I heard Il Tovatore last night at the Mett. It delivered passion as an Italian opera, especially Verdi, always should but doesn’t. Guanqun Yu, a Chinese soprano most of us have never heard or even heard of before, sang Leonora, and she set the tone. From the very fist appearance in the palace garden, singing “Tacea la notte placida,” her voice rang commandingly. It was not only beautiful in itself and beautifully modulated, but it was also deeply felt, and she got better and better, especially in duets. The excitement was all the greater since it was a new voice. Two male leads, Vassallo as Il Conte di Luna and Gwyn Hughes-Jones as Manrico were good too. It is perhaps in relation to Leonora’s passion that Dolora Zajick's Azucena was somewhat toned down in the effect of horror in her recounting of the burning stake. I recall I was more moved by Giulietta Simionato and Fiorenza Cossotto. I hope to catch Stephanie Blythe as Azucena later in the season. I like this David McVicar production and the set by Charles Edwards featuring over fifty steep, narrow steps along a wall. I always worry if Ferrando will safely come down and up again. Morris Robinson, despite his weight, made some 30 steps back up to the landing quite nimbly. It is a versatile set that, revolving, makes different scenes.
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