Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, N.Y.; April 24, 2007
Mid-season cast replacements in the Met’s revival of Handel’s Giulio Cesare proved felicitous Tuesday evening. John Copley’s 1988 staging is a too travelogue-Egyptian-Royalty within John Pascoe’s huge, faux-marble columns and too many backdrops and the costumes, by Michael Stennett, all cry out “Look at me, I’m luxurious.” One cape alone could make three dresses for Scarlett O’Hara, and after a while the surroundings and posings detract, rather than add, to the drama. Despite the busyness, however, the musical end of the evening was so well done that the complicated interactions and feelings, both sexual and political, that Handel has set for these characters, shone through.
Most remarkable was the debut of Australian-born, Los Angeles bred, Sri Lankan and Dutch soprano Danielle de Niese as Cleopatra. Instead of the bright, sweet Ruth Ann Swenson, Ms de Niese, with her glistening tone, sparkling stage personality (she hosted a children’s TV show and won an Emmy when she was 11 years old) and spectacular looks, gave Cleopatra the lustiness, playfulness and cunning she so requires. She has made somewhat of a specialty of the part – she brought down the house at the Glyndebourne Festival a couple of seasons back (there’s a DVD of that performance available) – and her singing and acting are everything stunning. She is a fearless singer, tossing out roulades at great speed, and clearly isn’t a “high notes only” singer; she doesn’t always take the higher options in embellishments. But there was no lack of fireworks in the showy arias and real pathos in Cleopatra’s introspective moments. Replacing David Daniels in the title was more difficult. Counter-tenor Lawrence Zazzo, who has been singing the part of Tolomeo, moved up into the role of Caeser. Daniels, with his gorgeous tone, startling agility and winning stage presence is a hard act to follow, but Mr Zazzo managed handsomely. His voice has a superbly focused tonal center and he is capable of great volume and equally subtle gentle singing. If his voice is not as beautiful as Mr Daniels, it is certainly as expressive and he’s an impressive actor. Another counter-tenor, Gerald Thompson, who was fine in Handel’s Flavio earlier this month across the plaza at the City Opera, debuted as Tolomeo. Dressed campily and acting the same way, his brighter, high-sitting voice and scrupulous fiorature made this nasty character someone to reckon with.
Mezzo Alice Coote sang Sesto, a young man hell-bent on revenge for his father, Pompey’s, death. The voice is a fine one but it had some trouble projecting into the house. Her Baroque posturing, a problem throughout the evening for all the singers, distanced her from her character. She was best when comforting his mother, Cornelia, elegantly intoned by mezzo Jill Grove, at the close of the first act. The role of Nireno, Cleopatra’s confidant, was sung with style by male soprano Michael Maniaci, and the corrupt Achilla was well performed by baritone David Pittsinger.
Harry Bicket, a Baroque specialist, balanced orchestra and voices superbly in the cavernous Met, a room which Handel certainly never foresaw as a home to his opera. Occasional blips from the horns did not detract from a stylish, brisk reading which kept the listener’s interest over the long evening.
Robert Levine
