City Opera’s warehouses shelter productions of eleven operas by George Frideric Handel, but it is hard to imagine that any of them are as zany, entertaining, and fun as Agrippina. Completed when the composer was only 24, its facile romances, oversexed characters, and easy physical comedy firmly rooted his reputation in the European operatic scene. The revival of this production by Lillian Groag wastes no time in reaching the essence of the opera’s mood. Its updating to a decadent 1920s or 1930s reminds us that the depravities of ancient Rome can still resound in our own times. Some special touches help. Emperor Nero, gorgeously and enthusiastically portrayed by Jennifer Rivera, plays Russian roulette, snorts cocaine, drinks martinis, and makes out with his mother Agrippina. The inherent anima of mezzo trouser roles notwithstanding, we see the adolescence of a power mad psychopath blossoming. Kelley Rourke’s supertitles give us memorable details of the characters’ bleak futures in the last scene, when short historical facts are superimposed over the refrains of the finale celebrating the happiness of Rome. Heidi Stober successfully debuted as a Jean Harlowesque Poppea. Countertenor David Walker delivered a vocally charged Ottone, but his dramatic approach unintentionally left us wondering whether his beloved Poppea were indeed female. Marco Nistico and David Korn (the latter in his debut) played off each other well as the sycophantic duo Pallante and Nasciso. Jeffrey Tucker portrayed a dutiful yet plodding Lesbo, whose name is mercifully deleted from the supertitles and replaced simply by “servant.” (The Anglicized Lesbus might have worked just fine).
The grandest highlight of the afternoon arrived clearly in Romanian soprano Nelly Miricioiu’s debut in the title role (her company debut was in concert two weeks ago). This Agrippina knows how to manipulate her surroundings, deal judiciously with every personality she encounters, and still effect the opera’s happy ending, all with the authenticity of a great diva. A gorgeous legato and mastery of Handel’s ornamentation betrayed valuable gifts portending what one hopes will be a great future at the State Theater. – Paul du Quenoy
Anthony Minghella’s striking 2006 production of Puccini’s opera has returned to the Met this season. Little was updated, save for some new and rather unnecessary moves in its Bunraku puppetry routine, and, at least from the design standpoint, little needed to be. Since the director of The English Patient livened up this repertory favorite, the Met’s management has been blessed with audiences lined up to buy out performances well in advance.
The great visual color and imagination at work in the production, however, continues to suffer from a dearth of equally measured voices. Patricia Racette delivered a competent performance, but her effort might be politely described as “no frills.” She used her occasionally beautiful soprano to deliver most of the part with ease, but, despite some improvement as the evening went on, she studiously avoided taking any risks with its more declamatory moments. Sicilian-born French tenor Roberto Alagna was a disappointing Pinkerton. Once heralded as “the fourth tenor” and well received in his recent Met performances in Romeo et Juliette, he delivered the role’s first scene with an ugly bleat and finished it with undistinguished sounds and motions. Luca Salsi’s Sharpless, his debut role this season, barely kept up. The performance was almost salvaged by its talented supporting cast. Maria Zifchak reprised her affecting Suzuki. Dean Peterson delivered the Bonze’s short part with an impressive menace. David Won’s Yamadori was formidable. Mark Elder led a pedestrian playing of the score.
The later of Charles Gounod’s two best known operas has returned to the Met with almost as much anticipation as its season-opening new production of Lucia di Lammermoor. The pairing of glamorous Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and heartthrob tenor Rolando Villazon sold out the entire run well in advance. Villazon withdrew from the revival at almost the last minute, however, to be replaced by Roberto Alagna in the first performances and then, last night, by the 29 year old Canadian tenor Joseph Kaiser in his Met debut. Clearly Netrebko remained the star of the evening. Her luminous soprano wafted through the cavernous Met with what seemed to be an almost total absence of effort. She has moderated her tendency to sing sharp and delivered Juliette’s waltz and fourth act aria with a panache that brought the house down both times. Her physical beauty has never been more stunning. A natural actress, she captured the young heroine’s quick progression from flirtatious adolescent to devoted spouse to desperately star-crossed lover without a trace of self-consciousness or difficulty.
None of the plaudits for Ms. Netrebko should detract from the praise due her Romeo. The young Mr. Kaiser overcame some early evening jitters to deliver a memorable house debut. His solo work remained solidly above average, but it was his scenes with his Juliette that made the evening. The love duet that opens Act IV and the opera’s final scene revealed a true synergy that dispelled any hint of him being called in at nearly the last minute. The peculiarities of Guy Joosten’s production, which include performing the Act IV duet on a bed suspended somewhat precariously about 20 feet off the stage in front of a huge star field, seemed not to pose a challenge. Among the remaining cast Isabel Leonard left a strong impression with Stephano’s song. Bass Kristinn Sigmundsson was a stentorian Friar Lawrence but could not escape some muddy low notes. Jane Bunnell sang a virtuoso supporting performance as Juliette’s maid Gertrude. Tony Stevenson, John Hancock, Louis Otey, Marc Heller, and Dean Peterson were a fine ensemble of Veronesi. Placido Domingo’s conducting is often criticized for betraying a pedestrian quality, but he brought out the richness of Gounod’s score with a great deal of competence. Joosten’s production makes the work drag somewhat, especially in the second and third acts (probably not coincidentally the ones in which the title characters have the least music). Nevertheless it is more imaginative than the most hackneyed of Shakespeare’s plays could be in operatic adaptation.
City Opera has launched its fall season with a celebratory gala of mainly French music. Perhaps a departure from its more “populist” leanings, the New York State Theater nearly filled up last night with tuxedoed and lavishly gowned ticket holders who paid up to $1000 each for a 75 minute concert and party to follow. Much of the company’s leadership was in attendance, including Princess Alexandra of Greece. Despite the short duration of the evening’s musical component, many of City Opera’s finest talents were on display. The standouts by far were company veteran Lauren Flanigan, who sang “En proie la tristesse” from Rossini’s Le Comte Ory, and the much talked about Romanian soprano Nelly Miricioiu in her performance of “Robert, toi que j’aime” from Meyerbeer’s Robert le diable. Flanigan seemed to have the most fun of any artist with her piece and sang enchantingly to an appreciative house. With her practiced voice, Miricioiu drew excited anticipation for her upcoming starring role in Handel’s Agrippina. The other artists demonstrated a fine command of expository style. Cory McKern, a young baritone who will debut here in Carmen this season, showed much promise in Danilo’s aria from The Merry Widow (sung in German). Elizabeth Caballero, Dinyar Vania, and Daniel Borowski ended the evening impressively in the final trio from Gounod’s Faust. George Manahan’s conducting showed that the City Opera orchestra has improved to a high degree. All the accompaniments were well paced, and the stand alone performances of Chabrier’s Danse slave and the march from Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust were riveting.
