Bruno Pola

Avec James Levine à la barre, le chef-d’œuvre aux multiples facettes de Verdi se révèle comme un drame aux proportions presque shakespeariennes. La superstar Plácido Domingo assume le rôle exigeant de Don Alvaro, le paria dont le geste noble met involontairement les rouages ​​du destin et détruit toute une famille. Sharon Sweet incarne Leonora, la femme qu'il aime, et Vladimir Chernov brûle son frère vengeur Don Carlo, dont la haine tordue le consume. Roberto Scandiuzzi est le bienveillant Padre Guardiano.

It is to composer and librettist Arrigo Boito and his constant pestering of the octogenarian Verdi that there remained within him one last great comedy fighting to get out that we owe this absolute miracle of an opera. Produced in 1893 as Verdi turned 80 there is much in this masterpiece that can be identified as a modernist neoclassical work. The use of short motifs instead of long arioso melodic lines, the spry and reduced orchestral textures and the lack of a single 'stand and deliver' dramatic declamatory aria all serve to make this more of a 20th century work than an example of 19th century late-Romanticism.

This evocative production by Giancarlo Del Monaco sumptuously captures the look and feel of 14th century Genoa and is a perfect compliment to Verdi’s setting of this story of searing conflict between public duty and private grief. Plácido Domingo is Gabriele Adorno, sworn enemy of the doge of Genoa, Simon Boccanegra (Vladimir Chernov). Gabriele is in love with the beautiful Amelia (Kiri Te Kanawa at her most affecting) who turns out to be none other than the long-lost daughter the doge. James Levine’s authoritative conducting of the Met orchestra and chorus reveals the dark power of Verdi’s score. Performed January 26th, 1995.