Metropolitan Opera Archives

Kiri Te Kanawa interpolated "O fior del giorno" from Edgar by Giacomo Puccini in Act II
La Fille du Régiment received seven performances this season.

Review 1:

Review of Joanne Sydney Lessner in the March 2012 issue of Opera News

In the Met's revival of Laurent Pelly's thoroughly engaging production of "La Fille du Regiment" (seen Dec. 12), Georgian soprano Nino Machaidze delivered a tough, punk, tomboy firecracker Marie. In fatigues, a sleeveless muscle tee and a spiky red wig with a single Pippi braid out the back, Machaidze swaggered, punched and pouted, all the while singing with a burnished, robust soprano that demonstrated remarkable flexibility. Machaidze is not a sparkling soubrette; she comes across as strong and independent, varying her dusky soprano with contrasting hues and weight. However, there was something about her characterization that stopped just short of being a real person - until her Act II aria, "Par le rang et par l'opulence," when she suddenly revealed a vulnerability that transformed her into a different character entirely. More of that warmth and authenticity in Act I might have leavened Machaidze's toughness and rendered her comic bits less forced.

The evening was a triumph for tenor Lawrence Brownlee, whose lovable Tonio was brave, shy, charming and winning in every way. First things first: not only did he hit his nine high Cs fully and firmly, they were among the most beautiful notes he sang all night - which is saying something. Even more stunning, if possible, was his Act II imprecation to the Marquise of Berkenfield, "Pour me rapprocher de Marie," which was so beguiling and heartfelt that it was impossible to imagine anyone refusing him. Ann Murray's superb Marquise was funny, elegant and, strangely, the heart of the piece. Her feelings about abandoning the infant Marie, and her subsequent life choices, seemed to justify everyone's behavior. In addition to her luscious vocalism, Murray won extra points both for playing the piano onstage during Marie's singing lesson and for her perfectly inflected, crystal-clear French dialogue. She also looked like a million bucks in Pelly's soigné costumes.

Maurizio Muraro's Sulpice was a terrific foil for the others, with his effortlessly sonorous bass-baritone and endearingly goofy persona. Kiri Te Kanawa, who was on hand for the Met's most recent "Fille" in 2010, reprised her delicious cameo as the Duchess of Krakenthorp, sending up divas everywhere with inflated self-importance. Her occasional lapses into insistent English were mystifying but hilarious. Te Kanawa's interpolation of "O fior del giorno," from Puccini's "Edgar," seemed like a nod to the audience's curiosity (though past her vocal prime, she still sounds lovely), since there was no persuasive dramatic reason for its inclusion. Met stalwart James Courtney was an amusingly exasperated Hortensius.

Yves Abel led a spirited performance, although things got loose around the edges in a few spots, most notably in the men's "Rataplan" chorus and portions of the Act I finale. Chantal Thomas's whimsically surrealist set allowed for some witty staging, as when the ancient wedding guests tried in vain to keep from sliding down a precipitous rake in the Act II chateau. Kudos to those members of the Met chorus for not overplaying the joke and letting the audience come to it on their own.

Broadcast live on Sirius XM Metropolitan Opera Radio

Streamed at metopera.org

Co-production with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna.

Production photos of La Fille du Régiment by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera.

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