Tonight's Met Don G
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Tonight's Met Don G
Quite enjoyable-a fairly traditional set-nice singing-Mattei was very good-we hadn't seen a live Don G in many years-still can't determine if the Don is a murderer or not. Len
Don Giovanni {575} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/15/2019.
Metropolitan Opera House
April 15, 2019
DON GIOVANNI{575}
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart--Lorenzo Da Ponte
Don Giovanni............Peter Mattei
Donna Anna..............Guanqun Yu
Don Ottavio.............Paul Appleby
Donna Elvira............Susanna Phillips
Leporello...............Adam Plachetka
Zerlina.................Serena Malfi
Masetto.................Kihwan Sim
Commendatore............Dmitry Belosselskiy
Cello Continuo..........David Heiss
Harpsichord Continuo....Linda Hall
Mandolin Solo...........Joyce Rasmussen Balint
Conductor...............Cornelius Meister
Production..............Michael Grandage
Designer................Christopher Oram
Lighting Designer.......Paule Constable
Choreographer...........Ben Wright
Stage Director..........Louisa Muller
Don Giovanni {575} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/15/2019.
Metropolitan Opera House
April 15, 2019
DON GIOVANNI{575}
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart--Lorenzo Da Ponte
Don Giovanni............Peter Mattei
Donna Anna..............Guanqun Yu
Don Ottavio.............Paul Appleby
Donna Elvira............Susanna Phillips
Leporello...............Adam Plachetka
Zerlina.................Serena Malfi
Masetto.................Kihwan Sim
Commendatore............Dmitry Belosselskiy
Cello Continuo..........David Heiss
Harpsichord Continuo....Linda Hall
Mandolin Solo...........Joyce Rasmussen Balint
Conductor...............Cornelius Meister
Production..............Michael Grandage
Designer................Christopher Oram
Lighting Designer.......Paule Constable
Choreographer...........Ben Wright
Stage Director..........Louisa Muller
Re: Tonight's Met Don G
The cast and conductor, other than Peter Mattei and Susanna Phillips, are way below the Met's standard. This is not just from the cast list but the NY Times review. No opera company can maintain a festival standard in every performance, but the Met should do better than this.
John Francis
Re: Tonight's Met Don G
Why do you think they think they can get away with it?John F wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2019 12:59 amThe cast and conductor, other than Peter Mattei and Susanna Phillips, are way below the Met's standard. This is not just from the cast list but the NY Times review. No opera company can maintain a festival standard in every performance, but the Met should do better than this.
Re: Tonight's Met Don G
The Met went through a period of low standards in the early 1970s. Rudolf Bing retired and his successor, Goran Gentele, was killed in a car crash before taking office, leaving the Met in the hands of Gentele's number two, Schuyler Chapin. After four years Chapin was gone, things didn't get any better under a series of administrations, finally the former apprentice carpenter Joseph Volpe became manager and, in collaboration with James Levine, restored the Met's artistic standards.
The Met got away with it because the Met is the Met. It is now in the hands of a general manager who evidently cares more about how the Met's shows look, including the looks of the singers, then their musical quality. Naturally, some performances won't sound very impressive over the radio, which is how most people experience most of them.
The Met got away with it because the Met is the Met. It is now in the hands of a general manager who evidently cares more about how the Met's shows look, including the looks of the singers, then their musical quality. Naturally, some performances won't sound very impressive over the radio, which is how most people experience most of them.
John Francis
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Re: Tonight's Met Don G
I wonderif there will be a review-this cast was very different then the one the NYTimes reviewed recently. At least this one was traditional-everytime Don G throws Leperello under the bus guess who it made me think of! Regards, LenJohn F wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2019 12:59 amThe cast and conductor, other than Peter Mattei and Susanna Phillips, are way below the Met's standard. This is not just from the cast list but the NY Times review. No opera company can maintain a festival standard in every performance, but the Met should do better than this.
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- Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:28 pm
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Re: Tonight's Met Don G
Sure enough fwiw found this. Regards, Len
The Michael Grandage production of Don Giovanni currently in rep at the Metropolitan Opera is not holding up well. Debuted in 2011, it is blandly inoffensive, using modular tenement blocks on casters in a handful of configurations to define playing spaces, but offers little variety and less sense of place. Fortunately, the Met has enough musical resources to make a revival worthwhile, as was the case with the spring cast that opened on Thursday night.
This latest revival is held together by the singer in the title role: Swedish baritone Peter Mattei can seemingly thrive in just about any lead role, and his Giovanni is one of his best creations—charismatic and repulsive, energetic and pathetic. His rich, firm baritone can tackle the dynamic thrill of the champagne aria, but sounds just as at home in the seductive melody of “Deh vieni a la finestra,” with a legato voice like molten chocolate. Even the recitatives come to life in Mattei’s performance, as he gives them color and precise intention. He is a treasure onstage, no matter what he’s singing.
As his affable sidekick Leporello, Adam Plachetka gave a masterful comic performance, even if it was a little lacking musically. His catalogue aria showed a leathery sound, but the aplomb with which he delivered it was irresistible. His brilliant antics, all wrapped up in a weary-nice-guy act, brought much-needed energy to the second act, which can drag on through its series of half-funny mishaps.
Guanqun Yu impressed as Donna Anna, with a lively, clear soprano and energetic bearing. Her best singing came in “Non mi dir, bell’idol mio,” where she combined ringing brightness with cool, flowing color. As her lamented father, the Commendatore, Dmitry Belosselskiy boomed marvelously, and managed to be imposing in his climactic reappearance despite wearing what looked like an off-the-rack skeleton costume.
Pavol Breslik’s tenor felt a little heavy for Don Ottavio, and though he lightened up enough to handle the high register of “Dalla sua pace,” his role’s signature aria, he lacked the flexibility to deliver the music with real grace. Serena Malfi has sung Zerlina several times at the Met now, but her voice just doesn’t seem to fit the role: her portrayal of the young bride is charming and she showed a little warmth in “Vedrai carino,” but her upper register felt pinched all night, and was especially glaring in “Batti, Batti.” Kihwan Sim was a pleasant surprise as Masetto, showing off a rich bass in a role that is often barked all the way through.
After Mattei, the biggest name in the ensemble was Susanna Phillips. The American soprano has struggled in the last few years, after a brief moment when it looked like she’d become a regular star at the Met. Thursday’s performance was more polished and controlled than she’s sounded in a while, though she was obviously treading carefully: “Ah fuggi il traditor,” her brief warning to Zerlina, was perfectly secure, but lacking in fire.
The Met Orchestra was in fine voice on Thursday, bringing a lively gleam to the score. Unfortunately, Cornelius Meister’s conducting left much to be desired: his pacing was consistently flabby, and a number of ensemble scenes were rough with the Act I finale nearly falling apart. It seemed like he and Breslik couldn’t agree on a tempo for “Dalla sua pace,” which is not an especially tough aria to follow. No doubt rehearsal is tight for a rep staple that’s been trotted out as much as this one has in the last eight years.
http://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2019/ ... -giovanni/
The Michael Grandage production of Don Giovanni currently in rep at the Metropolitan Opera is not holding up well. Debuted in 2011, it is blandly inoffensive, using modular tenement blocks on casters in a handful of configurations to define playing spaces, but offers little variety and less sense of place. Fortunately, the Met has enough musical resources to make a revival worthwhile, as was the case with the spring cast that opened on Thursday night.
This latest revival is held together by the singer in the title role: Swedish baritone Peter Mattei can seemingly thrive in just about any lead role, and his Giovanni is one of his best creations—charismatic and repulsive, energetic and pathetic. His rich, firm baritone can tackle the dynamic thrill of the champagne aria, but sounds just as at home in the seductive melody of “Deh vieni a la finestra,” with a legato voice like molten chocolate. Even the recitatives come to life in Mattei’s performance, as he gives them color and precise intention. He is a treasure onstage, no matter what he’s singing.
As his affable sidekick Leporello, Adam Plachetka gave a masterful comic performance, even if it was a little lacking musically. His catalogue aria showed a leathery sound, but the aplomb with which he delivered it was irresistible. His brilliant antics, all wrapped up in a weary-nice-guy act, brought much-needed energy to the second act, which can drag on through its series of half-funny mishaps.
Guanqun Yu impressed as Donna Anna, with a lively, clear soprano and energetic bearing. Her best singing came in “Non mi dir, bell’idol mio,” where she combined ringing brightness with cool, flowing color. As her lamented father, the Commendatore, Dmitry Belosselskiy boomed marvelously, and managed to be imposing in his climactic reappearance despite wearing what looked like an off-the-rack skeleton costume.
Pavol Breslik’s tenor felt a little heavy for Don Ottavio, and though he lightened up enough to handle the high register of “Dalla sua pace,” his role’s signature aria, he lacked the flexibility to deliver the music with real grace. Serena Malfi has sung Zerlina several times at the Met now, but her voice just doesn’t seem to fit the role: her portrayal of the young bride is charming and she showed a little warmth in “Vedrai carino,” but her upper register felt pinched all night, and was especially glaring in “Batti, Batti.” Kihwan Sim was a pleasant surprise as Masetto, showing off a rich bass in a role that is often barked all the way through.
After Mattei, the biggest name in the ensemble was Susanna Phillips. The American soprano has struggled in the last few years, after a brief moment when it looked like she’d become a regular star at the Met. Thursday’s performance was more polished and controlled than she’s sounded in a while, though she was obviously treading carefully: “Ah fuggi il traditor,” her brief warning to Zerlina, was perfectly secure, but lacking in fire.
The Met Orchestra was in fine voice on Thursday, bringing a lively gleam to the score. Unfortunately, Cornelius Meister’s conducting left much to be desired: his pacing was consistently flabby, and a number of ensemble scenes were rough with the Act I finale nearly falling apart. It seemed like he and Breslik couldn’t agree on a tempo for “Dalla sua pace,” which is not an especially tough aria to follow. No doubt rehearsal is tight for a rep staple that’s been trotted out as much as this one has in the last eight years.
http://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2019/ ... -giovanni/
Re: Tonight's Met Don G
MHO: It's the conductor that sets the pace of the opera, especially in Mozart. If tempi are flabby and just slightly slow, the whole production loses energy and the sparkle of energy that's so necessary to Mozart. I don't blame the singers, I blame the conductor who did not know how to bring out their best.
An honest review is priceless at any time.
An honest review is priceless at any time.
Re: Tonight's Met Don G
I see that this Cornelius Meister is now general music director of the Stuttgart Opera. In my time (the mid-1960s) the GMD was Ferdinand Leitner while the first Kapellmeister was Carlos Kleiber. After Leitner left for Zürich and Kleiber for Munich ca. 1970, Stuttgart's GMD was Vaclav Neumann, who in turn was followed by Dennis Russell Davies. Sadly, the best days in Stuttgart appear to be behind them.
John Francis
Re: Tonight's Met Don G
I haven't heard Cornelius Meister conduct yet, but he seems to be a rising name among the younger generation of conductors and he has had considerable success in Europe . So I wouldn't rush to judgment about his his presence in Stuttgart .
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