# Met Live in HD: Lucia di Lammermoor



## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

This was actually my first time attending a Live in HD showing. There are 3 theaters in Omaha that carry the broadcasts, which I suppose is a decent number for a metro area of 1 million, and the theater was considerably fuller than I expected (i.e., 150 people vs. my expectations of 20 or so).

Anyway, it was really good! I personally preferred Acts 1 and 2 from the March 16th performance I attended, but Act 3 from the HD performance blew away the one I saw. Is Natalie's voice what it was 10 or 15 years ago? No, probably not. But her acting has continued to improve and I can't imagine anyone not being absolutely enthralled by her performance. I'd go so far as to say today could be considered her definitive, benchmark performance of her career.

It's a shame she didn't really get any support acting-wise from her fellow singers or this could have been a legendary version. Notwithstanding that, Joseph Calleja was in great voice -- huge, warm, round, golden tone of a type not often heard. It's unfortunate that he'll probably get his share of Pavarotti comparisons, which is a vocal legacy that is unfair to expect anyone to live up to. 

Ludovic Tezier has a fine resonant voice but is lacking a certain something. Roundness in his tone perhaps ... or perhaps he chose a deliberately angular voice for his "villain" role. I'm not familiar enough with him to say for certain either way.

After hearing him for a second time as Raimondo, I'm convinced that as a bass, Kwangchul Youn is a fine bass-baritone. Which isn't a derogatory remark, or at least not intended as such, but to my ear it sounds like his tessitura sits a bit high to be considered a true bass. But that's how he was labelled in the program and in the credits so what do I know 

Some problems I had with the live performance, specifically the Wolf's Crag set, were much mitigated by the camera angles and lighting used in the HD showing, which is all to the good. And I think Mary Zimmerman's controversial staging (I've read far too much about the ghost controversy) will look better in retrospect. I personally enjoyed it and having read the novel over the last month thought it did justice to the source material.

Possibly the biggest upside were the two fantastic interviews with Ms. Dessay (Renee Fleming hosted the presentation). It's unmistakably evident how much thought and work she puts into her roles and preparation. Renee Fleming, however, could use a bit of polish on her presentation skills, and particularly so on her teleprompter reading. Horribly distracting at times.

If any of the above sounds nitpicky, it's just because Natalie deserves to be surrounded by people performing to her standards  All in all, it was a remarkable, moving performance and I strenuously urge anyone who missed it to attend the encore presentation. And also to write the Met demanding a dvd release! I'll work on a form letter that you can copy and paste if there's any interest


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I've going to see this in 3 weeks time when it gets here. I know the production but having seen the mad scene teaser in the Iphigenie interval yesterday I am sooo looking forward to it. My daughter is going to a wedding that day and she's very cross to be missing it.

Funnily enough, Natalie was having some teleprompter troubles of her own last night. She looked rather bug-eyed while trying to read it so maybe it's not easy to see or read or something. But she had a cute bob hairdo.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

rgz said:


> This was actually my first time attending a Live in HD showing. There are 3 theaters in Omaha that carry the broadcasts, which I suppose is a decent number for a metro area of 1 million, and the theater was considerably fuller than I expected (i.e., 150 people vs. my expectations of 20 or so).
> 
> Anyway, it was really good! I personally preferred Acts 1 and 2 from the March 16th performance I attended, but Act 3 from the HD performance blew away the one I saw. Is Natalie's voice what it was 10 or 15 years ago? No, probably not. But her acting has continued to improve and I can't imagine anyone not being absolutely enthralled by her performance. I'd go so far as to say today could be considered her definitive, benchmark performance of her career.
> 
> ...


OK, I guess I'll *have* to buy a ticket for the encore presentation after all, in spite of the fact that it will be a busy week for me - I'll be attending a symphonic concert the day before, and a play two days later - and of the risk of liking it more than Anna's Lucia.

Hmmm... Your last 2 phrases sound to me like a violation of Talk Classical forum rules... [Alma looks for his manual _TC Moderation for Dummies _and browses furiously through the pages - doesn't find anything - decides to make it up]. Yes, here, I see that fostering competition to Anna Netrebko's La Bellissima's DVDs is a gross violation that needs to be edited out and its proponent needs to be be *temporarily* banned for 253 years, 6 months, and 12 days.:devil:


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

> And also to write the Met demanding a dvd release! I'll work on a form letter that you can copy and paste if there's any interest


Ian - I'll sign the petition but we can by-pass the forum and the biased moderators :devil: and submit the request through the Joseph Calleja Fan Club.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

sospiro said:


> Ian - I'll sign the petition but we can by-pass the forum and the biased moderators :devil: and submit the request through the Joseph Calleja Fan Club.


Since everything published here becomes the property of Talk Classical, our huge team of lawyers (1,218 and counting) will be relentless and even cruel in requesting swift punishment by the courts if you try and bypass us!:devil: I've just called Anna and appraised her of the situation. She offered *her* team of 1,403 lawyers to join the lawsuit.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Almaviva said:


> Since everything published here becomes the property of Talk Classical, our huge team of lawyers (1,218 and counting) will be relentless and even cruel in requesting swift punishment by the courts if you try and bypass us!:devil: I've just called Anna and appraised her of the situation. She offered *her* team of 1,403 lawyers to join the lawsuit.


2621 lawyers eh?

:devil:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Huh, Annie, the lawyer did get him in the end, didn't he?


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Alma, did you make the encore showing last night? Saw it with my sister in law, making it the 4th time seeing Ms. Dessay in this role in the last month (one theater in Omaha had an extra encore showing)


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

rgz, you won't believe me, (even I have trouble believing me)... but I drove to the theater (some 20 miles away from my home), parked the car, walked up to the box office, the lady said "how can I help you?" and I said... "sorry, I've changed my mind," and walked back to my car and drove back home. Call me crazy, but I really didn't want to like this more than I liked Anna's version... I know that this is kind of extreme and I do realize how weird it is, but that's what happened.

I guess I'm a really, really, really committed Anna fan.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Almaviva said:


> I guess I'm a really, really, really committed Anna fan.



More like you need to be committed


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

rgz said:


> More like you need to be committed


What would be the treatment?
Would they expose me to Draculette's videos?


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Florence Foster Jenkins 24/7


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

What a relief! I can deal with Florence Foster Jenkins. For a moment there, I was afraid you'd say Natalie Dessay!:devil: [Alma runs away before being punched in the nose]


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

I've changed my mind; I hope you don't watch her. She's too good for the likes of you 

Rating her a '5' on a scale of 1-10, indeed.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Well I'm going tomorrow to give Natalie (and Joseph) some love and attention. I promise not to pitch up and change my mind.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

Have a great time! I was especially impressed by Joseph hearing him live, and my SIL was blown away by his voice.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> Well I'm going tomorrow to give Natalie (and Joseph) some love and attention. I promise not to pitch up and change my mind.


I'll be really interested what you think. Tézier didn't sound so good on the live broadcast but he may sound better when you see him at the same time. (if that makes sense).


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

rgz said:


> I've changed my mind; I hope you don't watch her. She's too good for the likes of you
> 
> Rating her a '5' on a scale of 1-10, indeed.


Well, a 5 off-stage but a 9 on-stage which is a tribute to her talent. And my being scared of liking her more than Anna is another tribute to her talent.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

sospiro said:


> I'll be really interested what you think. Tézier didn't sound so good on the live broadcast but he may sound better when you see him at the same time. (if that makes sense).


I haven't ever liked Tézier so much. He seems always bored and disconnected.


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## Philmwri (Apr 8, 2011)

I like Natalie but I have noticed that she strains a bit when she sings E6 and above over the past few years.Her high notes are so clear and her acting is great though.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

She's definitely reworked her technique and as you noted her high notes are for all intents and purposes gone. The Eb6s in Lucia sounded fine to me but the days of ornamentals up to A6 are behind her. The tradeoff is that her midrange sounds a bit more robust than in times past, though overall I find her voice a bit more nasal than it was a decade ago.

I'm interested to see how well she pulls off Violetta next season.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Saw this last night.

Well I have to say that Natalie was spectacular – she obviously knows this character inside out, and she played a needy brittle Lucia, slightly unbalanced from the very beginning, clinging on to Edgardo as the only loving person in a hostile world. Her mad scene was chilling and brought me to tears. (Anna’s Lucia by contrast is soft, loving, melancholy and undone by sadness rather than hysteria). Calleja just sounded wonderful, ringing tone, beautiful legato, careful phrasing – as an actor he’s not that great at conveying “love” but he was really scary in his confrontation scene with Lucia. His big bear-like presence made a good contrast with Dessay’s tiny fragility, you could see why Lucia would want someone like him as a protector. That Tézier has thought about his character was apparent in the interview, but unfortunately his acting skills are not up to his concept and all he can manage most of the time is a slightly constipated snarl. I missed the quicksilver Kwiecen, all manic string-pulling and steely plotting. 

Although I really like some aspects of the production – the fey ghost swirling down into the well, and the sweeping staircase as a backdrop for the mad scene, the thing that struck me forcefully yesterday, in full glorious HD, was the glaring inanity of Mary Zimmerman’s updating. I notice that when Renée asked Zimmerman why she did it, she could give no reason, she had no “Conzept”. Setting something in the period in which a work was written rather than in the period in which the event s took place, for no reason whatsoever except that you can, is the height of intellectual bankruptcy. 

Here it adds nothing except a couple of spectacularly hideous dresses for Lucia. Politically it’s ludicrous: in the 19C Scotland is actually under the relatively peaceful rule of a dumpy little woman (no “new kings” until 1901). Edinburgh had been considered the Athens of the North in the Enlightenment, and even the Highlands lairds had become relatively civilised. Terrible blood feuds like the one in the opera were largely in the past. What’s more Victorian culture clashes so often with what is being depicted – Victorian gentlemen for example don't usually carry swords, or go on revenge visits in full evening dress. And don't get me started on the fussy business with the wretched photographer in Act 2 sextet  – oh yes, when my bitterest sword-wielding enemy comes rampaging to my house and insults my sister just as I’m concluding a tricky deal I usually have my portrait taken too. 

The thing is, with that cast, and the interaction between them, and the idea of the ghost and the mental instability of both siblings, this could have looked really good set in the dangerous turmoil of 17C Scotland. I really hope the met doesn’t employ Zimmerman again, her Sonnambula was even more ludicrous.


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

I agree with your points, particularly Kwiecen vs. Tezier. Watching clips of the 2007 version with Dessay and Kwiecen, it's clear how much better an actor he is than Tezier.

Another thing I loved that you didn't mention (nor did I in earlier posts) is the obvious deep, careful thought and preparation Ms. Dessay put into her characterization. As you say, she obviously knows the character inside out and has thought of every detail. I love, love, *love* hearing her talk about her craft, she's such an artist.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

mamascarlatti said:


> Although I really like some aspects of the production - the fey ghost swirling down into the well, and the sweeping staircase as a backdrop for the mad scene, the thing that struck me forcefully yesterday, in full glorious HD, was the glaring inanity of Mary Zimmerman's updating. I notice that when Renée asked Zimmerman why she did it, she could give no reason, she had no "Conzept". Setting something in the period in which a work was written rather than in the period in which the event s took place, for no reason whatsoever except that you can, is the height of intellectual bankruptcy.
> 
> Here it adds nothing except a couple of spectacularly hideous dresses for Lucia. Politically it's ludicrous: in the 19C Scotland is actually under the relatively peaceful rule of a dumpy little woman (no "new kings" until 1901). Edinburgh had been considered the Athens of the North in the Enlightenment, and even the Highlands lairds had become relatively civilised. Terrible blood feuds like the one in the opera were largely in the past. What's more Victorian culture clashes so often with what is being depicted - Victorian gentlemen for example don't usually carry swords, or go on revenge visits in full evening dress. And don't get me started on the fussy business with the wretched photographer in Act 2 sextet  - oh yes, when my bitterest sword-wielding enemy comes rampaging to my house and insults my sister just as I'm concluding a tricky deal I usually have my portrait taken too.
> 
> The thing is, with that cast, and the interaction between them, and the idea of the ghost and the mental instability of both siblings, this could have looked really good set in the dangerous turmoil of 17C Scotland. I really hope the met doesn't employ Zimmerman again, her Sonnambula was even more ludicrous.


Sometimes, staging an opera in a period or location other than that specified in the libretto can work. But, perhaps more often than not, it can result in blunders like this one where there is a real disconnect between what the characters are singing about/doing and what is happening around them. Several years ago, some stage director came up with the brilliant idea of setting "_La Traviata_" in northern Ireland. I guess he wasn't going to let all those annoying little references in the text to places like Provence or Paris get in the way of his marvelous concept.


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