Mister Act
Above, the cutest press photo released today by the Met. (Juan Diego Flórez in the title role of Rossini’s “Le Comte Ory.” Photo: Micaela Rossato / Metropolitan Opera.) Following the jump: more preview images of the Met’s other six new productions of the 2010-2011 season.
Construction of the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” at Scène Éthique Studio in Varennes, Québec. Photo: Boris Firquet
René Pape in the title role of Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.” Photo: Nick Heavican / Metropolitan Opera
A scene from Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” Covent Garden production photo: Catherine Ashmore
Marina Poplavskaya as Violetta in Verdi’s “La Traviata.” De Nederlandse Opera production photo: Klaus Lefebvre
“Nixon in China.” English National Opera production photo: Alastair Muir
Do you remember, La Cieca, the Turbanizer? I don’t think JDL sat and posed for this photo. I think they used… the Wimple-izer!
[And, by the way, he was smashing tonight in the final Fille, despite some apres-cold sniffling and wiping his runny nose with his hand. And, finally, Le Conte Ory is by no means minor Rossini. Vergogna to he who misguidedly thinks so!]
Hadn’t seen your defense of Conte Ory before I posted above. No need for “Vergogna” – just leaves more tickets for the rest of us!!!!
Has Nixon in China been cast yet? Or, should I say, do we know who is to sing?
NIXON IN CHINA
Premiere: February 2, 2011
Composer John Adams
Libretto Alice Goodman
This production originally created by English National Opera.
Conductor John Adams*
Production Peter Sellars*
Set Design Adrianne Lobel
Costume Design Dunya Ramicova
Lighting Design James F. Ingalls
Choreographer Mark Morris
Sound Designer Mark Grey
Chiang Ch’ing Kathleen Kim
Pat Nixon Janis Kelly*
Mao Tse-tung Robert Brubaker
Chou En-lai Russell Braun
Richard Nixon James Maddalena*
Henry Kissinger Richard Paul Fink
(February 2, 5, 9, 12 mat, 15, 19)
Wouldn’t mind Florez as the Met’s poster child for the 2010-2011 season. Just returned from the final La Fille du Regiment for the season and he was absolutely fantastic.
I hope that those two guys in the Traviata photo drop Poplavskaya — literally. I find her deeply unsympathetic as an artist.
She’s featured in TWO new productions next season at the Met. Can’t the Met find anyone better? The Willy Dexter Traviata is going to be a big goose egg.
“at first blush: all this casting sounds terrific.”
Was this statement meant in jest?
It is interesting that the ENO is credited as theater of origin for NIXON, as it is the original directing and design team of Sellars and Lobel, and the production indeed began at Houston.
It may not be HD telecast next season, but it is on the radio on Feb. 12.
And James Maddelena – the only man to have ever made Nixon even remotely sympathetic to me – gets his MET debut, at last.
What is JDF holding in his fingers in the flying nun photo? A pacifier?
or a blue rose.
I have JDF’s complete Le Comte Ory recording and I’ve listened to about 1/2 of it. It’s okay, but from what I’ve heard so far the best aria is for a soprano, not a tenor.
It’s the ensembles that shine in this opera – that’s why it’s great to have DiDonato, Florez and Damrau working together. I think the final trio (which wasn’t “stolen” from “Il viaggio”) is the masterpiece.
I saw it a few years ago in Glyndebourne with Annick Massis – it is delightful.
But can Damrau do vocal charm?
I thought it was very charming last night when Damrau let out a quick cough during a momentary pause in the middle of her Salut a la France. It was really clever the way she coughed like 3 times while the audience gave her an ovation for singing that cabaletta with such brava. Lily Pons was so charming the way she decorated her Salut a La France with cadenzas and additional music from other operas…and Damrau really upheld that tradition the way she coughed. So charming.
In other words, it’s horrible that Damrau is going to ruin this. DiDonato and Florez rock. They’re two of the best exponents of Rossini around, but Damrau, who just fakes her way though Donizetti, should not be allowed to play.
Oh my, Manou, that must have been wonderful. I would love to hear Massis in person. I think she did a few Lucias at the Met a few years ago, but I wasn’t able to go. Her Rossini on film ( Viaggio) and CD are delightful.
As for Damrau, I do believe she still might have had a cold. Some “artists” cancel at the drop of a hat, but she seems to take her work seriously. Anyone who dislikes her enough to give me their ticket to Ory is welcome to!
Pernille
http://www.amazon.com/Rossini-Montague-Shaulis-Glyndebourne-Festival/dp/B0009WIDX0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1267005080&sr=8-1
live recording.
Manou
Thanks for the link. I’ve seen some Youtube clips from the production, but was not aware that it was on DVD.
On the photo, it looks like if JDF is smoking a pacifier
smoking a pacifier
mot (or rather expression) du jour?