Above: Ekaterina Semenchuk as Santuzza in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA; a Ken Howard/Met Opera photo
~ Author: Oberon
Saturday January 13th, 2018 - This afternoon's performance of CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA brought a feeling of the excitement that I've experienced all too rarely at the opera in recent seasons. As in some of the memorable performances I vividly recall from the 1960 and 1970s, the singers today threw themselves into the music with abandon: emotions boiled over, no holds were barred, and a sensation of recklessness added to the thrill.
Roberto Alanga as Turiddu and Ekaterina Semenchuk as his distraught, excommunicated lover Santuzza played out the final half-hour of their relationship - and of Turiddu's life - with unfettered passion, and sang with the type of vocal generosity that recalled such past prodigies as Corelli, Tucker, Tebaldi, and Simionato.
Nicola Luisotti and The Met Orchestra gave us a beautiful prelude; here, and the wonderful flow of the music leading up to the opening chorus passages, they had me musically engaged from the start. A dark, foreboding theme for the deep celli set the mood for Santuzza's first entry. Ekaterina Sememchuk's singing embodied Santuzza's plight to perfection: the girl's desperation colours every note in the Semenchuk interpretation, right from the start, with "L'han visto nel paese..." she is bitterly aware that Turiddu is faithless. In this brief interchange with Jane Bunnell's splendid Mamma Lucia, the Semenchuk voice rings out on the high notes and plunges into a despairing chest voice.
The Easter Hymn unfolded movingly today; I am always touched by expressions of simple faith, so when the villagers sing "...il Signor non e morto..." I feel their hope, even though I don't believe in 'him' at all. Ms. Semenchuk's voice projected thrillingly into the big hall, unleashing a big high-B over the chorus at the end, which drew a wave of applause and bravas.
There was a bit of a tug of war between singer and conductor as "Voi lo sapete" started, but we're soon swept away by Semenchuk's searingly sustained high notes and cavernous chest voice with its massive "...io piango!" and her thrillingly sprung "...io son dannato!" In the silence that followed, a cellphone rang, marring the moment. Santuzza's gentle plea to Mamma Lucia to pray for her grows passionate; the audience broke in with more applause and bravas here.
Applause greeted Roberto Alagna's entrance. With his munificent vocalism, the popular tenor was the perfect vocal match for this Santuzza; they both sang with mega-passion, the mezzo laying on the guilt with a spiteful resonance at "...quella cattiva femina ti tolse a me!"
They are interrupted by Lola (Rihab Chaieb...more about her later!) but as she leaves for the Mass, the duet reignites with incredible passion; Semenchuk hones the tone down for a tender "La tua Santuzza..." and then a volcano erupts: both singers latched onto a top note that went on and on before Santuzza's "Bada!"
Here, unfortunately, came my one disappointment with the Semenchuk Santuzza: she shrilled on her "...mala Pascua!" rather then blasting it "from the crotch", so that powerful moment went for nought.
Santuzza/Sememchuk planted the seeds of jealousy in the mind of Alfio (George Gagnidze) with some really insinuating colours and modulations of dynamics underpinning her self pity. The duet comes to a blazing finish.
After that, Santuzza has only one more line - a thrilling "O madre mia!" as she rushes in to hear the news that Turiddu is dead. Semenchuk nailed a brilliant high-C to end the opera.
Roberto Alagna's Turiddu was fully the equal of Ms. Semenchuk in every regard. He sang the offstage Serenade in Sicilian (amazingly, someone had penciled in the Sicilian words in the score was using) and he spent the voice lavishly throughout the opera. He dominated the Brindisi handily, and then poured everything into the emotional roller-coaster of the 'Addio alla madre', with heart-rending pleas to his mother to "...help my poor Santuzza..." Magnificently sustained singing before a beautiful fade to piano at "S'io non tornassi..." and the final spine-tingling, tearful farewell.
Mr. Gagnidze dealt well with Maestro Luisotti's driven, erratic tempo for his carter's song, and his rejection of Turiddu's offer of a cup of wine foretold the coming darkness. Rihab Chaieb's Lola was outstanding, the voice clear and beautifully tinted, with a sexy plushness and solid top notes. Her verbal cat fight with Santuzza was nice and bitchy. Jane Bunnell, who has sung at The Met since 1991, was a very effective Mamma Lucia; she sounds wonderful.
The famous Intermezzo was sumptuously played and very poignant, though premature applause marred the effect of its luminous ending. The audience showed real enthusiasm for the singers as they took their bows.
After a numbingly long intermission, Roberto Alagna (MetOpera photo above) took on his second role of the afternoon: Canio in PAGLIACCI. In recent memory, Placido Domingo and Jose Cura have done both operas on the same bill. After his bountiful singing of Turiddu today, Mr. Alagna still had ample voice for Leoncavallo's tragic clown. A bit of sharping here and there might have been a sign of tiredness, but overall he was an impressive Canio.
This was big singing, from his dramatic and ironic "Un tal gioco", thru his tormented "Vesti la giubba", and on to his grandly sung "Sperai tanto il delirio..." (for me, the best part of the role): this was primo Alagna. His generosity of vocalism is matched by his generosity of spirit.
Mr. Gagnidze also had double duty today, singing Tonio in the second opera. I loved his dramatic Prologo, taking the higher oppure at '...ei singhiozzi...' and with moving cantabile at "E voi, piuttosto..." before rounding things off with a pair of powerful A-flats. He was equally strong in the duet with Nedda, moving from hopefully amorous to savage threats as she teased him mercilessly.
Tenor Andrew Bidlack charmed with his plaint singing of Beppe's serenata.
There were two cast changes in PAGLIACCI today: Danielle Pastin replaced Aleksandra Kurzak as Nedda, and Alexey Lavrov took over Silvio from Alessio Arduini.
Ms. Pastin, who previously has sung Masha in PIQUE-DAME and Frasquita in CARMEN at The Met, at first sounded a bit soubrettish, the tone somewhat tremulous in the Ballatella. Thereafter, she settled in and was quite lovely in the duet with Silvio (which featured an opened cut), and sending some bright high notes into the house as she defied Canio in her final moments.
Mr. Lavrov, an excellent Ping earlier this season, was again excellent today. He uses dynamic modulations thoughtfully, with an appealing tenderness at "E allor, perche...", and he was a nice duet partner for Ms. Pastin. I must note some gorgeous cello playing during their duet, and again just after, as they arrange to run away together.
So, overall, one of the more exciting Met offerings in recent memory. Now if they could just get their shit together and open the House at the half-hour mark so that Balcony and Family Circle patrons aren't forced to stand about, packed in like cattle, waiting to get to their seats.
~ Oberon