Met Live in HD: Rossini's Le Comte Ory

Photos: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

1. Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Florez, Joyce DiDonato in their title roles

2. Juan Diego Florez as the Comte Ory

3. Stephane Degout as Raimbaud

4. Michele Pertusi as Tutor

5. Renee Fleming in the title role of Strauss's Capriccio

Producer Bartlett Shear

Set designer Michael Yeargan

Costume designer Catherine Zuber

THE MET: LIVE IN HD TO TRANSMIT ITS NEW COMEDIC

HIT PRODUCTION OF ROSSINI'S LE COMTE ORY

LIVE IN HIGH-DEFINITION

SATURDAY, APRIL 9 AT 1:00 PM ET

Starring Juan Diego Flórez, Diana Damrau, and Joyce DiDonato

by Jessica Tinianow

Combine Italian lyricism with French farce and you get the Metropolitan Opera's wonderful first ever production of Rossini's Le Comte Ory. The staging by Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sherfeatures three extraordinary bel canto stars-Juan Diego Flórez, Diana Damrau, and Joyce DiDonato. Maurizio Benini conducts. ThisMetropolitan Opera production of Le Comte Ory is set in an 18th-century theater designed to look just like the ones where audiences might've watched a production like this in Rossini's time. The scheming young count (Juan Diego Flórez) vies with Isolier (Joyce DiDonato), in a trouser role) for the love of the lonely Countess Adèle (Diana Damrau) . It is quite light, silly and filled with many comical moments.

Set in the Middle Ages, the stage set is charming. Almost all of the scenes occur on a platform with the world revolving around it. The stage machinery and other theatrical dervicves are in full view of the audience.

The focus is really on the fast-paced acting, singing and theatrics. It is a stage set for quick timing and singing.

Rossini's vocal line, saturated with high C's and above, is mastered exquisitely by the bel canto specialists. Though quite challenged, singers reached the high ranges in a relaxed manner and had fun with it. Their chemistry lent believability to the often unbelievable silliness.

The singers, simply put, were amazing. The costumes were varied and over 194 were used in this production. They reflected different time periods. Also of note, was the interesting headgear, which reflected the regional dress and traditional costumes of France. The score, conducted by Maurizio Benini, provided a beautiful framework for this masterful production.

An encore screening will be shown in select theaters in the U.S. on Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 at 6:30 PM (local time).

Met Opera super star Renee Fleming revisits her title role in Strauss’s Capriccio, live from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, Saturday, April 23 at 1pm Eastern Time, 12 Noon, Central. Ms. Fleming captivated audiences when she sang the final scene from the opera during the 2008 Gala Opening Night, which was transmitted Live In HD, worldwide. Lyric Opera of Chicago Music Director Sir Andrew Davis, is Guest Conductor for this spectacular production. For tickets and information, visit www.metopera.org or www.fathomevents.com.