Met Live in HD Siegfried: new tenor, technologies explode on movie screens worldwide

The Met Live in HD: New tenor, new technology ignite Siegfried on world stage

Reviewed by Dwight Casimere

Photo Gallery by Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

Siegfried (Jay Hunter Morris) with Brunnhilde (Deborah Voigt)

Robert Lepage's elaborate Ex Machina set with projected 3D images and motion detecting cueing technology

Eric Owens as Alberich (l) and Bryn Terfel as The Wanderer

Fafner the Dragon squares off against Siegfried

Hans-Peter Konig as a mortally wounded Fafner

Gerhard Siegel (l) as Mime

Bryn Terfel as The Wanderer (Woton)

Eric Owens as Alberich

Jay Hunter Morris in the title role

Siegfried (Jay Hunter Morris) and Brunnhilde (Deborah Voigt) embrace in Act III of Siegfried

More than 100,000 people on movie screens in 50 countries watched a landmark live transmission of the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Richard Wagner's Siegfried, the third installment of his Ring cycle, directed by Robert Lepage and eloquently conducted by Fabio Luisi, the Metropolitan Opera’s new Principal Conductor. They also saw the Met debut of a new Siegfried and a promising Wagnerian sensation in-the-making. Jay Hunter Morris is a true Helden tenor (heroic tenor) in the tradition of such Met legends as Placido Domingo, Siegfried Jerusalem and the late Lauritz Melchior. Morris hails all the way from Paris(Texas that is) and just a few months ago, as told to Met backstage interviewer and soprano superstar Renee Fleming, was selling roller blades in Central Park, a few blocks from the Metropolitan Opera stage, where he gave his towering, and possibly career defining performance.

The third time was the charm for the Met in its casting of the role of Siegfried. Another of opera’s popular Wagnerian tenors was originally assigned to sing the role, but Ben Heppner withdrew in February. Gary Lehmann was then brought in, but also left just over a month ago. That’s when Morris was asked to step into what is said to be the toughest tenor role in the world. His prior experience in the role this past summer with the San Francisco Opera served him well, because within days of his arrival, he was in full costume, singing in his first Met Dress Rehearsal, an experience beautifully documented in a video segment presented during the first intermission of the Met’s Live in HD transmission.

Morris describes his unconventional journey from Paris, Texas to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House. “In Dallas Texas a few years ago, I saw Traviata. I was so fascinated, I said ‘I want to try that.’ Since then, I’ve had enormous buckets of good luck! You know, it wasn’t all that long ago that I was selling roller blades at 72^nd & Central Park West (just a short distance from Lincoln Center where The Met is housed) and it wasn’t all that long ago that I was passing out towels at the Fitness Center in Paris, Texas. There’s no magic formula. I’m just the luckiest guy in the world.”

That's the beauty of attending a Live IN HD performance, all of the backstage interviews and special segments are exclusive to movie theatre audiences. The brilliant close up camera work, particularly in this broadcast’s camera direction, also provides visual insights that just can’t be seen from a seat in the house, no matter how close you are. (Case in point, the loving glances and visual asides between Siegfried and Brunnhilde conveyed the romantic spark that ignited between them in Act III.) As always, principal Live In HD Director Gary Halvorson (TVs Two and a Half Men) did a stellar job. This Met Live In HD matinee was also distinguished by the fact that this production marked the first time ever that new 3D, and even 4D technologies where utilized in combined fashion on the opera stage.

The new production, by Canadian director Lepage, dwarfs the action on stage with a 45 ton apparatus of movable steel panels, collectively known as Ex Machina, which rotates and pivots on cues from a bank of computers offstage. 3D images are projected on the moving panels throughout the opera to depict scene changes from the forest to Fafner’s underground lair and the subterranean realm of the Nibelung to the fire-ringed mountain where Brunnhilde lies immobile. At one point, as Siegfried traverses the pivoting planks in search of Brunnhilde, he seems perilously in danger of sliding into the abyss. Whether that was intentional or a byproduct of the device’s inherent dangers is anyone’s guess, but Morris nimbly regained his footing and proceeded on his noble quest.

"This is the first time that 3D technology, like you see in the movies, has been used on the opera stage in combination with all these other technologies, like tracking and night vision used in flight simulation and in combat," said Roger Parent, President of Realisations, the company that creates the Ring's interactive video projections, to Fleming in a backstage interview. While he was talking, Met HD cameras captured shots of the stage crew meticulously placing rods and bolts into the mechanized stage that served as the backdrop for the 3 dimensional forest, mountains and streams of Wagner's Siegfried.

Besides Morris's commanding performance, Deborah Voigt was the consummate Brunnhilde, lending dramatic color and vocal stamina to the demanding role. In the early scenes, Morris was especially adept at conveying the awkwardness and unbridled energy of the youthful Siegfried. His voice seemed more than up for the challenge of singing virtually without a break in the five-hour production. His voice only gave way for a brief moment when a note escaped his vocal grasp while reaching for the crescendo at the end of Act One when he forges his sword, Nothung, from its shattered fragments. His performance was otherwise robust and flawless (Morris spoke that a note ‘ got away from me’ in the dress rehearsal segment, but was quickly reassured by his fellow cast members and crew.)

Eric Owens was a commanding presence as Alberich. His perfect German enunciation and rich, mahogany basso profundo gave his character added depth and a sense of underlying menace that made for a mesmerizing performance. Owens will reprise the role in the Met's new production of Gotterdammerung, the final installment in the Ring cycle, which premieres. January 27. It will be transmitted Live In HD February 11, 2012 at Noon Eastern Time, 11am Central.

Owens spoke about the difference in his character in the two operas while backstage with Renee Fleming. "The Tessatura (general vocal range) is higher in Siegfried, so I really have to be 'on' for this one. It requires me to reach, not only for a higher pitch vocally, but dramatically as well."

Bryn Terfel as The Wanderer (Woton in disguise), brings an incredible heft to the role with his richly textured voice and superior acting skills. I bet he strolls around Lincoln Center Plaza wearing that cool forest green hat during his off hours!

Patricia Barda was a luminous Erda (Mother Earth). Hats off to Costume Designer Francoise St-Auvin for that shimmering black reflective costume.

One of the more delightful and technically dazzling moments was Siegfried’s encounter with the 3D Forest Bird that led him to a sleeping Brunnhilde in Act III. The “voice” of the bird was provided by soprano Mojca Erdmann, who sang fluidly offstage, and a trio of wind instruments, including Stefan Hoskuldsson, Principal Flute, Elaine Douvas, Principal Oboe and Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet.

“My singing was actually the ‘cue’ for the bird to fly,” Erdmann revealed in her backstage interview with Ms. Fleming (who is a marvelous interviewer, by the way. Her sensitive and comforting manner towards her colleagues elicits some very revealing and informative answers from them.) Realisation President Parent further explained; “The movement of the bird and the other 3D imagery was actually triggered by the movements of the actors. Its the kind of motion detection technology used in combat,” he said. “The operative word here is ‘tracking.’ In this production,” he elaborated, “we use at least three new technologies commonly used in dramatically different circumstances. We have 3D technology, which we see today in the movies. We have technology that is typically used in flight simulation. Then there is night vision and motion detection used in combat situations. In real life, these technologies are either used to make movies or to fight wars. When we put them all together and give them to theatre or opera people, they use them to make magic!”

Note that the encore presentation of Siegfried will not be part of the Met Live HD series until May when the complete Ring Cycle is broadcast, exact dates still to be determined.

The next Met Live IN HD transmission is Satyagraha (truth force), Philip Glass's musical dramatization of the politically formative years of India’s martyred independence leader, Mahatma Gandhi, and his fight against racism in 1890s South Africa. Historians say that experience formed the ideological bedrock of his philosophy of Civil Disobedience, which became the foundation to all modern protests from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s to the present-day Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. Satyagraha airs in movie theatres Saturday, November 19 at 1pm Eastern, Noon Central. For tickets and information, visit www.metopera.org or www.fathomevents.com.

MET: LIVE IN HD Don Giovanni reaches box office landmark

Met: Live in HD grosses over $2 MIL in North America for Don Giovanni

Reviewed by Dwight Casimere October 29, 2011

Photo credit: Mart Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

1. Ramon Vargas as Don Ottavio and Marina Rebeka as Donna Anna

2. Barbara Frittoli as Donna Elvira

3. Barbara Frittoli as Donna Elvira and Luca Pisaroni as Leporello

4. Mariusz Kwiecien as Don Giovanni

5. Mojca Erdmann as Zerlina and Mariusz Kwiecien as Don Giovanni

MET: Live in HD’s live transmission of its new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni brought a watershed occurrence. An estimated 107,000 saw the performance on 850 screens in North America, grossing $2.3 million in ticket sales. An estimated additional 109,000 people saw it live on 625 screens in 42 foreign countries, including 28 in Europe, nine in Latin America, and on screens in Russia, Egypt, Israel, Morocco and the Bahamas.

Encore screenings of Don Giovanni will take place on U.S. screens on Wednesday, November 16 at 6:30pm local time.

Directed for live transmission by veteran Live in HD Director Barbara Willis Sweete, the new production by Tony Award winner Michael Grandage was conducted by the Met’s new Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi in his Live in HD debut. In addition to this being his Met Live in HD debut, Maestro Luisi further dazzled audiences by conducting part of Mozart’s demanding score from the harpsichord, which he played while simultaneously conducting.

“It’s all one continuous motion,” Luisi said of his unique capability to backstage interviewer, MET diva Renee Fleming. “I’m able to do this because I’m working with one of the most flexible orchestras in the world. They’re able to switch gears at the drop of a hat and speed up or slow down to accommodate the singers. That’s the great thing about this orchestra. They are really able to listen to singers and support them by changing the tempo quickly when they need to.”

Tenor Ramon Vargas was the standout performer of the show with his beautiful arias and heart-rending delivery. Mozart’s Don Giovanni is a showcase for beautiful singing and the sterling cast excelled on all counts. Marina Rebeka was electrifying as Donna Anna, one of Don Giovanni’s (a stentorian Mariusz Kwiecien) early conquests. Mojca Erdmann provided a sympathetic portrayal of Zerlina with her silvery, shimmering voice. Luca Pisaroni showed both strong acting and vocal skills in the role of Leporello. Stefan Kocan lent gravitas and a rumbling deep bass register to the role of the Commendatore, creating a spine-chilling spectacle in the final act.

The marvel of afternoon was star Mariusz Kwiecien who, in a bizarre offstage drama of his own, suffered injury to his back in the final dress rehearsal and had to undergo back surgery and extensive physical therapy in order to return to the stage in time for the afternoon’s plawless performance.

The towering rustic sets and the beautifully detailed costumes by Christopher Oram added to the authentic mid-18^th century feel of this fast paced production. The multi-storied design of the sets particularly came into play in the final act in startling fashion.

Don Giovanni takes place in Spain in Spain in the mid-18^th century. It centers on the vengeful and lustful nobleman Don Giovanni and his destructive sexual exploits. He murders the father of one of his young exploits in a duel in the first act, setting in motion the cycle of vengeance that drives the plot, leading to his ultimate demise.

“You have to understand that the entire story happens in a single day,” Ramon Vargas (Don Ottavio) tells Renee Fleming in a backstage interview. ”So, in the Second Act when Ottavio asks Donna Anna to marry him, she tells him that now is not the time. Of course, her father has just been killed on the previous morning. It’s too soon!

“In many ways, she’s torn. She knows that Ottavio is the right man for her, but she is still attracted to the seductive power of Don Giovanni.”

The masked ball at Don Giovanni’s home at the conclusion of Act One is one of the liveliest in all opera. The ornate costumes and terrific dancing by the cast and corps du ballet by Choreographer Ben Wright is captivating. This is an opera worth seeing again at the Encore Presentation November 16. Visit metopera.org/HD or fathomevents.com for tickets.

Lang Lang and the Philadelphia Orchestra probe inner emotions of Beethoven at Carnegie Hall

Photo: Lang Lang at Beijing National Stadium

Photo courtesy of Langlang.com

New York—Pianist Lang Lang is the hottest Classical music star on the planet. Known for explosive pyrotechnics on the keyboard, combined with youthful panache accented by his spiked hair and ultra-hip designer wardrobe, he attracts attention and critical praise wherever he appears. He is certainly the most popular Classical music personality of our time. Mozart and Beethoven were similarly popular in their times, but they weren’t viewed by four billion people in a single performance. That’s how many people watched him perform at the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Here in New York, a capacity audience greeted him at Carnegie Hall for a program that included Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major with The Philadelphia Orchestra and it’s Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit.

A subdued Lang Lang strode onto the Perelman stage in the Isaac Stern auditorium and adjusted his seat at the Steinway. Instead of wearing his jazzier Armani duds, he was serene in traditional white tie and tails as he began to sway to the dance-like early bars of the Allegro con brio in the First Movement of the Beethoven under Dutoit’s stately baton.

The soloist’s sprightly introduction of the opening piano theme set the tone for the imaginative, probing display that would ensue. This is Beethoven’s shortest piano concerto, but in brevity, there is truth. The work displays the mind of a mature composer and Lang Lang’s approach gave it the justice it deserved.

This was a measured, introspective performance by Lang Lang, devoid of any of the physical histrionics he has been known for. At 29, he has certainly matured into a performer who has transcended technical prowess to exhibit real artistry. The second movement, Adagio, certainly exemplified that fact.

Both the orchestra and soloist moved into high emotional gear for the final Rondo: Molto allegro, ending on a spirited note that brought a prolonged ovation, which Lang Lang obliged after several false exits with a probing reading of Franz Liszt’s familiar “La campanella” Etude (Grand Paganini Etude No. 3).

Lang Lang honored Liszt’s 200^th Birthday in a two-night concert celebration, October 22 &24 with Charles Dutoit and The Philadelphia Orchestra that was transmitted live in movie theatres around the world by Fathom Events. Past experience has shown that Encore Presentations are often scheduled for such popular events, so check your local listings or www.fathomevents.com, for future dates.

Maestro Dutoit and The Philadelphia Orchestra ended their Carnegie Hall stand with a lively rendition of Dmitri Shostakovich’s showy Symphony No. 10 in E Minor. The Philadelphia Orchestra, on the rebound after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy a couple of years ago, sounded rejuvenated as its percussion and brass blazed to the triumphal finish.

History tells us that Shostakovich suffered endless humiliation and persecution at the hands of Russia’s cruel despot, Joseph Stalin. With news of his passing just months before the completion this piece, this may have been the composer’s version of an end-zone victory dance. Maestro Dutoit and company aptly captured his spirit in a stirring finale full of musical fireworks.

Yuja Wang, piano in her New York Recital Debut at Carnegie Hall

Yuja Wang reveals a kalaidoscope of piano genius in Carnegie Hall Debut

Reviewed by Dwight Casimere October 20, 2011

Yuja Wang Photos courtesy Getty Images

Earl Wild in a 2005 Carnegie Hall recital/Photo by Steve J. Sherman for the Associated Press

New York—The 24 year old Chinese-born piano sensation Yuja Wang made her New York Recital Debut at Carnegie Hall. With echoes of the raging controversy she caused last summer at the Hollywood Bowl by wearing a thigh-hugging bright orange micro-mini dress while playing Rachmaninoff with the L.A. Philharmonic, it was a much more demure version of the Deutsche Grammophon recording sensation that greeted a capacity audience in a program of Scriabin, Prokofiev and Franz Liszt at Carnegie Hall.

However, she still did not disappoint in the sartorial department. A daring slit down the side of her long, black velvet evening gown revealed plenty upon her exit at intermission. Her fiery, passionate style of playing on the Steinway, however, far outshone her physical beauty.

Scriabin was always the composer of choice when music instructors at the Chicago conservatory assigned what we students called “knuckle busters” to improve our skills. Wang chose a series of his Preludes (B Major, B Minor, G-sharp Minor), Etude in G-sharp and Poeme in F-sharp as a warm-up. She breezed through all of them with a lightness of touch. Her long, delicate fingers seemed to caress the keys. She eschewed extensive use of the pedals, allowing the pressure of her fingers to create sonic length and depth.

Sergei Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 6 in A Major is a groundbreaking work that literally throbs with the passion of the modern age. It is anything but a typically staid “classical” piece of music. Its pulsating rhythms and loud, almost boisterous themes were probably the model for Leonard Bernstein’s fight of the sharks and jets in his award winning musical West Side Story.

Wang explored this monumental work and all of its driving, primitive themes with a force that belied her diminutive stature. Rapid-fire 32^nd notes were like shots from an AK-47 as she articulated the difficult passages. Her acuity heightened the sense of drama in the final movement, Vivace, which deservedly brought the audience to their feet in thunderous ovation.

Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B Minor brought another gown change, this one slit on the opposing side to reveal her shapely legs. She immediately threw herself rapturously into the music.

As dazzling as the Prokofiev was, her approach to the Liszt was truly astounding. The last time I heard this piece played, it was at the hands of the great Earl Wild in one of his last recitals. Mr. Wild died last year at the age of 94. He had the distinction of being one of the few living pianists with a direct musical lineage to Franz Liszt. In his formative years, he began studies with Selmar Jansen, a pianist who studied with the composer-pianists Eugen d’Albert and Xaver Scharwenka, both of whom were students of Liszt. While Wang cannot claim such pedigree, her handling of the opening passages proved her innate understanding of Liszt’s enigmatic and innovative genius. Her playing revealed all of the work’s underlying drama, yet her restraint and command of Liszt’s constantly shifting dynamics brought out its tender moments with startling emotional clarity. There was a quiet tension throughout that revealed the fiery passion that burned beneath. At one point, she raised her hands above the piano in crescendo. She swooned with ecstasy as the notes reverberated from the Steinway and echoed into the upper reaches of Stern auditorium only to vanish like so many fireflies in the night sky. It was an exquisite moment.

As encores, she played Franz Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade, D.118 (arr. Liszt) Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice (arr. Yuja Wang) Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Melodie from Orfeo ed Euridice and Johann Strauss Jr. "Tritsch-Tratsch" Polka (arr. Cziffra). Each explored the many facets of Wang’s skill at interpretation as well as her full command of her instrument. At times, particularly during the Gluck Melodie, she made the Steinway literally sing.

Audra McDonald at Carnegie Hall: A Broadway superstar comes "home"

Broadway’s brightest star returns home to the concert stage

Reviewed by Dwight Casimere October 22, 2011

Photo credit: Jennifer Taylor

New York—Audra McDonald looked absolutely stunning in an regally hued off-the-shoulder gown, which showed off her figure beautifully. Standing in front of an orchestra conducted by her long-time music director Ted Sperling, the outpouring of adoration was palpable from the over-flow audience. After four seasons on the ABC TV series “Private Practice,” this was a homecoming of sorts. She was back on the concert stage in her beloved New York City and on the cusp of tackling the role of a lifetime on the Broadway stage in the American Repertory Theater adaptation of "The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess," set to premiere in December at the Richard Rogers Theater.

The air literally bristled with excitement. From the opening number, Cole Porter’s “I Happen to Like New York,” it was obvious that she was right at home and the audience was about to experience an evening with one of the consummate singers of our time. This was part of a 17-city concert tour across North America, but in every way this was the most personally significant night for the Tony Award-winning performer.

The concert brought out a virtual “whose who” in American theatre. Composers Adam Gwon and Gabriel Kahane were in attendance and heard their works performed by Ms. McDonald. Diane Paulus, the director of the upcoming Broadway production of The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess, was also there.

Irving Berlin’s “Moonshine Lullaby” was one of the triumphs of the evening as was the Gershwin’s “He Loves and She Loves.” Stephen Sondheim’s “Moments in the Woods” showcased the type of vocal command and acting capability that has won her four Tony Awards (Raisin in the Sun, Master Class, Ragtime and Carousel) and nominations for her work in Marie Christine and 110 in the Shade.

Her ringing soprano voice filled the auditorium to the rafters, particularly on Kandner and Ebbs’ “First You Dream.”

By contrast, she seemed to reduce the massive Isaac Stern Auditorium to the intimacy of a cabaret lounge when she took to the piano to accompany herself on Adam Guettel’s Migratory V.” It was a command performance fit for royalty, only this time; the Queen herself was on stage doing the performing.

Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra in homage to the patriotic Romanticism of Jean Sibelius

Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra

Symphonic Masters at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center

Reviewed by Dwight Casimere October 19, 2011

Sir Colin Davis- President, London Symphony Orchestra

Photo credit: Stephanie Berger

New York---Sir Colin Davis has been associated with the London Symphony Orchestra for more than a half century. All of that rich history of music collaboration came together in a magnificent way as he led the London Symphony Orchestra in an all-Sibelius program at Avery Fisher Hall as the opening night of Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival. With the brilliant young violinist Nikolaj Znaider performing Sibelius’ enigmatic Violin Concerto in D minor at the outset of the evening, this was one of the most artistically satisfying programs to emanate from Avery Fisher Hall this season.

At 84 years old, Sir Colin Davis is in firm command of the orchestra and its repertoire. His only concession to his advanced years is his conducting while seated rather than standing. His precise control and razor-sharp delineation of tempos and dynamics remains as crystalline as ever. The brightness of the first violins and the clear rubato of the cellos with their amber sound and the burnished resonance of the bass are distinctive to the ears of music lovers and contribute to the signature sound of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Jean Sibelius is one of the most challenging and stylistic progressive composers of the early twentieth century. His works often combine classicism with an overtly modern, individualistic approach. His propensity toward celebrating the folk rhythms and melodies of his native Finland has made him a cultural icon in that country. His symphonic poem Finlandia is regarded as among his finest works and its central theme, the Finlandia Hymn, is regarded as one of Finland’s most important national songs. More recently, it found its way into the film score for the 1990 Bruce Willis film, Die Hard 2.

Action movies aside, this program of Symphonic Masters saw one of the world’s greatest orchestras and its venerated 84-year-old leader at the top of their form in a concert that bristled with excitement.

Znaider charged into the difficult double and triple stops of the Violin Concerto with a ferocity that literally leapt from the stage. Sir Davis kept a firm hold on Sibelius’ wildly varying tempos and shifting themes with the firm grip of a Formula One racing driver. There were moments in the final Allegro, ma non tanto that were literally breathtaking.

In contrast to his previous fiery solo performance, Znaider obliged the enthusiastic audience with a heartfelt encore, Bach’s Sarabande, from Partita No. 2 in C minor, which he dedicated in a spoken salutation, as tribute to Sir Colin Davis and his more than 50 years of service to the orchestra. It was a touching moment that added a note of poignancy.

Sir Davis walked to the podium for the second half with a distinct air of purpose. Touching the step to the podium with his baton to ensure his footing, he proceeded to conduct Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, infusing it with a youthful vitality that explored its universal themes of hope in the face of adversity and its obviously triumphant, yet romantic underlying theme. The strings played the final theme with a sense of majesty. The brass and percussion displayed a unity of sound and purpose that was spine chilling. It was an inspired performance.

It was not without of touch of irony that I noticed that the world awakened to the news of the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. In the time of Jean Sibelius, Finland was under the hob-nailed boot of Mother Russia. In many ways, his music represented a veiled protest to their oppression. It seemed fitting that the strains of Sibelius’s heroic music and its myriad political metaphors would still be ringing in memory.

Met Live in HD Anna Bolena brings Henry VIII palace intrigue into full frontal focus

MET OPERA LIVE IN HD ANNA BOLENA BRINGS PALACE INTRIGUE OF HENRY VIII INTO FULL FOCUS

Reviewed by Dwight Casimere October 15, 2011

Metropolitan Opera Photos by Ken Howard

1. Anna Netrebko gave an electrifying performance in the first-ever live transmission of a Met Opera to her native Russia
2. Anna Netrebko as Anna Bolena and Ildar Abdrazakov as King Henry VIII in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena
3. Anthony McGill, a Chicago native, is the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra’s Principal Clarinetist

NEW YORK—Anna Netrebko and her two Russian co-stars, Ildar Abdrazakov as Henry VIII and Ekaterina Gubanova as her lady-in-waiting and later, betrayer, Jane Seymour, must have been playing to the hometown crowd in last Saturday’s Met Live in HD matinee transmission of Donizetti’s opera Anna Bolena. This was the first time ever that a live broadcast of a Metropolitan Opera performance was transmitted to Moscow, and in spite of a hefty ticket price, ($30-$40 American dollars, 930-1240 Rubles, a sizable amount, even in the post-Soviet Union), there were few empty seats at the local Red Square multiplex. In this new production by David McVicar, the quality of this matinee performance surpassed even that of the already superlative ones during the Met’s opening week run of the opera.

One key difference was the flawless camera team of Live HD Director Gary Halvorson, the veteran of many Met Live in HD transmissions, best known for his work as a TV situation comedy director on the hit, Emmy Award winning show Friends (47 episodes), Two and a Half Men and The Drew Carey Show. Trained as a pianist at Julliard, he brings a unique sensibility to the moviecasts as both a trained classical musician and a spot-on TV director who wields a steadicam like a Light Saber!

Halverson’s cameras hone in with almost surgical precision on the inner workings of Henry VIII (Eduardo in the Italian, here) and his murderous court. We are immediately swept into the vortex of intrigue and deception, with his hapless second wife, Anne Boleyn, already on the outs as he seeks to unfurl his codpiece and share his kingdom to her lady-in-waiting and close confidant, Jane Seymour. Anna has failed to bear him a male heir and, paraphrasing "Ah-nold" in "Total Recall," he would say 'considerer this a "dee-worce," as he escorts her to the gallows.

The terrific acting and singing sends the performances over the top. Ever-mindful of the close-up cameras, they seem to give their all at every turn, Anna, especially, lived up to her namesake and literally threw herself into the part. In a backstage interview with Met General Manager Peter Gelb (who started at the Met as a teenaged usher), Netrebko talked about her role of a lifetime with an almost child-like wonder and guilessness. She often looked directly at the camera and mugged like a giddy teen as she talked about the role that has become a defining moment of her career and ranked her right up their with such opera goddesses as the great Maria Callas and Dame Joan Sutherland.

“It was very interesting playing her because she’s such a complex character,” Netrebko said in her endearing Russian accent, alternately mugging to the camera just at her left elbow. “I listened to several recordings but, in the end, I found my own way to play her. One of the things I really like about the role is the incredible costumes. They really let you get into the character.”

At one point, according to reports, Netrebko complained that her costume was too tight and that she couldn’t breathe sufficiently in order to sing the demanding role. That degree of discomfort is due in large part to the hard work of Costume Designer Jenny Tiramani, who went for authenticity and historical accuracy in designing the costumes for Anna Bolena. She told backstage interviewer and Net diva Deborah Voigt that she spent countless hours scouring the museums of London and looking at old costumes and original garments from Elizabethan and Tudor England and at paintings by court artists of the period in order to create costumes that were historically accurate. “You can see the detail in the costumes from some of the old paintings that I researched," she explained to an awed Voigt. " In Anna’s costume, you have a complete gown underneath a very ornately embroidered silk blouse and over that a doublet and another complete gown. All that is sewn in with lace ribbons that go all the way around. It’s really a snug fit and once you’re in there, you’re IN THERE!”

Halvorson does two things that are truly masterful. He allows the camera to back off of the action to show the full scope of the sets and the drama of the moment. He frames the lead characters so that they are at times totally dwarfed by the castle walls. It gives a sense of how they are completely at the mercy of the awesome circumstances around them and how their predicament is larger than they are. In that way, the staging and camera artistry really put the drama into perspective.

Conductor Marco Armiliato and the Met Opera Orchestra sparkle with vitality. The Overture is a showcase for the superb quality of their playing. Particularly noted were the beautiful solos by Principal Clarinetist Anthony McGill, a Chicago native who is the only African American member of the orchestra. McGill is a distinguished performer who played with Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman at the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. He is also winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Tamara Mumford gave a dramatically riveting performance as Smeton, the court page and musician who falls in love with Anna. Her emotive demeanor and silvery voice gave depth to her character. In the close-ups during her opening aria, she added further authenticity to the role by fretting her instrument, the lute, as if she were actually playing. It was a nice touch. The makeup artist did a particularly splendid job of conveying the horrors her character suffered at the hands of Henry VIII’s torturers. Her appearance in the final scene brought gasps from the audience.

Stephen Costello was superb as Lord Percy, Anna’s lover and possibly, former husband. The duet between he and Keith Miller as Lord Rochefort, Anna’s brother, in the third act as they march to their doom, is one of the seminal male duets of all opera and is performed brilliantly here. Eduardo Valdes is appropriately smarmy and despicable as the court official Sir Hervey. The fact that he has such a velvety bass/baritone voice makes him a pleasure to listen to, even though you hate his character, especially when he delivers Anna’s death sentence with such obvious relish.

Ildar Abdrazakov as the vainglorious King is in spectacular voice and has a commanding, regal presence onstage.

The close-ups of Anna Netrebko as she delivers her final arias are breathtaking. There’s just one tiny moment when the camera goes out of focus for a fraction of a second but that’s forgivable given the superior level of the seamless camera direction throughout. Donizetti’s Anna Bolena will be repeated in an Encore presentation Wednesday, November 2 at 6:30pm local time. I plan to be there, and, if you love great opera, you will too!