From darkness to light and back again

By Ako Imamura, 30 January 2015

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: Metropolitan Opera House, New York City on 29 January 2015

Tchaikovsky, Iolanta

Bartók, Duke Bluebeard's Castle

Metropolitan Opera

Valery Gergiev, Conductor

Mariusz Treliński, Director

Marek Adamski, Costume Designer

Boris Kudlička, Set Designer

Anna Netrebko, Iolanta

Piotr Beczała, Vaudémont

Alexey Markov, Robert

Ilya Bannik, King René

Elchin Azizov, Ibn-Hakia

Nadja Michael, Judith

Mikhail Petrenko, Bluebeard

Innocence: Saariaho’s final opera receives New York premiere

Kurt Gottschalk, 6th April

At the Metropolitan Opera, Innocence proves a gripping and perhaps divisive piece which feels real because it is a reflection of our reality, with no realistic hope of finding peace.

*****

Tristan und Isolde at the Met: staging gets in the way of the music

No’a L. bat Miri, 9th March

Michael Spyres shines in his debut as Tristan alongside powerhouse soprano Lise Davidsen as Isolde in Yuval Sharon's new, beguiling production at the Metropolitan Opera.

***11

Ailyn Pérez is the perfect Butterfly in the Met’s revival

Robert Levine, 13th January

Good Butterflys are not that difficult to come by but great ones are very very rare. Ailyn Pérez fits the bill in this revival of Anthony Minghella’s classic staging.

*****

Vocal thrills in Met’s traditional staging of Bellini’s I puritani

Susan Stempleski, 31st December

Marco Armiliato conducts a finely balanced rendition of Bellini's final masterpiece with a stellar cast headed by Lisette Oropesa and Lawrence Brownlee.

*****

Porgy and Bess returns stronger than ever at the Met

Robert Levine, 7th December

Back to Catfish Row for another revival of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and James Robinson’s show continue to wow our writer.

*****

Singers bring passion and excitement to Met’s Andrea Chénier revival

Susan Stempleski, 24th November

The Metropolitan Opera kicks off this season’s revival of Umberto Giordano’s tempestuous melodrama with standout performances from a resplendent cast.

****1

More reviews...

Ako Imamura

Atsuko (Ako) Imamura is a retired investment banker in New York City. Born in Japan, she trained as cultural anthropologist in the US before turning to ﬁnance. She now spends her time attending opera and classical music concerts in New York and in Europe. Wagner is her favorite opera composer.

From darkness to light and back again: Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle at The Met