Royal Opera House
Hairy McMungo knows that Tosca has already opened but he’s not writing a (p)review of the first cast. If Hairy wrote a (p)review of the first cast he’d have to write what he really thought and then people would get upset. So he’s going to (p)review the second cast, that’s the one the Primi Divi are going to see anyway. Hairy usually mentions alternates but he’s not doing two whole casts, he’d have to charge a lot more Money if he was going to do things like that and the bodyguard would cost a lot too.
Hairy has only given this production three stars but that’s actually quite good for an opera Hairy doesn’t like. It’s a new production of course after years and years of the same production since before Hairy McMungo was a baby or maybe not quite that long. Hairy McMungo has looked into the future and he can say that this production will not go on as long as the other one. He feels very sure about that.
Tosca is sung by Catherine Nagelstad. Hairy doesn’t really like Tosca, she’s too melodramatic for opera, she should be on Big Brother. Nagelstad isn’t a bad Tosca, she’s almost interesting. Her voice is a bit small for a Tosca but that’s all to the good where eardrums are concerned. It’s much better Hairy thinks to save your eardrums for a role you really want to hear like that great Scotswoman Lady Macbeth. Cavaradossi is Nicola Rossi Giordano, he has a nice voice. Hairy wishes he could say that he gave Cavaradossi substance and character but Giordano is clearly not a Scotsman so this is clearly impossible.
The role of Scarpia is sung by Samuel Ramey, what he’s doing in the second cast Hairy doesn’t know. Well that’s not true. Hairy McMungo can take a good guess but he’s not going to write it in case something terrible happens to him like getting mugged or fined. Samuel is so good he’s practically Scottish and his Scarpia is wilder than a kelpie and more frightening than a Scotsman who’s had his sporran stolen. It’s powerfully sung too with none of that wobble that critics keep going on about. You can take it from Hairy McMungo, Samuel Ramey has no wobbly bits.
Spoletta is another role that is shared. Hairy can’t remember who he is, there are too many people beginning with S. Scarpia, Spoletta, Sciarrone, Sacristan, Shepherd Boy. Spoletta is Gregory Bonfatti, Sacristan is Enrico Fissore, it’s not their fault Hairy McMungo gets confused. But for once he knew who Sciarrone was. When quarter-Scot Robert Gleadow is singing a role everyone knows about it and everyone loves it. Hairy is sure this will be the only time in your life you walk out of Tosca remembering the Sciarrone. Next year Robert will sing Angelotti. Carlo Cigni sings it well this year but Robert will steal the scene next year Hairy is sure. Perhaps in the second revival he will sing Scarpia. He’s heading that way.
HAIRY McMUNGO
primi-divi at hotmail.co.uk