Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Massenet’s THAÏS sounds utterly lovely at the Met, in a hackneyed production

• By drediman
• November 23, 2017
• No Comments

Ailyn Pérez stars in the title role of Massenet’s “Thaïs” at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Last night, I caught a performance of the the Metropolitan Opera’s rare revival of of Jules Massenet’s Thaïs. The opera, about an Alexandrian courtesan’s flight from her “life of sin” to the nunnery, has always been paper-thin, even ludicrous. But with the right singers, the opera compels, if only on the merits of the score’s luxurious beauty. The relatively brief run at the Met stars soprano Ailyn Pérez in the title role. Unfortunately, at the performance I attended, baritone Gerald Finely was indisposed, and the central role of Athanaël was sung by Bradley Garvin.

The good news is that Ms. Pérez sounded spectacular and looked glamourous. Her singing was strong and and confident, yet plush enough to suggest Thaïs’s womanly allure. Her acting was intelligent throughout, although I could have done with a little more amped-up melodramatics. Mr. Garvin, stepping in bravely for the ailing Canadian opera star, gave an admirable performance given the circumstances. Admittedly, his robust baritone lacked a little finesse, but that quality felt right for the role. In the pit, Emmanuel Villaume led a warm, clear reading of the accessible score, and concertmaster David Chan sounded enchanting in the indestructible “Meditation” violin solo, indisputably the opera’s greatest ht.

I had seen director John Cox’s staging of Thaïs around fifteen years ago now at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. That production’s reason for being was to showcase Renée Fleming at the height of her vocal powers. But even then I remember feeling that the production lacked a point of view, despite some pretty stage pictures. Well, Mr. Cox’s production hasn’t aged well; it’s filled with inert stage pictures that just seem lazy. I think that, these days, the only way Thaïs is through unbridled camp and unapologetic over-the-top decadence. Together with Massenet’s perfumed score, the results could be memorable.

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THAÏS
Opera
The Metropolitan Opera
3 hours, 15 minutes (with two intermissions)
Through December 2