Bel canto lushinghier
La Cieca thought that now that Puritani has opened at the Met, it’s as good a time as any to review the company’s (rumored) bel canto plans for the next five years or so. Remember, everything in this life is uncertain, so please regard these “predictions” as the gossip they are.
Anyway, La Cieca hopes you’ll find plenty of fodder for discussion in the following grafs.
Next season (as you all know) opening night will be a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor starring Natalie Dessay. Sharing the role of Edgardo will be a trio of toothsome tenors: Marcello Giordani, Marcelo Alvarez and Giuseppe Filianoti. Further upping the hunk quotient will be Mariusz Kwiecien and John Relyea. The Mary Zimmerman production will be led (on opening night at least) by James Levine.
Per La Cieca’s sources, Mad Lucy will pay a couple of return visits in following seasons, first with Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon in the fall of ’08, and then with Mlle. Dessay again sometime in 2010. Ze French diva gets the unusual honor of opening two new productions next season, the Lucia, of course, and then a new Fille du Regiment opposite puppylicious Juan Diego Florez.
JDF and Dessay reunite in the fall of 2008 for a new Sonnambula. The tenor will reprise his Tonio during the 2009-2010 season, this time with Diana Damrau as Marie. And that pairing will be repeated in the Met premiere of Rossini’s Le Comte Ory the following season.
Now, jumping back to 2009 again, that’s when the new production of Rossini’s Armida is skedded, featuring of course Renee Fleming and (among other tenors) Eric Cutler.
And then comes 2012, aka “The Year of the Jackpot,” when just possibly we will hear the Tudor Trifecta (Fleming, Netrebko and Angela Gheorghiu) as well as a new Giulliame Tell (presumably for Giordani) plus revivals of L’elisir (Netrebko, Florez, Kwiecien), L’italiana and Semiramide.
Oh, and for Druid fanciers, the outlook is not quite so rosy: a single revival of Norma next season with Dolora Zajick, Maria Guleghina and Franco Farina — or, as Mme. Vera Galupe-Borzkh might sum it up: “Can Belto, Can’t Belto and Can’t Canto.”
That Farina as Pollione thing is such a bummer. Miscast Norma, offend the opera gods, whatever…but don’t make it lame. That guy just sucks– no more, no less.
While I am happy that the MET finally seems to be willing to stage bel canto I am certainly worried about the unitelligent casting choices of some of the works and about the MET cutting these scores to shreds. After all, this is the same house that in the 21st century routinely cuts the “Veglia o donna” duet in RIGOLETTO. Perhaps the MET thiks its audience has the attention span of tsi-tsi flies, or they think 100 minutes of music is too long and the audience will miss the last train home to thesuburbs. In any event I expect ANNA BOLENA to be butchered beyond recognition. Perhaps we might be treated to a single verse of “Coppia iniqua”.
It’s good to hear someone shout up for Britten — and I’m a lover of bel canto and verismo and Verdi and Wagner too, Pelleas perhaps not but that’s another story (; … I saw thatg production of “Billy Budd” in the early 80s and was blown away. It literally embodies all the levels of meaning of the opera. Keenlyside has said he is dropping several of his roles (Pelleas and Billy among them – he is preparing Wozzeck among replacements, so how about getting him to do THAT!?) but Nathan Gunn would be perfect. he’s sung the role in at least two other productions, I think (perhaps he’ll discuss the possibility on his blog!!) And to have Rene Pape play the cruellest sadist in all of opera, Scarpia notwithstanding, God, it would be like leather heaven — could Claggart have a German accent…? (:
I have to say it would be great if a major house like the Met wanted to revive its “Death in Venice”. It was a big hit when they did it the first time, but it is so much more widely known and understood in itself and in relation to Britten’s life and work. And it is a superb sing for the modern tenor voice (not to mention an agile Baritone) – and a new choreography for Tazio would cap it off.
There are so many un- and under-performed works that a wish-list could go on for ever. In reality a major house could not be expedted to do them all, especially if the forces called for are small or highly specialised. But it is so long since Meyerbeer was reconsidered that “Huguenots” must surely be presented some time if it can be cast. All the comments for Berlioz are right on too. I am fascinated by the fact that “L’Amore dei tre re” was performed regularly at the Met till mid-century then just dropped never to be seen again. Is is worth rediscovering?
Nielsen (“Maskerade”) and Hindemith (“Mathis der Mahler”) are among the C20 masterpieces that would greatly benefit from a Met production, while “Nabucco” would be such FUN, and could really allow some BIG voices to really SING. And who knows, someone might think of a way of using the on-stage band in Pelleas!
Mary Zimmerman directing at the Met should be a gift from God. She is brilliant. Her way of working (as I experienced it) was more along the lines of on-the-spot inspiration than minute pre-planning, but this woman is brilliant. She has a lot of heart and the smarts to know how to translate emotion in a practical way to the stage. Get ready for a stellar Lucia. Now I finally have something to really look forward to in the upcoming seasons.
Speaking of Britten: The Met has a terrific production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that it could easily revive. When I saw it (directed by Tim Alberry), I couldn’t believe the level of ensemble acting in the production.
I agree with the comments on Damrau. I am shocked she has not received more buzz for her rosina. It was daring, funny and thrilling. Her zerbinetta last year was done to perfection and she is so obviously talented! Her voice is quite sizeable, flexible and capable of ascending comfortably to an F. SHE should have been the one singing puritani, not netrebko. If the MET has any common sense, they will do for her what they do for fleming, netrebko, etc.
Looks like Damrau is singing in Barbiere folks, so that’s a start for working her into bel canto at least. She’s trading off with DiDonato, so you have your choice between the soprano version and the mezzo version.
I too don’t see why Sumi Jo isn’t used more at the Met; however, based on some of her latest stuff I’ve seen on YouTube, the voice doesn’t appear to be in the best of shape either. The high notes are becoming a bit harsh. But the times I’ve seen her, she’s delivered the goods. Probly sung too many Koenigins though…
As for French stuff. YES!!! More of it please! Werther is a HUGE fave of mine, and why not some other Massenet as well? Berlioz, for sure.
I’m not the biggest Britten fan, but I don’t recall the Met doing a lot of his works, and considering their popularity amongst opera aficionados, they really should do them. Not to mention, they’re in English, and it might help attract wider audiences based on that fact (although the music isn’t to some people’s tastes).
Another thought too… what about some operettas from time to time? It’s lighter fare that people tend to enjoy…
Is it just that Vienna et al. tends to have things such as Die Fledermaus locked up throughout the season, or what???
By an interesting convergence, Damrau was splendid in the Vienna “Fledermaus” on New Year’s Eve. Did anyone else hear Austrian Radio’s stream? Her trilling stood out (cf lack of that from you-know-who!) But music made up only about half the show.