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| Sondra Radvanovsky in "Roberto Devereux" (photo: Met Opera) |
Opera buffs are often a tough audience to please, but an opportunity to appreciate all three of composer Donizetti's “Triple Crown” operas in a single season with a supremely talented soprano is enough to send the most demanding fan into paroxysms of delight. Such was the case as the Metropolitan Opera's HD broadcast of Donizetti's Roberto Devereux featured operas by the composer about fabled English queens, begun in September with Anna Bolena and continued in January with Maria Stuarda. All of them starred the wondrous Sondra Radnvanovsky. This last opera in the trio, Roberto Devereux, also brought us a whole team of singing actors to die for. But since this is not a frequently performed work, a synopsis might first be in order.
In
1601 in London, Sarah, Duchess of Nottingham (mezzo Elina Garanca),
is crying about the fact that she is in love with Roberto Devereux
(tenor Matthew Polenzani). Queen Elizabeth (Radvanovsky) enters and
tells her she is going to receive Devereux, who has returned from
Ireland accused of treason, but she plans to pardon him if he still
loves her, though Lord Cecil (tenor Brian Downen) wants her to sign
his death warrant. When Roberto enters, she becomes suspicious at
his remoteness, though he denies love for another. Furious,
Elizabeth is convinced of his betrayal. Sarah's husband, the Duke of
Nottingham (baritone Mariusz Kwiecien) arrives to greet him (they are
the closest of friends), worried about his safety. Cecil convenes a
council meeting to decide Robert’s fate, and Nottingham vows to
defend him. Meanwhile Robert reproaches Sarah for marrying while he
was away; she replies that she was ordered to do so by Elizabeth.
She begs him to escape, giving him a scarf she has made. He departs.
Later, Cecil tells Elizabeth that Roberto was given a death sentence.
She orders Sir Walter Raleigh (tenor Christopher Job) to arrest
Roberto, who is found to have the scarf given him by Sarah.
Nottingham defends his beloved friend but she won't relent, and
confronts Roberto with the scarf. Nottingham is first shocked, then
furious. Roberto refuses to reveal who gave it to him, so Elizabeth
signs his death warrant. Sarah receives a letter from Roberto asking
her to take the ring to Elizabeth and plead for mercy, but Nottingham
arrives, reads it and orders her confined. In the Tower, Roberto
hopes to clear her name, but soldiers come to take him to his
execution. Meanwhile the queen notices the absence of Sarah, who
runs in with her ring confessing she was her rival. The queen orders
the execution stopped, but it is too late, as a cannon shot announces
Roberto’s death. Elizabeth turns on Nottingham and Sarah, demanding
to know why they didn’t bring her the ring sooner. He proudly
replies her that all he had wanted was revenge. Ordering them both
taken away, she is haunted by a vision of Roberto, and now only longs
to be free of her role as queen.
The Production and Set Design by David McVicar was
stunning (though it grew wearisome after three hours), as was the
regal Costume Design by Moritz Junge, effective Lighting Design by
Paule Constable and exciting chorale work under Chorus Master Donald
Palumbo. The HD Broadcast Director was Mark Halvorson and the
charming HD Host was Deborah Voight. But it was the terrifically
acted singing that made the most indelible impression, beginning with
Radvanovsky herself, in perhaps the most suitable role for her among
the three queens, matched by the lyricism of both Polenzani and
Kwiecien (both so memorable in this season's Pearl Fishers) and
by the beauty of Garanca's vocalizing. It was truly an embarrassment
of riches, rather like a display of aural crown jewels.
Fittingly, this enthralling performance of the most
royal queen of all was broadcast locally (and will encore next
Wednesday April 20 at 6:30pm) at Regal Cinemas.
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