As you may have noted from previous posts, we do love a good dose of opera. The new season of live HD performances streamed from the Metropolitan Opera of New York began recently – and promisingly. Despite my ongoing relationship with the chikungunya virus (resulting in me climbing the Carib Cinema’s steep steps to the box office with great difficulty) I was determined not to miss Verdi’s “Macbeth” – nor Bizet’s “Carmen.” I lowered myself cautiously into my seat, with several supporting cushions; husband brought me a super-sweet Nestlé coffee from the machine; and I was good to go.
Now, what would an opera be without a diva? Both the works mentioned above center around two strong (very strong) women. They stir things up, spur all the action, goad the other characters (especially the men) into doing things they really will regret doing (and they do). The women are the instigators. The men are hopeless – mere lumps of putty in their hands. Rarely (if at all) do they stand up to these women; they tend to flap around in the background, helplessly (and from time to time, declaring their undying love for the diva).
The story of Macbeth really frightened me when I first read it at high school. The “weird sisters” on the blasted heath; Birnam Wood getting up and moving to Dunsinane; the bloody Banquo’s ghost sitting at the dining table…and probably most of all, Lady Macbeth herself. Tall, cold, black-haired and pale. Entirely focused on the job at hand (and then she had trouble washing her hands, during the sleep-walking scene). I am not that familiar with Verdi’s opera, though. As in many operas, the action doesn’t build up slowly; things happen rather suddenly and intensely. But putting that aside, the Lady with blood on her hands, played by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, was mesmerizing – and surprisingly sensual.
We first see Lady Macbeth emerging from black satin sheets, dressed in a silky negligé. Ms. Netrebko decided to go for beautifully curled blonde hair, which gave her a completely different persona. She looked as if she had just been to the hairdressing salon. But her steel-cold eyes, and the way she just takes over… Well, let’s just say she is not a “glamor girl,” and you can tell that when she folds her gown over her breasts and gazes out, deep in thought. Ms. Netrebko hardly changes out of her negligés – she is mostly in the castle, plotting their next move – but in the banquet scene she wears hard, glittering red.
Lady Macbeth is a really demanding role, vocally and emotionally. Ms. Netrebko attacks it with vigor, exuding power and icily controlled passion. Her voice is huge, strong, and fills you up. She was met with rapturous applause, and deservedly so. We all fell at her feet…
Now, the free-spirited, working class Spanish Carmen is a very different character than the ruthless aristocrat. She is flirtatious, fun (although perhaps a little “nuff” as Jamaicans might say – over the top) and manipulative. But like her Scottish counterpart, Carmen has a hard streak in her. She is a gypsy, so she has this wild, untamed appeal about her; but knows exactly what she is doing. With her long black hair streaming down her back and her flashing dark eyes, she is a challenge for any man. She actually treats men quite roughly at times, literally pushing away ardent suitors. Georgian mezzo soprano Anita Rachvelishvili has got all that down perfectly. There’s nothing very subtle about the role, perhaps, but still I felt that something was missing with Anita. Carmen’s sexual power was all there, however, in a more gritty and earthy way than Lady Macbeth’s. But it was only in the scene where Carmen’s cards are being read, and she discovers she will die at Don José’s hands, that the real depth of a diva came out (“La Mort!”) In fact, a heavy, dark and fatalistic streak in her performance was evident. Ms. Rachvelishvili’s interpretation of Carmen’s love of “freedom” is, perhaps, that she simply does not care…
Perhaps the problem with Carmen is that she has become a stereotype. The tunes in the opera have also become so popular over the decades that it’s hard to give them a fresh flavor. But this was a rich and lively production. The children’s choir, the flamenco dancers – and the sweetly delicate performance of Romanian soprano Anita Hartig as Micaela (hardly in the diva bracket)…Even my husband (who has always regarded the opera as somewhat hackneyed) enjoyed it thoroughly.
For more information on the Metropolitan Opera of New York’s Live Series in HD and the schedule in Jamaica for the remainder of the season, go to: https://www.palaceamusement.com/metopera.php and http://www.metopera.org/metopera/liveinhd/live-in-hd-2014-15-season The live performances shown at the Carib are followed by encores in Kingston and Montego Bay the following weekend. Next up is the classic “Barber of Seville” – which I first saw performed at Glyndebourne in England, many years ago. It is a joy.
So…don’t miss any more! Long live our divas!
P.S. You can see and hear these two fabulous divas here: http://www.annanetrebko.com and http://www.anitarachvelishvili.com/HOME.html Oh, and don’t forget…If you are on Pinterest, please take a look at my Opera board: http://www.pinterest.com/petchary/opera/
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