My friend H, visiting from Japan, and I had a blast at the Met's "La Fille du Régiment" tonight, thanks in large part to the comic genius and singing prowess of German coloratura soprano Damrau, perfect in Laurent Pelly's witty production. But the cameo by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who was supposedly only appearing in a speaking part, nearly stole the show - in the midst of a scene with a deliberately banal minuet, representing the stultifying boredom of aristocratic life, she broke into words and harmonies from another place and time - a song by Ginastera sung like "My heart belongs to daddy"! Donizetti would have loved it.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Diana Damrau banzai!
My friend H, visiting from Japan, and I had a blast at the Met's "La Fille du Régiment" tonight, thanks in large part to the comic genius and singing prowess of German coloratura soprano Damrau, perfect in Laurent Pelly's witty production. But the cameo by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who was supposedly only appearing in a speaking part, nearly stole the show - in the midst of a scene with a deliberately banal minuet, representing the stultifying boredom of aristocratic life, she broke into words and harmonies from another place and time - a song by Ginastera sung like "My heart belongs to daddy"! Donizetti would have loved it.