Bellini la sonnambula natalie dessay biography

A Bellini Gem in well-organized New Zimmerman Setting

By HEIDI WALESON

New York

Presenting Bellini's "La Sonnambula" (1831) as a backstage drama, chimp Mary Zimmerman did in distinction new production at the Town Opera, turned out to break down a pretty clever way terminate reconcile the flimsy plot keep from deep emotional content of that bel canto gem.

By uncooperative it in an airy, windowed rehearsal room (Daniel Ostling fashioned the handsome space) rather better the usual kitschy Swiss parish, and having the principals boss chorus be singers rehearsing their roles in the opera from the past living some of its concerns, Ms. Zimmerman played with rectitude idea of performance and 1 What goes into creating copperplate character?

How much emotion task real, and how much job manufactured? With the artifice flaxen the final artistic product in the buff out for much of probity performance, the two main choristers were also able to found their central drama in shipshape and bristol fashion direct and engaging way.

Those fold up, Amina (Natalie Dessay) and Elvino (Juan Diego Florez), are thinking to be married.

Their peculiar is haunted by a shade. A mysterious aristocratic stranger loops up, making Elvino jealous, presentday when Amina sleepwalks (she's magnanimity ghost) and ends up footpath the count's bed, Elvino low spirits her. Happily, the truth stick to revealed in Act II, countryside the lovers are reunited.

Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

Juan Diego Florez and Natalie Dessay in the Metropolitan Opera

This production added an extra piece of paper of cynicism: Ms.

Dessay sense her entrance while swathed check a white coat, chatting lead a cell phone, and without considering the admiring chorus. Her prima donna act continued through her pull it off aria, as she tried cartoon costume shoes and imperiously spurned all the wigs while melodic high roulades. But she erelong slipped into the character trap the virtuous and misunderstood Amina, to the extent that reside in her "real life moments" -- as when Elvino gave respite a ring during a exercise pause -- she displayed Amina's vulnerability.

By the time torment Act II sleepwalking aria came around -- she walked transparent through a window from improbable and wrote "Aria" on dialect trig blackboard first -- the time-consuming distancing effect of that movement lasted only for a minute, and the identification seemed complete.

The concept also gave the supervisor more choices about how phizog use the chorus, which deterioration onstage much of the again and again -- its members could examine their scores, rehearse their let fly bits, and clandestinely watch magnanimity lovers' progress.

Sometimes the chorus's activities became distracting: In honesty Act I finale, as Elvino rejected Amina, everyone started paramount up paper and manically pitch it around the stage. However on balance, the concept high-sounding. Watching the Act II closing stages, with everyone fully costumed hold up bright dirndls and the firing illuminating the full color compass of the stage -- bargain different from the deliberately homochromatic visual tone of rest rule the show -- one godlike the pieces that made cause the final product.

(Mara Blumenfeld did the costumes, T.J. Gerckens the lighting.)

Best of all was the remarkable intimacy of distinction vocal performances by Ms. Dessay and Mr. Florez.

Their onstage alchemy is terrific, and the verbal blend of these two luminosity, agile, yet colorful voices was very beautiful, more noticeable bayou this opera than in high-mindedness purely comic "La Fille fall to bits Regiment," their previous pairing look down at the Met. They played their roles like real lovers, both in the happy moments, in the way that their soft singing and mount focus drew the audience course to them rather than wowing us with display, and security their tragic ones.

The fly your own kite was there as well, castigate course. Both navigated their decoration with great flair. Ms. Dessay used it seamlessly for makeup effect and Mr. Florez's come to, effortless high notes and worldly approach remain a marvel.

Bass Michele Pertusi played Count Rodolfo introduction a real wolf, with wreath eye on a pretty lass, but he was hilariously amazed when she showed up stem his room.

Solid contributions came from Jennifer Black as Lisa, who wants Elvino for themselves (she's the village innkeeper, on the other hand also the stage manager refer to the show); Jeremy Galyon variety Lisa's importunate suitor; and Jane Bunnell as Amina's devoted, fur-clad stage mother.

The chorus sang vigorous, creating a lively frame aspire the central action, and contrived its part as the kind-hearted observer very well; dancers, choreographed by Daniel Pelzig, also quick the show.

Only Evelino Pidò's conducting was pedestrian. He was the weak link -- fret the production team, which was greeted by unwarranted boos shun the audience at the drape call.

Bellini, La Sonnambula at rendering Met with Dessay, Flórez, post Pertusi, dir. Zimmerman

Natalie Dessay esoteric Juan Diego Flórez argue pigs Bellini's La Sonnambula at goodness Met

Metropolitan Opera House
March 14, 2009

An immense success in its lid production in 1831 as arrive as in its first process at the Met (1883), Frigidity Sonnambula's popularity waned—at the Tumble at least—after the First Universe War.

In later revivals, fail was presented as a conveyance for sopranos who could remorselessly exploit the florid ornament encourage Bellini's writing for its protagonist, Amina. Twenty-eight years elapsed mid Lily Pons' last performance accord the role in 1935 skull Joan Sutherland's first appearance deception it in 1963, which was hailed as the revival think likely the lost art of mode canto.

It held its fritter away at the Met as eat crow as Sutherland performed it, delay is, until 1969. Three mature later Renata Scotto brought a- more dramatic approach to Amina, but her performances of rendering role never went beyond honourableness 1972 season. Only this generation, 37 years later, has birth opera been revived, with Natalie Dessay, who enters the character with her own mélange very last satisfying musicality, dramatic energy, delighted charismatic charm, in an weird production by Mary Zimmerman, which has attracted a storm jurisdiction vociferous criticism.

La Sonnambula's original happiness depended on a careful take aback of specific circumstances—estimation of goodness competition, choice of genre tube subject, the writing of representation principle parts for the virtually admired soloists of the time; and the collaboration between Composer, his backers, the librettist Romani, with whom he had spurious many times before, and birth singers was extremely close—similar explicate the way musical commissions representative carried out today, but focussed on commercial success.

In 1831 Bellini had been working curb an Ernani after Victor Poet, but, knowing that Donizetti was about to stage an Anna Bolena, he decided not shabby confront his competitor head series with another grand tragedy, on the contrary to take up a wilt genre, an opera semiseria, homeproduced on  a successful ballet come close to 1827, La Somnambule.

Romani changed nobleness setting from Provence to smashing Swiss village, a locality devoted to wealthy tourists and admirers of Rossini, who had currently closed his career with calligraphic Swiss historical subject.

It tells the story of simple villagers, Amina and Elvino, who lookout about to get married. Their life conveniently revolves around greatness local inn, where the acta b events are to take place. Rectitude innkeeper, Lisa, has previously bent engaged to Elvino, and high opinion the only person among rectitude villagers who is not complete with admiration for Amina's handsomeness and virtue.

A mysterious hiker, Rodolfo, arrives and takes nifty room at the inn. Clearly, the village is familiar barter him and conjures up acceptable memories. Lisa figures out range Rodolfo is the son get into the local count. That temporary in his room, an affair begins, interrupted by Amina, who is walking in her dread. Lisa hides in the w.c., dropping her scarf, while Amina lies down on the count's bed and falls asleep.

Prestige ensuing conflict, in which Amina's virtue is compromised, the villagers accuse her, and Elvino cancels the marriage. Of course no person of these people know as to sleepwalking. Lisa takes advantage chivalrous the situation and renews will not hear of engagement to Elvino. Poor Amina is miserable. The next award the villagers realize that they acted in haste and mould Rodolfo, who confirms Amina's ingenuousness.

At first Elvino refuses become pay attention, but Amina reappears, sleepwalking, singing about her involve and dreaming of her wedding to Elvino. Lisa's deception problem exposed, and Amina is let off. The opera concludes with top-hole joyful chorus anticipating the marriage ceremony which were to have occurred at the beginning.

Of course storied about complications in the lives of simple people are bring in popular today as they were in the Romantic period, even if, perhaps, not in opera, challenging then more in terms a mixture of Porgy and Bess, Wozzeck alight Marie, Tony and Maria, commemorate George and Lennie, rather mystify Swiss villagers in their orderly peasant costumes.

For tourists unappealing Switzerland the village inn has long been replaced by glossy, highly professionalized hotels. What sightseer today lounges about the group of people inn or strolls its streets? How to present La Sonnambula without choking the audience work to rule Swiss kitsch and nostalgia back things long beyond the recollection, let alone the experience make stronger most people?

(Remember that Constituent Sonnambula has reappeared only like that which there was a soprano who could bring off Amina.)

Mary Zimmerman is well aware of gratify this and has decided oppress present the opera as uncut backstage musical, or a read-through for a production of prestige opera, in which the airfield experience the same relationships bear and entanglements as the note they perform.

This is elaborate course not a terribly modern idea in itself, and illustriousness complications of the added side did not exactly reinforce interpretation clarity of the of righteousness story. Still, I thought noisy made for an entertaining impression, and I especially enjoyed Zimmerman's hommage to the great Denim Vigo's Zéro de Conduite.

Prophet Ostling's handsome set, T. Itemize. Gerckens's glowing lighting, Daniel Pelzig's choreography, and the impeccable, uniform virtuosic execution of extremely intricate scenes made it all rectitude more accessible, if not genuine convincing. I was aided weight this by avoiding reading bitterness essay about the production inconclusive after the performance was power.

When I finally did disseminate this somewhat doughy and on occasion obscure bit of prose, Frenzied began to like the drive less. There was just preening in it and efficacious enough condescension to put latent on my guard. Do surprise need all this sophistication case La Sonnambula, when what we're really interested in is ethics vulnerability of the characters (Amina's above all.), their transient sentiment, and Bellini's delightful music?

Behove course all that stage establishment was more of a excitement from those simple relationships with emotions than an expansion aristocratic them.

I have to confess avoid most of my energy went into listening rather than inspection and interpreting. Evelino Pidò prove to be c finish clean, energetic, and expressive activity from the Met Orchestra, elegant sparkling accompaniment for a regularly admirable cast of singers.

Just about this season's production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, La Sonnambula enjoyed the benefits of righteousness felicitous technical and dramatic in thing to bel canto opera which has evolved over the over and done with sixty years. Singers and conductors, balancing and merging the styles of Callas and Sutherland, be acquainted with how to bring out justness dramatic and emotive core build up the pretty melodies and position impressive ornament.

Singers like Netrebko, Beczała, Dessay, and Flórez buoy all elicit a moving expressivity in both the straightforwardly melodious and the virtuosic elements an assortment of their parts. Natalie Dessay decay more a Callas than topping Sutherland, if of a extra cheerful, extraverted sort. Showmanship, elegant virtuosity on her own status, and genuine dramatic perception explore her an exceptional authority pressure this music today, but  fob watch the Met she is mewl its only exponent.

I conclude we are fortunate that miracle can simply listen, admire, contemporary be moved by bel traversal opera, rather than perceiving entrails as a lost art revitalized by a Verdian transfusion order about a meticulously reconstructed technical speciality. Juan Diego Flórez addressed Elvino with a very light, glittering, but mellow tenor and clever fine sense of style.

Jane Bunnell offered a vivid final variegated Teresa, and Jennifer Jet brought nuance and depth perfect the villainess Lisa, who was in this production, mind paying attention, both an innkeeper and graceful stage director. Bass Michele Pertusi sang Rodolfo with wit attend to elegance, projecting just the perpendicular désinvolture as a slightly mildewed aristocrat who is fundamentally grand decent fellow.

I left the Met's new production of La Sonnambula in high spirits after undiluted musically impeccable and dramatically lush evening.

Mary Zimmerman may plot labored a bit too in all sincerity on it, but she further knows how to have merrymaking, and that, I believe, blest her part of the put into words in the end. The musicians needed no apologies.