Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Where In The World Is L'ubica Orgonášová?

The Slovak operatic soprano Luba Orgonasova is one elusive singer! A lot of people wonder out loud about her and her career (such an alluring voice and positively splendid singer, but where the heck did she go???).


I only know her from a few recordings. Lately I had been listening to the Verdi Requiem from 1998 Montreux Festival again since I had to fix my previous upload of the soprano solo (Libera me) section. While waiting for the new clip (shown above) to load -- it's almost 15 min long so it was a long wait -- I went Googling and only found a few commercial bios and an interview in the Slovak language magazine Slovenka.... and a few upcoming concerts listed below for others who would love to hear her live one of these days:
Luba Orgonasova (Photo: Peter Brenkus)
2011
November
5, 6 : Vienna, AUS - Haydn concert with N Harnoncourt & Wiener Hofmusikkapelle. Musikverein (Grosser Saal).
18  : Dresden, GER - Verdi Requiem with Jun Märkl & MDR Sinfonieorchester & Rundfunkchor. Dresden Frauenkirche.
20  : Leipzig, GER - Verdi Requiem with Jun Märkl & MDR Sinfonieorchester & Rundfunkchor. Leipziger Gewandhaus.

2012

May
9  : Luxemburg - Concert with Riccardo Chailly, Helene Grimaud & Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Philharmonie Luxembourg Grand Auditorium.
10 : Hamburg, GER- Concert with R Chailly & Helene Grimaud. Laeiszhalle Musikhalle Grosser Saal.
15, 16 : Athens, GRE - Concert with R Chailly & Helen Grimaud. Megaron Concert Hall.
20 : Madrid, SPA - Concert with R Chailly & Helene Grimaud. Auditorio Nacional de Musica.

June
28, 30 : Graz, AUS: Dvorak's Stabat Mater (N Harnoncourt & Chamber Orchestra of Europe). Styriarte.

July
1    : Graz, AUS: Dvorak's Stabat Mater. Styriarte.

November
8, 9, 10:  Berlin, GER: Concert with Simon Rattle & Berlin Philharmonic (Rachmaninov's Kolokola). This concert is available on the Digital Concert Hall.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i've just listened to her entire Alcina again, quite breathtaking! Actually i think her voice is quite similar to Frau Harteros' (esp. on clip u posted here!) I guess she's one of these singers who don't use the internet? and last year when i was looking for a photo of hers for my YT post, only found a portrait that everyone else was using!

Georg said...

Hi Smorgy,

Oh yes, she has a wonderful voice. But she is busy as a bee, you show yourself. Only she avoids Didacus Santos. Don't let it pass.

Georg

Smorg said...

Hiya An: Yup, they do sound somewhat similar, ay? I think Orgonasova's sound is more metallic and not as warm as Harteros'. I love the way she sings... Both of them make their roles their own, I think. :oD

I really don't know why Orgonasova isn't doing more opera and singing at major houses... In her Slovenka interview she seems content with the mostly concert schedule. They certainly pay more, require less rehearsal time (and these singers don't get paid for that... they're only paid for actual performance -- with perhaps the exception of the dress rehearsal), and she does get to sing with wonderful orchestras.

I wonder if she uses the internet at all... Her agent doesn't seem to. Even VK has her website updated every now and then (the last one was just a month or so ago). LO...she's almost none existent!

PS: I love that Alcina recording, too! :oD My copy has rather atrocious snips on 2 of Ruggiero's arias, tho. :o(

Hallo Georgy: I'm glad you enjoyed the clip! I know... my part of the world seems as far away as Pluto for many of my favorite opera singers! :o( I'm sort of waiting for the Pacific Plate to move us up the coast closer to San Francisco where they don't mind flying to sing at as much... but the earth just isn't moving quite fast enough. ;o)

Thanks a bunch for stopping by! Hope all is going well in your neck of the woods.