Pappano. Anna came out through the stage door where many fans were aiting for her. Erwin Schrott, who had taken a private jet to attend the concert and see her, was also there. I was talking with him for a while and he told me they had a dinner and they would leave Baden-Baden early next morning to go to Salzburg. Therefore, they were not able to attend the "Meet the Artists" event as they did Mariana Pizzolato, Antonio Pappano and the members of the Orchestra.
It was a fantastic night and fortunately the two Gala performances were recorded and Deutsche Grammophon will release a CD from those live recordings. Most likely the CD will be released previously to the Pergolesi concert tour that Anna Netrebko will give in Berlin, Munich, Paris, Geneve and Toulouse in April/May 2011.
Reports
Herbert attended the two performances of the Baden-Baden Gala 2010. This is the short report he wrote for the blog after the first performance on 27. July 2010.
The Baden-Baden gala yesterday was a great success, although I found the programme a bit short.
The first part lasted 45 minutes. First a sinfonia by the orchestra, then a “Kantate” sung by Marianna Pizzolato, and then “Nel chiuso centro” (“Orfeo”) by Anna (exactly 22 minutes, she wore a mint green long dress).
Part 2 was “Stabat mater”. In the beginning, Anna (in a long black dress) seemed to be very earnest and even a bit nervous because of this difficult part, but she and Pizzolato were great and it was a success.
As an encore they repeated the last part of “Stabat mater” and took a lot of bows, but no more encores.
About 100 people were waiting at the stage door, where Anna gave autographs etc., before she was driven away in a big limousine.
And this is the report he wrote for the blog after the second performance on 29. July 2010.
The second gala on Thursday, 29. July, was also something very special. Anna was completely relaxed when she entered the stage for "Stabat mater". She beamed with joy at the audience, twinkled at somebody whom she recognized, and when a few people wanted to applaud during "Stabat mater", she smiled "with shock" so that the audience kept quiet until the end.
The two voices of Anna and Marianna Pizzolato were in perfect harmony with the orchestra, and sometimes it was not possible to distinguish the voices from the instruments - was this Anna singing or was it a violin? Perfect beauty! Baroque music can enchant such a large hall as the Festspielhaus, when it is presented in such virtuosity. We can be looking forward to the CD recording!.
After the performance there was a "Meet the Artists" in the foyer of the Festspielhaus. Drinks, tomato soup (!) and "bretzels" were served, and we could talk to Antonio Pappano, Marianna Pizzolato and members of the orchestra, who mixed with the audience. Only Anna could not take part in this after show party, because she had to attend a dinner (together with Erwin Schrott) and she had an early flight to Salzburg next morning. I think Carlos knows more about it ;-))
Press Reviews
PhotosAnna Netrebko and Antonio Pappano, Kantate "Nel chiuso centro", Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko, "Stabat Mater", Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko, Marianna Pizzolato and Antonio Pappano at the end of the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko at the stage door, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko at the stage door, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko at the stage door, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko leaving the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden in the Maybach of the Brenner's Park Hotel & Spa, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 27. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko and Antonio Pappano, Kantate "Nel chiuso centro", Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko, Kantate "Nel chiuso centro", Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko, Marianna Pizzolato and Antonio Pappano at the end of the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko and Antonio Pappano at the end of the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko and Marianna Pizzolato at the end of the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko and Marianna Pizzolato at the end of the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko at the end of the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Anna Netrebko at the end of the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
Erwin Schrott at the stage door after the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Carlos/Marijke
Marianna Pizzolato signing autographs during the "Meet the Artists" after the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Anne
Marianna Pizzolato during the "Meet the Artists" after the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Anne
Antonio Pappano signing autographs during the "Meet the Artists" after the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Anne
Marianna Pizzolato during the "Meet the Artists" after the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Anne
Antonio Pappano talking with Marianna Pizzolato during the "Meet the Artists" after the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Anne
Maestro Antonio Pappano signing autographs during the "Meet the Artists" after the concert, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden 29. July 2010. Photo: Herbert
