La Fille du régiment marches on at the Met.
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| The conquering tenor: Lawrence Brownlee in Act I of La fille du régiment. Photo by Marty Sohl © 2011 The Metropolitan Opera. |
by Paul J. Pelkonen
Ever since its premiere in 2008, Laurent Pelly's cheerful production of Donizetti's La Fille du régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) has been a showcase for young singers of bel canto repertory with something to prove. On the Monday, December 19 performance, the role of Tonio is taken by American singer Lawrence Brownlee, a versatile tenor with good comic timing, boundless energy and a mustard-keen stage presence.
Mr. Brownlee has sung this role before at the Met, but this is the first run of La Fille that has him as the unquestioned leading man. He handled all of the challenges of this role, from looking good in lederhosen to hitting nine high C's in rapid succession in the aria "Ah mes amis."
This is the aria that made the reputation of Luciano Pavarotti and Juan Diego-Flórez at the Met. In conquering its nine peaks, Mr. Brownlee displayed formidable talent and a total lack of fear. His performance was stellar, met with a rousing "bravo!" from the upper reaches of the house. (No, it wasn't me.)
