Florez and his 9 high C's return to Met Opera

[February 08, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- There were plenty of high notes but not quite enough heart as Donizetti's comic romp "La Fille du Regiment" ("The Daughter of the Regiment") returned to the Metropolitan Opera.

The revival of the endearing production by Laurent Pelly, first seen at the Met two seasons ago, opened Saturday night. Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez was back to portray the lovesick peasant Tonio, while German soprano Diana Damrau appeared for the first time here as the tomboyish title character, Marie.

Damrau has had the unenviable task at the Met of late in following in the footsteps of French soprano Natalie Dessay, for whom this production of "La Fille" was created. Damrau has a slightly bigger voice and more secure high notes, and when the score called for coloratura fireworks, she let forth some dazzling ones. She portrayed Marie as feisty and pugnacious, but at times she seemed to be trying too hard to be funny, and she lacks the waif-like charm that made Dessay's Marie so touching as well as amusing.

Florez got a huge and deserved ovation for his nine high C's in the exuberant aria "Ah, mes amis," but unlike at the opening two years ago did not do an encore. Even more impressive was the beauty of his tone in the slightly mournful Act 2 aria, "Pour me rapprocher de Marie," in which he sings of his deep love for Marie. It was a heartfelt moment in a production that could have used more of them.

This revival of "La Fille" also saw the return to the Met of Kiri Te Kanawa, the beloved soprano from New Zealand whose last staged production here was Richard Strauss's "Capriccio" 12 years ago. (She also appeared in a gala concert in 2006.)

Dame Kiri played the brief cameo role of the Duchess of Krakenthorp with glamor and poise to spare. It's written as a speaking part, but she wasted no time showing off her still impressive vocal abilities, launching into a wordless accompaniment to the orchestral melody that opens Act 2, and then segueing into a song by Alberto Ginastera, "Cancion al arbol del olivido."

In other supporting roles, bass-baritone Maurizio Muraro was sympathetic and robust of voice as Sgt. Sulpice, whose regiment has reared Marie from infancy. Mezzo-soprano Meredith Arwady displayed a huge voice as The Marquise of Berkenfield, who turns out to be Marie's long-lost mother. But she tended to play the part for cheap laughs, rather than finding the pathos in the character.

Marco Armiliato conducted a buoyant and bubbly a rendition of Donizetti's tuneful score.

There are five more performances through Feb. 22.

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[Associated Press; By MIKE SILVERMAN]

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