Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met returns to in-person performance with a powerful rendition Verdi’s REQUIEM to commemorate 9/11

• By drediman
• September 13, 2021
• No Comments

This past Saturday, the Metropolitan Opera returned to in-person performance with a powerful rendition of Verdi’s Requiem to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. As you can imagine, the evening was a momentous one on a number of counts – and happily, the musical performance lived up to the occasion. The sustained, heartfelt ovations for the orchestra, choristers, principal singers, and music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin commenced even before the performance began, signifying the audience’s huge appreciation for these artists and their thirst for live performances after a seemingly endless dry spell. Even during the performance, there was a hushed focus in the house, as if the audience were hanging on and cherishing each moment of the performance.

Verdi’s Requiem holds a special place in my heart, having experienced a number of exceptional performances of the potent piece over the years, notably Ricardo Muti’s interpretation via the mighty Chicago Symphony Orchestra more than and a decade ago, as well as a relatively recent multi-media performance conducted by Teodor Currentzis’s musicAeterna at the Shed. Less memorable in my estimation were performances by the New York Philharmonic (conducted by Alan Gilbert) in 2015 and the Met’s own 2017 performance (led by former music director James Levine), which served as a memorial for the late Russian opera star Dmitri Hvorostovsky. We can easily add Saturday’s performance to the former list.

From the famously thunderous “Dies irae” to its more contemplative, transcendent conclusion, the work is ripe with vivid operatic drama despite being confined within the structure of the Catholic Requiem Mass. Maestro Nézet-Séguin infused Saturday’s performance with a sweeping grandeur and ecstatic energy that befitted not only the tragedy twenty years ago, but also the tragedy of the last year-and-a-half. Indeed, the string section shimmered with a burnished glow and the brass and woodwind sections played precisely and boldly. Even the piece’s quieter segments popped with vibrant life and purposeful musicality.

The principals included soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, tenor Matthew Polenzani, and beloved bass-baritone Eric Owens. Although they started somewhat tenatively – as if in emotional disbelief of actually performing in front of a live audience – their performances quickly gained in confidence, eventually equalling the orchestra’s luster. Ms. Pérez and Mr. Polenzani, especially, effortlessly delivered gleaming vocal performances of great passion and eloquence. The Met Chorus, under the guidance of chorus master Donald Palumbo, were magnificent throughout, singing with palpable feeling, as well as power and sensitivity, as needed.

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VERDI’S REQUIEM
Opera/Concert / In-person
The Metropolitan Opera
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed