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Opera Wire, 18 October 2018 |
By David Salazar |
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Puccini: La Fanciulla del West, Metropolitan Opera, 17 October 2018 |
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La Fanciulla Del West, Jonas Kaufmann Edition
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Superstar Tenor Makes An Exciting Return In Puccini’s Masterpiece |
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Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 was a new beginning for the Metropolitan Opera’s
production of “La Fanciulla del West.”
While Eva-Maria Westbroek and
Zeljko Lucic remained at the center of the drama, a new star would be taking
over the mantle of Dick Johnson / Ramirez – tenor Jonas Kaufmann.
In
many ways, this was THE story of this production and even if the first three
performances were major successes (read my review here), there was a certain
bit of suspense regarding this fourth show.
Waiting For Kaufmann
Kaufmann last appeared at the Met in 2014 when he put on a historic tun of
performances of Massenet’s “Werther.” Since then, his career with the
company has centered less on his singing and more on his cancellations at
the Met and questions about whether he would even show up. The Met Opera’s
marketing in the days leading up to this performance seemed preoccupied with
addressing this concern, repeatedly posting photos on social media showing
the tenor doing everything from costume fittings to riding horses (we don’t
often see the Met’s PR staff do this much until the production is on its
feet and running).
And you could even feel a sense of anticipation in
the air as the first Act of Puccini’s great masterpiece was underway. When
he appeared in the background on horseback during Rance and Minnie’s scene
together, he was almost a fleeting ghost. You still couldn’t believe he was
back.
And when he finally made his entrance, there was a sense of awe
and rapture at actually having him on stage. There was no effusive eruption
of applause as many might have anticipated; it was almost as if everyone in
the audience wanted to savor his every gesture, his every word, his ever
sound.
And the tenor did not disappoint.
Man of the Hour
From his first entrance to his last exit alongside Westbroek, Kaufmann WAS
Dick Johnson. He moved about with confident swagger of a cinematic cowboy,
rubbing off insults with a vibrant smile. This made him more dangerous than
acting like a stereotypical tough guy; it made him unpredictable and more
complex. He carried himself with confidence and poise; he just looked
dominant onstage.
Perhaps his strength of character and
self-confidence manifested itself best in scenes with Westbroek, the two
having undeniably physical chemistry (their vocal chemistry was perhaps a
different matter altogether). The way he caressed her at times, or looked at
her during “Quello que tacete,” and then later wrapped his arm around her as
she showed him a book, was the display of a suave man with an ability for
strength but also tenderness and romance. At one point he tries to teach her
to dance, but when he realizes that his efforts are futile, he literally
sweeping her off her feet and the sparks flew.
The first kiss and the
build-up to it was full of tension and a sense of anticipation; the way the
two looked at one another you almost felt it was going to happen. And when
it didn’t there was a great sense of disappointment. How often do you find
yourself so wrapped up in whether a couple will finally have their first
kiss? That’s how strong their chemistry was. And when we finally know its
coming, the two racing at one another, they paused and simply stared into
one another’s eyes, the tension lingering evermore. This attention to detail
on stage is what makes for riveting and immersive performance and there is
no denying that many of the choices Kaufmann implemented that altered the
stage direction were vital in enriching the experience.
Other small
details such as his decision to stay near the door of Minnie’s cottage after
being shot and refusing to come in or walking downstage at the end of Act
one instead of out the door on stage left, also added to the emotion of the
moment. Walking upstage creates more distance from Minnie and his sudden
decision to run back to her and console her one last time is more effective
then his walking a few steps toward a nearby door and then coming back; the
former requires more effort and thus emphasizes the characters feelings for
Minnie. It’s a small detail, but great artistry is built on this kind of
dedication.
This was reflected in his singing, the tenor’s brilliant
musicianship always on full display. The tenor oscillated between a powerful
stentorian sound with a more gentle one, his glorious pianissimo coming into
full effect throughout. “Quello che acete” was one such example. Looking
straight into Westbroek’s eyes, the tenor built up the extended passage,
climaxing “nuova” with all his strength before relaxing beautifully on
“pace” with a subito piano, his voice melting into the note. You really felt
that there was an arrival point in the phrase and it was the perfect
embodiment of a suave romantic in complete control.
This entire first
act duet retained a sense of gentle-manliness from the tenor; even his high
notes were not overly forceful. It added a sense of restraint and dignity to
Johnson.
His singing retained lightness and delicacy throughout the
opening sections of the second act encounter with Minnie, his utterances of
“Un bacio” gentle and pleading. It was only when he calls out for “Un bacio
almeno!” that the tenor really threw all of his strength behind his voice.
This continued in the arioso “Sono un dannato!” While there were a few
abrasive notes in the upper register, the tenor did ultimately manage to
infuse the passage with a strong build to its potent high B flat on
“Vergogna,” his sound opulent and rich. If there is something about Kaufmann
that one can always look forward to, it’s that his upper notes will always
ring powerfully without sounding forced. He makes it sound easy.
The
final Act was the clincher for the tenor, his rendition of “Ch’ella mi
creda” polished and refined, the legato silky smooth with each phrase
building on the next. Again, the climactic high B flats were powerful cries
of despair. And the diminuendo on “Mio solo fior” was nothing if not
sublime.
A Few Things Though However, it wasn’t a perfect night.
Besides the few flubs in “Sono un dannato,” the tenor seemed to confuse some
of the text during the passage “Mi stringo a te, confuso” right at the start
of the duet. He recovered in time however and whatever it was that he sang
was beautifully executed from a vocal standpoint. Some of the lower lying
notes in “Ch’ella mi creda” did tend to go a bit flat at times, but his
elegant phrasing made you overlook those minor issues. At one point, he also
seemed to jolt ahead of the orchestra, but this could hardly be seen as his
fault, considering it very well might have been the first time he was
singing with the ensemble as a whole.
When it came time to singing in
duo with Westbroek, Kaufmann seemed a bit overpowered and not quite with her
rhythmically. This was particularly noticeable during the sections at the
end of the opera where Kaufmann and Westbroek never ended a phrase together,
his voice often extending beyond hers. Again, this was likely the result of
not having ample rehearsal time and is probably something that will improve
from performance to performance. By the time they make it to the hotly
anticipated Live in HD performance on Oct. 27, 2018, this will be nothing
more than an afterthought.
Overall, Kaufmann delivered a fantastic
performance. His voice isn’t quite as potent or vibrant as it was four years
ago when he put on a masterpiece in “Werther,” but it is still a solid
instrument and his manner with it is that of a masterful virtuoso. Those who
have tickets to the final three performances will undoubtedly be thrilled.
The remainder of the performance was first-rate with the performers
deepening and further strengthening what they had done thus far. This is my
third performance in the run and it is safe to say that things have only
gotten better since my review after the opening performance.
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