Revisiting The Met's McVicar NORMA

[lennygoran]

With the colder weather coming on and corona actually rising there'll be less in the way of outdoor activities like the local excursions we were taking and there'll be less gardening and with indoor cultural events like opera and museums and NYC out for us as well as indoor restaurants we decided to sign back into the Met's On Demand so we could watch Met operas from the comfort and safety of home-last night's Norma which we had seen live at the Met was wonderful-traditional the way we like opera and with a great cast. Regards, Len

The Met describes it this way:

"The blazing title role of Bellini’s Norma has been a star-making vehicle for some of opera’s most beloved sopranos, so when Sondra Radvanovsky first took on the part at the Met in 2013, it marked a new chapter of her career. She returned four years later to reprise her riveting portrayal, this time opening the 2017–18 season in an evocative new production by Sir David McVicar. Captured live in HD, her performance is nothing less than a tour-de-force, combining dramatic commitment with true bel canto singing—Radvanovsky balances the role’s powerful intensity with moments of delicate lyricism. As Adalgisa, the young priestess torn between love and duty, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato delivers an interpretation imbued with great emotional nuance. Tenor Joseph Calleja is the aggressive Roman proconsul Pollione, with Matthew Rose as Norma’s father, the warrior Oroveso. Leading the Met Orchestra and Chorus, maestro Carlo Rizzi draws out the vibrant color of Bellini’s masterful score."



Performance Date
Oct 7, 2017
Composer
Vincenzo Bellini
Librettist
Felice Romani
Run Time 3 HRS 04 MIN
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus


Cast & Creative
Conductor
Carlo Rizzi
Norma
Sondra Radvanovsky
Adalgisa
Joyce DiDonato
Pollione
Joseph Calleja
Oroveso
Matthew Rose

[maestrob]

Sadly, I missed that Norma when it was broadcast on PBS, and I deeply regret that. Don't remember why. Your post reminded me to get the DVD; it's a must-have for opera lovers. What a great cast!

Your posts are always invaluable, Len!

[lennygoran]

Your post reminded me to get the DVD; it's a must-have for opera lovers. What a great cast!

Brian if you get it I of course would greatly value your thoughts! BTW you could go for a free 7 days trial the Met offers for their On Demand. Regards, Len

[Handelian]

I saw this live broadcast from the Met. Don't go a deal on Bellini but it was very well sung. There was also a broadcast from ROH London on Sky Arts the other week which I recorded. A production which had the Druids dressed as a cross between KKK and an extreme Roman Catholiccult. Of course, if someone had done their history they would know the Catholics do not have women priestesses so that becomes an anomaly straight away. Mind you, I don't know whether the Druids did either. The story of Norma is fanciful even by operatic standards.

[maestrob]

Your post reminded me to get the DVD; it's a must-have for opera lovers. What a great cast!

Brian if you get it I of course would greatly value your thoughts! BTW you could go for a free 7 days trial the Met offers for their On Demand. Regards, Len

Hah! I'm already predisposed to love this production, as it features three of my favorite singers. Can't wait to watch the DVD. Maybe I'll make it a Christmas present for Teresa.

[barney]

Great cast. I also like McVicar as a director, though an idiosyncracy is that he loves very dark sets. Over the past few years in Australia he directed successively Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi. All well done.

[Handelian]

Great cast. I also like McVicar as a director, though an idiosyncracy is that he loves very dark sets. Over the past few years in Australia he directed successively Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi. All well done.

I have watched several of his - always interesting. Have his Figaro. Also Julius Casaar arrived.

[lennygoran]

A production which had the Druids dressed as a cross between KKK and an extreme Roman Catholiccult.

Thanks for the warning-I won't be seeing or dealing with this. Regards, Len

[lennygoran]

Also Julius Casaar arrived.

We've seen the Met do Giulio Cesare twice-once traditionally and also McVicar's-we preferred the traditional but I must say when Dessay did her dance number in his comedy version it was just fabulous-to this day I don't know how she pulled that off-we watch that segment nearly every New Year's eve! Here's just a part of that delightful work that goes on for a long long time! Regards, Len


https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDXr ... mb_rel_end

[Handelian]

Also Julius Casaar arrived.

We've seen the Met do Giulio Cesare twice-once traditionally and also McVicar's-we preferred the traditional but I must say when Dessay did her dance number in his comedy version it was just fabulous-to this day I don't know how she pulled that off-we watch that segment nearly every New Year's eve! Here's just a part of that delightful work that goes on for a long long time! Regards, Len


https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDXr ... mb_rel_end

Yes delightful. I am a great fan of Dessay. I have had the Julius Caesar just come on DVD from Glyndebourne so I am looking forward to watching it

[barney]

Also Julius Casaar arrived.

We've seen the Met do Giulio Cesare twice-once traditionally and also McVicar's-we preferred the traditional but I must say when Dessay did her dance number in his comedy version it was just fabulous-to this day I don't know how she pulled that off-we watch that segment nearly every New Year's eve! Here's just a part of that delightful work that goes on for a long long time! Regards, Len


https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDXr ... mb_rel_end

Yes delightful. I am a great fan of Dessay. I have had the Julius Caesar just come on DVD from Glyndebourne so I am looking forward to watching it

That was certainly asking a great deal of her, and she managed with great aplomb, vocally and choreographically.

[Handelian]

Also Julius Casaar arrived.

We've seen the Met do Giulio Cesare twice-once traditionally and also McVicar's-we preferred the traditional but I must say when Dessay did her dance number in his comedy version it was just fabulous-to this day I don't know how she pulled that off-we watch that segment nearly every New Year's eve! Here's just a part of that delightful work that goes on for a long long time! Regards, Len


https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDXr ... mb_rel_end

Yes delightful. I am a great fan of Dessay. I have had the Julius Caesar just come on DVD from Glyndebourne so I am looking forward to watching it

That was certainly asking a great deal of her, and she managed with great aplomb, vocally and choreographically.

Here’s Danielle de Neisse from the Glyndebourne production

https://youtu.be/ZhMd8ppnKuA

Singers can do the lot today!