Review: Domingo a baritone in `Simon Boccanegra'

NEW YORK – At this rate, Placido Domingo had bigger alpha cerebration about what to sing on the 50th ceremony of his Metropolitan Opera debut, which rolls about in 2018.

Three canicule shy of his 69th birthday, an age back best tenors are retired and teaching adept classes, Domingo took on the appellation role of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra" at the Metropolitan Opera House on Monday night. Back this assembly was new 15 years ago, Domingo sang the starring tenor allotment of Gabriele Adorno. This time he confused to the baritone role of Boccanegra, the conflicted Doge of Genoa he portrayed for the aboriginal time at the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden aftermost October.

Domingo began as a baritone afore switching to tenor back he was still a teenager. He no best sings the lyric and spinto roles that fabricated him famous, instead preferring genitalia that appearance off the ablaze lower allotment of his tenor, such as Wagner's Siegmund.

His is not the ideal Verdi baritone, defective the accentuation in his lower articulation that can angrily allotment through thicker genitalia of the orchestration. Yet, he is so abundant a artist that he angry Boccanegra into a affectionate and blue-blooded triumph, with cottony benevolence substituting for able power.

There was a allegation in the admirers that's defective best nights at the Met, a activity that this was a appropriate moment — an conductor had to arrest addition in the admirers who pulled out a video camera and started recording in mid-performance. Pop singers commonly accept makeovers; not so, opera divos.

He allowable the date with amplitude in "Plebe! Patrizi! (Plebeians! Patricians!)" Back Domingo sang his final act affiliation "M'ardon le tempia (My temples throb)" with bass James Morris (Fiesco) on date and music administrator James Levine in the pit, it acceptable was one of the best adept moments in the company's history. Among the trio, there was about 120 years of Met experience. Style added than fabricated up for articulate cords beneath by decades.

As diaphoresis dripped from Domingo's continued white bristles and abbreviate gray beard, Levine captivated the accompanist on date for a abiding blind call. It fabricated one admiration what Domingo would accept done with "Re Lear" had Verdi anytime gone advanced and composed a activity that continued balked him. He is advertent added baritone roles, conceivably added Verdi or Athanael in Massenet's "Thais." There is little agnosticism Domingo, with a abiding ability of his articulate limits, can accord a above achievement of whatever he chooses.

He was abutting by tenor Marcello Giordani (Adorno), acute Adrianne Pieczonka and a leash of bass-baritones, Morris, Patrick Carfizzi (Paolo) and Richard Bernstein (Pietro). Morris, in his aboriginal 60s, has a asperous complete to his Fiesco that sounds abundant like his Wanderer in Wagner's "Siegfried." Pieczonka seemed all-a-quiver at the alpha but acclimatized bottomward and was a acceptable Amelia with aflame notes, while Carfizzi and Bernstein displayed the Verdian accentuation that Domingo couldn't absolutely muster.

Levine and the orchestra had a august black in this account of loss, love, politics, intrigue, hidden character and vendetta. They weaved attenuate shadings, propulsion and majesty, abnormally in the arresting board alcove arena that Verdi and Arrigo Boito added in their 1881 afterlight to Francesco Maria Piave's aboriginal libretto, acclimated at the 1857 premiere. Giancarlo del Monaco's production, now directed by Peter McClintock, has the blazon of hyperrealistic sets that accompany admirers acclaim but now are out of favor in Peter Gelb's Met.

There are bristles added performances at the Met, and the Saturday matinee on Feb. 6 will be televised in aerial analogue to cine theaters about the world. Domingo additionally is to sing Boccanegra at the Zurich Opera (March 23), Milan's Teatro all Scala (starting April 16), London's Royal Opera (opening June 29) and Madrid's Teatro Real (starting July 22).

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