Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
Mon, Sep 6 2010, 12:47PM
Last night BBC2 showed a "live location" film of Rigoletto filmed around Mantua, with the legendary cinamatographer Vitorio Storaro, and Domingo in the title role. It was a really "in your face" production, with extensive use of hand held cameras and perhaps too much in the way of closeups. But it was a thrilling and very moving performance.
Imagine my horror, then, when after the final notes have died down, up pops a cheery Ketie Derham to tells us that we just saw "The tragic end of Verdi's Rigoletto with Placido Domingo as Rigoletto weeping over his daughter's dead body" - oh really?!?! Thank you for clearing that up - I hadn't noticed.
Looking at the BBC2 website, it tells us that this broadcast was part of "a major new collection of programmes across the BBC celebrating opera
through the eyes of the world's leading singers, conductors, directors
and opera enthusiasts." So we need their eyes to help us understand what we just saw do we? Deary me...
Thu, Sep 9 2010, 9:11AM
#2
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
Perhaps some of the problem with opera presentations these days is that people condescendingly feel the need to explain the blindingly obvious...
I'm not sure I liked Domingo as Rigoletto. I'm impressed that he was able to sing the role of course; but so much of the drama in the voice is from a true baritone stretching for those high and low notes. Ironically, by making the line sound so easy, so much of the tension was lost. Having said that however, I applaud any effort to increase exposure to opera, especially when it as well produced as this live 'opera-film' was.
Sun, Oct 9 2011, 5:37PM
#3
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
Oh come on, the BBC has always looked down on it's audience and felt the need to preach to them. It's usually just in it's global left wing middle class liberal political agenda. It's about time we all stopped paying for it's brainwashing service. With the rise of people watching TV programs on their computers I'd like to see how they intend to collect the license fee when all they can find in a living room is a large computer screen.
Sure I like Radio 3 and spend every saturday morning listening to it, so how much do you want for that. A yearly package for £20.
THE BBC MUST DIE.
Sun, Oct 9 2011, 11:16PM
#4
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
Oh come on, the BBC has always looked down on it's audience and felt the need to preach to them. It's usually just in it's global left wing middle class liberal political agenda. It's about time we all stopped paying for it's brainwashing service. With the rise of people watching TV programs on their computers I'd like to see how they intend to collect the license fee when all they can find in a living room is a large computer screen. Sure I like Radio 3 and spend every saturday morning listening to it, so how much do you want for that. A yearly package for £20. THE BBC MUST DIE.
Utter tosh born out of a paranoia based on prejudiced perceptions.
Cancel your TV licence but just make sure that you are not caught watching the terrestial channels.
Do it anyway as protest against these lefties, clearly, determined to brainwash you.
You can have my radio licence. It's yours for nothing and forever!
Mon, Oct 10 2011, 6:35AM
#5
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
It's usually just in it's global left wing middle class liberal political agenda. It's about time we all stopped paying for it's brainwashing service.
THE BBC MUST DIE.
Spooky!
Why am I thinking of book-burning?
Do you think Rupert Murdoch would make a better job of it Dr.B?
Vic.
Mon, Oct 10 2011, 5:26PM
#6
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
Because you are the sort of liberal who will instantly say 'you sound like a nazi or you sound like a fascist' of course you won't say 'you are' and you won't say why. You just like liberal-left wing scare tactics. Would I have to pay by law for Murdoch or would I have the CHOICE.
Tue, Oct 11 2011, 8:15AM
#7
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
Because you are the sort of liberal who will instantly say 'you sound like a nazi or you sound like a fascist' of course you won't say 'you are' and you won't say why. You just like liberal-left wing scare tactics. Would I have to pay by law for Murdoch or would I have the CHOICE.
No, Dr.B., I reserve such terms for prejudices beyond your simple bigotry.
You have now used the term "liberal" pejoritively at least four times on this forum. My dictionary defines it as:
"open-minded; not prejudiced; favouring individual liberty".
I'd say the opposite of this was not a million miles away from book-burning, wouldn't you?
As for the concept of choice under a Murdoch-style dispensation, I think you need to do a little lateral thinking. First, you have no choice to avoid funding commercial stations because you shop. And second, the license fee is a small price to pay to avoid the crass and inane, lowest-common-denominator, mind-sapping pap across dozens of channels, funded by five minutes of intelligence-insulting advertising every twelve minutes, together with a Fox News/News of the World-type world view, legitimising the power of such greedy and corrupt megalomaniacs.
I think you need to put your criticism of the BBC into perspective. For me, Radio 3, BBC 4, The BBC Symphony Orchestra, The Proms, a news service I can trust, and much more, provide excellent value for a few pence a day.
But then I might have been brainwashed by those insidious communists who helped to make that Rostropovich documentary the other night. Who knows? Apart from you, that is.
So chill out comrade. (Ooops!)
Vic.
Sat, Oct 15 2011, 2:31PM
#8
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
The BBC is as corrupt as any other large corporation. It looks after it's own middle class liberal London elite. That's why whenever it is criticised it is the same middle class liberals who are quick to spring to it's defence. Burn it down now and lets dance around the bonfire.
Sat, Oct 15 2011, 5:48PM
#9
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
The BBC is as corrupt as any other large corporation.
Burn it down now and lets dance around the bonfire.
"As corrupt as any other"?
So it's large corporations you object to?
Gosh! That's a lot of bonfires and a lot of dancing. Are you sure you're up to it Dr.B.
Incidentally, what's the doctorate for? The philosophy of logical positivism?
Vic.
Sun, Oct 16 2011, 8:41AM
#10
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
No Vic, you are not really getting it are you, I object to having to pay for a media company, ( and a dysfunctional family). The Dr stands for Doctrine.
Gramophone are the perfect example of how you can have high standards without being totally publically funded. How is Stalin these days Vic.
Wed, Nov 2 2011, 8:25AM
#11
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
Oh come on, the BBC has always looked down on it's audience and felt the need to preach to them. It's usually just in it's global left wing middle class liberal political agenda. It's about time we all stopped paying for it's brainwashing service. .
Morning Doc Prod. You seriously need to sought out your grammar methinks. A man of your obvious gravitas really ought to know the difference between "its" and "it's". Would you like me to show you?
Wed, Nov 2 2011, 9:31AM
#12
RE: Rigoletto from Mantua - the BBC does it again
There's nothing wrong with my Grandma, she's 84 you know, you leave her alone.
...... and it's not methinks, it's I thinks. Though not in your case obviously.
Wed, Nov 2 2011, 10:34AM
#13
RE: Rigoletto
I object to having to pay for a media company.
But you don't have to pay for the BBC - the licence fee is entirely voluntary. Nobody forces you to own a TV set.
And you can listen to the radio for free as well.
Wed, Nov 2 2011, 11:50AM
#14
RE: Rigoletto
But, if I, like most people in this country at the present time, choose to own a TV set, which I think is not unreasonable. Then tell me who will come knocking at the door - Sky, ITV, Channel Four, Channel Five, Dave, Bid up TV, QVC, The adult porn channel (the free one not the one you have to pay for), CITV, Russian news service, .......OK let me take the guessing out of it, the Liberal brain washing service from London, that's who ..... the good old BBC.
I agree, but I guess it's the BBC trying a little too hard to broaden the audience for opera. And it was an excellent production, I thought.