Metropolitan Opera – Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. April 3, 2019.

Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center.  Orchestra (Seat W32, $25).

Story.  See previous blog.  I read it just now, in that 2012 entry I wrote “Sesto and Vitellia marry each other.”  That certainly wasn’t what I saw today, nor was it mentioned in the Playbill.

Conductor – Lothar Koenigs.  Vitellia – Elza van den Heever, Sesto – Joyce DiDonato, Annio – Emily D’Angelo, Emperor Tito – Matthew Polenzani, Servilia – Ying Fang, Publio – Christian van Horn.

I must say the “story” I wrote in my previous blog entry makes more sense to me than either the Synopsis in the Playbill or the actual performance.  Despite having gone to so many operas with women singing male roles, I still have this (shall I call it) cognitive dissonance resulting in confusion in my mind.  Being a little closer to the stage, and with the help of binoculars, I did manage to follow the story a bit better.  However, in tonight’s performance the relation between Sesto and Titus was a bit murkier: were they just good friends, or were they lovers?  Also, early in the opera I already decided that if you are too nice, people will walk all over you.

Some background I either missed or didn’t jot down last time that is worth recording: First, this was one of Mozart’s last compositions.  The work is numbered K. 621, and premiered in Prague on September 6, 1791, about three months before Mozart died.  Mozart was in Prague but was sick on that day.  Second, this work was commissioned for the coronation of Leopold II as king of Bohemia (he had already been the Holy Roman Emperor), and was supposed to demonstrate what a great ruler he would be.  And incidentally, his sister was Marie Antoinette.  Third, Mozart wasn’t really into opera seria, the other work completed at about the same time was The Magic Flute (K. 620, although it was premiered later.)

This opera was first performed by the Met in 1984 (tonight’s was the 47^th performance).  It was led by James Levine (evidently no longer “the conductor whose name shall not be mentioned.”)  Evidently the same set was used for this season.  I have no quarrel with that, other than I have no idea what period the costumes is from.  What Vitellia had to wear was the most ridiculous, in my opinion.

The singers all did well.  Perhaps her singing was at a different level than the other artists, the story seemed to revolve around the character Sesto, and DiDonato did very well, especially the aria Deh, per questo istante solo of Act II.  However, I though she was a bit sloppy during some of the difficult runs in Parto, parto, ma tu, ben mio.  She sang the same aria in a YouTube video I found, she did much better in that one.  Vitellia is probably the most difficult character to portray in this opera as she needs to be both calculating and vulnerable, and van den Heever did very well.  Her arias call for some low notes, it was a bit nerve-wrecking as she braced herself to get those out: she managed very well.  I am quite sure she wonders “Why the heck am I dressed like this” often.  We saw these two leading ladies in Maria Stuarda, they did well in that opera also.

The other two women artists didn’t have the same recognition as DiDonato and van den Heever - although I have seen Fang’s name several times before – they both managed to come across quite well.  D’Angelo’s voice was a bit on the harsh side, but I am sure that would improve as she matures as a singer. Fang is a graduate of the Lindemann Program, and D’Angelo is a member.

Both male singers have impressive pedigrees.  I remember Polenzani in performances of The Elixir of Love and The Pearl Fishers (and I am sure I saw him in other performances) and van Horn in Mefistofele (interestingly not listed in the Bio in the Playbill).  Their roles don’t have the same stage time as the leading ladies.  Polenzani’s voice was great for this opera, van Horn sang clearly as Publio went about advising Titus.

The performance appeared to be reasonably well attended, although I managed to move in quite a few seats as row W was quite empty.

Curtain Call.  From left: van Horn, DiDonato, van Heever, Polenzani, D'Angelo, Yang.  I left before the conductor got on stage.

I met up with an old colleague Roger at the Cheesequake Rest Area and nearly missed the train up.  I also left soon after the performance concluded to make the 11:18 pm train, which I did, with enough time to spare to get a snack from Au Bon Pain.  It was after midnight that I got home.