Bernard Diamant News
Dutch-Canadian composer (1912-1999)
- cello, piano
- baritone
- Canada, Kingdom of the Netherlands
- composer, opera singer
Last update
2024-03-29
Refresh
2020-06-06 08:47:14
A fascinating conundrum - Les contes d'Hoffmann: with its troubled genesis & editorial confusion, Offenbach's final opera seems unique, yet it developed out ideas from the composer's lesser-known late period
Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffmann – scene from the premiere in 1881with Adèle Isaac as the dead Antonia, Jacques Offenbach's output is so large (close to 100 stage works) that we tend to be familiar with only a small number of his operas. So, a work like his grand opera Les contes d'Hoffmann seems to appear out of nothing, and to bear little resemblance to other key works such as Orphée aux enfers or La belle Hélène. It does not help that matters are confused by the editorial difficulties, performing material being difficult to obtain, manuscripts being dispersed and the fact that a number of Offenbach's works exist in significantly different versions. Jacques Offenbach photographed by Nadar in 1860s But as reliable editions of his works become available and some of the lesser known pieces are explored, we can […]
2016-08-15 18:56:45
‘Tale’ of the unexpected
Things have taken a rather Teutonic turn on my Mixcloud page as of late, so, despite the absence of a single French singer, I am happy to finally add Les contes d’Hoffmann to the playlist in a Salzburg performance from 2003 with Neil Shicoff in one of his parade roles. The dames of his dreams are L’ubica Vargicová, Krassimira Stoyanova, and Waltraud Meier, and Ruggero Raimondi his nemeses. Is there any other basic repertoire opera so loved and yet so mistreated? It all goes back to the simple fact that Offenbach died, allegedly clasping the incomplete score to his breast, four months before the scheduled premiere in 1881. After that, chaos reigned and continues to do so. The original orchestral parts – finished off by Ernest Guiraud, who also wrote sung recitative to replace spoken dialogue – were destroyed in a fire at the Opéra-Comique in 1887. New versions […]
2015-10-12 18:00:58
C’est une chanson d’amour qui somnole
What is surreal, symbolic, and generally mysterious in the dramatic arts can get a bad rap. The approach is regarded with suspicion if not irritation by many, especially (though not only) in the staging of repertory works. Just tell The Story in an easily comprehensible way, some will say. Don’t “distract” me. Don’t make me wonder what something “means” or “represents.” This is a shame, I feel. Even when I cannot immediately account for every image in a film by Luis Buñuel or David Lynch, or, closer to home, in an opera production by Stefan Herheim or one of the Alden brothers, the work of those artists at their best rewards engagement. What they present us has a power of its own; it compels, tantalizes, haunts. Perhaps something will have different associations for different viewers. But some dreams are more worth sharing than others. Christoph Marthaler’s 2014 production of […]
2014-11-16 04:01:00
Gala du tricentenaire de l'Opéra Comique
[…] Then |Bizet walks on, nervously, defended by a splendid Big man (Michael Fau) dressed as Carmen as seen in the Opéra Comique premiere, which was a scandalous flop. Yet now it's the world's favourite opera. So much for dismissing things first time round.Antonacci sings the Habanera, underlining the point. The figure of Offenbach appears, dozing, teased by Fau's spicy Carmen. Sabine Devieilhe twitters 'Les oiseaux dans la charmille' and Vincent Le Texier sings 'Scintille, Diamant'. The stage turns pink, yellow and purple for Délibe's Lakmé : lurid colours for the luridly exotic coloratura. "Où va la jeune hindoue", sings Devielhe. More ultra high notes to come - Patricia Petibon scales the heights with 'Air du Cour-la-Reine' from Massenet Manon. A print from the original production is projected onto the plain backdrop while Petibon and Frédéric Antoun. sing the scene in Saint-Sulpice. A wonderful juxtaposition of past […]
or
- timeline: Composers (Europe). Lyrical singers (Europe).
- Indexes (by alphabetical order): D...