Maria Stuarda premieres at the Metropolitan Opera.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I of England never met in real life. However, that imagined meeting came to vivid life last night in the Metropolitan Opera's first performance of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda starring Joyce DiDonato in the title role. The New Year's Eve performance also marked the house debut of promising South African soprano Elza van den Heever as Queen Elizabeth of England.
The opera's libretto (based on an 1800 play by Friedrich Schiller) takes some liberties with history, but yields wonderful results. At the heart of the story is a fictional love triangle between Maria, Elisabetta and Robert Dudley (Matthew Polenzani). That affair becomes Elisabetta's excuse to send her rebellious cousin to the execution block. It may not be history, but in the hands of a master composer it works as great drama.
Maria puts the voices of its three leads to the stern test. First among these is the pliant, sweet mezzo of Ms. DiDonato. Whether engaging in solo fioratura above the stave or plunging to the lower depths required for this role, she produced a firm, smooth tone with great vocal agility. Her arrival halfway through Act I elevated the dramatic action of the show, making it easy to understand why Maria's exile was a political sore point to her reigning cousin.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
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| Elisabeta (Elza van der Heever, l.) menaces Maria (Joyce DiDonato) in the Met's new production of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda. Photo by Ken Howard © 2012 The Metropolitan Opera. |
The opera's libretto (based on an 1800 play by Friedrich Schiller) takes some liberties with history, but yields wonderful results. At the heart of the story is a fictional love triangle between Maria, Elisabetta and Robert Dudley (Matthew Polenzani). That affair becomes Elisabetta's excuse to send her rebellious cousin to the execution block. It may not be history, but in the hands of a master composer it works as great drama.
Maria puts the voices of its three leads to the stern test. First among these is the pliant, sweet mezzo of Ms. DiDonato. Whether engaging in solo fioratura above the stave or plunging to the lower depths required for this role, she produced a firm, smooth tone with great vocal agility. Her arrival halfway through Act I elevated the dramatic action of the show, making it easy to understand why Maria's exile was a political sore point to her reigning cousin.
