Daniele Rustioni / Critiques

While the highly anticipated revival of The Music Man idles awaiting the recovery from COVID of its stars Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster and other Broadway shows have closed either temporarily or permanently, the Metropolitan Opera defied Omicron to present its annual New Year’s Eve gala Friday night. If the crowd was sparser and less nattily dressed than in previous years, enthusiastically grateful applause greeted the superb cast and conductor after the premiere of the company’s new version of Verdi’s beloved classic Rigoletto. Before a celebratory shower of glittering confetti fell from the ceiling, the response was decidedly more tepid for the production team as yet once again director Bartlett Sher demonstrated little affinity for opera.

Bakanova is undeniably the star of the show. Her voice, pure and clean, dips and rises above the orchestra. She exudes a simmering balance of gentility and intensity, weakness and strength. Her dramatization of Violetta is as brilliant and vibrant as her voice, and the emotion she injects into her arias, particularly Amami, Alfredo and the haunting Addio, del passato, is palpable. Ayan, in comparison, is less remarkable, as Bakanova is so mesmerising, but he is also a fine actor and an even better tenor. He is commanding and forthcoming as Alfredo, and perhaps with a little more warmth towards Violetta, the chemistry between the pair wouldn’t have felt as flat in the first act. However, their interactions improve in vigour and sincerity towards the end of the piece, and it becomes devastating to listen as they make plans in vain in Parigi, o cara at the end of the third act. Baritone Nicola Alaimo as Giorgio Germont sometimes goes unheard beneath the orchestra, while Doctor Grenvil (David Shipley) performs his few lines with surprising power and clarity. Designer Bob Crowley’s set is simple and understated, and not at all overbearing. During the final act, the wide-open space and Parisian shutters, with peeling walls of washed-out grey make the perfect space for Violetta. The lighting design by Jean Kalman is stunning, from the ominous shadow cast over Giorgio during the second act, to Violetta’s apartment awash with blue light as silhouettes of carnival revellers are seen passing by outside. La Traviata is so tragic it is almost painful, but in the most exquisite way. The tale of a fallen woman, struck by an incurable affliction in the prime of her life, is sure to pull at your heartstrings. If you’ve never been to the opera, as I hadn’t before seeing La Traviata, then I whole-heartedly recommend it. It’s grandiose, it’s a spectacle, and the cast and orchestra are obviously sublimely talented. Don’t be put off by the running time of three hours and forty-five minutes, as it’s all over far too quickly. This production of La Traviata is tender, heart-breaking, and simply beautiful.

The sinner Don Giovanni is an expert and easygoing Carlos Álvarez , who combines stage presence with a vocal power at the service of a mature character, a Don Giovanni who knows his stuff and does not have to prove anything to those around him. Brilliant and vocally fit, Mirco Palazzi's Leporello : witty anguished as much by the fate of his master as and above all by his own, it offers a vocal richness that goes far beyond its texture and a truly captivating interpretation. Among the victims of the dissolute, Erika Grimaldi's Donna Anna offers a heartfelt and heartfelt song, albeit with a particular voice that sometimes needs to open closed vowels to better direct the sound. The other seduced and also abandoned is a dynamicCarmela Remigio in the role of Donna Elvira: a whirlwind of a strong-willed and vindictive woman, who makes centers her strong point vocally, effective scenically. Anna's betrothed is a concentrate of sweetness and patience embodied in the tenor Juan Francisco Gatell . Being able to sing both of his arias in this production, for 'Dalla sua pace' he is literally 'lulled' by the orchestra giving a particularly incisive force to the words expressed. On the other hand, the agility as regards 'My treasure' in the second act can be perfected. Zerlina is a lively and by no means naive Rocío Ignacio , very breezy and who plays with his timbre the good Masetto of Fabio Maria Capitanucci . Finally, a great interpretation of the Commendatore byGianluca Buratto : his voice is wide and truly sonorous, which almost seems to dominate the orchestra when he sings in the pit as a statue. Maestro Daniele Rustioni conducts the orchestra of the Regio . Many colors of Mozart notes, precise and appropriate dynamics, maximum attention to the stage. The young conductor navigates safe water in the score and also seems to us to be in excellent feeling with the orchestra. In the most lyrical moments it is enriched with accents that almost move. Good performance by the choir directed by Andrea Secchi. Crowded hall, particularly satisfied audience with all the creators of the show, from the artists to the director.