Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – A satisfying holidays at the Met: LA TRAVIATA, ADRIANA LECOUVREUR, and THE MAGIC FLUTE

• By drediman
• January 7, 2019
• No Comments

Ambrogio Maestri, Anita Rachvelishvili, and Anna Netrebko in Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo by Ken Howard.

This holiday season, opera fans were treated to a trio of top notch, thoroughly satisfying productions at the Met, two of them brand new to the mighty opera company. Given the quality on display, I was pleased to see these worthy productions sell out the mammoth venue.

First up was Michael Mayer’s highly anticipated new production of Verdi’s La Traviata (RECOMMENDED), replacing Willy Decker’s risky but respected production. As a matter of taste, I preferred Mr. Decker’s production, but I would argue that both Mr. Mayer’s relatively traditional take and Mr. Decker’s highly stylized vision have done well to thoughtfully capture the tortured psyche of the opera’s tragic heroine, Violetta. Effectively told through flashback – each act is coded by a seasonal motif to give audiences a sense of time – the new production is essentially presented as Violetta’s final fever dream upon her death bed. The premiere run featured a dream cast starring the great soprano Diana Damrau at the top of her vocal game (sounding plusher and less pinched than ever) as Violetta and the unlikely-cast bel canto favorite, tenor Juan Diego Florez, as Alfredo. Although both stars scored points vocally, I found that their performances ultimately lacked the raw, intense heat and uncompromised passion that I associate with the most memorable Traviata’s I’ve seen.

I was also able to attend the New Year’s Eve Gala performance of Cilea’s little-performed Adriana Lecouvreur (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), in a new staging by one of the Met’s go-to directors, Sir David McVicar (the 2010 staging had previously been seen at the Royal Opera). Headlining the currently-running new production is superstar soprano Anna Netrebko, tenor Piotr Beczała, and mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili. All three were exceptional. Ms. Netrebko continues to astonish, vocally and dramatically, and she excels in this new role after triumphing in long-awaited premiere star turns last year in Tosca and Aida. In the title role of Adriana Lecouvreur, the warmth, passion, and stage presence for which this diva is beloved continue to be undiminished. In the romantic male lead, Mr. Beszala is convincingly dashing, and his instrument is currently the ideal balance between weighty middle register and ringing, effortless high notes. The real find, however, is Ms. Rachvelishvili, who gave an absolutely ferocious performance the night I attended. Her huge mezzo is a thing of wonder – almost freakishly voluminous yet impossibly luxurious. I would say a star is born in this performer. It’s hard to believe but she often times almost overpowers the velvety-voiced Ms. Netrebko. Mr. McVicar’s detailed “backstage” production more than does the job (a nice balance between conceptual and naturalistic), and Gianandrea Noseda’s conducting did Cilea’s tuneful score proud.

Lastly, I was also able to catch the holiday presentation of Julie Taymor’s much-loved production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute (RECOMMENDED). Although the much-loved staging is starting to show its age, the truncated edition (100 minutes in duration without an intermission, sung in English instead of the original German) of the opera was a delight. In my opinion, Mozart’s singspiel actually works better in this abbreviated form, especially in this smart, mostly comprehensive version; it cuts away the piece’s unnecessary fat, although I did miss the opera’s enchanting overture. As per the Met’s typically high standards for these family-friendly performances (which in the past have included The Barber of Seville and Hansel and Gretel), the quality of the performances was exceptionally high, occasionally eclipsing those in the “real” iterations. As such, these annual occurrences strike me as the perfect opportunities to introduce opera newbies to the art form.

LA TRAVIATA / ADRIANA LECOUVREUR / THE MAGIC FLUTE
Opera
The Metropolitan Opera
Adriana Lecouvreur (3 hours, 15 minutes) in repertory through January 26 (La Traviata and The Magic Flute have closed)