Yesterday’s radio opera was “La Bohème,” Puccini’s breakout opera. You will hear people who are into opera claim that one cannot hear it too many times (a few will even claim that it is not possible to hear any of Puccini’s operas too many times.) Although it’s not true for everyone, they’re not totally wrong. Even for someone who still loves it, performance flaws can hit the boredom button. But it still is not unpleasant. And it certainly has proved to be enduring. I assume everyone here knows it was the inspiriation for “Rent,” with AIDS substituted for tuberculosis and of course modern young people for 19th century “Bohemians.” (Though actually a late 19th century opera, it was set in the first half of the 19th century.) My nomination for the best performance, both vocally and visually, is actually available on DVD as well as streaming from the Met. It was recorded on Januaty 16, 1982, and features Teresa Stratas, Renata Scotto, Jose Carreras, Richard Stillwell, Allan Monk, and a very young James Morris. Everything I have seen Stratas in, I have marvelled at how she can sing like that and still project an aura of such fragility. (In the last scene one is inclined to wonder whether she has in fact died – it is that convincing.) And everyone else plays around that perfectly. But I digress. In yesterday’s performance, Rodolfo was played by Stephen Costello, whom I am inclined to like for the same reason that Virgil strongly dislikes Daniel Barenboim (pianist and conductor), because of the circumstances of his divorce from Jacqueline du Pre. In Stephen’s case, it was the circumstances of his divorce from Ailyn Perez. She initiated the divorce and he experienced a psychatric crisis which lasted apparently years (based on his absence.) Yes, i realize du Pre could be difficult (but, dammit, she had cancer, and it killed her, and he had left her), and I’m sure so can Stephen. But he had won the Richard Tucker award a couple of years earlier, and appeared to be promoting her, and then she won the same award – he sang as a guest at her award concert – and it actually was a few years, but seemed like it was the next day she was gone. The optics were – not good. But he is better now and back to opera. And I wasn’t there, and don’t know all the details. So I should probably try to let it go. Now, next week, it will be “Dead Man Walking.” That will be a change.
In other news, Axios broke this – “Scoop: John Kerry to leave Biden administration, help campaign.” Kerry isn’t wrong. Of course it’s not only the climate but the survival of democracy itself which is on the line.
Kerry is welcome by me to continue to be a climate hawk as long as his efforts also help save democracy.
