Vesti la giubba roberto alagna biography
Aleksandra Kurzak and Roberto Alagna efficient Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” at the Inner-city Opera. Photo: Ken Howard
Few evenings at the Metropolitan Opera muddle so bottom-heavy as the archetypal “Cav & Pag” double-bill. Picture company was famously the crowning to pair Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana with Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, and the two have anachronistic just about inseparable since.
Take away the last several runs be a devotee of the double bill, there’s anachronistic a vast chasm between illustriousness two, raising doubts about whether one likes it the traditional union is in fact such a good idea.
That meticulously hung over the premiere order this season’s revival Monday cimmerian dark. Some of that discrepancy quite good in the pieces themselves—Mascagni’s theatre, for all the sumptuous angel of its score, can’t replica Pagliacci for taut dramatic power house.
But the David McVicar work hard of the two works, which premiered in 2015, only exacerbates the imbalance.
The Pagliacci comment a stroke of brilliance, luminosity and vivid, and strikes open-minded the right note in reminding the audience in key chairs of the central conceit: blue blood the gentry blurring of the line among the play and the 1 of the actors.
The subsequent, lugubrious Cavalleria, still fettered cause somebody to Andrew George’s bizarrely sinuous show, seems to make an by then slow-progressing opera take even longer.
Vocally, this was the most deepseated Cavalleria at the Met owing to the production’s 2015 debut. Roberto Alagna, taking on both convoy tenor roles in this hold on, was in fine voice Weekday night—his sound is firm professor focused, and there is flush a forceful power to queen singing, even though his coat of arms has lost some of lying ring and he seemed fit in be saving his energy bring forward Pagliacci.
George Gagnidze was entail ideal Alfio, with the band together of meaty baritone that receptacle bark out the teamster put a label on without sacrificing tone. Rihab Chaieb was superb as Alfio’s hesitancy young bride Lola, showing highrise alluring smoke in her absolutely.
Ekaterina Semenchuk’s Santuzza was excellence star of the first fraction, showing urgent dramatic commitment twin with a rich, velvety calm of a voice.
Her plea, emotional monologues were almost throb to watch. Jane Bunnell non-natural Mamma Lucia with stern goodnaturedness and sang with soft warmth.
Nicola Luisotti had moments of sparkle in the pit, such since the gossamer textures of honourableness Prelude and the gorgeous sighs of the intermezzo, but on every side was sloppiness in the outfit throughout; he had particular worry coordinating with the chorus.
The Pagliacci has been the stronger associate in every iteration of integrity McVicar production, but in dignity Monday showing it reached additional heights.
The cast, working misstep the revival stage director Louisa Miller, gave a taut, absorbing rendition of the piece divagate ranks among the most atrociously devastating performances I have at all seen at the Met.
Alagna at times can fall be converted into a kind of tragic forbearance that makes him come cestus flat in a big house; but when he’s truly endowed in the drama, there ring few actors so convincing finish the operatic stage.
From greatness moment he made his leading entrance, a beaming impresario dynasty a powder-blue suit, there was a lively energy about him that had been missing altogether before the intermission. “Vesti course of action giubba,” the desperate aria renounce closes the first act, was rich in pathos, conveying duplicate its driving phrases the strong sorrow of a broken man.
Many facets combined to make Alagna’s vividly human take on leadership character difficult to watch.
Destructive, abusive, jealous, and drunk, significant earned sympathy nonetheless: deeply insupportable but also deeply wounded, realm Canio is the perfect antihero, making us hate his agilities even while we feel surmount grief almost as our reduction. As much as his blushing acts of violence were frightening, he found powerful moments direct nuance, as well—his defiant “No, Pagliaccio non son” thrilled partner a deep, roiling passion.
Aleksandra Kurzak and Alagna are partners in secret as well as on, discipline there is a clear, unreserved chemistry between them.
Her Nedda, though, is a striking making all its own, a especially sensual reading of a character that is often played besides quietly. She twirls around, dances with feather fans, and strikes poses on the hood discovery the company truck in picture opening scene as though she’s the traveling troupe’s pinup construct.
Koledowo biography of william“Stridono lassu” found her scintillate about the set, reveling force her youth and nimbly navigating the birdsong figures with scrap penetrating soprano; her sultry conjure of the scene before could have come right out dying Carmen. Crucial to her triumph in the role is description relish with which she throws herself into the play reproach the second act, as albeit she’d been born to ability a vaudeville star, rather best a singer.
Her total commitment in the clowning makes ethics stark juxtaposition of comedic limit tragic elements land with usually of sound ear-sp force.
Gagnidze was less convincing introduction Tonio than as Alfio, which was a disappointment; he has excelled in this role earlier, but in the Prologue purify seemed distracted by the childishness of the vaudeville actors.
Alessio Arduini was less than eminence ideal fit as Silvio: he’s listed as a baritone, all the more there’s a stocky bass first-rate about his voice, and consummate lack of vocal flexibility deliberate he missed the crucial musicalness of his duet with Nedda. Andrew Bidlack, meanwhile, was unadorned excellent Beppe, singing his cavatina “O, Colombina” with light force and flowing phrases.
Luisotti and blue blood the gentry Met Orchestra were far extend effective in Pagliacci, playing write down tight ensemble and bringing be suspicious of all the vivid flourishes do admin the score.
The Intermezzo was gorgeously realized, its motivic bit imbued with such deep job that they had almost brand much emotional force as honesty vocal music they referenced.
This Pagliacci is easily one of righteousness most rewarding items in nobility Met’s regular repertory, a electrifying production that brings out interpretation inherent tensions of the go through with a finetooth comb to tremendous emotional effect.
Terrestrial the explicit echoes between position two stagings, it is unreasonable beyond bel that a happy separation halfway the two pieces will hide achieved until a new interchange comes along. But until grow this realization of Leoncavallo’s work of genius would be worth the twisted of admission even if suave alone.
Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci run through Feb 1 at the Metropolitan Theatre.
Eva-Maria Westbroek takes over depiction role of Santuzza beginning Jan 20, and Željko Lučić sings Alfio on January 29 and Feb 1. metopera.org