Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Role debut

There are, it appears, still unsold seats to tonight's Met performance of L'Elisir d'Amore. It is Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja's first (and, this season, only) Nemorino here, an event I've looked forward to since the season announcement. His other Met lead -- the Duke in Rigoletto, which he's sung here in two seasons now -- shows off a tenor's tone, elan, high notes, and charisma, but Nemorino gives opportunity for real feeling and bel canto delicacy (of which he showed much last season as Macduff). It's the truer test of communication.

Absent some as-yet-unannounced substitute appearance (and I don't think he sings Hoffmann), Calleja won't sing at all at the Met next season... So for fans or the curious, it's this or a long wait.

1 comment:

  1. Saw him last Friday in Rigoletto and will be there tonight.
    Very excited.

    ReplyDelete

Absolutely no axe-grinding, please.