Latest news with #Hermann
New York Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Queen of Spades' Review: A Fiery Soprano Breaks Through
Tchaikovsky's 'Queen of Spades' tells the story of an addict, Hermann, whose obsession with cards leaves a trail of destruction. Along the way, some of the opera's female characters become collateral damage. But at the Metropolitan Opera's season premiere of Elijah Moshinsky's stenciled historical-dress production on Friday, it was the women who came into focus. In large part this was because of the fiery performance of the soprano Sonya Yoncheva, who made her role debut as the aristocratic Lisa who breaks off an illustrious engagement to throw in her lot with the wild-eyed Hermann, clinging to him even after he uses deadly force to extract a supernatural gambling secret from her grandmother. 'Young women often fall in love with' bad guys, Yoncheva noted in an earlier interview with The New York Times. On Friday, she drew on a wide range of vocal shadings to evoke flickers of girlish curiosity, fatalism and raw erotic longing that lent uncommon depth and agency to her character. Her commitment helped make sense of an opera that, with its collage of pastiche, quotations and narrative devices, can feel like a Frankenstein creation. Here, amid the cold glitter of a rococo-obsessed imperial court with people rigidly gliding about under towering wigs, Hermann and Lisa's search for intense emotions seemed both nihilistic and perfectly plausible. Yoncheva might not have dominated the proceedings quite as much if she had appeared alongside a Hermann of equal stature. But the tenor Arsen Soghomonyan was dramatically stiff and vocally uneven in his house debut. Much of those jitters must be because he stepped into the role at short notice after the successive withdrawals of the tenors Brian Jagde and Brandon Jovanovich this month. Yet even on a visibly nervous night, Soghomonyan's tone commands attention with its velvety luminosity and plangent heat. His voice cracked a few times when he pushed for an emotional climax, as in the storm scene where Hermann makes a dark oath, or in the decisive last round of gambling that will lead to him losing his fortune and taking his own life. For Soghomonyan, who has recently electrified European audiences as Verdi's Otello, it was clearly not the Met debut he had hoped for: At curtain call, where he was greeted by warm applause, he held his prop pistol to his temple in a humorous pantomime of despair. But an opera performance is not the same all-or-nothing proposition as Tchaikovsky's game of cards. A strong cast, heavy on native Russian speakers, carried the patchwork plot. The coolly elegant mezzo Maria Barakova was outstanding in the minor role of Lisa's friend Pauline who also sings Daphnis in a pastoral court entertainment. And Violeta Urmana grew in stature as the aging Countess haunted by the prophecy that her knowledge of the card secret will lead to a violent end. Somewhat lugubriously sinister in her first scenes, she delivered a riveting performance as she reflected on her youth in Paris, singing a fragment of an aria by Grétry with quiet pathos that hinted at the personal trauma linked to the mystery of the cards. Among the men, Alexey Markov brought a fine-grained, warm baritone to the role of Count Tomsky. The baritone Igor Golovatenko was less convincing as Prince Yeletsky, the jilted fiancé, as he struggled to project some of the lower notes in the gorgeous love aria Tchaikovsky writes for him in Act II. In the pit, the conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson delivered a cohesive reading of the score that drew bewitching playing from the orchestra. When Lisa, alone in her room, confesses her passion for Hermann, the strings and harp set the scene so vividly that you could almost hear the moment she throws open the windows and entrusts her feelings to the night. The opera ends with a pianissimo prayer for Hermann's soul. On Friday, the men of the Met chorus sang it with entrancing airy sound, a haunting conclusion to an evening that was otherwise memorable for the female voices.
Spectator
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
The childhood terrors of Judith Hermann
The German writer Judith Hermann burst on the literary scene in 1998 with her short story collection Summerhouse, Later, and was soon heralded as one of a new wave of Fräuleinwunder – girl wonders who were writing fiction that felt fresh and uninhibited. Now she has produced a memoir of sorts – in parts slyly moving, in others so stony-faced and self-serious as to border on the parodic. First the parodic. The book opens one night in Berlin with Hermann running into the psychotherapist she has been seeing three times a week for ten years. Over the course of these sessions, she recalls, she fell in love, then out of love, with him, though he hardly spoke to her at all. This encounter feels initially charged and full of promise, but it leads nowhere in particular. Dr Dreehüs orders Hermann a gin and tonic, they chat, then she leaves. Readers who aren't signed up to the whole Hermann Fräuleinwunder thing might reasonably wonder why they should care. Later they might ask themselves the same thing when the author recounts, in grave detail, her dreams. But eventually Hermann turns to childhood, and things get interesting. Brought up in a large, gloomy flat in Berlin, she was bullied by her father, who 'had a clear desire to frighten me'. He would work himself up into violent rages and once told her, to her lasting terror, that they had a lodger – a stunted man who lived in the suspended ceiling. This disturbing portrait is complicated when Hermann describes her closeness to her father in later life.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Main sponsor Schüco thrilled by sporting success — Schüco dresses Germany's tallest statue in a football jersey of Arminia Bielefeld
BIELEFELD, GERMANY - Newsaktuell - 19 May 2025 - Schüco, the specialist in windows, doors and façades, has kitted out the tallest statue in Germany in the football jersey of DSC Arminia Bielefeld. It is the long-time sponsor's way of giving a gift to all the fans upon the team reaching the final of the German Cup. In fact, Arminia Bielefeld has reached the final of the German Cup for the first time in the club's 120-year history – and has done so as a third division team! After the semi-final between Arminia Bielefeld and Bayer Leverkusen gained international attention, an AI-generated image went viral showing Hermann's Monument (Hermannsdenkmal), the tallest statue in Germany, wearing an Arminia Bielefeld football jersey. Arminia Bielefeld had just defeated Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning Bundesliga champions and German Cup holders. A genuine football sensation! Since special performances deserve special recognition, Schüco – the main sponsor of Arminia Bielefeld – quickly came up with the idea of making the AI image a reality. After all, the football club was named after the historical figure of Arminius, in whose memory Hermann's Monument was built. It was exactly 44 days after the semi-final that the plan came to fruition. Some 130 m2 of flag fabric was sewn together to make the football shirt, which is 9 metres long and 7.2 metres wide. On 24 May, DSC Arminia Bielefeld take on VfB Stuttgart from the Bundesliga at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. 'Hermann' will be the twelfth man behind the team as the underdogs look to triumph in the final.
IOL News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Ntshavheni faces legal action over misinformation claims against Solidarity
The Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni faces claims by union Solidarity Union over defamation and treason. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has not indicated whether she will withdraw her assertions about the spreading of misinformation by Solidarity, but stated that she will consult with her legal team if she receives any legal papers from the organisation. Solidarity said it had launched legal action against the minister accusing her of defamation over her claims of spreading misinformation. The minister has been given seven days to withdraw a media statement made on March 27, 2025, and offer an unconditional apology to Solidarity for reputational damage. In a formal legal notice served to Ntshavheni, the organisation's CEO Dirk Hermann demanded that she apologise or face defamation and treason charges; failure to do so would result in the union pursuing more legal charges. The controversy began when Ntshavheni accused Solidarity and AfriForum of waging a "misinformation and disinformation campaign" during their joint visit to the US. Hermann described the accusations as absurd and part of a campaign to deflect attention from diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US. "It all started on the 3rd of February when the ANC said in a press release that AfriForum was guilty of spreading misinformation," Hermann said. Hermann further emphasised that Ntshavheni's accusations were made without evidence, yet she used them to justify law enforcement action against Solidarity and AfriForum. "Without providing any facts, the minister in the presidency said that the cabinet takes note of the continued misinformation and that the acts of treason cannot be left unpunished," Hermann added. The situation escalated when Ntshavheni described Solidarity's actions as "treasonous" and a threat to national sovereignty. She proposed the regulating of civil society organisations, which Solidarity views as an attack on freedom of speech and association. Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating treason charges against Solidarity and AfriForum based on Ntshavheni's allegations. Solidarity has denounced Ntshavheni's statements, calling them an attempt to silence organisations that challenge prevailing state ideologies. Hermann warned that if Ntshavheni fails to meet their demands, further legal action will follow. "This unfounded narrative needs to stop before the real problems can be addressed," Hermann said. The legal action against Ntshavheni comes amid strained diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US. The US had expelled former South African ambassador Ebrahim Rasool in March, declaring him persona non grata for criticising Trump. The appointment of a new ambassador is still pending, with Mcebisi Jonas serving as special envoy to the US. Independent legal expert Shadrack Moyo said Solidarity may have a case if they are able to prove that Ntshavheni's assertions were damaging to the organisation. 'If the organisation is able to show the court that they suffered reputational damages, then they may have a case and Ntshavheni may be forced to apologise to the organisations. But they would have to prove that (beyond reasonable doubt),' Moyo said. Cape Times
IOL News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Solidarity gives Minister Ntshavheni 7-day ultimatum to 'withdraw defamatory statements'
The Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni faces claims by union Solidarity Union over defamation and treason. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers Solidarity has launched legal action against Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, accusing her of defamation over her claims of spreading misinformation. The minister has been given seven days to withdraw a media statement made on March 27, 2025, and offer an unconditional apology to Solidarity for reputational damage. In a formal legal notice served to Ntshavheni, the organisation's CEO Dirk Hermann demanded that she apologise or face defamation and treason charges; failure to do so would result in the union pursuing more legal charges. The controversy began when Ntshavheni accused Solidarity and AfriForum of waging a "misinformation and disinformation campaign" during their joint visit to the US. Hermann described the accusations as absurd and part of a campaign to deflect attention from diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US. "It all started on the 3rd of February when the ANC said in a press release that AfriForum was guilty of spreading misinformation," Hermann said. Hermann further emphasised that Ntshavheni's accusations were made without evidence, yet she used them to justify law enforcement action against Solidarity and AfriForum. "Without providing any facts, the minister in the presidency said that the cabinet takes note of the continued misinformation and that the acts of treason cannot be left unpunished," Hermann added. The situation escalated when Ntshavheni described Solidarity's actions as "treasonous" and a threat to national sovereignty. She proposed regulating civil society organisations, which Solidarity views as an attack on freedom of speech and association. Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating treason charges against Solidarity and AfriForum based on Ntshavheni's allegations. Solidarity has denounced Ntshavheni's statements, calling them an attempt to silence organisations that challenge prevailing state ideologies. Hermann warned that if Ntshavheni fails to meet their demands, further legal action will follow without hesitation. "This unfounded narrative needs to stop before the real problems can be addressed," Hermann said. Ntshavheni has not indicated whether she will withdraw her assertions but has stated that she will consult with her legal team if she receives any legal papers from Solidarity. The legal action against Ntshavheni comes amid strained diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US. The US had expelled former South African ambassador Ebrahim Rasool in March, declaring him persona non grata for criticising Trump. The appointment of a new ambassador is still pending, with Mcebisi Jonas serving as special envoy to the US. Adding fuel to the fire are media reports that have been reporting negatively on Solidarity and Afriforum's visit to the US. In late April, the Press Ombudsman ruled against one media platform for publishing misleading assertions about the two groups. Independent legal expert Shadrack Moyo said Solidarity may have a case if they are able to prove that Ntshavheni's assertions were damaging to the organisation. 'If the organisation is able to show the court that they suffered reputational damages, then they may have a case and Ntshavheni may be forced to apologise to the organisations. But they would have to prove that (beyond resonable doubt),' Moyo said. [email protected]
