The BEST Bubble 2013!!!

It’s almost the end of the year!!! OMG!!! Time flies like a bee! Actually, I haven’t been posting anything for some time cause I had too many things to do or to think about so… the whole writing process was going vEry slooowww…

Having read some posts of other good bloggers I’ve become inspired a lot by them and the whole idea of just sitting and summing up all good opera memories I’ve had this year. So… here I want to present you my, let’s call it, OperaBubbles Awards! My list of all «besties» is divided into several categories. My choice of winners is based only on my personal XP, on what I’ve seen or heard or attended this year.

Best Opera Discovery (What opera has impressed me most of all?)

Mozart’s «Don Giovanni» has become a sudden discovery for me! Why? I watched this opera about 2 years ago in La Scala production with Anna Netrebko, Bryn Terfel etc. and I was….bored. Very much! I thought this opera was endless and not captivating at all!!! But later I gave it a chance with a new Met production with Mariusz Kwiecien, Luca Pisaroni. And I loved it!!! It was so funny, mysterious and melodically beautiful!!! Now it’s one of my favorite operas in general! So you see how the production you choose can affect your perception of this or that opera itself (unfortunately or not). Be careful, please!))

Best Opera Production

TOSCA (Royal Opera House 2011)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think this is an ideal combination of great singers (Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel), a great production and, of course, great Puccini’s music! For me it is a real music drama that doesn’t release you till the end! What else can I say? Just go and watch it!!! It’s a must!!!

Best Female Singer

This category was the hardest for me but eventually I picked Anna Netrebko. She is one of my favorite singers and a very interesting person. This year is remarkable for her. Anna has released a new album «Verdi» which is a total success! She has finally begun to perform in a new more dramatic repertoire like «Il Trovatore», «Eugene Onegin», «Giovanna D’Arco». Her Tatyana was acted very, very professionally (I mean as an actress), every word was sung with a certain intention and emotion!!! To my surprise now I can say it’s one of her best roles ever! So my award goes to her!

Best Male Singer

It’s a cute barihunk Ildar Abdrazakov!!! He is an adorable and very talented singer and only this year I have been keeping up with information about him. I’ve watched Met production of «Anna Bolena» with him, a concert with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and many, many other things! Ildar was also in a jury in our national opera TV contest «Bolshaya Opera», I was over the moon!!! Now I’m planning to watch him in HD transmission of «Prince Igor» next year!

Best Duet

Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna are the best duet 2013! They impressed the public in «Carmen» in 2010 at the Met! In 2013 they have performed together in «Carmen» and in «Werther» in Vienna (my dream is to see them in «Werther» one day!)). Elina and Roberto are both very artistic and they have a crazy chemistry on stage! In «Carmen» their eyes are just so full of story they sing about that you 100% believe them!

Best Solo CD

«Drama Queens» of Joyce DiDonato! To say that I adore this recording is nothing to say! In one of my previous posts I told you about my relation to baroque music and there you could read about this album too (I just don’t want to repeat all things again!). It’s a real music treasure for me now!!! I hope Joyce will get Grammy for that, she totally deserves it!

Best Opera/Chamber Music Recording

Pergolesi’s «Stabat Mater» CD performed by Anna Netrebko and Marianna Pizzolato. I’ve never heard this «Stabat Mater» before. This music has touched me very deeply. I’ve even learnt «Dolorosa» by heart! I’d like to sing it someday in my choir. So as I’ve become a baroque junkie this year, it’s a very obvious choice for me!)).

Best New Idol (Who is my new favorite singer?)

Definitely, it’s Nino Machaidze. I have to say I knew about her for a long time but never paid much attention to her career. But this year I’ve decided to fill this gap at least and I’ve been blown away by her technique and interpretation of characters. So now I’m her big fan eagerly waiting for her Manon on stage!!!

Best Concert

This is the only category that won’t be related to opera music. My choice here is the concert of Denis Matsuev (a famous Russian pianist) with the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra that I’ve attended this year. I love Denis, he is a very talented person! Thank God, he comes to our city every year to give a performance. I hadn’t heard the Ural Orchestra before that moment but I liked them a lot for their rich and powerful sound. At the concert they played pieces of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Every time I feel so happy that we have an opportunity to hear this beautiful music performed by such talented people!

Best Event (What musical event has been the most remarkable for me?)

I’m sure that the best event that has happened to me this year is watching Met HD transmission of «Eugene Onegin» with Anna Netrebko in the cinema theatre! This is my number one cause I’ve been dreaming about it for 6 years, I guess! It’s really my wish-came-true moment! At first I was shocked and couldn’t believe that this was actually happening to me! And the other day I’ve got the brochure from the Met about HD season 2013-14!!!! I was moved very much and I’m really grateful for that:).

I enjoyed writing this post and I hope you like it too! I’d like this type of bubbles to be an annual thing in my blog:)!

Leave your comments if you agree or disagree with me about my choices. What are your «besties» of this year?