La Sonnambula last night

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 9:26am

Sorry if this should be on the off-Topic board, but I figured it's still theater in New York. I went to the new production of Sonnambula last night at the Met and it felt very uneven. I really disliked the modern production, and was not really happy until ******spoiler****** they all put on the Swiss outfits for the finale.

The big problem for me was not so much that it was set in present day, but that it never allowed them to act as characters. Was Natalie playing Amina, another diva in this production of Sonnambula they were "putting on", or was she simply playing herself. When she walked in gabbing on her cell phone I knew I was in trouble.

I enjoyed Juan Diego Florez A LOT and he really stole the show away from Dessay. His big aria near the beginning of act 2 received the most applause and was the highlight of the evening.

Am I the only one who isn't completely in love with Dessay? It seemed like the audience was eating her up, and I'll admit that she has her charms, but she never really delivers for me. Her quiet moments are good, and the act 1 duet with Juan was beautiful, but when she has to handle the heavy coloratura passages she really lets me down. I guess I'm so used to listening to the old Sutherland recordings with all the vocal fireworks. Dessay might be the best we have around today, but she is in NO way taking the place of Sutherland, Sills, Gruberova etc.

Anyone have any other thoughts about this production or Dessay? Am I just not hearing something with her? I'd love to hear another opinion!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 9:46am

Juan Diego Flórez is really a stunning singer. Did we ever discuss about a year ago when he received a standing ovation and the first encore at the Met in 14 years with “Ah! Mes Amis” from La Fille du Régiment? The NY Times still has the audio up of the performance, where he strikes nine high C's.

Ban on Solo Encores at the Met? Ban, What Ban?

Updated On: 3/7/09 at 09:46 AM

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 10:38am

You should have been there Monday night when half the theater was booing the director during the curtain call.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 10:48am

Really? Wow, harsh.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 10:50am

Smaxie: Yeah Juan sounds great! He can come back to the Met anytime he wants. I know there is a dvd release of his Fille du Regiment, but do you know if there is going to be a cd release too?

Frogsfan: They should have been booing the director for screwing up this production. What did you think of Dessay? Do you find her underwhelming too?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 1:25pm

I didn't see it and I won't because I can't get comps as the run has maybe 100 seats left. I'll catch the PBS broadcast of the HD transmission over the summer. The booing was the buzz on Tuesday morning and was mentioned in the Times review that was in Wednesday's paper.

Dessay is supposed to be playing another singer playing Amina in a production of La Sonnamula, but I think the entire conceit of the production is ludicrous. From what I can tell it is difficult to ascertain when they are playing the actors playing the characters of La Sonnambula or just the actors themselves outside of the rehearsal. I don't know what kind of symbolism can be drawn if there isn't a clear differentiation.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 3:34pm

Whizzer, if you want to hear what Sonnambula REALLY can do, try to get your hands on the live Callas version from La Scala in 1955 -- talk about electricity!!!!! Sutherland's is vocally fine, as was Scotto's in the early 70s, but neither can compare with La Divina. I don't mean to get into one of my opera tizzies, but, since you brought it up, thought I'd pass on my thoughts.

[mallardo]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 5:05pm

La Sonnambula is a terminally silly opera with a beautiful Bellini score. Clearly the director did not believe in it dramatically and tried to "fix" it. Always a recipe for disaster.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 5:05pm

I agree. The Callas version is probably the definitive Sonambula.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 5:33pm

Pretty much unrelated, but I am creaming my pants listening to Juan Diego Flórez sing "Ah! Mes Amis" right now. HOLY S HI T.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 5:58pm

TheaterKid, here I go again. Florez is wonderful, but when Pavarotti did it in 1972 at the Met, he was dazzling. As was Alfredo Kraus in Chicago in 1973 -- both with Sutherland. Believe me, I'm not knocking Florez, just remembering some great nights from the past.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 6:52pm

A friend who attended opening night says the crowd "boo"ed the creative team during curtain call. Begs the question: Do opera-goers really have more class?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 6:58pm

Oh please, I was at a performance of IL TROVATORE at the Met many years ago. It was the first performance of the then-new production. The Azucina was so dreadful that not only was she boo'ed, but she was showered with broccoli and carrots during her bows. (Normally flowers are hurled on the stage). She left the Met after that single performance and never returned.

I wish I could remember her name!

Updated On: 3/7/09 at 06:58 PM

[Sauja]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 8:14pm

My question is who brought broccoli and carrots? And why?

I actually feel a little bad. I had tickets to last night's performance, but I have the flu, so I handed them off to someone I work with. Well...at least they didn't pay for it.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 8:24pm

There used to be a fruit and vegetable stand across the street from the Met. Opera lovers would dash over there during the last intermission (Met intermissions are L-O-N-G!!!) and buy flowers to toss on the stage at final bows. In this instance they bought carrots and broccoli instead of flowers. Of course this was way before 9/11 because every bag brought into the Met is now opened and inspected. (I had a box seat and we used to bring wine and cheese to enjoy duing intermission. Can't do that anymore!)

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 8:26pm

I guess I didn't really answer Sauja's question: The opera-lovers tossed the vegetables on the stage because the singer was bad. She would have gotten flowers if she'd been good.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 8:57pm

Yeah, I have the live Callas recording from '55 with Valletti and Modesti. Her "Ah! non giunge..." is thrilling. You can tell the audience absolutely can't contain themselves.

The other Sonnambula that I like is a live performance from '92 with Luba Orgonasova. I don't think she made too many recordings (I only have two other recordings with her) but she's pretty awesome. Her Konstanze from Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail is outstanding.

[musikman]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 9:23pm

What's sad about this is that Mary Zimmerman is the person who directed this, and usually she puts on great productions.

I had family who went to see this earlier in the week, and they said that people were laughing sarcastically at the ridiculousness of the production throughout the entire opera.

Suffice it to say, there have been better productions at the Met. But thia can't be as bad as the legendarily awful productions of Trovatore and the scottish opera, or those crazy productions from the Bavarian opera house.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 3/7/09 at 9:33pm

I'm with you. I really enjoyed Zimmerman's Lucia, but the concept of this production sounds so inane.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 3/8/09 at 1:55am

I've also never been a huge fan of Dessay, which is why I'm glad I got to see Anna Netrebko, whom I do love, in Zimmerman's Lucia this season, and missed it last season with Dessay.