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| The Metropolitan Opera's "Bluebeard's Castle" & "Iolanta" (photo montage: Paul Pelkonen) |
The Metropolitan Opera's
latest HD broadcast is a dual bill of Tchaikovsky's “Iolanta” and
Béla Bartók's
“Bluebeard's Castle”, a fascinating combo to say the least. While
it may not endure as long as “Cav/Pag” has, it's an original
approach to presenting these two works. The former is a fable with a
libretto (by Modest Tchaikovsky) based on a play by Henrik Hertz,
while the latter is a horror story with a libretto (by Béla
Balázs) based
on a fairy tale by Charles Perrault. Together they present a
compelling presentation of contrasts, and a welcome diversion from
the more familiar opera repertoire.
The first opera,
“Iolanta”, is the story of a young blind girl (soprano Anna
Netrebko), daughter of King René
(bass Ilya Bannik). She is living in seclusion with the
peasant couple Marta (mezzo Mzia Nioradze) and Bertrand (bass Matt
Boehler). The king wishes to spare Iolanta, and her betrothed Duke
Robert (baritone Alexei Markov) the realization that she is blind.
She believes eyes are simply for crying. Alméric
(tenor Keith Jameson) announces the arrival of the king and the
Moorish Doctor Ibn-Hakia (baritone Elchin Azizov) who insists she
must be told of her affliction before a cure can be tried. Duke
Robert and Vaudémont
(tenor Piotr Beczala) arrive, and Robert is unnerved by his
surroundings, while Vaudémont
falls for Iolanta and asks for a red rose; when she gives him a white
one, he becomes aware of her lack of sight. The king overhears
Vaudémont
explaining to Iolanta about her blindness, and angrily declares if
the treatment doesn't cure her, he will have Vaudémont
killed. She is cured and the king consents to her marriage to
Vaudémont.
Iolanta can't believe that those she loves look the way they do, but
her love for him, and the wedding ceremony itself, subdue her fears.
And that's about the silliest, most laughably absurd opera libretto
you're ever apt to encounter. Thankfully, it's filled with glorious
music, gloriously sung here by the entire cast, especially Netrebko,
Markov and Beczala, not to mention the Met Opera Chorus.
In the second opera,
Judith (soprano Nadja Michael) has come to live with Bluebeard (bass
Mikhail Petrenko), despite the terrifying rumors about him, believing
her love will transform him and his gloomy castle. She demands that
the doors to seven rooms be opened. They contain a torture chamber,
an armory, a treasury, a garden, his bloody empire, a sea of tears,
and the final room, a space beyond life on the border of life and
death, with his previous wives. Judith walks through the seventh door
and joins them as part of Bluebeard's space forever, as the circle of
her journey closes. Both singers were in great form, with a
difficult, demanding, and ultimately rewarding score.
Both operas were
expertly conducted by Valery Gergiev, with the Production by Mariusz
Trelinski, and Director Gary Halvorson at the HD helm, aided by
Choreographer Tomasz Wygoda, Set Design by Boris Kudlicka, Costume
Design by Marek Adamski, Lighting Design (as is typical of the Met,
too dimly lit) by Marc Heinz, Projection Design by Bartek Macias, and
Sound Design by Mark Grey.
No matter what mood
you're in, at least one (if not both) of these works will appeal.The
HD broadcast will be repeated this coming Wednesday February 18th
at 6:30pm at a theater near you.
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