Saturday, February 16, 2002
Tolstoy a Joy
At the Metropolitan Opera
When Sergei Prokofiev died in 1953 (the same day, ironically, as
Joseph Stalin) he had never heard the entire score of his opera
"War and Peace," a sprawling work based on Tolstoy's
novel. Written during World War II, the opera dramatizes
Tolstoy's bittersweet love story with sadly lyrical music. In the
second part, the Russian people's victory over their invaders is
depicted in music that is sometimes declamatory but more often
heroic.
The 4 -1/2-hour piece made its triumphant debut in the repertory of the Metropolitan Opera Thursday, masterfully conducted by Valerie Gergyev. It is a difficult work with some arid passages but its overall effect is indeed epic. When some strains we remember from a ballroom scene early in the first part pop up late in the second part, we do have the feeling of remembering a wholly different time and place. The contrast between the concerns of the heart in peacetime and those in war is, needless to say, deeply resonant in a way it might not have been a year ago.
The Met has assembled an extraordinary cast, starting with Anna
Netrebko, making an astonishing debut as Natasha. Apart from her
rich, agile voice, Netrebko has the gift of making her character
seem entirely natural, a creature of early-19th-century Moscow
rather than the operatic stage. As her suitor Andrei, Dmitri
Hvorostovsky's lush voice is perfect for the most haunting
of Prokofiev's melodies, especially during his powerful death
scene. Tenor Gegam Grigorian brings great eloquence to the
philosophical Count Pierre. As the victorious Field Marshall
Kutuzov, Samuel Ramey has never sounded more commanding. Oleg
Balashov is solid as the deceitful Anatol, and the venerable
Elena Obraztsova performs the role of society matron with aplomb.
The Met chorus distinguished itself in its handling of the
difficult but stirring choral music. The production was directed
by award-winning film director Andrei Konchalovsky. With his
design team, he has given the peace scenes suitable intimacy, the
battle scenes sweeping grandeur.
(C) The Daily News, 2002