Live from the Met - 9.04.11 at 6.00 p.m.: Rossini's Le Comte Ory

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Count Ory is determined to win the countess Adele, and will do anything to get access to the castle where the women are, including disguising himself and his men as nuns. Rossini's sparkling comedy Le Comte Ory has its Metropolitan Opera premiere with tenor star Jan Diego Florez as the count, Diana Damrau as Adele and Joyce DiDonato in the trouser role of Isolier.

Presented by Margaret Juntwait with guest commentator Ira Siff.

Countess Adele ..... Diana Damrau (soprano)
Isolier ..... Joyce DiDonato (mezzo-soprano)
Ragonde ..... Susanne Resmark (mezzo-soprano)
Count Ory ..... Juan Diego Florez (tenor)
Rimbaud ..... Stephane Degout (baritone)
The Prompter ..... Rob Besserer (baritone)

Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera
Conductor ..... Maurizio Benini.

[vinteuil]

Eine Alpensinfonie -

many thanks for flagging this up. Le comte Ory - together with il Viaggio a Reims - among my favourite Rossini operas. A sparkling masterpiece.

[subcontrabass]

A sparkling masterpiece.

And much neglected. Has there been a professional production in London since Sadlers Wells did it in the mid 1960s?

[Flosshilde]

As I mentioned in the 'Das Rheingold' thread, it was on tonight (at the Met) after the Rheingold matinee, with a four and a half hour turnaround. I do think that it's quite phenominal how the Met manages a matinee and an evening performance every Saturday. They must have some briliant stage crew - a pity they don't get more acknowledgement. It would be interesting to hear from them in the interval chat.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I missed this altogether. I was still preoccupied with that pesky BaL (Beethoven Violin Concerto) and a recital I was preparing for (Sunday afternoon).

Any comments on the performance?

[Don Basilio]

And much neglected. Has there been a professional production in London since Sadlers Wells did it in the mid 1960s?

I certainly saw it at the ENO in the late 70s/early 80s.

[LeMartinPecheur]

WNO toured it to Southampton in 1991. I was there and greatly enjoyed it.

[bluestateprommer]

As I mentioned in the 'Das Rheingold' thread, it was on tonight (at the Met) after the Rheingold matinee, with a four and a half hour turnaround. I do think that it's quite phenominal how the Met manages a matinee and an evening performance every Saturday. They must have some briliant stage crew - a pity they don't get more acknowledgement.

I saw the HD-cast of Le Comte Ory, and it was quite enjoyable, but then with Florez, Damrau and Di Donato singing Rossini, one can hardly miss. There was one unfortunate momentary dropout in the digital transmission for a few seconds. The NYT review mentioned a sense of the conductor over-driving the performance, but I didn't get that sense of it being too fast or relentless. Plus, JDF deserves props for giving the performance on Saturday just about 35 minutes after the birth of his son.

For Flosshilde, regarding the Met's stage crew, during the intermission/interval breaks of the HD's, the cameras often show the stage crew changing the sets for the next act as filler. I do remember that the host does sometimes talk with the stage manager, such as during the Das Rheingold transmission (and ever-so-gently alluding to the problems of "the machine" on opening night).