Zdyb_Art - Page: 1 of 1

"Carmen" This painting is inspired by Angela Gheorghiu singing habanera. I suppose this role is very suitable for her personality and stage presence. Red color remains in my mind from her Tosca, filmed by Jacquot. Red color is powerfull and dynamic like fire. But Carmen is also tricky - therefore, the smile of Mona Lisa.
Dimensions: 38.3" by 61.25"
Oil and acryl on canvas glued on plywood.

"Queen of Nuances." This painting is inspired by Angela Gheorhiu's voice - which is noble and rich with nuances. Gustav Klimt's work seemed to me to be the best allegory: all colors turn around the gold one, and seem to flow like Angelas legato. Angela's face is very realistic because I saw a special harmony between her face beauty (dark colors mostly), and richness of golden nuances.
Dimensions: 38.3" by 61.25
Oil and acryl on canvas glued on plywood.

In this painting I was trying to catch the moment when this full-blooded drama culminates: oppressed woman makes unlucky decision, when in the same moment oppressor seems to reach his goal. Scarpia appears from darkness as evil does. He thinks he cheats Tosca with that paper he has is his hand, but does not expect he will be cheated dramatically. Roles perfect for Gheorghiu and Terfel.
Dimensions: 44.6" by 38.3"
Oil and acryl on canvas glued on plywood.

"Gladiator" This is my statement about the event at La Scala in December 2006, when Roberto Alagna was booed by loggionisti.
I think the operatic stage should not be turned into a roman circus where a gladiator's life was in people's hands. An artist is not a gladiator, even if some people behave as Roman lumpenproletariat, even if they pretend to be ''experts'', and even if it happens in such a renown opera house like La Scala. If you consider what happened there to Renee Fleming before, you would understand that Roberto Alagna was the first who reacted properly to barbaric behavior. Therefore I believe his explanation (in El Pais), that gestus (showing fist) was to protect dignity and, in fact, a special kind of sincerity: he is looking straight into the eyes of his public saying: '' Do you really think you have the right to offend an artist just because you've paid money for tickets"?
Dimensions: 38.3" by 56.1"
Oil and acryl on canvas glued on plywood.

"Mephesto" This painting is inspired by *Faust* directed by David McVicar in Covent Garden, 2004. Mephisto (Bryn Terfel) thinks he is a winner: destroing Faust (Roberto Alagna) thought he destroyed Margaret. Therefore he has two cups in his hands. But he is wrong.
Womenizing Mephisto McVicar refers to Gounods problems (Mc Vicar states that) with sexual identification. But amazingly, McVicar, not willing that, hits the point: advanced theology claims the devil does not posses sexual identity. Of course the devil as a personalized evil has nothing common with Gounod as a person: all sources assure us that the great composer had an extraordinary mild and was a good person.
Dimensions: 38.7" by 44.6"
Oil and acryl on canvas glued on plywood.

"Faust" This painting is also inspired by McVicars production in Covent Garden in 2004.
Mephisto is showing Faust his relation to Margaret: that funny life governed in fact by devil was completely vanish. Faus is exhausted in the prison of his sins, like during that former drug-session.
Vanity of Fausts ideas how good life should look like is shown by McVicar ingeniously. The questios is if it was exactly his goal.
Great roles of Alagna and Terfel, but also Covent Gardens ballet.
Dimensions: 44.6" by 38.3"
Oil and acryl on canvas glued on plywood.

*No cothurnes*
This painting symbolizes Roberto Alagna's mastery as a singing actor.
He is pointing at cothurnes on the stage likely repeating Callas's words: "there is nothing old fashioned in opera than performance."
I suppose artists like Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu and Bryn Terfel are continuing Callas's work: reconstruction of the opera as a drama with extraordinary music, after centuries of static belcanto. And that was exactly the goal of Camerata Fiorentina.
Dimensions: 44.6" by 38.3" height.
Oil and acryl on canvas glued on plywood.

We here at OperaOnline.us take pride in our outreach efforts to freely promote opera in all its forums: visual, performance and written word. When Elisabeth Zydb contacted us a few months ago and asked if we would be willing to display her art through our site we were honored and delighted to accept her offer. Below is her first offering of images. The good news is, they're all for sale, sumptuous in dimension, colorful and truly representational in their remarkable detail. Her notations provide us with deeper insight into what she hoped to achieve through her paintings -- as in her comments in "Gladiator."

I was born in northern Poland. My mother is a recognized artist. She paints on canvas and does artistic weaving as well. When I began my studies Poland was still governed by communists. As a student I was a member of the Defense of Human and Citizen-Rights Movement, and therefore I was expelled from the studies. All I know in art I've learned from my mother. I graduated with a degree in Scientific Information and Library-Knowledge. In 1985 I emigrated to Denmark. Since that time I run my design-workshop working in murals, trompe l'oeil, faux finishes, and most important of all, one-of pieces of furniture where painting on the surface is an important component. Paintings on canvas wasn't a career for me. I used to paint for my own pleasure while listening to classical music. Since the moment I have seen Angela Gheorghiu in Traviata produced in Covent Garden, though, I've turned to paint operatic pictures. I was strongly impressed: opera was revealed to me as a queen of art. As a queen, opera requires artists who are able not only to sing and act professionally, but also truly engage in playing the characters they perform. It also requires a dedicated director and conductor. Sometimes it happens! It happened also with Faust directed by McVicar - again in Covent Garden - and I suppose it was not accidental. Those perfect Covent Garden productions might be done thanks to great Shakespearian experience. I received permission to paint images of my favorite artists: Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu and Bryn Terfel. This summer I held an exhibition of my paintings in Orange (France) during Choregies d'Orange where Roberto Alagna sang Faust.