A (Day and) Night at the Opera

On February 4, I led a group of eleven friends and family on an operatic adventure at the Met.  In the afternoon, we took a backstage tour full of interesting information, captivating stories about singers, directors, and productions, and impromptu encounters with some of opera’s biggest names. The tour takes guests through the wig, costume, and scenic shops; inside the preparation process of a Met artist; onto the expansive stage, where they witness the building of the set for that evening’s performance; and allows them to observe live rehearsals for upcoming productions. We also glimpsed directors Stephen Wadsworth and Mary Zimmerman in action, and unexpectedly ran into maestro Plácido Domingo. The tour is a fun experience for newcomers to opera and casual fans, and a must-see for die-hard aficionados.

For information on backstage tours visit:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/education/general/backstage.aspx

or call 212-769-7020.

The Show Curtain for "Don Pasquale"

Afterwards, we attended that evening’s performance of what many consider Donizetti’s masterpiece – the lively comedy Don Pasquale. After the performance, some of us went backstage and chatted with bass-baritone John Del Carlo, who sang the title role. It was a memorable day for all.

John Del Carlo in the title role of Don Pasquale

The cast for this run of Pasquale is fantastic, and all the singers were well cast in their roles. John Del Carlo has masterfully portrayed many comedic and dramatic characters in his long career with the Met. As Don Pasqual, his full-bodied bass-baritone voice was excellent in the role’s few lyric passages, but also in the impressive “patter duet” with Dr. Malatesta. He mastered both the physical comedy and subtle facial expressions conveying the character’s humorous emotions.

Another star of the performance was baritone Mariusz Kwiecien as the wily Dr. Malatesta. Mr. Kwiecien used his smooth baritone during his legato phrases, and was surprisingly proficient during the duets with Mr. Del Carlo. He infused the ensemble cast with vitality and comedic charm.

Mariusz Kwiecien as Dr. Malatesta

Tenor Matthew Polenzani, who was scheduled to perform the role of Pasquale’s unfortunate nephew Ernesto, had to withdraw because of illness. English tenor Barry Banks capably stepped in. Mr. Banks has a light tenor fit for the operas of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. His voice was suited for the role of Ernesto and he delivered brilliant high notes.

Russian superstar Anna Netrebko portrayed the spitfire Norina, Ernesto’s beloved. Leading up to the performance, I had misgivings about this selection, for her voice seemed too hefty for the role’s high-flying range. However, I was enthralled by her superb vocal abilities and hilarious acting. Her voice resonated through the house. I especially enjoyed when she sang without orchestral accompaniment and could feel her powerful voice. She was equally impressive in both the tender lines and the fast coloratura. Her performance was easily the highlight of the evening.

The cast of "Don Pasquale" - Left to Right: Mariusz Kwiecien, Barry Banks, Anna Netrebko, and John Del Carlo

The orchestra, under the baton of Met Music Director James Levine, seemed to play with restraint, but still brought Donizetti’s score to life. The production, directed by Otto Schenk with sets by Rolf Langenfass is simply fun. Although the direction was over the top, it added to the farcical aspect of the piece. Everyone in my group was bursting with laughter. I recommend this opera for newcomers, and this production really hit the mark.

Backstage after the performance

Don Pasquale runs through Feb. 19 and the “Live in HD” broadcast from November is on Met Player:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/met_player/index.aspx
For a video of Anna Netrebko as Norina and an interview with Netrebko and Mariusz Kwiecien see:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/template.aspx?id=14396&hpgraphicbutton2

Picture galleries of thisproduction can be found at:

http://archives.metoperafamily.org/Imgs/DonPasquale1011.htm

http://archives.metoperafamily.org/Imgs/DonPasqualeDesign.htm
Special thanks to Sarah for capturing our experience through her excellent photographs.

Don’t hesitate to email at cbrowner@taftschool.org with questions or comments.

A Final Word on “La Traviata”

From his first days as Met General Manager, Peter Gelb has made it clear that he plans to attract new audiences by introducing modern, conceptual, and highly theatrical productions of both core repertory and lesser known masterpieces.  When it was announced that Franco Zeffirelli’s magnificently realistic – if not a touch overblown– production of Verdi’s La Traviata would be replaced by Willy Decker’s 2005 Salzburg production, many opera fans, myself included, worried that another classic opera would be ruined by a eurotrash adaptation. On January 29th, the final performance of the run, I decided to see if this production was as tasteless as I had expected. However, I was pleased to discover that, save for a few moments of over-directed party scenes, the production was conceptually sound and dramatically sophisticated.

The stripped down set of "La Traviata"

The story of La Traviata centers around Violetta Valery, a high-class courtesan afflicted with consumption – in this performance portrayed by Russian soprano Marina Poplavskaya. Ms. Poplavskaya has a huge voice which easily filled the Met’s 3800 seat auditorium.  She sang with beautiful lyricism and characteristic intensity. Although coloratura is not her specialty, Ms. Poplavskaya managed to execute the trills and high notes at the close of Act 1 quite skillfully. She also demonstrated proficiency as an actress and displayed a heart-rending portrayal of the frail character; though on a few occasions she sacrificed beautiful singing for dramatic acting.

Violetta’s love interest is the slightly naïve Alfredo Germont – performed by American tenor Matthew Polenzani. Mr. Polenzani posses an agile and lyric tenor which has suited him well in the operas of Mozart, Donizetti, Wagner, as well as noted 20th century composers. His voice is well suited for the youthful timbre of Alfredo, and a highlight of this performance was his tenderly-sung Act 2 aria “Lunge da lei”. Although Mr. Polenzani seemed to run out breath during the more legato passages of the score, he delivered wonderful singing and resounding high notes.

Luigi Roni as Dr. Grenvil - The Personification of Death

The opera takes a depressing turn when Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont, forces the couple to separate. Andrzej Dobber sang the role of the elder Germont with full-bodied baritone voice and lyric phrasing. His Act 2 scene with Violetta was vocally stunning and dramatically thrilling, and Mr. Dobber was able to balance the stern, determined facade that Germont conveys with the character’s more sensitive and compassionate aspects.

Other singers – such as Met veteran Maria Zifchak as Annina and debutante Jennifer Hollaway as Flora Bervoix – added to the performance with their well sung contributions. The Met chorus, as always, was a force to be reckoned with as they excelled in both the intense moments and the softer passages of the score. The Met Opera orchestra also excelled under the baton of Maestro Gianandrea Noseda. Maestro Noseda led a lush and textured reading of Verdi’s acclaimed score, but on multiple occasions, he fell out of sync with the principals.

Marina Poplavskaya as Violetta Valery

The new production was quite entertaining and faithfully represented the drama of Verdi’s opera. Decker and his set designer Wolfgang Gussmann stripped away all extravagance; the set consisted of an imposing semicircular wall, a few boxy sofas, and an oversized clock. Although simple, the various configurations of these pieces created drastically different environments for each scene.

On the whole, Decker’s direction was subtle and striking, especially during key interactions between main characters. However, a few times, such as in the Act 2 party in the salon of Flora Bervoix, the movements of the principals and the chorus (all dressed as men), were extremely heavy-handed and lacked any subtlety. Instead of hinting at a theme or emotion, Decker’s directions in these spots hit the audience over the head with a simple idea.

In contrast, Hans Toelstede’s lighting was nothing short of brilliant. Mr. Toeldstede was able to capture the mood of each situation and effortlessly evoke the feelings of each character onstage.

The Cast of "La Traviata"

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this performance. The production re-enforced my belief that if a director, of either a traditional or modern production, has a sound concept and stays with it wholeheartedly throughout, he or she can be very successful at conveying any dramatic situation.

For more information on and videos of La Traviata visit:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/template.aspx?id=14334

And for a full photo gallery check out:

http://archives.metoperafamily.org/Imgs/Traviata1011.htm

If you have any questions please leave a comment below or e-mail me at cbrowner@taftschool.org