'Roberto Devereux' has now become among my favourites of Donizetti's operas. The story is one of the most dramatically compelling of all the stories for his operas, the four main characters are four of the most rounded and complex and the music, while not quite memorable as the music for 'Lucia Di Lamermoor', 'L'Elsir D'Amore' and 'Don Pasquale', is continually gorgeous.
Presently, 'Roberto Devereux' has a very solid DVD competition with all the productions available being worth watching. Once this production from the Metropolitan Opera appears on DVD, it will be no exception. While not one of the best of the Met HD Live's 10th season, the production sears with intensity and emotion and is a very, very good performance.
While David McVicar does a typically splendid job with the stage direction, it is of the personal opinion that the stage direction for the chorus could have been more interesting. The chorus have come on a lot in their acting on the whole, being more individual over the years, but they are not given very much to do other than survey the action, as part of McVicar's play within a play concept, and comment and react on it. They act what they have very well, just that their stage direction was the least compelling compared to the rest of the stage direction.
Maurizio Benini's conducting is also inconsistent. At many times, it is sprightly and energetic, with much of the overture having a stately and tense quality, and there is plenty of dramatic intensity and nuance. At other times however, it is too heavy and ponderous, some of Act 2 did lack sparkle and had more of a mid-career Verdi approach than Bel Canto and the orchestra and Matthew Polenzani were not together towards the end of his last short aria.
However, the sumptuously coloured and handsomely made costumes and sets are very pleasing to the eye, complete with a strikingly clever use of props. The production also looked great in HD, which showed a lot of admiration for the production values while still focusing extensively on the stage drama. Video directing is focused and sensitive and the picture quality fluid and clear. As said, McVicar's stage direction is splendid, with the big moments being intensely dramatic and emotion-filled while the intimate moments such as the prison scene have much nuanced pathos. The two big standouts were the gracefully acted Act 1 duet between Essex and Sara and the harrowing final Mad scene, with the end of Act 2 also searing in tension. All four main characters are well-realised on the whole (though Nottingham's character hardening is a touch one-dimensional), with Elisabetta a complex figure.
The orchestra play with much dramatic power and supple flexibility, playing with a beautiful tone throughout, while the chorus sing with gleaming beauty and involvement as always. The sound is very resonant, which allows one to really enjoy the music, and Deborah Voigt hosts charmingly. The cast are first-rate, with a securely sung and acted Cecil but it is fair to say that the four leads make more of an impression.
Sondra Radvanovsky, fulfilling the monumental task of singing all three Donizetti queens in one season, is a revelation in the fiendishly taxing role (being the most physical and the one with the most extensive range) of Elisabetta, by far the most difficult of the Donizetti queens and one of the most difficult roles in Bel-Canto. She sings with an un-forced lower register, a warm middle and a volcanic and never squally top, while she shows a good deal of flexibility for such a big voice. Her acting is regal, dignified, frighteningly authoritative and heart-wrenching, devastating in the final mad scene, and copes wonders with being heavily made up and costumed and walking with a heavy limp (which is accurate). To me, she's never been better.
Matthew Polenzani is dashing, passionate and moving as Essex, with his beautiful Act 3 aria as he's awaiting execution being the second most emotional scene of the night. His singing is bright and creamy with his seemingly effortless top ringing out, complete with a wide dynamic range and smooth-as-silk phrasing. Some of the production's best singing comes from Elina Garanča, who is in darkly radiant voice and she cuts a sympathetic and deeply felt figure on stage. Mariusz Kwiecien sings warmly and expressively, and while Nottingham lacks the same dimension given to the rest of the principal roles Kwiecien conveys the authority, heroism, sympathy and betrayal of the role as vividly as he can.
Overall, very good and often excellent production. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Presently, 'Roberto Devereux' has a very solid DVD competition with all the productions available being worth watching. Once this production from the Metropolitan Opera appears on DVD, it will be no exception. While not one of the best of the Met HD Live's 10th season, the production sears with intensity and emotion and is a very, very good performance.
While David McVicar does a typically splendid job with the stage direction, it is of the personal opinion that the stage direction for the chorus could have been more interesting. The chorus have come on a lot in their acting on the whole, being more individual over the years, but they are not given very much to do other than survey the action, as part of McVicar's play within a play concept, and comment and react on it. They act what they have very well, just that their stage direction was the least compelling compared to the rest of the stage direction.
Maurizio Benini's conducting is also inconsistent. At many times, it is sprightly and energetic, with much of the overture having a stately and tense quality, and there is plenty of dramatic intensity and nuance. At other times however, it is too heavy and ponderous, some of Act 2 did lack sparkle and had more of a mid-career Verdi approach than Bel Canto and the orchestra and Matthew Polenzani were not together towards the end of his last short aria.
However, the sumptuously coloured and handsomely made costumes and sets are very pleasing to the eye, complete with a strikingly clever use of props. The production also looked great in HD, which showed a lot of admiration for the production values while still focusing extensively on the stage drama. Video directing is focused and sensitive and the picture quality fluid and clear. As said, McVicar's stage direction is splendid, with the big moments being intensely dramatic and emotion-filled while the intimate moments such as the prison scene have much nuanced pathos. The two big standouts were the gracefully acted Act 1 duet between Essex and Sara and the harrowing final Mad scene, with the end of Act 2 also searing in tension. All four main characters are well-realised on the whole (though Nottingham's character hardening is a touch one-dimensional), with Elisabetta a complex figure.
The orchestra play with much dramatic power and supple flexibility, playing with a beautiful tone throughout, while the chorus sing with gleaming beauty and involvement as always. The sound is very resonant, which allows one to really enjoy the music, and Deborah Voigt hosts charmingly. The cast are first-rate, with a securely sung and acted Cecil but it is fair to say that the four leads make more of an impression.
Sondra Radvanovsky, fulfilling the monumental task of singing all three Donizetti queens in one season, is a revelation in the fiendishly taxing role (being the most physical and the one with the most extensive range) of Elisabetta, by far the most difficult of the Donizetti queens and one of the most difficult roles in Bel-Canto. She sings with an un-forced lower register, a warm middle and a volcanic and never squally top, while she shows a good deal of flexibility for such a big voice. Her acting is regal, dignified, frighteningly authoritative and heart-wrenching, devastating in the final mad scene, and copes wonders with being heavily made up and costumed and walking with a heavy limp (which is accurate). To me, she's never been better.
Matthew Polenzani is dashing, passionate and moving as Essex, with his beautiful Act 3 aria as he's awaiting execution being the second most emotional scene of the night. His singing is bright and creamy with his seemingly effortless top ringing out, complete with a wide dynamic range and smooth-as-silk phrasing. Some of the production's best singing comes from Elina Garanča, who is in darkly radiant voice and she cuts a sympathetic and deeply felt figure on stage. Mariusz Kwiecien sings warmly and expressively, and while Nottingham lacks the same dimension given to the rest of the principal roles Kwiecien conveys the authority, heroism, sympathy and betrayal of the role as vividly as he can.
Overall, very good and often excellent production. 8/10 Bethany Cox
