Wednesday November 21, 2007 - The Met now has an almost completely different cast for another run of NOZZE DI FIGARO, including Ekaterina Siurina (Susanna), Bryn Terfel (Figaro) and Simon Keenlyside (Count) as seen in the Ken Howard photo, left. It wasn't a perfect performance, but it's a perfect opera - that's for sure. The orchestra played pretty brilliantly (only the horns fudged momentarily) for Philippe Jordan and if some of his tempi were helter-skelter in the end the overall effect was exhilarating.
Bryn Terfel is a fantastic Figaro on the grand scale and Kate Lindsey, the Met's newest Cherubino, continues a long tradition of excellence in this role for the Company. It took Bryn a while to get the upper voice cleared; a couple notes powerful high notes in Act I were a bit raspy. But things smoothed out and he treated us to a wonderfully bold and human portrayal, loaded with vocal subtlety and embracing the whole house with his generous artistry. Kate's clear, fine-porcelain timbre made her two arias highlights of the evening. Her boyish portrayal and expressive eyes provided much mirth for the audience. I'll look forward to hearing her many times in the future.
Anja Harteros sings Countess Almaviva. I first heard her voice when my friend Mollie sent me the tapes of her Cardiff win in 1999. At that time I thought she had a really distinctive sound with a tendency to sing slightly sharp. I noticed that again at times last night, and also a bit of edginess which for the most part she controlled well by using a lot of piano effects. When she let the voice out, I had a feeling she might possibly be destined for more dramatic things - even the idea of Tosca crossed my mind. Harteros is a fine actress, especially gifted with a sly comedic sense. Her purely magical, hushed singing of the Contessa's words of forgiveness to her errant husband, "Piu docile io sono..." made me instantly forget any earlier doubts about her singing.
Ekaterina Siurina was a total delight as Susanna. Earlier in the season when Lisette Oropesa took over the role on short notice she set a very high standard, and when the curtain rose and it wasn't Lisette sitting there in the big chair stitching her bridal veil for a moment something seemed 'wrong'. But Siurina, last season's very appealing Gilda, used her smooth, sweet timbre to excellent effect all evening. The voice shone in ensembles and she & Harteros had a moment of special grace in the Letter Duet. Siurina managed, despite Jordan's too-swift tempo, to deliver a lovely "Deh vieni non tardar". Her pretty face and easy stage manner were a joy all evening.
And here she is, in her delicious sorbet costume, being molested by Simon Keenlyside as Count Almaviva. What a performance Simon gave! His Count is sexy and hyper-libidinous, with a strong cruel streak. Many times the thin veneer of aristocratic manners not only cracked but broke outright. He was nasty enough to step pointedly on Susanna's bridal veil; thinking he had Cherubino trapped in the Contessa's closet he attacked the door violently. When Susanna agreed to an assignation, the eager Simon swept everything off his writing table and threw her down, ready to roger her then and there. In the last act, Simon took a flying leap to kick Bryn's butt, but missed his target and slammed to the floor flat on his back; I've never seen anyone take that kind of fall onstage. But he jumped right back up. Jordan's long pause and Simon's very slow sinking to his knees before 'Contessa perdono' was superb - it was the theatrical equivalent of taking a deep breath as all the anger and the comic bluster of the preceding scene drained away to leave us the utterly human act of contrition - met by Harteros with her luminous forgiveness. Simon sang splendidly all night, especially in his big aria where he managed the triplet figures near the end impressively. Earlier, in the duet with Siurina, his silky soft phrases had real suggestive urgency.
Maurizio Muraro and Marie McLaughlin were Figaro's eventual parents, Bartolo and Marcellina. Mr. Muraro has really been fine in this role all season with his flowing diction and sturdy voice, keeping his buffo mannerisms in check. It was great fun seeing Marie on the Met stage again; she makes Marcellina young and attractive enough to pose a real threat to Susanna. Vain and self-indulgent at first, this Marcellina takes her newly-discovered motherhood seriously and shows real affection for the man she will marry once their secret is out. Greg Fedderly was a strongly-sung Basilio, Tony Stevenson a characterful Curzio, Anne-Carolyn Bird a lyrical Barbarina and Patrick Carfizzi a hilariously grubby Antonio. Jennifer Black and Leah Wool were very attractive in the bridesmaids duet.
I really enjoyed watching the continuo players in the pit : Milos Repicky (harpsichord) and David Heiss (cello); their elegant playing adds so much to the opera. David Chan was the concert-master deluxe.
Is NOZZE DI FIGARO the greatest opera ever written? Tonight I definitely thought so.
I concur, but I'm not feeling as kindly towards Philip Jordan. His conducting was mediocre - his tempi erratic. You just never knew where and how he'd hit you (in a bad way) - and many times the singers didn't know either. Jordan lost unity in ensembles more than once. I think a fine conductor really shows what he/she is capable of in those incredible and incredibly complicated finales of Acts 2 and 4 - and Jordan failed the test last night. And this was not his first performance in the house! Not even his first performance with this cast. But the cast is first rate and the opera can withstand a monkey with a stick in the pit!
Posted by: Dmitry | November 22, 2007 at 12:21 PM