New Yorkers acclaim Netrebko at her Metropolitan debut
|
Feb 14, 2002--Netrebko makes her Metropolitan
Opera debut. The New York Times critic is distracted by an
extra falling into the orchestra pit, forgets Netrebko's existence
until the 18th paragraph, then gives her two sentences:
"In an impressive
debut as Natasha, the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko revealed her clear,
ample, cool Nordic voice. Though a lovely young woman, she was not well
served by Mr. Konchalovsky's direction, which must be responsible for
the silent movie clichés that marred her portrayal."
Anthony
Tommasini's full review
Meanwhile, under
the heading "Napoleon, Blown Apart," the New York Post's
Shirley Fleming does a better job of keeping her eye on the ball:
"Unquestionably, the
star of the evening, in her Metropolitan debut, was soprano Anna
Netrebko, an Audrey Hepburn look-alike who delivered an enchanting
Natasha in all her freshness, wistfulness, petulance and vulnerability.
The voice could soar or drop to a whisper; it was a beautifully rounded
portrayal."
Again only two
sentences, but that's our girl.
|
Excerpt
from War & Peace, live Met broadcast 3/2/2002
Third tableau: What right have they?
|
Alex Ross in
The New Yorker, March 4, 2002:
"The most important
[debut] was Anna Netrebko, a young lyric soprano with a pearly,
gleaming tone, who projected her voice effortlessly into the house. She
embodied the role of Natasha so sparklingly that it was impossible to
imagine anyone else singing it. Her partner in glamour was Dmitri
Hvorostovsky, as Andrei; his silver hair and golden baritone have long
been admired, but his acting has taken on new gravitas in recent years.
As he staggered out of his deathbed to dance a final waltz with
Natasha, I doubt that I was the only one on the brink of tears."
Ross's full
article: http://www.newyorker.com/critics/music/?020304crmu_music
|
Howard Kissel, in
the New York Daily News on February 16, 2002:
Tolstoy a Joy At the Metropolitan Opera
"The Met has assembled an
extraordinary cast, starting with Anna Netrebko, making an astonishing
debut as Natasha. Apart from her rich, agile voice, Netrebko has the
gift of making her character seem entirely natural, a creature of
early-19th-century Moscow rather than the operatic stage."
|
Martin Bernheimer
in the Financial Times:
"Anna Netrebko, making her
company debut, is virtually ideal as Natasha Rostova, exquisite in
voice, in looks, in poise and expressive impetuosity."
Bernheimer's full
review: http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=020220000293&query=Bernheimer
|
Jay Nordlinger in
the National Review on line:
"Outstanding in an
excellent cast was Anna Netrebko, the Russian soprano singing Natasha.
She is an experienced singer, yet you could say that, as far as New
York was concerned, a star was born. Hers is a light, high voice,
though with a hint of darkness, which is unusual, and effective. That
voice is clean and clear, with rock-solid intonation, no matter what
the singer is doing onstage: reclining, lying on her stomach, dancing
about. Her singing is unforced, natural, with a beautiful, smooth line.
She was a young beauty playing a young beauty, which is nice, if you
can get it, in opera (though the aural aspect comes before all, of
course). Anna Netrebko is the Met's first Natasha, and I doubt that if
the company went on to stage this opera for several generations it
would get a better one."
Nordlinger's full
review: http://www.nationalreview.com/weekend/music/music-nordlinger022302.shtml
|
Profile in March 2002 Opera
News by Andrew Farach-Colton
'Anna Netrebko, who steps
onstage this February to make her Metropolitan Opera debut as Natasha
in War and Peace, is probably one of the few Met debutants who
would describe the huge auditorium as "comfortable." The Russian
soprano sang in the house during the Kirov Opera's 1998 visit ----
Louisa (Betrothal in a Monastery) and Lyudmila (Ruslan and
Lyudmila). "I love the Met. You can always hear your voice coming
back. It's one of the best theaters in the world ---- and, of course,
an honor to sing there." New York operagoers who have yet to enjoy
Netrebko's exquisitely pure sound and blissfully unaffected
interpretive style will likely feel the honor is theirs.
'The role of Natasha will be
familiar territory, too, as Netrebko has already performed War and
Peace with the Kirov at Covent Garden, La Scala and Madrid's Teatro
Real. Although the part calls for a slightly heavier voice than her
lyric coloratura, she is otherwise ideally suited to play Tolstoy's
exuberant, impulsive heroine. "Since I was fourteen or fifteen years
old, I am exactly like Natasha. And I love this book ---- it's my
favorite. I used to dream about playing Natasha in a movie." In fact,
Netrebko was once quite serious about pursuing a career as an actress,
although now that holds little interest. "Acting is an entirely
different profession. In opera, you don't have to do so much.
Everything is there in the music. But a play is just words, and as an
actor you have to find the music in the lines for yourself."
'This year will also see
Netrebko's Salzburg debut, opening the season as Donna Anna in a new
production by Martin Kusej of Don Giovanni conducted by
Nikolaus Harnoncourt. "When I went to the audition, they told me that
Harnoncourt had been searching five years for a Donna Anna, and he
didn't like anyone. Then I sang two phrases, and he said, 'O.K.' It was
a big surprise for me. I'm still surprised, even now." Netrebko
is concerned about preserving her vocal health, however, so she tries
to balance these heavier roles with lighter fare. Thus, between Natasha
and Donna Anna, she will take on Giulietta in I Capuleti e i
Montecchi at Opera Company of Philadelphia. "But I don't want to
sing only the lyrical repertoire. To sing Mimì and Liù all the time
---- it's not for me. I need something more exciting."'
|
Mark Burstein,
long time supernumerary at the San Francisco Opera and contributor to
this site, files a report, complete with footnotes, for the SFO supers'
newsletter about his visit to New York and the Met Production of War
and Peace. Link to
Mark's report. |