Metropolitan Opera (HD broadcast), 07/10/2017
Bellini : Norma
Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Carlo Rizzi
Performances of Norma tend to be, in my relatively limited experience, largely a matter of compromise. You'll get one, maybe two of the soloists who will be, by and large, up to the challenge, and have to take your lumps with the rest of them. Even amongst the good soloists, they are likely to be notably better at one aspect or another of the vocal writing. In short, ideal performances are very, very thin on the ground, and it's best to learn not to hope for too much, and enjoy the good things about what you get. On paper, this Met Norma looked extremely promising; the delightful thing was that it lived entirely up to that promise.
Sir David McVicar's new production is a straightforward affair, with handsome sets by Robert Jones, beautifully, if discreetly lit, and relatively historically accurate, at least visually. Costumes were all in neutral or earth colours; blacks, greys and browns, and apart from a little too much time spent on the ground for my taste, the direction of the soloists and chorus was clear and concise - no great revelations, perhaps, but no outlandish notions shoehorned onto the piece either. McVicar is, thankfully, a director who is usually acutely conscious of the music. It's a production that allowed the principals plenty of room to define themselves, and there was a good sense of character from all of them.
Pollione has to be one of the most ungrateful tenor roles in all opera. Of all principals, only Pinkerton is as much of a cad, and he's not nearly as difficult to sing. Getting a really good Pollione is usually the thing lacking in Norma productions. The persons responsible for the casting tend to focus on the ladies (not unreasonably, I hasten to add), and don't pay quite as much attention to the tenor, but it certainly makes a difference when you get a big gun in the part, and Calleja was impeccable. He was a particularly brutal Pollione, verging on the abusive physically - the fact that Calleja is a tall, robust figure, while both his leading ladies tend to the petite only increased that impression - but the singing provided that sense of charisma that the character, no matter how unpleasant, has to have, or else why would these two women have fallen for him? It was the singing too, the gleamingly expressive timbre, that made his final volte-face credible too.
Joyce DiDonato was taking on the role of Adalgisa for the first time in this run of performances, and if I understood correctly, her first Bellini role at that. The singing was as flawless as one expects from her, finely nuanced and with a beautiful line, while her character developed physically from extreme uncertainty to quiet strength. In the first scenes, she appeared very closed in on herself, almost cringing, browbeaten, but gathered assurance progressively, giving Adalgisa a real sense of growth.
Sondra Radvanovsky, on the other hand, is an experienced and acclaimed Norma. Vocally, the performance is near-perfect, she has the vocal ambit, the strength and stamina for the part, the legato and the dynamic control to shape the phrases, and a respectable command of the coloratura requirements. Her scenic presence is compelling, and in the final duet with Pollione, there was a touch of near-crazed desperation that reminded you of the origins of this opera, that it was based on a French bowdlerisation of Medea. For just a moment, as she threatened Pollione, you really saw Medea behind Norma, and that's not something that happens very often. The chemistry between all three of the principals was right on the mark throughout.
Sound performances from Matthew Rose as Oroveso and Michelle Bradley as Clotilde further enhanced the roster of soloists, while chorus and orchestra were at their best, even if Carlo Rizzi's choice of tempi was occasionally on the leisurely side for my liking. He made up for it by encouraging a sweetness of tone in the playing, and a clarity of articulation that kept the orchestral colour fresh. The Met has set the bar high with this Norma as its season opener, let's hope they can keep it up for the rest of the year.
[Next : 13th October]
Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Carlo Rizzi
Performances of Norma tend to be, in my relatively limited experience, largely a matter of compromise. You'll get one, maybe two of the soloists who will be, by and large, up to the challenge, and have to take your lumps with the rest of them. Even amongst the good soloists, they are likely to be notably better at one aspect or another of the vocal writing. In short, ideal performances are very, very thin on the ground, and it's best to learn not to hope for too much, and enjoy the good things about what you get. On paper, this Met Norma looked extremely promising; the delightful thing was that it lived entirely up to that promise.
Sir David McVicar's new production is a straightforward affair, with handsome sets by Robert Jones, beautifully, if discreetly lit, and relatively historically accurate, at least visually. Costumes were all in neutral or earth colours; blacks, greys and browns, and apart from a little too much time spent on the ground for my taste, the direction of the soloists and chorus was clear and concise - no great revelations, perhaps, but no outlandish notions shoehorned onto the piece either. McVicar is, thankfully, a director who is usually acutely conscious of the music. It's a production that allowed the principals plenty of room to define themselves, and there was a good sense of character from all of them.
Pollione has to be one of the most ungrateful tenor roles in all opera. Of all principals, only Pinkerton is as much of a cad, and he's not nearly as difficult to sing. Getting a really good Pollione is usually the thing lacking in Norma productions. The persons responsible for the casting tend to focus on the ladies (not unreasonably, I hasten to add), and don't pay quite as much attention to the tenor, but it certainly makes a difference when you get a big gun in the part, and Calleja was impeccable. He was a particularly brutal Pollione, verging on the abusive physically - the fact that Calleja is a tall, robust figure, while both his leading ladies tend to the petite only increased that impression - but the singing provided that sense of charisma that the character, no matter how unpleasant, has to have, or else why would these two women have fallen for him? It was the singing too, the gleamingly expressive timbre, that made his final volte-face credible too.
Joyce DiDonato was taking on the role of Adalgisa for the first time in this run of performances, and if I understood correctly, her first Bellini role at that. The singing was as flawless as one expects from her, finely nuanced and with a beautiful line, while her character developed physically from extreme uncertainty to quiet strength. In the first scenes, she appeared very closed in on herself, almost cringing, browbeaten, but gathered assurance progressively, giving Adalgisa a real sense of growth.
Sondra Radvanovsky, on the other hand, is an experienced and acclaimed Norma. Vocally, the performance is near-perfect, she has the vocal ambit, the strength and stamina for the part, the legato and the dynamic control to shape the phrases, and a respectable command of the coloratura requirements. Her scenic presence is compelling, and in the final duet with Pollione, there was a touch of near-crazed desperation that reminded you of the origins of this opera, that it was based on a French bowdlerisation of Medea. For just a moment, as she threatened Pollione, you really saw Medea behind Norma, and that's not something that happens very often. The chemistry between all three of the principals was right on the mark throughout.
Sound performances from Matthew Rose as Oroveso and Michelle Bradley as Clotilde further enhanced the roster of soloists, while chorus and orchestra were at their best, even if Carlo Rizzi's choice of tempi was occasionally on the leisurely side for my liking. He made up for it by encouraging a sweetness of tone in the playing, and a clarity of articulation that kept the orchestral colour fresh. The Met has set the bar high with this Norma as its season opener, let's hope they can keep it up for the rest of the year.
[Next : 13th October]