本日のMETオペラ

『フィガロの結婚』モーツァルト

Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro
This immortal opera, based on a scandalous Beaumarchais play banned in the composer’s own time, delivers a parade of brilliant and memorable numbers, and is at once a riotous comedy of class and sexual politics and an incisive, still-relevant social commentary. Constructed around an upstairs-downstairs narrative, it makes ingenious dramatic use of tangled love interests, interwoven deceptions, and slapstick farce, marshals a large ensemble cast of distinctive characters, and wraps it all in Mozart’s sublime music.

なんともはやのドタバタ喜劇。　で、無理やりハッピーエンドだ！

本日のMETオペラ

　『チェネレントラ』ロッシーニ

Rossini’s La Cenerentola
A timeless tale told in a florid bel canto style, Rossini’s take on the Cinderella story offers an ideal propellant for a virtuosic mezzo-soprano to rocket from rags to riches. But in this retelling, the supporting characters soar just as high: Cinderella’s Prince, her stepfather, and the Prince’s valet are given memorable arias, and the composer rounds out his score with ingenious ensemble flourishes. A vivacious masterpiece, La Cenerentola brings stock fairy tale characters to dazzling life.

Elīna Garanča stars in Rossini’s operatic Cinderella story, alongside Lawrence Brownlee as her prince. The delightful drama also features Alessandro Corbelli as Don Magnifico, Simone Alberghini as Dandini, and John Relyea as Alidoro. Maurizio Benini conducts.

BOOK ＆ METオペラ

METオペラ

『トゥーランドット』プッチーニ

Puccini’s Turandot
An ancient Chinese princess presents each new suitor with a series of riddles; success will win her hand, but failure costs his head. One brave warrior prince rises to the challenge, determined to thaw Turandot’s frozen heart. Puccini raises the temperature to boiling by lavishing the legendary tale with some of his finest and most spectacular music—not to mention “Nessun dorma,” one of the catalogue’s most beloved arias. Combined with Franco Zeffirelli’s breathtakingly opulent production, it makes for one of opera’s grandest experiences.

Maria Guleghina stars as the icy princess Turandot in Puccini’s final opera. The performance also features Marcello Giordani, Marina Poplavskaya, and Samuel Ramey. Andris Nelsons conducts.

『シニアひとり旅』下川裕治　平凡社新書

ハウツー本かと思ったら、そうではなかった。（今までそれらしい旅を経験していなくて）この本でいきなり、こういう類の旅に出られる人っているのか？　まあ、旅というのは初めてしまえば何とかなるものではあるのだが。

『源氏物語　1』A.ウェイリー英語訳　佐復秀樹日本語訳　平凡社ライブラリー

これは良い。第一帖「桐壺」は、いわばプロローグで、源氏の生い立ちと、藤壺への憧憬の始まりを描いているのだが、（今まで立ち読みした日本人による現代語訳と比べ）余計な敬語表現が無く読みやすい。もっとも読み進んでゆくと、これは原文でどう書かれているのだろう？と思うような箇所が出てくるので、原文（Kindle 100円）青空文庫の与謝野晶子訳（一帖ごと0円）を並行して読んでいるところ。

本日のMETオペラ

METオペラ

『椿姫』ヴェルディ

Verdi’s La Traviata
Few operatic figures are as beloved as Violetta, the dignified, selfless, and sickly heroine of Verdi’s classic tragedy. An elegant courtesan with a heart of gold, she chooses true love over the amusements and riches of her glamorous Parisian life, then sacrifices everything for the sake of a young woman she’s never even met. All of this—the glitter of her earlier wealth, the heat of her passion with the ardent young Alfredo, the pain of their separation, and her tragic end—lands with devastating weight thanks to Verdi, whose score stands as one of music’s greatest depictions of love and loss.

Romanian soprano Ileana Cotrubaș sings one of her signature roles, the courtesan Violetta in Verdi’s beloved tragedy.

その後のMETオペラ

『マノン・レスコー』プッチーニ

Puccini’s Manon Lescaut
When he set out to write a new opera based on the same irresistible heroine that inspired Massenet’s popular Manon, the young Puccini was undaunted by the risk of provoking comparisons. As he explained: “Why shouldn’t there be two operas about Manon? A woman like Manon can have more than one lover.” And in his take on the alluring young country girl who becomes the toast of Paris before suffering a swift fall and ignominious end, Puccini came through with a masterpiece equal to Massenet’s, trading the French composer’s urbane elegance for overwhelming emotionality.

 Kristine Opolais stars in the title role of Puccini’s passionate early masterpiece, alongside Roberto Alagna as des Grieux and Massimo Cavalletti as Lescaut. Fabio Luisi conducts.

『トリスタンとイゾルデ』ワーグナー

Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde
Inspired by Wagner’s own tortured affair with the wife of his patron, this searing masterwork is based on Arthurian legend and tells of an illicit romance between a Breton nobleman and the Irish princess betrothed to his uncle and king. The composer’s larger-than-life sensibilities are on full display throughout the score: Along with intoxicating orchestral music that surges in tandem with the couple’s burgeoning passion and a chord left symbolically unresolved until the last moments of the opera, the opera also features one of the repertory’s most soaring and ecstatic final climaxes, as Isolde surrenders to a love so powerful that she transcends life itself.

えらく深刻ぶっているのだが、、、。

本日のMETオペラ

METオペラ

『蝶々夫人』プッチーニ

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly
Anthony Minghella’s exquisite production—an instant classic at the Met since its 2006 premiere—provides an evocative setting for this tragedy about a noble but naive geisha awaiting the return of her American Navy lieutenant. Key to the staging are symbolic visuals that tap into traditional Japanese culture while honoring the searching, timeless beauty of Puccini’s mid-career masterpiece.

 Hui He stars as Cio-Cio-San, the heroine of Puccini’s powerful tragedy. The performance also features Bruce Sledge as Pinkerton, Elizabeth DeShong as Suzuki, and Paulo Szot as Sharpless. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts. 

 歌舞伎から取り入れた演出がなかなか面白かった。やっぱオペラは演劇である。（と言って、歌が下手すぎではだめだけど）

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『いのちの山河〜日本の青空II〜』監督：大澤豊、出演：長谷川初範・とよた真帆・加藤剛

映画作品としては、もうちょっと絞れたんじゃないか？　それ以前に、どうもいかにも感覚が古いんだな、2009年作品というのに。まあ（監督）1935年生まれ、作品発表時に74歳だからしょうがないか。