Maria Guleghina, the only person (so far) who could lure me into buying a ticket ($45!!!) to watch the opera from the standing room. Somehow I messed up my tickets for this year and wasn't going to hear Guleghina's amazing new voice (at least as of last year in Nabucco) scream out this voice-killer; apparently the other soprano got most of these Turandots this year. Guleghina delivered; so, bottom line, ears blasted and back distressed. 3 hours with two intermissions is a very long time to awkwardly stand leaning on a counter while trying not to be too tall for the annoying short people behind oneself.
Act I was, as always, kind of boring. It takes way too long to get off, and then Puccini bombards us with the soprano aria, the tenor aria, the screaming of "Turandot," the smashing of the gong, and then suddenly the act is over.
Marco Berti sounded actually quite great in everything except the highest of high notes (where he struggled and sounded wimpy). Hibla Gerzmava was excellent throughout except the most unfortunate screwing-up of Liu's most important note in the entire opera (the end of Signore, Ascolta). The rest of the aria was great, but then she reached for the note and barely grabbed it, and had a brutal time hanging on to it. It was kind of sad how 5 seconds of shaky singing deprived her of 50 seconds longer of applause.
Then, finally, after the brutally boring beginning of Act II with the three stupid guys that I can't stand, Guleghina arrived. She seems to be back to her prior 100% volume but still in her new and improved fresh voice. The scary aria was super fantastic. The riddle scene was ridiculously fun. And she even used chest anytime it got into the low notes.
Act III went off great for the first 5 minutes, then Nessum Dorma happened. It wasn't a disaster, but it didn't do anything for the audience either. Liu's death was acted and sung spectacularly well by Gerzmava. James Morris sang a few crushingly sad lines after her death to remind us that he was in this opera, but wow, so well acted.
Guleghina managed the transition from psycho bitch to tender love spectacularly well. And, like her 1 good Turandot performance from the last run, she sang the last note: "Amore" with surprising restraint and beauty. Overall, her pitch had some of its usual wobbly issues, but she definitely was not flat like she used to be. Hoping she sticks around for a few more future seasons with her new and improved voice.
And, just for fun, apparently Trebs was in the audience. How cool is it that Trebs actually goes to the opera for, you know, fun!
+Anna Netrebko
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